Conditions for the Lowest Grade of Rebirth in the Pure Land

The Sutra on the Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (Original Text):

Regarding the lowest grade of the lowest level: There may be sentient beings who commit unwholesome acts, including the five heinous transgressions and the ten evil deeds, and are replete with all manner of unwholesomeness. Such a foolish person, due to these evil karmas, ought to fall into the evil destinies and undergo suffering for many kalpas, enduring endless torment. When such a foolish person is approaching the end of life, he encounters a virtuous friend who offers various kinds of comfort, expounds the wondrous Dharma for him, and instructs him to be mindful of the Buddha. However, that person, oppressed by suffering, is unable to practice the mindfulness of the Buddha.

The virtuous friend then tells him, "If you cannot be mindful of that Buddha, you should recite the name of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life." Thus, with utmost sincerity, he continuously recites the name without interruption, completing ten recitations of "Namo Amitabha Buddha." Due to the recitation of the Buddha's name, within each recitation, he eradicates the karmic offenses of eighty koṭis of kalpas of birth and death. At the moment of his life's end, he sees a golden lotus flower, like the sun's disk, appear before him. In the time of a single thought, he is immediately reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Within the lotus flower, he dwells for a full twelve great kalpas before the lotus flower blooms. Then, Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, with great compassionate voices, extensively expound to him the true reality of all dharmas and the Dharma for eliminating transgressions. Hearing this, he rejoices and immediately generates the bodhicitta mind.

Explanation:

The situation of the lowest grade of the lowest level is as follows: Some sentient beings commit unwholesome karmic actions, even committing the five heinous transgressions and ten evil deeds, being replete with all unwholesome karmas. Such a foolish person, due to these evil karmas, ought to fall into the three evil destinies, undergo suffering for many kalpas, and endure endless misery. When such a foolish person is approaching the end of life, he encounters a virtuous friend who provides him with various teachings, comfort, and encouragement, expounds the wondrous Dharma for him, and instructs him to be mindful of the Buddha. That foolish person is already so oppressed by suffering that he cannot recite the Buddha's name.

The virtuous friend tells him, "If you cannot recite Amitabha Buddha, then recite the name of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life." Thereupon, this person recites the Buddha's name with utmost sincerity, continuously reciting "Namo Amitabha Buddha" ten times without interruption. Because he recites the Buddha's name with utmost sincerity, within each recitation, he eradicates the karmic offenses of eighty koṭis of kalpas of birth and death. At the moment of his life's end, he sees a golden lotus flower as large as the sun's disk suspended before him. In the time of a single thought, this person is reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. He dwells within the lotus flower for exactly twelve great kalpas before the lotus flower blooms. After emerging from the lotus, he hears Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva and Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva use great compassionate voices to extensively expound to him the true reality of all dharmas and eliminate his karmic transgressions. Hearing this, he rejoices immensely and immediately generates the bodhicitta mind.

Those who can recite the Buddha's name with utmost sincerity are those who recite the Buddha's name with a genuine mind, reciting from the depths of their hearts, not reciting with the mouth while the mind is absent. Not only must the mental consciousness believe and recite, but the mind consciousness must also believe and recite; only then can each recitation eliminate the karmic offenses of eighty koṭis of kalpas of birth and death. Once this karma is eliminated, there being no obstruction, he is reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Because karmic offenses are all connected to the mind consciousness, only when the mind consciousness also recites the Buddha's name can each recitation eliminate the karmic offenses of eighty koṭis of kalpas. If one merely believes and recites with the mental consciousness but lacks sincerity, then the karma cannot be eliminated, much less can rebirth be attained.

It is extremely rare for those who commit grave evil deeds to encounter the guidance of a virtuous friend at the moment of approaching death. Those who can recite the Buddha's name with utmost sincerity are even harder to find in the Saha world. Those who recite the Buddha's name for a lifetime without having it permeate their mind consciousness are everywhere. Therefore, it is exceedingly rare for those who commit grave evil deeds to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss at the moment of approaching death.

The lowest grade of the lowest level receives those who commit grave evil deeds and have not yet had the opportunity to believe in the Buddha. Such a person, at the moment of approaching death, is immediately about to fall into hell—even the hellish manifestations may have already appeared. At this time, this evil person feels terrified. A virtuous friend then expounds to him the Pure Land Dharma door of mindfulness of the Buddha. Because this person still possesses some wholesome roots, combined with his inner fear and helplessness, he immediately believes and accepts it wholeheartedly. Reciting the Buddha's name merely ten times, he is reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss right then. Only those who meet such conditions can attain the lowest grade of the lowest level.

Those who already believed in the Buddha previously but later commit evil deeds again cannot be reborn. Because they had already believed in and studied the Buddha-Dharma, they long ago became lax and insincere in reciting the Buddha's name. Having committed such grave offenses, even when hellish manifestations appear at the moment of approaching death, they still cannot generate a sincere mind; therefore, they cannot attain rebirth.