Amitabha Buddha welcomed my mother who refused to call His Name while alive

I am Cai Bing Lin. My Dharma Name is Jing Lin. I stay in Central Taiwan, a member of the Pure Land Society.

As I have profound faith in the rescue of Amitabha Buddha and I understand that every recitation is the call of Amitabha Buddha who wants to rescue me.

That is why I become a full time vegetarian and join the Metta Voluntary Work.

But regretfully, I am unable to exhort my mother to have faith in the Buddha, to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.

My mother Cai Chen Juan, a very traditional lady is eighty-one years old this year (2021).

For her, the recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha is for the deceased. That is why it is a taboo for her to hear the recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha.

My wife Jingru and I have tried all means to tell her about the goodness of Amitabha Buddha. But my mother does not like to hear this. She does not believe at all. Even when we switched on the Buddha recitation device, she would signal us to off it.

I even brought her to join in Amitabha Buddha group cultivation, to listen to the instructions of Dharma Master. She would only nod her head just to be respectful. But in her mind, she refused to accept the teaching. I could only say she had not even recited Namo Amitabha Buddha once when she was alive.

In the year 106, my mother had a fall and was sent to the emergency ward in the hospital. The doctor told us her brain was injured and she had lost the ability to recognize people. From then onwards, mother could not walk nor talk. Her brain had retarded to the stage of a child. She could not recognize any one. Under such a circumstance, I had once felt that mother was indeed very heavy in offences this life, especially her refusal in Amitabha recitation. It looks as though there is simply no chance for her to attain a rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

In the year 109, the second day of December, at about noon time, my mother was choked when she swallowed the egg roll. After sending her to the emergency ward, she had lost all signs of life. At such an acute situation, the doctor asked if I would allow him to insert the tubes and use the electric shock, trying to save her life.

At that time, I was thinking that mother had been working hard the whole life. Now at the old age she was paralyzed. It was a real suffering for her. I remembered once when she was still conscious, she had told me not to save her life in emergency. I only hope that my mother would attain a rebirth calmly, with honour. So, I refused the doctor’s suggestion and gave up all forms of emergency aid.

At about one twenty-three in the afternoon, mother passed away. As mother did not have faith in the Buddha when she was alive, my only wish is to conduct aided recitation for her for eight hours. I hope to fulfil this final task as a son to show my love for her. Maybe Amitabha Buddha also heard my wish and the whole arrangement was carried out in the most supreme and perfect way.

When my mother was sent to the underground room in the hospital for aiding recitation, Dharma Master Jing En came swiftly to give instructions to her about Amitabha Recitation. He guided my mother to seek a rebirth in the Western Land. Later he also made arrangement for three groups of lotus friends to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha until 12 am in the morning. The aided recitation was carried out perfectly.

The next day, Master told me urgently about my mother’s condition in kindness and compassion, He said, ‘The deceased who dwells in the bardo body within forty -nine days will be confused and unsettled.’ So, he advised me to recite more Namo Amitabha Buddha for mother so as to help her to leave sufferings, to attain bliss.

Besides, Master also arranged another two sessions of aided recitation for mother before the funeral. I also joined in recitation in Amitabha recitation society every day.

On the ninth day of December, in the morning, the lotus friends came in groups to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha at the prayer hall. This was the first seven days after the passing away of my mother. In the Amitabha recitation, one of the lotus friends by the name Cai Su Zhu (Dharma Name Jing Nian) saw an orange flower by the side of the Coloured clouds Buddha. The flower was flying about the image. She thought that this happened because of her blur eye-sight. So, she closed her eyes to rest for a while. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the orange lotus which became more distinct beside the Buddha image, emitting the shiny bright lights. She said that she had never seen such a beautiful flower before. It stayed there for about three minutes. But those by her side did not see.

In the morning, the 13^th of December, Master Jing En came personally to conduct the Goodbye ceremony for mother. We sent her off by reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha. At that time, my Indonesian maid Aya, who has the spiritual eyes personally saw mother sitting on a lotus in the air. She was very well dressed. She came to say good bye to her and thanked her for taking good care of her when she was ill. Aya cried and said, ‘No, Aya did not take good care of Ama (Grandma).’

