Praying to Guru At Point of Death
A Singaporean Chinese disciple was passing away, Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche was on the phone with her to recite the Sutra of Liberation. After that, he observed that the nun had been liberated in the bardo into the pure realm of Achuk Lama Rinpoche.
After hanging up the call, Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche said to his disciples, “Actually, to go to the pure-realms after death is quite easy, the most important point is to always recall or think of the Guru and to pray to him. If you can pray to the Guru when you are dying, i have not heard of a single case where someone (who does so) falls to a lower state.”
“When this nun fell ill and had to return home, she felt much fear. I said to her, ‘When you go back, it is alright if you can’t do the other practices, but you must not forget your Guru in your heart! Never forget your Guru’s teachings! Always pray to the Guru. At all times, pray to the Guru! Definitely, you will be liberated!!’ She stopped her breath in the midst of praying to Achuk Lama Rinpoche. Due to praying to the Guru, her mind entered a state of equanimity-meditation, she was liberated and attained the pure-realms.”
Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche commented, “This is a very auspicious dependent-arising, in the future, among you Chinese disciples, there will be many people who attain liberation!”
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Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche told this story: In Yachen monastery, there was a nun who had practiced for many years, she had a sudden impulse to go back home and return her vows. Many people from her home-town advised her not to give up her monastic vows and to remain with Achuk Lama Rinpoche to practice the Dharma properly. However, she was still insistent on returning home. After returning home for one to two years, this nun passed away.
At that time, many villagers felt that since this nun had given up her vows and returned home, it was very inauspicious and after her death, she was sure to have fallen to a lower state. Therefore they asked a Khenpo to request Achuk Lama Rinpoche for his prayers to salvage her. When Achuk Lama Rinpoche observed, he said, “After this nun returned home and gave up her vows, she never forgot her Guru. She has never forgotten the teachings of her Guru. She has always been recollecting her Guru therefore she did not descend to a lower state but has already attained Buddhahood in the bardo!”
