Namo Amitabha Buddha!

       Hi everyone. My name is Fojing, and I am a Lotus-fellow in Wuhan. Today, I would like to share with you a true story of Nianfo^[1] evoking Buddha's response for my family and friends during the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan.

       The outbreak came suddenly and fiercely, especially during the days after the city was locked down. Whenever I turned on my mobile phone, newly confirmed and suspected cases kept rising rapidly. More than thirty people in the community where I lived were diagnosed with the contagion. Everyone was frightened.

       I, too, was afraid, but I continued Namo Amitabha Buddha recitation every day, which calmed my mind and relaxed my whole body every time.

       One day, I read an article entitled “In Dealing with the Epidemic, Fourteen Questions and Answers for Your Peace of Mind,” followed by the Instruction “No epidemic can invade where there is Nianfo,” quoted from the Collection of Correspondence of Master Yinguang. Ever since, all my fears have been erased, and I no longer worry. Since Master Yinguang was the incarnated Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, what he said must be true. So, I forwarded the article to my friends and relatives, urging them to rely entirely on Amitabha Buddha and to recite his name constantly and frequently; and at the same time, to take precautions and stay home as much as they could.

       At present, the blockade of Wuhan is gradually being lifted. I reached out to my relatives and friends to whom I had sent the article. Every one of them has been reciting the Buddha’s name, and none were infected by COVID-19. One of my friends returned to Hanchuan, a neighboring village of Wuhan, for the Lunar New Year. Everyone in his family was reciting the Buddha-name; none of the villagers were infected with the virus. In our community, there were several high-rise apartment buildings and thirty-seven confirmed cases, but none in our building. It demonstrated what Master Yinguang told us: “No epidemic can invade where there is Nianfo.”

       Additionally, I have been suffering from psoriasis (a skin disease with red scaly patches) since giving birth to my daughter. At the outbreak, the maker of the drug that I have been using stopped production. Without the medication, my condition worsened. Then, I heard master Jingzong tell us to relinquish everything and rely totally on Amitabha Buddha. I began to wonder, do I really have to leave all my concerns, including this disease, to the Buddha? That evening, an image of a chicken head came to mind. And that night, I had a dream of a snake. The next day, I set up a tablet of prayer at a “Virtual Recitation Hall” for the chicken and snake and dedicated to them the merits of Nianfo. I prayed to Buddha to receive them to his Land of Ultimate Bliss. After that, a miracle happened. The red scaly patches began to recede and eventually disappeared altogether.

       During the epidemic in Wuhan, my daughter’s rhinitis flared up again. In the past, the inflamed mucous membrane discharge would run down her throat, causing tonsil inflammation and fever. It would require an IV infusion for one week to stop the infection. But now, the city was locked down, and her condition looked dire. I got on my knees, holding a cup of water, begging Amitabha Buddha to grant me the blessed water of the “Great Compassion.” I kept on reciting the Buddha’s name with all my heart, tears pouring down my face. I was ready to give everything to the Buddha, and totally depend on the Buddha, who was my only hope. My daughter was also reciting the Buddha’s name. Miraculously, she saw Amitabha Buddha appear by the window, sitting on a colorful lotus, smiling at her. My daughter asked the Buddha in her mind, “Will I get well?” The Buddha nodded. Within a day, she recovered fully from the rhinitis. Amitabha Buddha is truly the king of medicine. Ever since that day my daughter saw the Buddha, the entire family has been full of joy. I now realize that Amitabha Buddha is always with us, protecting us, never leaving us. I am grateful to Father-Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha. It is true as the sutra says, “To all fear-ridden beings/Shall I grant them great peace.”

       With respect and dedication to everyone, I would like to share our experience with Nianfo. A wish that we all have faith and recite the Buddha’s name, that we all have a peaceful and happy life, that in our next lives, we all are reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amitabha Buddha. 

Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team,
edited by Householder Foyin

 ^[1] Nian-Fo in Chinese pinyin or Nembutsu in Japanese: Nian means to recite, and Fo is the Buddha; hence, Nianfo means Buddha-recitation.