Becoming An Agent of Amitabha

Do you remember my previous blog post where I wrote that I told my father that he will be reborn in Amitabha Pure Land if he wrote the Heart Sutra? Guess how many he eventually wrote? Almost 621. I was surprised myself. So many! He really took the time to write and write. I am happy that when he asked me what to do with it, I asked him to keep it first. Now I am sending them all to Japan to benefit the earthquake and tsunami victims. Isn't it amazing? Now he truely believes he was doing something beneficial for sentient beings. Altogether my family wrote 641 Heart Sutras and I have sent it to Japan this morning to be enshrined in Yamagata Prefecture's Mount Gassan.

And I said "almost 621", because my mother had a hand in writing a few chinese characters too in the 621st copy! She would not write anything all these while, but last night I strongly asked her to do so, even if it was just a few words. I said that was the only way she will benefit in the future. And only if she writes, will I put her name there. I left it to her to decide. The next day, when I visited her, she said to me excitedly that she has written the Heart Sutra. She asked my father to leave her some words to write because she " also wants to visit the Buddha Pure Land" to quote her words. At least, now there has arisen in her a little aspiration to be reborn there. I am so happy. I have no other reason than to share with you my joy in their efforts.

With the arising of faith in both my parents to be reborn in Amitabha Pure Land, I have repaid their kindness a little bit. I leave it to Amitabha to do the rest of the task to eventually guide them to His Land when the time comes. That is not my job anymore. I have done the part of sowing seeds of faith in them and one day, those seeds will result in their eventual rebirth in Amitabha Pure Land. In that sense, I have become an agent of Amitabha Buddha. An unenlightened agent. A fool most of the time, but showing sparks of wisdom sometimes. But nevertheless an agent of Amitabha Buddha. You know, it is just like those insurance agents. The only thing is you are not selling insurance. Instead you are helping Amitabha Buddha plant seeds of faith in His 48 Vows. There is no monetary income from this agency but in the process, you help yourself to be reborn there. The best thing is that anyone can become one. There is no need to fill up any application form. Just do it. Others have done way better than I have. So can you.