父母堕地狱，儿子只做一件事，竟让二十多人同生净土！ Parents Fall into Hell, Yet the Son Does Only One Thing and Helps Over Twenty Beings Attain Rebirth in the Pure Land! | 净本法师开示
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在《三宝感应要略录》中记载了这样一个真实的故事：从前有位叫张元寿的居士，虽然自己信佛，但他的父母却是以杀生为业，每天宰杀鸡鱼贩卖。张居士每次看到父母造杀业都很难过，但身为子女难以劝阻。要知道，劝父母学佛比劝孩子学佛更难，父母总觉得自己阅历丰富，不愿听从子女劝告。
后来张居士的父母去世了，他非常想为父母做功德超度。经过多方寻找，他了解到阿弥陀佛大慈大悲，连五逆十恶的人都不舍弃，更何况是自己的父母呢？虽然父母造了不少杀业，但还不至于像五逆十恶那么严重。于是张居士决定要念佛，祈求阿弥陀佛超度他的父母。
阿弥陀佛的慈悲是不可思议的，只要我们念佛，必定会得到感应。果然有一天，张居士梦见一道光明射入房间，光中有二十余人坐在庄严的莲花上。其中有两个人对他说："元寿啊，我们是你的父母。因为生前嗜酒杀生，死后堕入地狱受苦。幸好昨天阿弥陀佛亲自来地狱为我们说法，劝我们念佛。现在地狱里的二十余人都得以脱离苦海，往生极乐世界了。临去之前，特地来告诉你一声。那位阿弥陀佛的相貌，和你家里供奉的一模一样。"说完，莲花就向着西方飞去了。
这个故事告诉我们：张居士并没有举行什么复杂的超度法会，也没有准备各种供品，只是有念佛，阿弥陀佛就亲自到地狱救度他的父母和其他二十多位众生往生极乐。正如印光大师所说：「凡修持宜专不易杂。念佛一法，超过一切，或荐亡，或祈亲寿，并一切所求，皆可如愿。」 念佛超度不仅简单，而且殊胜。印光大师强调，念佛功德超过一切法门。不论是祈求现世福报，还是超度亡亲，念佛都能满愿。
特别值得一提的是，念佛不仅能帮助亡者脱离恶道，更能直接接引往生极乐世界成佛。其他超度法门可能只能让亡者脱离恶道，但念佛却能让他们永脱轮回，直趋佛道。想想看，张居士的父母一生杀生无数，又嗜酒吃肉，罪业深重。但即便如此，阿弥陀佛依然不舍弃他们，因为孩子念佛的因缘，直接接引他们往生净土。从一个杀生造业的凡夫，直接超度成佛，这在其他法门中是难以想象的。
印光大师还特别开示：「地藏菩萨救苦心切，然比阿弥陀佛临终接引，令得往生，则又相去悬远。至于做佛事，当以念佛为第一。」地藏菩萨虽然慈悲，但主要救度众生脱离恶道；而阿弥陀佛则是直接接引往生极乐成佛。况且《地藏经》明言诵经功德只有七分之一，而念佛则能获得阿弥陀佛圆满的功德加持。这不是说地藏菩萨不慈悲，而是佛的愿力确实比菩萨更为圆满。阿弥陀佛被称为「佛中之王」，其愿力自然最为殊胜。所以印光大师强调，超度亲人最好的方法就是专念"南无阿弥陀佛"，不必夹杂其他法门。念佛越专一，功德就越殊胜。
这个故事给我们很大的启示：即使亲人一生造业，只要我们能念佛，阿弥陀佛必定会慈悲救度。一句"南无阿弥陀佛"具足无量功德，能够帮助亡者离苦得乐，往生净土。这真是最简单又最殊胜的超度法门啊！
English Translation:
Parents Fall into Hell, Yet the Son Does Only One Thing and Helps Over Twenty Beings Attain Rebirth in the Pure Land!
| Master Jing Ben |
In the book A Brief Record of Responses to the Three Jewels (《三宝感应要略录》), there is a true story:
In the past, there was a lay practitioner named Zhang Yuanshou. Even though he himself was a Buddhist, his parents made a living by slaughtering chickens and fish every day. Each time he saw them taking lives, he felt terrible, but as their child, he found it difficult to dissuade them. After all, persuading one’s parents to practise Buddhism can be more challenging than guiding one’s children; parents often feel that their life experience is greater and are unwilling to heed their children’s advice.
