My father, Mr. Huiyao Tsai, passed away peacefully at home on the evening of April 13, 2025, at the age of 94.

       In our family, it became a daily ritual to share videos and photos of him reciting “Namo Amituofo” in our Line group. Whenever someone raised a phone to record, he would immediately press his palms together and start reciting, sometimes loudly and joyfully for quite a while. We’d join in and praise him, telling him what a great job he had done. I often said, “Let’s show this to the world!”—because to him, the Tsai family was the world. He always knew how much we loved and supported him.

       He had been living with chronic heart and kidney issues for more than 30 years. In March 2023, his condition worsened—fluid buildup made it hard for him to breathe. He spent several days in the hospital and responded well to treatment. After that episode, his health had been relatively stable.

       As he grew older, he no longer had the energy to study Buddhist teachings in depth. So I gently guided him by keeping his practice simple—just reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name. When he was in good spirits, I would say in Taiwanese, “You know, you really are one lucky old guy, reciting the Buddha’s name, aren’t you?” Then I’d add, “Amitabha Buddha may be busy, but he’s always with us! How do we say hi to him? Like this: ‘Hello, Amitabha Buddha! I’m Huiyao Tsai, I’m here waiting for you. Please don’t forget me. When you’re ready, come take me to the Land of Ultimate Bliss!’”

       To encourage him further, I’d tell him, “You go ahead first—save a good seat for us there, and take care of our lotus flowers. We’ll come find you later.” Knowing how responsible he was, giving him this little ‘mission’ filled him with confidence and purpose.

       In early April this year (2025), I was away helping organize a Dharma service for the Qingming Festival, and couldn’t personally feed him for several days. Until then, I’d been feeding him all three meals a day. He had a good appetite and stable vitals, but lately he’d been a bit more tired and often needed to rest after eating or reciting.

       From around April 10, my dad slipped into a deep sleep. The night before he passed, I hardly slept at all and stayed by his side, gently moistening his lips with a cotton swab.

       That morning, I dozed off briefly and had a vivid dream of him and my grandmother standing together in a bright, luminous place. He looked youthful and full of joy. I woke up with a strong feeling that his time was near.

       Later that day, as our caregiver Sister Cao helped turn him over, I supported him in my arms. He coughed gently, then passed away quietly in my embrace. The moment felt surreal—I was deeply shaken and overwhelmed, but I immediately focused on reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name for him.

       Since it was late in the day, we didn’t want to bother others to come in person. Just my mother, younger brother, Sister Cao, a fellow practitioner, and I were physically present. But through Zoom, more than 30 people—from family, Dharma masters, and fellow practitioners of Amitabha-recitation from around the world—joined us online for recitation.

       At that time, Master Jinghe and a group of practitioners from the U.S., Canada, and Australia were visiting Taiwan. Upon hearing the news, Master Jinghe kindly reached out to offer condolences and let us know that the entire group had started reciting for dad.

       The following morning, I received a call from Hiroko, a Japanese social worker and devoted follower of Master Honen. She often spoke to my dad in Japanese during her visits, and he was very fond of her.

       She told me that she’d dreamed of my dad the night before—he looked youthful and radiant, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, smiling broadly. He told her happily, “I’ve arrived at the place I always longed for.”

       When Hiroko found out the timing of his passing, she realized he had come to say goodbye in her dream. We were surprised he had chosen such a special way to say farewell. We were all very moved and comforted that he had truly reached the Land of Ultimate Bliss, free from the suffering of samsara at last. I shared this wonderful news with my mom at once.

       As I looked back, I remembered how much dad enjoyed hearing himself reciting the name of the Buddha. One evening after dinner, lying in bed, he recited “Namo Amituofo” over and over, then said in Taiwanese, “Truly satisfied, truly satisfied.”

       After listening to the recording of his own recitation for three days straight, he surprised me during dinner by saying in Mandarin, “Exactly what I wish for.”

       I was stunned. I asked if he meant he truly longed to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. He said yes.

       To me, those two phrases—“Truly satisfied, truly satisfied” and “Exactly what I wish for”—were the most beautiful and meaningful words he ever said.

       My father’s passing wasn’t just peaceful–it was a perfect and extraordinary Buddhist manifestation. For me, it fulfilled one of my deepest wishes. Though my mother and I miss him dearly, we’re not sad. We truly believe that Amitabha has received him into the most auspicious and joyful place in the universe - the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

       Amitabha Buddha is our eternal refuge.

       Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojin