Don't judge

I speak for myself as well when I say 'don't judge'. We forget that people have karma, not just from their past but from previous lives. This might impact them in ways that we may not understand. Back when I thought my meditation made me superior because I had control of my unenlightened mind, I would look at people with monkey minds (like I don't still have one!) and think 'if only they practised the zazen like me, they could happy like me'.

Not everyone carries a karmic debt so we must be careful when we look down on people and judge them. If you see a homeless man on the street, maybe give him some money. If you know he plans to buy some booze with it, don't care and don't judge. If you don't want to give him money then just try not to judge. If you still judge him then that's they way it is for us unenlightened folks and the Amida Buddha will not judge you unfairly when you are welcomed into the Pureland!

Karma can be changed

One can always change their karma in order to have a more peaceful and happy life. I touched on it in the previous post that one should try to do things that will 'improve' their present lives. The issue comes though of how big of a 'dent' can someone make in their karma.

You have to consider a life time of karma and not only that but many past life times of karma. You can make small changes in your life to help alleviate current karma. Examples could be some meditation to help with anxiety or eating more healthy food to increase energy and well being. But consider the person who has severe mental health issues due to childhood trauma or the alcoholic who hasn't gone without a drink for 40 years. That is stuff that can't be fixed overnight or with some simple techniques. Alot of karma won't have a remedy in this life and we will carry it over to the next life....

Amida Buddha's vow however accepts the person with severe mental health issues and the 40 year drunk. He doesn't judge but welcomes them to the Pureland where their karma is destroyed and they can become a Buddha. A Buddha just like the studious monk who meditates every day. Maybe they will be a Buddha even before the monk, as the monk still thinks he can erase his karma in this life and that he can become a Buddha maybe in this life. That is the hard way. Let's take the easy way and be welcomed to the Pureland.

Improve yourself for you

The Amida Buddha saves you how you are. You are not expected to become some great saint or even some super duper compassionate being. The Amida Buddha knows that you are unenlightened and that in this age you cannot become enlightened. So does that mean you should not try and improve yourself?

Of course not. There are reasons to improve yourself. If you are a drunk you should try to be more sober for your health. If you are always angry you should do what you can to calm your temper so you can be more at peace and also for those around you. You get the idea I am sure. Amida promises nothing in this regard, only to eliminate your karma once you die and take you to the Pureland where you will be a Buddha.

So it is good to improve yourself, but if you find you can't at times then don't worry, the ocean of compassion that is the Amida Buddha's infinite light is plenty deep enough for you and your karma.

Expect nothing

Many religions say something will change in a man or woman when they accept this new path. Christianity as an example says a man will be filled with the Holy Spirit and this will help him in his walk with Jesus. Other Christians, such as Pentecostals or Charismatics might even say that once a person is baptised and receive the Holy Spirit they must show proof like talking in tongues. Expect none of this from the Amida Buddha....

Nothing special will happen when you decide to accept Amida's vow of rebirth in the Pureland. No overwhelming change will occur except the peace you might get from knowing you will be done with the samsara and perhaps the peace provided by the simple words of the Nembutsu. Maybe don't even expect that. If you do expect something like butterflies or tingles down your spine or perhaps a new purpose to move forward as a better person then I am afraid you will be disappointed. Keep it simple and just say the Nembutsu and wish for rebirth in the Pureland and that's it. Take peace from that and go about your life doing what you want to do.

Namo Amida Butsu

Natural compassion

When one begins to recite the Nembutsu, they began to appreciate the enormous amount of compassion available to them via the Amida Buddha's vow. As mentioned before, it's like an ocean, limitless in its amount. Something else interesting happens though as well when you recite the Nembutsu, the compassion begins to manifest in your life as well.

What do I mean by this? Simple. When you have faith in the amazing amount of compassion available to you, you can't help but feel more compassion towards others. It's not like you become a saint or anything. You are still the same unenlightened you, but you should be able to notice more compassion in your thoughts, words and actions towards others. If you don't then that's fine too. All that matters is the Namo Amida Butsu.

Around in circles

You can't become enlightened in this life. It's just not possible. I tried, believe oh how I tried. It doesn't work. You might think it's working, you might feel you make great progress in certain directions, but in the end you aren't enlightened. You still accumulate great amounts of karma and carry over karma from past lives. 

Now I am not saying one shouldn't try and 'move forward' towards the idea of enlightenment, but I would suggest you do it more as an experience or an exercise rather then any spiritual goal. My spiritual efforts were always like going around in a circle. I would think and feel like I was making huge strides, but after a few weeks, months, years I would find I was back at where I began. Maybe a little wiser, and that's a good thing, but overall no more enlightened then I was when I left. 

There is great freedom in admitting you can't help yourself escape this karmic cycle of rebirth. You let the ego go and say 'Namo Amida Butsu' and have faith that the great compassion of the Amida Buddha will take you past all the karma and unenlightenment that keeps you bound and deliver you to the Pureland upon death. 

And again I say, that does not mean you can't try different ideas and paths to improve yourself, just know it's really not going lead you to becoming a Buddha. So abandon the spiritual ideas and just do the exercises. If you like to meditate, meditate, not because you think it will enlighten you, but because it keeps you at peace. Or on the other hand, don't meditate and just say Namo Amida Butsu and chill. 

I am who I am

I wake up this morning and some things bug me, then I realize that is just my karma. It's ok that they bug me and realizing that makes them not really bug me anymore. All the expectations other paths put on their adherents to change can be crippling. How lucky am I that I discovered the endless light of compassion of the Amida Buddha. As Alan Watts said;

"... 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."

Come as you are to the ocean of compassion that is the Amida's vow. There is no pressure, no expectations, just the Pureland, where you will be a Buddha.