Selected Excerpts by Venerable Hsuan Hua
Let me pass on a secret to you today. What secret? In moments of crisis, maintain calm and do not be nervous. Forget about your life and recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name with a singleness of mind. With that, you will definitely turn danger into safety and survive that test.
When you are in the severest of dangers, contemplate, "Since I am going to die soon, I might as will give it my all and recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name before I die. Maybe there is still a ray of hope that way." Think like that and your problems will reduce to something auspicious.
For example, the plane you're on suddenly experiences mechanical problems and is about to crash, recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, because Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is a Bodhisattva who rescues those in pain and difficulty. She is a Bodhisattva who responds to every plea. "If I do not recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, my life will be in grave danger; there will be no hope for me." Think that way and you will definite recite with utmost sincerity, thereby getting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva to respond to you with compassion, saving the lives of every passenger on the plane.
Another example would be if I were on a train that is derailing. At that critical juncture, if I do not recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, all the passengers on the train may die. Reciting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name is to ask for help. The Bodhisattva will hear you and come before you instantaneously no matter how far away you are. She will come and rescue you, getting you out of your misery. It works really well.
Another example, the ferry that I am riding on is about to sink into the bottom of the ocean. At this moment of grave danger, I recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, even if it is the last minute or second, I still recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name. If so, I will definitely turn misfortune into fortune.
Another example, the car that I am riding on is speeding along, but suddenly some mechanism malfunctions and the car is up in the air. Below it is a steep cliff. If the car falls over, the passengers will definitely be crushed into powder; everything will be finished. At this time, if you do you darnest and recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, the car will safely fall and land at the bottom of the cliff. You will only experience shock but no harm. This will be a response from reciting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name.
The power of reciting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name in an emergency situation surpasses the power of reciting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name millions and millions of times. Why? It is because you are not so sincere when you recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name in times of safety. Hence, when we recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, we must recite it sincerely and honestly so that inconceivable responses happen.
I told Guo Qian just now, "If you can recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name as sincerely as you do when you are on a boat, then you will definitely get a response. When you were on that boat in the middle of giant waves and storm, things were so dangerous that the possibility of capsizing was imminent. If you hadn't recited Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, there wouldn't have been a bit of hope, but because you recited Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name, there was one in a million chance that you were rescued. So you recited with all your might and finally survived that difficulty. The storm calmed and the waves quieted down, and you reached the seashore. Now you want to rest when you recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name because you are not in that kind of danger." "The day has passed and life is on the decrease, like the fish in a drying pond, what joy is there? Everybody, be diligent as if your head were on fire. Be mindful of impermanence and be careful not to be lax!"
Reciting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name means that you recite it at all places and at all times. In other words, you may recite whether you are walking, standing, sitting and lying down. There is the same merit whether you recite out loud or in silence. Do not discriminate; let everything accord with conditions. You should know that you will have no opportunity to recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's name when you're dead. "Be mindful of impermanence, be careful not to be lax."