At first, I thought mother had no affinity with the Buddha because of her stubborn character. She did not believe in the Buddha and refused to recite the Buddha’s Name. I thought we could only help her to plant a Buddha seed, so that her affinity with the Buddha will be ripened in future. I did not expect that the rescue of Amitabha Buddha is truly kind and compassionate, that he will not renounce anyone, even my mother who had refused to recite His Name. He also came forth to save her. He bestowed upon me such a great Dharma Bliss, the bliss of a calm mind on witnessing such auspiciousness. Written on the 29^th of January, 2021

生前不念佛　助念登莲台

我是蔡炳林，法名：净林，家住台中，也是净土宗的莲友，因为我对阿弥陀佛的救度深信不已，我知道念念之中，是弥陀的呼唤，是弥陀的救度，因此我长年念佛，并加入爱心志工的行列。虽是如此，我却度不了我的母亲信佛念佛。

我的母亲叫蔡陈娟，今年八十一岁，她是一位非常传统的妇女，对於阿弥陀佛的印象，还落在家中有人过世才能称念，所以对於阿弥陀佛总是感到忌讳。虽然我与我的同修净茹曾屡次尝试着告诉母亲阿弥陀佛的好，但我的母亲并不乐听，也不愿相信，甚至听到念佛机的声音时，便会挥手示意要我把它关掉。即便我们带她亲近念佛会，听着师父的开示，她也只是礼貌性的点点头附和，但心中仍旧是不愿接受，可说在她生前，她是一位从未念过一声「南无阿弥陀佛」圣号的人。

一Ｏ六年，我的母亲意外摔倒，紧急送医之後，医生宣告脑部挫伤，已失去认知能力，自此再也无法走路与说话，大脑也退化为孩童般，并且认不出任何人来。面对这样的意外，加上母亲之前对念佛的排斥，曾经让我一度以为，母亲今生罪深障重，俨然没有任何把握得以往生极乐。

一Ｏ九年十二月二日中午，我的母亲因为吃蛋卷时不小心噎到，紧急送医後已无生命迹象，在情况危急之下，医生询问我们是否要插管以及电击，尝试抢救母亲的生命，但是当时我心想，我的母亲一生辛劳，晚年又因瘫痪而过的很辛苦，也记得她曾在意识清醒时交代将来不要急救，因此我希望能让她有尊严的安然往生，因此便婉拒了医生的建议，放弃任何急救。　　

下午一点二十三分，母亲离世了。也因为母亲生前的不信佛，因此我唯一的心愿，就是希望能为她助念八小时，以圆满最後的孝道，也许是阿弥陀佛听见了我的祈求，一路安排都非常的殊胜圆满。

当我的母亲送往医院地下室助念室时，净土宗台中念佛会的净恩师父第一时间便赶来为我的母亲念佛开示，引导我的母亲求生西方，随後又安排三班莲友，直至半夜十二点钟才圆满助念佛事。

隔天师父关心母亲的情况，并慈悲的告诉我说：亡者在四十九日内，若在中阴身中，往往受着业力而慌乱不安，因此多为母亲念佛能帮助她早日离苦得乐。因此师父又慈悲地为我的母亲在出殡前多安排了两场助念，而我也几乎天天都到念佛会参加念佛。

十二月九日上午，莲友们排班前来灵堂助念，这天正是母亲的头七之日。在念佛声中，有位莲友名蔡素珠(法名：净念)，突然看见彩云佛相旁有一朵橘色小花，在佛相旁边飘来飘去，原以为是自己老眼昏花，便闭上双眼休息片刻，没想到再次睁开双眼时，竟看的更为鲜明，是一朵橘色的莲花在佛相旁边，并散发着灿烂的光明，她说她这辈子都没有看过这麽漂亮的花，出现的时间约有三分钟之久，但身边的人并没有人看到如此景象。

十二月十三日上午，净恩师父亲自为我的母亲主持告别仪式，以弥陀名号送母亲一程。当时我的印尼外佣阿雅，她本身有阴阳眼体质，就亲见我的母亲於空中坐於莲花之上，穿着非常富贵华丽，满脸笑容的跟她道别，感谢阿雅在她生病时对她的照顾，阿雅顿时流下眼泪跟我的母亲说：没有，我没有照顾好阿嬷。

原以为我的母亲今生已经与佛无缘，因为性情固执，终究无法信佛念佛，只能种下佛种等待将来因缘成熟，但没想到阿弥陀佛慈悲救度不舍一人，连生前排拒念佛的母亲，都能蒙佛救度，并显现如此瑞相让我安心赐与法喜。

2021.01.29