In the Village of Hai Chang, a villager had an elderly female relative pass away, and her spirit possessed a family member in order to recount the events of her life and to describe in great detail the karma retributions she received in the underworld, while the whole family gathered around to listen.
At one point in the audience the villager started silently chanting Amitabha Buddha, and the spirit said to him: “If you continue in this way, what need is there to worry about not becoming a Buddha!” He asked why, and she said: “Because your mind is reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha.” He asked how she knew this, she answered: “I see a radiance emanating from your body.”
This villager was illiterate, yet his momentary thought of Amitabha Buddha already commanded such respect of a spirit. Just think about how tremendous the respect would be if he were a seasoned practitioner!
In a word, the merit of chanting the Buddha’s name is inconceivable.
by Grand Master Lian Chi (蓮池大師), the Eighth Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism
念佛鬼敬 – 錄自明末蓮池大師《竹窗隨筆》(初筆)
海昌村民某，有老媪死，附家人言平生事，及陰府報應甚悉，家人環而聽之。某在眾中忽攝心念佛，媪謂曰:「汝當如此，何患不成佛道?」問何故? 曰:「汝心念阿彌陀佛故。」問何以知之? 曰:「見汝身有光明故。」村民不識一字，瞥爾顧念，尚使鬼敬，況久修者乎? 是故念佛功德不可思議。
Buddha Mind 