A monk had been suffering from illness for years, lying in bed day and night, all drained and drawn. He’s not going to make it – it was clear to everyone else except himself. If people mentioned death to him, he would get upset.
I sent someone to tell him forthright: “You’d better get ready right away. Just recite the Buddha name single-mindedly.” But he said his birthday was coming up, that it’s inauspicious to talk about such a thing before that. He promised he would gradually ease into it afterwards.
His birthday was the 17th of this month, but he died a day prior. Oh my! It all depends on a breath. The Buddha keeps reminding us about it, even to those who are young and healthy. Dying yet still holding on to ignorance – nothing would be more pitiful than that!
by Grand Master Lian Chi (蓮池大師), the Eighth Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism
人命呼吸間 – 錄自明末蓮池大師《竹窗隨筆》(初筆)
一僧瘵疾經年，久憊枕席，眾知必死，而彼無死想，語之死，輒不懌。予使人直告:「令速治後事，一心正念。」彼謂男病忌生日前，過期當徐議之耳。本月十七日乃其始生，先一日奄忽。吁! 人命在呼吸間，佛為無病人言之也。況垂死而不悟，悲夫!
Buddha Mind 