Chapter 7 - Benefiting the Living and Dead

 爾時，地藏菩薩摩訶薩白佛言：「世尊！我觀是閻浮眾生，舉心動念，無非是罪。脫獲善利，多退初心；若遇惡緣，念念增益。是等輩人，如履泥塗，負於重石，漸睏漸重，足步深邃。若得遇知識，替與減負，或全與負，是知識有大力故，復相扶助，勸令牢腳，若達平地，須省惡路，無再經歷。

At that time Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, “I see that when a thought arises in the sentient beings in Jambudvīpa only sin results. The loose wholesome benefit obtained and mostly regress to where they started from. If they encounter evil conditions these thoughts increase. It is like a person walking on muddy road carrying heavy rocks. As the person become more distressed the load becomes more difficult to carry and he sinks in deeper with every step. The person may meet an acquaintance that can help him to lessen the burden or carry the entire load. The acquaintance can help because of his great strength and will advise the person to stay on firm ground. If he can find flat ground then he will be able to avoid the treacherous path and not experience the problem further.

「世尊！習惡眾生，從纖毫間，便至無量。是諸眾生，有如此習，臨命終時，父母眷屬宜為設福，以資前路。或懸旛蓋，及然油燈，或轉讀尊經，或供養佛像及諸聖像。乃至念佛菩薩及辟支佛名字，一名一號，歷臨終人耳根，或聞在本識。是諸眾生所造惡業，計其感果，必墮惡趣，緣是眷屬為臨終人修此聖因，如是眾罪，悉皆銷滅。若能更為身死之後，七七日內，廣造眾善，能使是諸眾生，永離惡趣，得生人天，受勝妙樂，現在眷屬，利益無量。

“World Honored One, the bad habits of sentient beings vary from very small to immeasurably large. All sentient beings have these habits. At the ends of their lives their parents and family dependents should help them with resources to establish virtue for the road ahead. This can be done either by hanging banners and a canopy and an oil lamp, or reciting sūtras, or making offerings to the image of Buddha and other holy images. Even reciting Buddhas', bodhisattvas', and Pratyekabuddhas' names so that the names are heard by the dying person or by their inner consciousness. If the bad karmic conditions created a person are such that the result is that the person should fall into an evil destiny but their family dependents perform these spiritual practices at the time when the person is near death then their sins will be absolved. If it is possible, for seven days after the body has died perform virtuous practices it will lead many beings to avoid evil rebirths and be reborn in the human or heavenly realms and experience wonderful joy. The family dependents will also benefit immeasurably.

「是故我今對佛世尊，及天龍八部、人、非人等，勸於閻浮提眾生：臨終之日，慎勿殺害，及造惡緣——拜祭鬼神，求諸魍魎。何以故？爾所殺害，乃至拜祭，無纖毫之力利益亡人，但結罪緣，轉增深重。假使來世，或現在生，得獲聖分，生人天中，緣是臨終被諸眷屬造是惡因，亦令是命終人，殃累對辯，晚生善處。何況臨命終人，在生未曾有少善根，各據本業，自受惡趣，何忍眷屬，更為增業？譬如有人，從遠地來，絕糧三日，所負擔物，彊過百斤。忽遇鄰人，更附少物，以是之故，轉復睏重。世尊！我觀閻浮眾生，但能於諸佛教中，乃至善事，一毛一渧，一沙一塵，如是利益，悉皆自得。」

“For this reason, today I face the World Honored Buddha, the eight kinds of demigods, humans, and non-humans to urge the beings of Jambudvīpa that, when they are approaching their deaths be careful to not harm or kill other living beings, to not create evil karmic conditions, to not worship or pray to spirits or demons. Why is this? Because all killing and making sacrifices do not even have a small benefit for the dead but the karmic results of their sins will be increased in severity. If, in future lives or in the present life, a person can obtain sagehood or gain rebirth in the human or a heavenly realm, then the person's karmic conditions when approaching the end of his life make be created by unwholesome actions committed by his family dependents. This may hinder the dying person in his next rebirth to a wholesome location. How much worse would it be for people near death who had not planted such virtuous roots? Each will have to experience the results of their karmic conditions suffering an evil rebirth. How could they endure their family dependents increasing the karmic results? For example, if someone has come from a great distance and to have not eaten for three days, carrying a load of more than a hundred jin [50 kg]. Then they just happen to meet with a neighbor who gives him a little more to carry and because of this his load becomes even more difficult to carry. World Honored One, I see that the sentient beings in Jambudvīpa are able to do some small benevolent deeds in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha. Even though only as small as a grain of sand or dust all of those deeds will still benefit themselves.”

