Why does Zuiken Sama Emphasize the Last Moment?

A couple of weeks ago I emailed Clement Tan to consult him on a topic pertaining to my religious practice. 

The following are the correspondences between the two of us. I wish to share this to strengthen the religious practice or understanding among all brothers of the same faith. 

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Dear Clement,
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As you know I am translating the Real Pitch Darkness《真暗暗》, which I am almost done all, 2 more units to completion.

My question is, Zuiken sensei touched a lot on the conditions of the nembutsu persons at the point of death. However, we learn from Shinran Shonin that the moment at the point of death is not a factor contributing to our birth as long as shinjin is attained.

So, what is the intention of Zuiken sensei for emphasizing the issue on deathbed? Can you help this?

Gassho,
Melvin

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Dear Melvin,

I was thinking about your question.

Yes, it is true that shinshu doesn't emphasise the last moment of death and doesn’t put any significance in the last moment.

In the Pitch Darkenss, the message is that a person of true shinjin will be grasped by Amida's primal vow might likely also experience the moment of darkness as that is the point when one's past karma will arise. However most if not all people (even people who use ego-centric based practices based on their own efforts and merits) will experience this helplessness and total dismal dispair.

For a true shinshu follower, even if he experiences this total darkness, it can be understood that this is Amida's working for us to realise our true colours (eg. like a submarine descending into the deepest ocean) and how helpless we are. This is related to the parable of the two rivers and the white path.

I don't think Zuiken sensei had the intention of wanting us to "hope for a blessed last moment". Instead, what he wanted us to know is that the last moments will be most likely to be "dark and dismal"

Regards,
Clement
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Dear Clement,

Thanks for the email and your effort for enlightening me on this topic.

I actually do not think that Sensei is trying to be contradicting for this last moment issue. I was thinking about it for the couple of last two days. Yesterday due to having tea before hitting the bed, I did not sleep quite well. I wakened during the midnight and heard some faraway dogs barking. The noises made my heart beating very fast and this was annoying. I tried to think of Sensei's quotes at that moment and regarded that as my last moment which was agitating. Somehow I found that it was barely possible to think of any, which signified what Sensei said that at the moment of death, whatever we had learnt are of no use and all will be gone. Then I tried again and again until I thought of some but  blurry. The fright did not fade away either when my doing this. I then smiled and thought that Amida will just save me..and I fell back to sleep again.

From the experience, I saw that I am exerting self-power, subconsciously. I believe that I have not made enough of "hearing". And, I need work harder for the "hearing" part. This is essential.

For why Sensei emphasized so much at the moment of death I think largely because he wanted us to realize the reality at that moment and our faith has to be determined and genuine, or else we would be easily swept away by the darkness into the real darkness. Faith or shinjin is essential.

Thanks again and deeply gassho,
Me