A bad Buddhist who entrusts to Amida

Long time ago I was in correspondence with a drug addict who showed great interest in the Jodo Shinshu teaching. He had a hard time trying again and again to give up taking drugs but he always returned to his bad habit.

This is what I told him:  

Just entrust to Amida Buddha as you are. If you can abstain, and it is useful to try, this would be good for your health, but if you cannot, don’t worry. Jodo Shinshu is especially for people who cannot abstain, who are incapable of any practice, for those whom any advice or treatment is useless, for people whose minds are too sick to recover from their problems, anxieties, and deviations. It’s not that they especially want to be like this, but their habitual karma is too strong for them to overcome. After many years and even many lifetimes of taking the drugs of ignorance and blind passions how can one think and act like a normal person? How can one practice Buddhism and become a Buddha by himself?  

 

I have met many times with alcholics and have told them the same if they asked me questions about Buddhism. If you tried and cannot give up, then be an alchoholic who entrusts to Amida. Be an alchoholic Nembutsu follower. Be a bad Buddhist who entrusts to Amida. It is for your own well-being to give up your bad habits and I encourage you to try. However, if you fail you should never feel abandoned by Amida because He never gives up on you.

Jodo Shinshu is the path for spiritually sick people, for those with no hope. It’s the path for alchoholics, drug addicts, and all kind of people with strong attachments. All are equally accepted by the Compassion and Primal Vow of Amida Buddha. So please, come as you are.

Namo Amida Bu