Namo Amituofo Namo Amitabha Buddha.So i am dealing with doubt nowadays.I feel like Amitabha's compassion doesn't expand towards me and that I don't deserve or won't be reborn in the Sukhavati and i feel like I don't want to be reborn there.How can i get rid of doubt and increase my faith.Can nianfo help?

II. Appearance in Dreams and Illumination from the Buddha's Body

​(1) Origin / Background

​Laywoman Luo Yulan, thirty-eight years old, lives in Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, works as an accountant, and together with her husband has a three-year-old child. In the eyes of her family and relatives, she is a filial daughter. Laywoman Luo was a terminal breast cancer patient; after the cancer cells metastasized, she was also diagnosed with lymphoma. Introduced by Dharma sister Chunlian, Laywoman Luo Yulan's younger brother called to request that we go to care for his sister. On the morning of March 28th at nine o'clock, Venerable Jingzhu, Venerable Jingzhao, and Dharma brother Jinghong, three people in total, went to the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital 20th-floor ward to offer care to Laywoman Luo.

​(2) Attachment to the World and Her Young Child; Counseling Her to Seek Rebirth in the West

​Laywoman Luo, who was only thirty-eight years old, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. Because there was still a three-year-old infant at home waiting to be fed, her desire to live was strong, and she continuously fought against the "illness demon," yet she was ultimately unable to defeat her karma. Later, when hospitalized due to cancer complications, her entire body was so swollen that it was as stiff as an iron plate. In extreme pain and helplessness, she lay dying in her hospital bed, helplessly waiting for the Grim Reaper to arrive...

​Through our conversation with Laywoman Luo in the hospital, we came to understand the profound sense of helplessness deep in her heart. At thirty-eight years old, she still had deep attachments to the world and her family, and felt immense worry and heartbreak for her three-year-old child. Facing the fact that she was about to leave the world due to the torment of illness, she was both helpless and resigned; the deep unwillingness in her heart brought a shared sense of suffering to all of us present.

​After talking with her, we respectfully invited out an image of Amitabha Buddha, hung it in front of her bed, and introduced her to Amitabha Buddha’s compassionate grand vows and the majesty and beauty of the Western Pure Land. Venerable Jingzhao encouraged her with faith, saying: "You must face this reality bravely and entrust your heart to Amitabha Buddha, who possesses infinite compassion and made grand vows for all beings in the ten directions. At this moment, only the compassionate Amitabha Buddha can rescue you; only Amitabha Buddha is your sole reliance." Laywoman Luo's consciousness was still relatively clear at the time. Upon seeing the Buddha image, she could not help but shed tears and asked to hold a string of prayer beads. Venerable Jingzhu and Venerable Jingzhao immediately administered the Three Refuges for her, and asked her to recite the Buddha's name to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

​The power of the Buddha is truly inconceivable! On the very next day after our visit (March 29th), protected and blessed by Amitabha Buddha's light, Laywoman Luo's previously rapid breathing gradually turned peaceful, her pain eased significantly, and her swollen body was no longer as stiff. The worries, attachments, and anxieties in her heart were all set down greatly. On the third day (March 30th), Laywoman Luo entered a coma, and passed away peacefully at 1:15 PM that afternoon at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.

​(3) Two Children Share the Same Miraculous Dream; A Supreme Rebirth Relying on Buddha’s Power

​After her passing, Laywoman Luo's family transferred her body to the Bafeng Funeral Parlor, and notified us at the first opportunity to perform supportive chanting for her. Dharma Brother Jinghong led the first shift of Dharma brothers and sisters there, and invited the family members to chant the Buddha's name together for Laywoman Luo.

​Dharma Brother Jinghong encouraged her with faith, saying: "Laywoman Luo Yulan, we know you cannot let go of your three-year-old child, but you are now completely powerless. Your new responsibility now is to follow the compassionate Amitabha Buddha and be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Once you reach the Ultimate Bliss World, you will possess supernatural powers, merit, and wisdom to come back and help your family, and bless your child to grow up safely. Although your family feels deep heartache over your leaving, they have already accepted this reality. Only if you are reborn in the Ultimate Bliss World will your family feel at peace. As long as you are willing to be reborn in Ultimate Bliss and recite 'Namo Amitabha Buddha', Amitabha Buddha will certainly not break His vow, emitting light to welcome and guide you to the Ultimate Bliss World where there is no birth, aging, sickness, or death, and where life is eternal. You must attain rebirth and display supernatural powers for them to see, letting them know that you have gone with Amitabha Buddha. Don't make Amitabha Buddha wait too long for you!"

