The souls of our deceased loved ones do not die but will reincarnate to one of the six realms of existence depending on their karma. The six realms consist of: Heaven, Asura, Human, Beasts, Hungry Ghosts, and Hell. Reincarnation is not contingent upon one’s wish and desire but one’s past deeds. It’s like being swept up by the current and feeling helpless. And once you end up in the three lower realms, you will suffer. But even if you enter into the three upper realms and enjoy life there, you may also fall into the three lower realms afterwards. As such, the enlightened have made it their goal to awaken all beings so that they themselves either escape the cycle of reincarnation, or start spiritual cultivation under the guidance of a master.
It is the wish of the dead that their surviving loved ones help deliver them out of the three lower realms (if they happen to be there), and to the Western Pure Land through acts of good deeds. The Kṣitigarbha-bodhisattva-pūrva-praṇidhāna Sūtra documents two female figures and their stories. One is the Guangmu Girl; the other is the Brahmin Girl. These are the true stories of how Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva saved his mother in two lifetimes before attaining Buddhahood.
The Story of Guangmu Girl
During the time of Pure Lotus Head Tathagata, an Arhat came across a girl called Guangmu. She was praying and giving food offerings. He asked her what she was praying for. Guangmu replied: “My mom died and I’m trying to save her by gaining some merit. I don’t know where she’s gone. Please tell me.” Moved by her filial piety, the Arhat entered into a meditative state and saw that her mom had fallen into the lower realm and was suffering. He said to Guangmu: “Did your mom commit any sin while she was alive?” “She liked to satisfy her love for food. She loved to kill and eat all kinds of fish and cooked them in various ways. Please help save her!” pleaded Guangmu.
The Arhat adviced Guangmu to chant the name of Pure Lotus Head Tathagata, and also make a statue of the Buddha. This way, he said, her mother would be uplifted and Guangmu herself would accumulate merit.
Guangmu did as she was told, though she teared every night. One night, she dreamed of a Buddha emitting bright light. The Buddha said: “Guangmu, your mom will be born in your house and soon after will talk.” And indeed, one of Guangmu’s maid gave birth to a baby and within three days cried out: “After I left you, I fell into Hell. Thanks to you, I can be reborn as human. But only as a lowly human. I will die at the age of 13 years old, then plunge back into the lower realm. Guangmu, my dearest child, if only you can find a way to save me! Save me!”
On hearing the baby, Guangmu was filled with sorrow and said to it: “You are my mother. Do you know what you have done to deserve this? The baby replied: “I frequently harmed, scolded, and beat others. I was unkind to people, so I deserve to be in this state.” Guangmu then vowed: “I pray that Buddha will help my mother escape from hell and a lowly life. I will make a vow towards the Great Compassion, and that I will save and awaken all those in Hell and the lower realms. I will attain Buddhahood only after they have all achieved enlightenment.”
After Guangmu made that vow, her mother lived till 13 years old but was reborn as a Brahmin and lived till a hundred years old. Upon death, she ascended to “The Land of No Worries”.
The Story of the Brahmin Girl
During the time of Juehua Ding Zizai Tathagata, there lived a Brahmin girl who was kind and well-liked by all. Her mother, on the other hand, worshipped the evil and frequently expressed doubt about the Buddha, the Dharma, and Sangha which together make up the three Jewels. The Brahmin girl tried her best to convince her mother otherwise but to no avail. And when her mother died, her soul was banished to hell. To save her mother, the Brahmin girl sold her house and used the money to give all kinds of offerings and even build temples and statues including the Tathagata himself. One day, the Brahmin girl knelt in front of the Buddha. She sobbed and prayed very hard. Not long after, a voice spoke from amidst the sky: “Do not cry. I’m here to tell you the whereabouts of your mother.”
“I am the Buddha whom you are praying at this very instance. I see that the love you have for your mother far surpasses that of most humans, so am here to tell you about her.”
“After you’ve finished with the offerings, go home, find a quiet place and meditate. Remove all unwanted thoughts and wholeheartedly recite my name. Soon, you will find out the whereabouts of your mother.”
After meditating for one day and one night, the Brahmin girl found herself in an immense sea and in it were many beasts and creatures of all kinds. They were fierce-looking and wrought from iron. They flew across the surface of the sea and were running all about. There were also men and women by the thousands, and being eaten by the scary-looking beasts. The Brahmin girl also saw many different kinds of yaksha, some with many eyes, some many heads, and some many legs. Their teeth were razor sharp and all were running and cornering the men and women towards the beasts. The yaksha also treated them as play things, distorting their body form. The yaksha were so ugly that no one could bear to look at them, but not the Brahmin girl who had the protection of the Buddha.
A ghost king by the name of “Non Poisonous” came and greeted the Brahmin girl: “Very good, Bodhisattva, what are you here for?”
“What is this place?” asked the Brahmin girl.
“This is first sea on the West side of Tiewei Mountain,” the ghost king replied.
“This is hell, no,” she asked.
“Indeed, it is,” he answered.
“Why am I here,” she probed further.
“One enters hell via two means: Relying on the power of Buddha and Bodhisattva or by one’s sins. Otherwise, it’s impossible to come to hell.”
“Why is the sea water like boiling soup? And why are there so many sinners and all kinds of fierce-looking beasts?” asked the Brahmin girl.
“They are the sinners from Jambu (i.e. the human realm). If nobody within the first 49 days of their death help them gain spiritual merit and lift them up from hell, or they themselves did not cultivate or sought the help of the Three Jewels during their lifetime, they will be tried according to their deeds on earth. Before entering hell, they have to pass through the first sea. There are three seas and all humans are tried and punished in the three seas according to their deeds in the form of their own actions, words, and intentions. The fruits of their suffering is also called the Sea of Sins.
“Then where exactly is Hell?” she asked.
“Within the three seas. There are thousands, big and small. There are eighteen big ones, and one has 500. The degree of suffering is unspeakable. The smaller ones come in thousands and with no less suffering.”
“My mother just passed away. I would like to know where her soul is.”
The ghost king placed his palms together and said this: “Brahmin girl, you don’t have to worry. You may rest in peace and return home. That Kshatriya sinner has escaped hell and ascended to heaven. This is the third day since she went up. It’s said that this is the work of her filial daughter who helped gain merit on her behalf. Not only the Bodhisattva’s mother but even all the sinners trapped in Infinite Hell are saved on this very day.”
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Teaches Us How We Should Help Our Deceased Loved Ones
No one can guarantee that one’s dead relatives will ascend to the Western Pure Land. The best and most insured way is to conduct for the deceased a ceremony and “make merit”. This is also called “do food offerings for the departed ones” or “do Buddhist matters”. During puja, we can give offerings to Buddha and Bodhisattvas, and help liberate sentient beings. We must frequently participate in puja events, because of the immense merit that we will gain. We can offer money, and give mass offerings in the form of food and money to sentient beings from the six realms. We can re-dedicate the merit back to the spiritual realm. This way, we can deliver our deceased loved ones out of the three lower realms, out of the six realms of existence and to the Western Pure Land. Boundless merit!
Source: Lianhe Wanbao, 4th September 2021