Shi Xiong Jun Dharma Master (释雄俊法师) is a monk.
He left the home life and treated it like playing a game. He left the homelife seven times and he returned to worldly life seven times.
The Buddha allows a man to leave home for the maximum of seven times.
The first time he left the home life to cultivate the path and found that it was too difficult. He found himself transgressing the precepts. It is very difficult to stay on with the transgression. People would look at him with disgust.
So, he decided to go home, to be free to do anything he liked. But after going home, there was another problem. He was lazy to work so there was the problem of his daily expenditure. As life got difficult, he again left home. After leaving home he transgressed the precepts again and he went back home. And he travelled to and fro from home to temple and vice versa for seven times.
After passing away he went down to the hell.
King Yama looked at him and said, ‘Shi Xiong Jun you are here finally!’
Everything he had done was recorded by the King Yama. He opened the records and hit the wooden plank on the table, shouted loudly,
‘Shi Xiong Jun, you are so daring. You are the most terrible man in Jambudvipa. Finally, you are here. I have been waiting for you for quite some time.’
He was known as the most evil man in Jambudvipa. He was notorious for his way of life but he was not a common man. At that stage he found that the King Yama had sentenced him to the hell, he was terrified!
Suddenly in such an accute situation he thought of something and said to the King Yama,
‘No, no, you cannot sentence me to the hell!’
King Yama shouted, ‘I have never met such a cunning man like you. How dare you argue like that before me? Ok, I would like to listen to your point!’
Shi Xiong Jun said, ‘I know that I have committed many mistakes, I know I am wrong, I have transgressed the precepts. I have committed lots of evil karma. I am at fault.
But I also recited Namo Amitabha Buddha! I attended the morning and evening services and recited Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Amitabha Buddha has brought forth the vows. He said if people recited ten times and did not attain a rebirth, he would not attain Buddhahood.
If you were to sentence me to the hell, it means Amitabha Buddha is telling lies!’
After speaking this, the hell quaked in six ways, and there rained down the wonderful flowers from the heaven. Immediately the lotus came and Amitabha Buddha came forth to welcome him. He attained a rebirth in the World of Ultimate Bliss. (The audience clapped.)
In the beginning, the King Yama was on the high seat to sentence him to hell. But now he could not even reach out his hands to catch hold of his shoes. Xiong Jun rose up in the space and left with the Buddha.
Why did it happen this way?
All the time he was confused and lacking in faith and vows. But at this frightening situation, he suddenly brought forth the faith and vows. As he had spoken, ‘If you were to sentence me to the transmigration in the six paths, it means that Namo Amitabha is lying.’
It means at that instant he had brought forth the genuine faith and vows. He had taken refuge in Amitabha Buddha and the Buddha appeared instantly.
This could not be fake.
So, reciting the Buddha’s Name is our job. But attaining a rebirth is the job of Amitabha Buddha.
As long as we recite the Buddha’s Name, every one of us will attain a rebirth.
The only problem is that you do not have faith in this. You do not believe in this!
Why did Shi Xiong Jun go down the hell? It is because his faith in Amitabha Buddha is very shallow. In fact, he just became a monk and followed the assembly to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha. Am I right?
It means he does not have faith in Amitabha Buddha.
At this frightening juncture he suddenly realized, ‘I have recited the Buddha’s name.’
Maybe he is the revelation of a bodhisattva.
Just imagine if you are in this situation, with the King Yama sentencing you to go to the hell, the hitting of the wooden plank, the surrounding with the hot pots of burning oil, the knife mountains, I am afraid you will wet your trousers!
Do you think you still dare to argue with the King Yama?
Do not say, ‘I will say that at the Yama hall.’ I am sure you cannot say anything as you will be too frightened to think of anything.
So, this Shi Xiong Jun is not a common man. At that juncture he could still voiced his opinion.
And in this acute juncture, he could still attain liberation.
Namo Amitabha Buddha
A story told by the Venerable Master Shi Jing Zong: Master Shi Xiong Jun attained a Rebirth
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