Question: If someone is severely sick, with the risk of losing life, should there be dedication of meritorious virtues (回向功德) for speedy recovery or swift rebirth in Pure Land (净土)?
Answer: The answer is in the verses below (or above).
何向偈
Verses On Which Direction
若人病危时，
应如何回向？
愿速得痊愈，
或速生西方？
If, when a person is critically ill,
what should there be dedication for?
With the wish for quick obtaining of complete recovery,
or swift birth in the Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss?
得愈未生西，
将来仍得死。
不愈而生西，
永愈无量寿。
If obtaining recovery, yet to be born in the Western Pure Land,
in the future, there still must be death.
If not healing, yet born in the Western Pure Land,
there is eternal healing with immeasurable life.
To elaborate, just as the very sick person should then ideally have sincere Aspiration (切愿) to reach Pure Land, those dedicating meritorious virtues from practices such as mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name (念佛：阿弥陀佛) should ideally align by dedicating for reaching Pure Land too.
Birth in Pure Land will achieve the win-win situation of attaining lasting recovery there, instead of temporal recovery here, and immeasurable life there, instead of limited lengthening of life here. Also, if the person’s karmic lifespan is not yet up, and is not ready to depart, there will not be hastening of death, while facilitating recovery, if still possible.
相关教理
Related Teachings:
《临终三大要》
The Three Great Essentials When Approaching Life’s End
https://purelanders.com/now
助念前开示
[2] Guidance Before Support-Chanting
https://purelanders.com/2015/12/30/guidance-before-support-chanting-%e5%8a%a9%e5%bf%b5%e5%89%8d%e5%bc%80%e7%a4%ba-pure-land-passport-section-2
重病时所求
Aspirations When Severely Sick
重病偈
Verses For The Severely Sick
永愈偈
Verses For Lasting Healing
https://purelanders.com/2019/02/26/verses-for-the-severely-sick
重病者的开示
Guidance To The Severely Sick
https://purelanders.com/sign
