The Prerequisites for Rebirth in the Amitabha Sutra

The Amitabha Sutra states: If there are virtuous men or virtuous women who, upon hearing of Amitabha Buddha, single-mindedly uphold his name for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days, with undivided attention and without confusion, then at the time of their approaching death, Amitabha Buddha, accompanied by a host of holy beings, will appear before them. At the moment of their death, their minds will not be inverted, and they will immediately attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss. Shariputra, I perceive this benefit and therefore speak these words. If there are beings who hear this teaching, they should make the vow to be born in that land.

Explanation: If virtuous men or virtuous women hear that Amitabha Buddha exists in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and, seeking rebirth there, recite the name of Amitabha Buddha, and if they attain the state of single-mindedness without confusion after reciting for one day, or respectively after two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days, then when this person approaches the end of life, Amitabha Buddha and a host of holy beings will appear before them. At the moment of this person's death, their mind will not be inverted; they will not cling to any person, matter, or thing in the Saha world, and thus will attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss. Shariputra, I see such supreme benefits, and that is why I speak these words. If there are beings who hear this teaching, they should make the vow to be born in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Buddha here clearly states the conditions for rebirth: one must cultivate to the state of single-mindedness without confusion, where the Buddha-Recitation Samadhi manifests, and at the time of death, the mind must not be inverted – one cannot cling to the Saha world. If one clings to the Saha world, even if Amitabha Buddha and the holy beings come before them, they will return, unable to guide the person. This means that even if one recites the Buddha's name to the point of foreknowing the time of death, rebirth is not guaranteed, because the state of concentration (samadhi) at the time of death is a variable, not fixed, and mental thoughts and karmic forces are also variables. Once concentration dissipates, the mind becomes scattered, distracting thoughts arise, and then nothing can be discussed. Many factors can affect concentration; some circumstance might arise at the time of death causing the mind to scatter, making rebirth impossible.

Achieving single-mindedness without confusion is possible, but maintaining an uninverted mind at the moment of death is the crucial point, and this is extremely difficult. At the time of death, if karmic obstacles manifest and creditors (from past lives) come seeking repayment, probably very few can keep their minds uninverted; a single thought of greed will prevent rebirth. How should faith be understood, to what degree? What kind of aspiration should the vow entail? What actions should be taken? What exactly should one do? The content of Faith, Vow, and Practice is very rich. If one wishes to be reborn, one should first immerse oneself in the teachings at the beginning of the Dhyāna Samādhi Sūtra (Zuochan Sanmei Jing) where the Buddha speaks of methods to subdue various minds, regulating the mind so that it does not become inverted; only then is there hope for rebirth.

Older people and those with physical illnesses should apply more effort in the practice aspect (conduct/行门) and spend less time analyzing unnecessary doctrines (解的法), because rebirth at the end of life is determined by the practice accumulated in this lifetime; intellectual understanding alone does not play a decisive role. The most important factors for seeking rebirth in the Pure Land are the power of the vow and the vow-directed practice; the power of the mind's aspiration and thoughts is crucial. To make the vow-power firm, one must deeply recognize the suffering of the world. If one does not know the suffering of the world, the mind will become lax due to craving and attachment. Many Buddhists, regardless of how long they have studied, remain carefree and lack a sense of urgency in their hearts. Every day they look around at this and that, interested in everything, absorbing knowledge haphazardly, without correct understanding or a plan for practice, and are ignorant and fearless about the afterlife. Such people are often beginners in Buddhism – like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, beginners in Buddhism are unafraid of suffering and unafraid of death.

Those who wish to study and practice the Buddha-Recitation Dharma Door should first look into the practice deeds of the First Patriarch of the Pure Land tradition, Master Huiyuan, to see how the master practiced and why he was able to see the holy images three times in samadhi. How should we apply diligent practice to ensure rebirth in the Pure Land at the end of life?