Later, Zhang’s parents passed away. He wanted very much to perform meritorious deeds to help them receive deliverance. After much searching, he learned that Amitabha Buddha is supremely compassionate, not abandoning even those who commit the gravest of sins—so how could He abandon his parents? Although his parents had created significant negative karma through killing, it was not to the extent of the five gravest offenses. Hence, Zhang decided to recite the Buddha’s name, praying for Amitabha Buddha to deliver his parents.
The compassion of Amitabha Buddha is unfathomable. If we sincerely recite His name, we will surely receive a response. Indeed, one day Zhang dreamt of a bright light streaming into his room. Within the light were more than twenty people sitting upon magnificent lotus flowers. Two of them spoke to him:
“Yuanshou, we are your parents. When we were alive, we were addicted to alcohol and took many lives, so after death, we fell into hell. Fortunately, yesterday Amitabha Buddha personally came to hell and taught us to recite His name. Now, more than twenty people there have been freed from suffering and have been reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Before departing, we came to tell you this. The form of Amitabha we saw looks exactly like the one enshrined in your home.” After saying this, the lotus flowers carried them westward and disappeared.
This story shows us that Zhang did not hold any elaborate deliverance ceremonies or make extensive offerings. He only recited the Buddha’s name, and Amitabha Buddha personally went to hell to save his parents, as well as twenty-plus other beings, enabling them to be reborn in the Pure Land. As Master Yinguang said, “In all practices, it is best to remain recite exclusively and not to mix methods. The single practice of reciting the Buddha’s name surpasses all other methods: whether one is praying for the deceased, seeking blessings for relatives, or making any other kind of request, it can fulfill our wishes.” The power of reciting the Buddha’s name for deliverance is both simple and extraordinary. Master Yinguang emphasized that the merit of reciting the Buddha’s name surpasses that of all other practices. Whether one seeks blessings in this life or deliverance for departed relatives, reciting the Buddha’s name can fulfill these aspirations.
It is particularly noteworthy that not only does Buddha-name recitation help the deceased escape the lower realms, it directly facilitates rebirth in the Pure Land to become a Buddha. Other methods of deliverance may only spare the deceased from further suffering, but reciting the Buddha’s name allows them to be freed from the cycle of rebirth once and for all, moving directly onto the path of Buddhahood. Consider that Zhang’s parents spent a lifetime taking countless lives, drinking alcohol, and eating meat, thus creating serious karma and yet Amitabha Buddha did not forsake them. Because their son recited the Buddha’s name, Amitabha directly guided them to rebirth in His Pure Land. Transforming ordinary beings who commit acts of killing into those reborn in the Pure Land, and ultimately becoming Buddhas, would be unimaginable through other practices.
Master Yinguang also pointed out: “Although Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Dizang Pusa) is most compassionate in saving beings from suffering, it still cannot compare to Amitabha Buddha’s power to escort people at the moment of death, enabling them to attain rebirth. When conducting funeral rites, reciting the Buddha’s name is paramount.” While Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is indeed merciful—primarily saving beings from the hell realms—Amitabha Buddha provides direct rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, allowing beings to attain Buddhahood. Furthermore, the Sutra of Kṣitigarbha (《地藏经》) states that the merit of reciting that sutra benefits the deceased only by one-seventh, whereas reciting the Buddha’s name grants the deceased the complete power of Amitabha’s blessings. This is not to say that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is in any way less compassionate, but that the vow power of a Buddha is, by its nature, more extensive. Amitabha Buddha is known as the “King of Buddhas,” so His aspirations for saving sentient beings are supremely profound. Hence, Master Yinguang stresses that the best way to deliver one’s departed loved ones is to single-mindedly recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” without mixing in other methods. The more focused the recitation, the more extraordinary the resulting merit.
This story offers a profound lesson: no matter how much negative karma our loved ones created in their lifetimes, as long as we sincerely recite the Buddha’s name, Amitabha Buddha will compassionately rescue them. The single phrase “Namo Amitabha Buddha” encompasses infinite merit, delivering the deceased from suffering and ensuring rebirth in the Pure Land. Truly, this is the simplest yet most miraculous means of spiritual deliverance!
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｜Namo Amitabha Buddha｜
