Question: What should I do about my bad thoughts that don’t stop even after entrusting myself to Amida Buddha?

-last revised October 16, 2021 -

Don’t busy yourself with them as Amida doesn’t take them into consideration. Your salvation has nothing to do with them. This is why Master Rennyo said that for the person of shinjin our negative karma is as if non-existent, in the sense that it will not become an obstacle to our attainment of Buddhahood in the Pure Land. This is also the meaning of “we attain Buddhahood without destroying blind passions”.

If bad thoughts arise in your mind, let them pass. It is not in your power to stop them and is not even recommended that you stop your thoughts, as this can bring mental problems. Just notice them and let them pass. They are your karma, your karmic tendencies, conscious or unconscious. I say they are “yours” because you are attached to them, identify yourself with them and you try to fulfill them, but in reality they are like clouds in the sky, impermanent and transitory.

Thoughts belong to nobody, so just leave them alone: you don’t need to insist on acting on them or modifying them. Just rely on Amida Buddha and say the Nembutsu. The object of your attention should be Amida’s promise from His Primal Vow, not the various thoughts that wander in your mind.

If you experience good moments, say the Nembutsu. If you experience bad moments, say the Nembutsu. There will always be something to happen to you or appear into your mind. Don’t expect not to experience bad thoughts after receiving shinjin (faith).

Take refuge in Amida Buddha and say His Name no matter the state of mind you are in. Amida doesn’t take into consideration if you are in a good, special, or bad state of mind. He knows who you are and that you need Him, so don’t worry. He is your best friend, asking nothing from you.

Here is a wonderful poem by Senmyo Wajo:

“When you are alone and hurt, recite Namo Amida Butsu.

When you feel the loneliest man in the world and you are depressed, again recite Namo Amida Butsu.

Namo Amida Butsu is for this ignorant person full of blind passions.

When things are as they should, not good or bad, Namo Amida Butsu.

Namo Amida Butsu is not recited for other people’s ears,

but it’s a Call between parent and child.

I hear Namo Amida Butsu with my ears,

Namo Amida Butsu I answer with my voice and my heart,

Namo Amida Butsu, recite even for ten times and sleep in peace!

If you suddenly die, whenever and wherever you are,

you are home[1] in the Pure Land of Enlightenment[2].”

 

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[1] You will go to your true home – the Pure Land of Enlightenment.

[2] The meaning is that you will enter the Pure Land no matter where you are when you die, so any place of death is a door to the Pure Land.

Members of Amidaji: Keshin Maria Zita D'Abreu (Australia)

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My Dharma name is Shaku Keshin 釋 華信 ("Flower of Faith"). I was born 5th September 1944 in Monte, Madeira Island in Portugal.

I was for a long time disappointed with the Catholic Church and I lost my belief. Then I started thinking where will I go if I die, for a few nights. Then I remembered that my son Kengo Jim E. said that people who believe in Amida Buddha go to the Pure Land. I was already sympathetic to this type of Buddhism. I saw my son's way of life since he met Rev. Josho online and the words my son shared with me about Amida was a great influence over the years. Then in November 2020 I made a decision to embrace the teachings of Amida Buddha and the Pure Land and on 24th November I told my son I believe in Amida. Since then I recite Nembutsu and believe the teaching on Amida Buddha.

In early May 2021, maybe just after midday, I was seated alone on a lounge in my home without any lights on and no direct sunlight was coming through any windows. I was leaning forward reciting Nembutsu silently, relaxed and my hands were not in gassho when I turned my head slightly to the right and saw close next to me to my surprise a half a metre square wide area of light with curved top corners. I looked at this light and because I was reciting when it appeared I felt this is Amida Buddha. I then turned my eyes to the left a bit and when I looked back the vision was gone. I remembered then that my son Kengo told me that he read in Rev. Josho's Spiritual Autobiography that he had a vision of Amida Buddha at his altar while he was saying Nembutsu.

I like my life now with Amida and it has purpose. I talk with Amida.

Keshin Maria Zita D'Abreu

 Western Australia

Dharma talks - the new playlist on my youtube channel

Since 2020 I've had many online discussions on zoom and other platforms with students and readers from all over the world that prefer this kind of interaction. I also started regular meetings with some of my Sangha members where we discuss various topics and answer to questions together.  

As I think that some of the talks might be useful and because many readers said they wanted me to appear more often on Youtube, I've decided to create a new playlist - DHARMA TALKS where I will post fragments from my meetings as well as personal reflections. Please excuse my broken English as it's easier for me to write than to speak.

Here is the  link for the playlist:

 

Please subscribe to my channel and to this playlist so that you can see my new posts. Of course, I will remain available for students and readers who prefer email or Facebook communication.

On my Youtube channel you can find all my audio books, various teachings, recitations, as well as the poems and essays of Gansen John Welch Sensei from Australia.

Please also check the Youtube channels of my student Shaku Joshin  from USA

 

Amidaji members: Shaku Hogen (United Kingdom)

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My Dharma name is Shaku Hogen and I live in Bristol, England.

Although I was brought up in the Salvation Army, to be honest, as a boy I had little interest in spiritual matters.  I was a believer in scientific materialist.  But in my late teens I saw a film about Carl Jung’s mystical experiences and heard a radio programme about the Buddha which opened a window in my mind.  My spiritual search began.  This was before the internet, so I read all I could find at the library, and haunted many bookshops for answers.  And although I had a career in engineering, my search became the most urgent concern of my life - “the great matter of life and death”.  Mixing and matching teachings from a wide range of spiritual traditions was enthralling as it gave me hints and glimpses of the goal, but it was also confusing, and I quickly realised I needed to find a solid tradition and a practice. 

Simple explanation of a difficult passage related with "mind", Buddha and visions from the Contemplation Sutra

I decided to give a short explanation of the following passage from the Contemplation Sutra that many find it difficult to understand or have the tendency to misinterpret it:

“Buddha Tathagatas have cosmic bodies, and so enter into the meditating mind of each sentient being. For this reason, when you contemplate a Buddha, your mind itself takes the form of His thirty-two physical characteristics and eighty secondary marks.

Your mind produces the Buddha’s image and is itself the Buddha. The ocean of perfectly and universally enlightened Buddhas thus arises in the meditating mind. For this reason, you should single-mindedly concentrate and deeply contemplate the Buddha Tathagata, Arhat, and Perfectly Enlightened One.”[1]

 If we really have a vision with a Buddha, that vision appears because of two reasons:

The Path Between the Thorns - my spiritual autobiography

 At this link you can read the spiritual biographies of other members of Amidaji International Temple

My spiritual life is nothing special and it does not deserve a book. However, I decided to write about it because I prefer to be the one who tells my own story and I think that some events of my missionary activity as well as my interactions with various peoples and institutions should be put on paper as long as they are still fresh in my mind.

I called this book The Path Between the Thorns because for me, the 18 years since I became a priest where a constant fighting and struggle against inner and outer obstacles placed in my way by my own delusions as well as proponents of wrong views. I am happy to say that despite all these, I have never lost my Path, and although the thorns sometimes hurt my feet, I always knew the right direction to take as Amida Buddha and the true teaching of Shakyamuni and the lineage Masters were always my guiding light.

There are some things in this biography, like events, fragments of letters and discussions that many wished to be forgotten. However, I think that people should know about them and come to their own conclusions on that fragment of Jodo Shinshu history where I myself am just a small piece.