In December 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a huge tsunami, affecting eight countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia. More than 200,000 people died or went missing, and tens of millions of people were left homeless, causing heavy losses. On the TV screen, the bodies of the victims piled up on the beach, and the family members who escaped death were heartbroken. The scene of broken families and deaths was extremely sad. Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but vow to recite the Diamond Sutra for the people who died in the tsunami.
I read the Diamond Sutra carefully, and when I read the dedication text, “I wish to dedicate the merits of reciting the Diamond Sutra to all the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. May you be able to hear the Dharma, repent deeply, repent of all the evil deeds you have committed in the past, and be able to be reborn in the good way as soon as possible, get rid of suffering and gain happiness…” Suddenly, a long line appeared on the left, two meters away from my left shoulder. Everyone lined up in an orderly manner. The people in front walked from the left to the right one by one, bowed respectfully to the Diamond Sutra, and then disappeared. This scene lasted for about 2 minutes, and I thought it was probably an illusion.
I thought: If those people who just lined up to worship the Diamond Sutra are really the dead in the tsunami, then please show yourself again. As soon as this thought came to my mind, a clear handprint suddenly appeared on the outside of the window glass on the left side of the house. The five fingers were slightly bent and slightly fat, and the nails on each finger were clearly visible. Drops of water were flowing down in the gaps between each finger, just like a hand that had just been soaked in the sea and suddenly stretched out to grab the glass window. Because the incident happened suddenly and it was night, I was a little scared. Because the weather outside was very good that night (no rain), the sudden appearance of such a handprint was indeed a bit unexpected. But this also made me firmly believe that a small number of the dead in the tsunami did benefit from listening to the Dharma. So I immediately raised my mindfulness and chanted “Namo Amitabha…” with one mind, and the surroundings slowly returned to calm.
Afterwards, I thought that the manifestations of these dead people were also to tell us that they really exist and really need the help of the Dharma. I pray that there will be more people who observe the precepts and learn Buddhism in this world, and that their hearts will be kind, and they will restrain themselves in everything, not fight, not be greedy, not ask, not be selfish, not be self-interested, and not tell lies, so that natural disasters and man-made disasters can be reduced accordingly.
Tip: The principle of transcendence is mentioned in the Ksitigarbha Sutra: “Let people read this sutra sincerely in front of the statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or ask others to read it, three or seven times. If the relatives in the evil ways finish the number of times of reading the sutra, they will be liberated, and they will never see them again in dreams.” Reading the Diamond Sutra to transcend the dead also has incredible effects.
It is recorded in the Compilation of the Induction Chapters that Qi Jiguang, a famous general in the Ming Dynasty, read the Diamond Sutra every day. He once used the Diamond Sutra to transcend a dead subordinate, and the subordinate was indeed reborn in the good way and expressed his gratitude in a dream. Various disasters happen frequently in the world today. The souls of the deceased compatriots are suffering and are eager for someone to help them to be liberated. Buddhist practitioners should chant sutras for the victims with compassion, give them a helping hand, and wish them to escape from the sea of suffering as soon as possible. If you practice with such a heart, you will achieve success. This is a benevolent heart, a kind heart, and a Buddha heart.
