No guilt thank you

Guilt is a bad emotion/feeling I find. I used to feel a lot of guilt when I was a Christian if I didn't live what I saw as a Christian life. Christianity pays no attention to karma and often assumes everyone should be and act the same, without understanding how diverse people are when it comes to emotions, understandings, etc.

The Amida Buddha had great understanding and knew very well that everyone was different based on the karma one gathered through uncountable lives. All he asks is one say the Nembutsu a few times and trust in his vow. No need for piety or 'clean livin'. You can be yourself and not feel guilty about not changing based on the demands of some words in an old book.

As I always mention this doesn't mean one should live a life of hedonism and debauchery. It is good to try and be healthy and in control. But one should not feel excess pressure to change. Amida knows your karma and will take care of it in the Pureland. If you struggle with eating too much or sleeping around too much then please make efforts to try and be healthy if you can, but don't guilt yourself into it. Be a unhealthy eater who says the Nembutsu or a oversexed Nembutsu practitioner. There is karma in those actions that will effect you in this life, know that. One cannot eat fried food everyday or sleep with many parteners and not suffer someway down the line, but this karma will not follow you into the afterlife.

Amida knows how we are unable to fix ourselves fully in this existance. Amida knows your karma. Trust in his vow and say the Nembutsu.

Namo Amitabhaya

Monkey Mind be quiet!

Oh how the monkey mind likes to chatter in your ear. Endless ravings and rantings or perhaps just a little nugget it plants in your thoughts and sends you into a tizzy. My monkey mind was after me this morning. Every thing I did my mind was there to tell me something about it. So I said the Nembutsu. Namo Amitabhaya and my mind shut up.

Is the purpose of the Nembutsu to make your mind quiet? No, not really. But it is a good side effect I think. It is meditative in its very essence, but most importantly it's there to tell you there is nothing you can do to enlighten or save yourself. All you need to do is say the Nembutsu and Amida will do the rest.

So when you monkey mind acts up, shut it up with the Nembutsu. And if the chatter still gets through, don't sweat it, because they are just thoughts and mean nothing at all. No different then drunken babble. Say the Nembutsu and relax in the vow of Amida.

Nembutsu anywhere

One of the best parts of the Nembutsu is its mobility. You can do it anywhere. While out for a walk, while driving, while at work, while using the toilet. It doesn't matter. I recently have been doing zazen as a regular practice and while it has been beneficial, it requires a 'time and place' to do properly. That is something in short supply for me lately. Mainly because I can be quite lazy and not want to 'work', especially 'spiritual' work. But that's ok, it's just the way it is! The Nembutsu has me covered there.

An example would be the other day I had just finished my zazen and came downstairs and found my mind was in a dreadful state of disorder. Odd I thought. My zazen seems less effective lately. Or my monkey mind is fighting back. Feeling a bit 'annoyed' at this, I automatically started saying the Nembutsu. Instantly my mind went back to normal and all was well. I chanted the Nembutsu all night while I went about my business of watering the grass, smoking a pipe and drinking a scotch. Now this wasn't 'magic' or some esoteric stuff. It's just simply the relaxing feeling of knowing that nothing is expected of me and my mind doesn't matter. As Alan Watts stated on the Nembutsu....

"saying Nembutsu is simply a symbolical way of pointing out that you don't have to become this, because you are it...
The Middle Way, right down the center, is where you don't have to do a thing to justify yourself, and you don't have to justify not justifying yourself. So, there is something quite fascinating and tricky in this doctrine of the great bodhisattva Amitabha, who saves you just as you are, who delivers you from bondage just as you are. You only have to say "Namu Amida butsu."

Well said Mr. Watts....Namo Amida Butsu