The mind bound by worldly toils is not as good as awakening and cultivating the Path

When someone dies suddenly in an accident due to karmic force, with no mental preparation, it is generally not easy for them to take rebirth again. If they cannot take rebirth, they become lonely wandering spirits; especially those whose corpses were mutilated or entirely destroyed at death find it even harder to take rebirth. Such beings feel utterly without a sense of belonging in their hearts, terrified and uneasy, in great suffering. People who die in accidents find rebirth difficult, and they often wait at the place where they died for an opportunity, or try to engineer another accident, so that by means of the spirit of a newly deceased person they can take rebirth again—in colloquial terms, this is called "seizing a substitute." Those who commit suicide are the same: only by seizing a substitute can they take rebirth. Therefore, at places where accidents occur, accidents will happen again after a period of time, even repeatedly, again and again—and this applies not only on the ground but also to accidents in the air and in the water. Many accidents are caused by the obsessive attachments of sentient beings.

In order to rescue and deliver those who died violently or in accidents, and to help them take rebirth as soon as possible, we should recite the Buddha's name and sutras for them and dedicate the merit to them, helping them understand the principles, letting go of attachments and obsessive fixations, and increasing their merit, so that they have the opportunity and the wish to take rebirth when they want to, rather than lingering endlessly at the place of their death. We should give rise to a compassionate mind and take some time to recite the Buddha's name and sutras, dedicating the merit to the victims of this air disaster. If they can take rebirth within one month, then no accident will occur again at the same location in the future.

Everyone will die sooner or later, but try not to die violently or accidentally; it is best to have a good death, a natural death, and at the very least to leave behind an intact corpse, so that things will go more smoothly in future lives. A good death and a peaceful end are also brought about by merit and invited by wholesome karma. Therefore, in our daily lives we should, as conditions allow, do good and accumulate virtue as much as possible, refrain from evil deeds, and absolutely avoid doing things that harm others. Especially with regard to the Three Jewels: if you can protect and support them, do so as much as you can; if you cannot, do not slander them or work to undermine them. Strive to be without fault in word and deed, so as to avoid grave evil retribution in this life and in lives to come.

Among the victims of this air disaster, weren't there many whose lives seemed fairly complete and happy? Their careers, work, and families were all quite good—enviable, weren't they? But what was the outcome? A few decades of so-called complete happiness and joy, followed by millions or even more years of suffering in future lives—displaced and wandering, with body and mind unable to find peace, and even having a physical body becomes extremely difficult. Therefore, a person of wisdom must take the long view, must have a broad vision, a wide perspective, standing high and seeing far, using the strength of this lifetime to strive for the security of eternal life. Be a clever and wise person; do not be short-sighted, narrow-minded, and petty, caring only for trivial immediate gains while ignoring the suffering of birth and death over countless kalpas to come.

How many people make excuses, saying, "I cannot leave home yet, I cannot devote myself fully to practice, because I still have responsibilities and obligations in the world." But if your family and close friends suddenly vanished, how would your responsibilities and obligations be reckoned? If you yourself suddenly vanished, what responsibilities and obligations would there even be to speak of? So while you are still alive, while you still have energy, you should do more things that are truly meaningful, more things that benefit the longer term. Do not focus only on the next few decades—those few decades are truly very, very short, while the long kalpas of the future are very, very long, too long to calculate. Should you care more about the pleasures of these few decades of life, or should you give more consideration to the security of the long kalpas of future lives? Regarding worldly affairs, one's mind should long ago have been as clear as a mirror—what matter could still bewilder your eyes and your mind? The wise should reflect on this well.