​Initially, Laywoman Luo's face was completely drained of color and her mouth was open. After Dharma Brother Jinghong led the chanting and encouraging words, her face unexpectedly began to turn rosy slowly after two hours, and her mouth slowly closed. Afterwards, Dharma Brother Zhu and many other Dharma brothers and sisters took turns in shifts to perform supportive chanting for her, lasting for a total of ten hours. After the supportive chanting concluded, Laywoman Luo's body was no longer stiff, her mouth was completely closed, her face was rosy, a smile rested on her face, and her four limbs were soft and flexible!

​What was even more extraordinary was that on the night of Laywoman Luo's passing, her nephew (eleven years old, in fifth grade) and niece (seven years old, in first grade), who usually had a deep affection for Laywoman Luo, both dreamed of their aunt dressed in white robes like a Buddha's body, holding the brother's hand with one hand and the sister's hand with the other, leading them as they stood on top of clouds. They saw their aunt's body radiating light, wearing white clothes and a white hat, her mouth smiling, a red mark between her eyebrows, and her ears majestic like a Buddha's; both children felt extremely happy. Although their aunt later disappeared, she continued to emit white light. The next day, when the two children told their father (Laywoman Luo's younger brother) about dreaming of their aunt, they discovered that both had made the exact same dream. Their father then had the two children separately draw the scene in their dreams (as in Figures 1 and 2). Her family believed this was Laywoman Luo coming back to report good news, proving that she had already been received by Amitabha Buddha's light, departed from suffering to attain bliss, and arrived in the Western Pure Land, hoping they would rest easy. The family was therefore filled with supreme joy.

​(4) Sharing with Fellow Practitioners at the Opportunity of the Dharma Assembly

​On April 3rd, coinciding with the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of the Kaohsiung Nianfo Association and the Qingming Festival Buddha-Recitation Dharma Assembly, Laywoman Luo's family—including her elder sister, younger brother, and sister-in-law—also came to participate in the Dharma Assembly. During the Dharma Assembly, Laywoman Luo's family spoke to the fellow practitioners about how Laywoman Luo had been tormented by illness during her life, how deeply attached she was to the world and her young child, and the process of how, after receiving care and encouragement from the two Venerables and Dharma Brother Jinghong, her body's pain was lightened and her inner worries were relieved. When the fellow practitioners heard that after Laywoman Luo passed away, through the shift work of supportive chanting by the association's Dharma brothers and sisters, her face was rosy and her body was flexible, and that her two young niblings dreamed on the same night of holding hands with their aunt, standing on clouds emitting light, and various other auspicious signs, they all felt it was extraordinarily supreme. Laywoman Luo's family also expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Dharma brothers and sisters who participated in the care and supportive chanting, offering true witness to this supreme rebirth through Buddha-recitation and Amitabha Buddha's compassionate salvation! The attending practitioners all praised in unison, filled with Dharma joy.

​(Compiled by Zongyue and Jingheng of the Pure Land Buddhism Kaohsiung Nianfo Association, June 3, 2011)

This is an account I have come across while studying Pure Land Buddhism in a book called Records of the Effects of Amitabha Recitation, Volume 4. While reading this rebirth account, I couldn't help but hold back tears and feel so much gratitude towards Amitabha Buddha because of His infinite compassion. This account is translated from Chinese into English, but I tried my best to ensure the translation was accurate with the help of Google Books and also from Google Gemini. May we all be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land.

Namo Amitabha Buddha 🙏

Hey everybody! I found this essay on the internet and thought it was really good, especially for someone (like me) who is familiar with general mahayana buddhism, zen and mainland pure land tradition but not so much with jodo shinshu, so I thought it might me good to share this with the whole community!

May the light of Amitabha shine through you!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!