I once saw a patient who taught me a lesson, not only about the precepts, but also about how habits affect our rebirth in the Pure Land. She was an old lady in her 50s or 60s who paid great attention to her appearance. Even when she was hospitalized for radiotherapy, she had to put on makeup, apply lipstick, and look in the mirror until she was satisfied when she went from the third floor of the hospital to the basement. Her cancer spread to her bones, and one of her hands was broken, but she still had to use the other hand to apply powder and look in the mirror. The appearance and clothing are neat and tidy, which makes people feel refreshed, which is a good thing. But what effect did this strong and persistent habit have on her when she was dying?
At that time, I advised her to chant the Buddha's name. She did so respectfully and happily. She knew that her illness was very serious and her life was in danger at any time, so she vowed to be reborn in Sukhāvatī and asked me to help her chant the Buddha's name. Because our hospital did not provide a place for chanting the Buddha's name, she was transferred to the Buddhist "Bodhi Hospital" in advance to facilitate the chanting of the Buddha's name at the end of her life. After get off work, I went to the Bodhi Hospital to chant with her. One day she was semi-conscious, and I was chanting Buddhist mantras beside her. Occasionally, she would wake up and chant aloud. Suddenly she said, "I want to go to the Pure Land Sukhāvatī, come and go quickly, I have to go (Taiwanese)!" Then she chanted Amitabha! Amitabha! But suddenly she changed her chanting to "Amita powder" and said, "Powder, it's the powder for applying powder!" Her usual movements of applying powder while putting on makeup appeared again. I saw it and reminded her:
"We don't need to put on powder to go to the Pure Land. When we go to the Pure Land, everyone will be like Buddha, golden and majestic, emitting golden light. It's better than putting on powder. Quickly chant Amitabha!" After hearing this, she chanted Amitabha again, but suddenly she chanted it as "Amita flower", and said, "Flower is the flower for flower arrangement!" At the same time, she made the gesture of "putting flowers in hair". I reminded her again and she started chanting Buddha's name again. But suddenly, she said, "Ah! I'm not wearing shoes either." I told her, "The Western Pure Land is made of golden ground and is very pure. There's no need to wear shoes." Then she started chanting the Buddha's name again.
This patient's behavior made me understand that there is a precept in the Buddha's "Eight Precepts" that "do not adorn the body with perfume, flowers or ornaments." This means not to use perfume, various cosmetics, jewelry or other ornaments to adorn the body. Buddhism teaches us to practice not pursuing false outward decorations, but to develop the true virtues and dignity within. Our attachment to the "self" is already strong enough, and we don't even have enough time to practice letting go and reducing it, so there is really no need to strengthen it!
If a person is used to wearing makeup and cultivates this habit throughout her life, it will appear when she is dying, and she will chant the Buddha's name incorrectly, because habits generate power! Look at how we usually dress, put on shoes, and brush our teeth. There is the power of habit. We don't have to think about it; it happens naturally. Therefore, the Buddhist precepts are meant to help us - to let go of unnecessary habits and wrong pursuits in our daily lives, so as to avoid obstacles at the time of death. Like her, her mind thinks of Buddha on one hand and powders and arranges flowers on the other. Strictly speaking, this is not just a problem of "pronouncing the Buddha's name incorrectly", but a problem with the "wish" in her heart - the "wish" is not sincere enough. Do you want to be reborn in Sukhāvatī? Or do you want to be reincarnated and put on makeup?
Those who truly wish to be reborn in the Pure Land will naturally let go of these irrelevant habits and will naturally have no interest in pursuing them. Those who wish to be reborn in the Pure Land only need to use "Amitabha Brand" cosmetics to beautify their hearts, make their hearts joyful and sincere, and not "lose the Buddha", but be able to develop the Buddha nature.
