A Buddha-name chanting practitioner must be filial to his or her parents, respectfully attend his or her teachers, be compassionate and refrain from killing, and realize the Ten Virtuous Karmas. In addition, one, being a parent, must be kind to one’s children and being a child, must be filial to one’s parents; being an elder sibling, must look after one’s younger siblings and being a younger sibling, must respect one’s elder siblings; being a husband or a wife, must live harmoniously with one’s spouse; being a master, must be kind to one’s servant, and being a servant, must be loyal to one’s masters. Everyone fulfills one’s responsibilities.
I must do my best to fulfill my part regardless whether others do for theirs.
If one can fulfill one’s responsibilities to one’s family and to society, one is called a good person. If a good person chants the Buddha’s name and vows to be reborn in the Pure Land, the vow will be realized at the end of one’s life. This is because one’s mind resonates with that of the Buddha, therefore, the Buddha will come and escort one. If one chants often but one’s mind is elsewhere, or one did not fulfill one’s responsibilities to one’s parents, siblings, spouse, children, relatives, and friends, then one’s mind is opposite to that of the Buddha. In this situation, it will be difficult to be reborn in the Pure Land. This is because there are obstacles within one’s mind, thus the Buddha could not help, either.
Furthermore, one should advise one’s parent, siblings, spouse, children, relatives, and friends to chant “Namo Amituofo” and “Namo Avalokiteshvara ” because the benefits of doing so are immense. How could I not let my parents, relatives, and friends also be benefited?
Moreover, this world is in an era full of potential disasters, and when a disaster will happen is not predictable. If one chants the Buddha’s name and the bodhisattva’s name often, one will be protected by them, and the disaster may be dissolved.
If there is no disaster, chanting can help lessen one’s afflictions to allow one’s wisdom to arise and cleanse one’s karmic obstacles to build up one’s good fortune. Advising others to chant the Buddha’s name and vow to be reborn in the Pure Land helps an ordinary person become a Buddha; this is the greatest merit. Dedicating this merit to the Pure Land, one’s vow to be reborn in the Pure Land will definitely be fulfilled.
~ Great Master Yinguang