說是語時，會中有一長者，名曰大辯——是長者，久證無生，化度十方，現長者身——，合掌恭敬，問地藏菩薩言：「大士！是南閻浮提眾生，命終之後，小大眷屬，為修功德，乃至設齋，造眾善因，是命終人，得大利益及解脫不？」

When this was said an elder in the assembly named Mahapratbhana. He had long realized non-production who was appearing in the body of an elder to teach and transform beings from the ten directions. He joined palms with respect and asked Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, “Buddha, after sentient beings in Jambudvīpa die young and old family dependents should cultivate virtue, including abstaining from eating meat and performing charitable deeds. Will the person who has died recieve sufficient benefit to liberate them?”

地藏答言：「長者！我今為未來現在一切眾生，承佛威力，略說是事。長者，未來現在諸眾生等，臨命終日，得聞一佛名、一菩薩名、一辟支佛名，不問有罪無罪，悉得解脫。

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva replied, “Elder, today, for the benefit of all sentient beings in present and future generations, I will talk briefly about the use of the power of the Buddha. Elder, when sentient beings in present and future generations are approaching their deaths and hear a Buddha's, a bodhisattva's, or a Pratyekabuddha's name, regardless whether that person is a sinner or not, they will be liberated.

「若有男子女人，在生不修善因，多造眾罪，命終之後，眷屬小大為造福利一切聖事，七分之中，而乃獲一，六分功德，生者自利。以是之故，未來現在善男女等，聞健自修，分分已獲。

“If a man or a woman does not plant wholesome roots during their life but rather commits many sins then after their death their young and old family perform holy acts for their benefit then one seventh of the merit will be obtained by the dying person and six sevenths of the merit will be retained by the family members. For this reason virtuous men and women in this and future generations should cultivate virtuosity when they are healthy because they will receive all the merit.

無常大鬼，不期而到，冥冥遊神，未知罪福，七七日內，如癡如聾。或在諸司，辯論業果，審定之後，據業受生。未測之間，千萬愁苦，何況墮於諸惡趣等？是命終人，未得受生，在七七日內，念念之間，望諸骨肉眷屬，與造福力救拔。過是日後，隨業受報，若是罪人，動經千百歲中，無解脫日。若是五無間罪，墮大地獄，千劫萬劫，永受眾苦。

“Impermanence is a great demon that can arrive at any time. A dead person's spirit roams in the dark, not knowing sin or virtue for forty-nine days, as if foolish and deaf. Either in private or together the karmic results are debated. After the decision has been made the person will be reborn according to the karmic results. In the time in between rebirth the person will suffer countless worries. How much worse will it be for those that will fall into an evil rebirth? Within these forty-nine days those that have died and are yet to be reborn hope that their family and relatives will cultivate virtue to save them. After that time they will follow the results of their karma. If a sinner he may experience a hundred thousand years without a day of freedom. If a person's karmic result is the five-fold relentless retribution then they will fall into Avici Hell for thousands or tens of thousands of kalpas, endlessly suffering many miseries.

「復次，長者！如是罪業眾生，命終之後，眷屬骨肉，為修營齋，資助業道。未齋食竟，及營齋之次，米泔菜葉，不棄於地。乃至諸食未獻佛僧，勿得先食。如精勤護淨，奉獻佛僧，是命終人，七分獲一。是故，長者！閻浮眾生，若能為其父母，乃至眷屬，命終之後，設齋供養，志心勤懇，如是之人，存亡獲利。」

“Moreover, Elder, thus the family and relatives of sentient beings who sin should prepare vegetarian offerings after they die to assist them on their karmic path. While the vegetarian food is being prepared and before it is eaten do not throw the rice washing water and vegetable leaves on the ground. Even any food that is offered to the Sangha, nobody should eat it. If this is not followed with diligence, the dead person will receive any strength from the offering. If the purity of the offering is protected with diligence and dedicated to the Sangha then the dead person will receive one seventh of the merit. Therefore, Elder, if the sentient beings of Jambudvīpa are able to make vegetarian offerings for their mother and father and other family members with a sincere heart then the living and the dead will both benefit.”

說是語時，忉利天宮有千萬億那由他閻浮鬼神，悉發無量菩提之心。大辯長者，作禮而退。

When this was said a trillion nayuta spirits and devils in the Palace of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven made immeasurable resolve to attain enlightenment. The elder Mahapratbhana bowed and retired.