Is it better to recite Nembutsu abstaining from doing evil and doing only good, or to recite Nembutsu believing only in the true wish of Amida Buddha?
Abstaining from the evil while doing good things is the total admonition of Buddha. But for us, living in the real world, we disobey the admonition, so by believing from the bottom of our hearts in the real wish of Amida Buddha to save all kinds of people, we are able to say "Namu Amida Butsu". Amida Buddha will lead all people into the Pure Land without any discrimination between people with or without wisdom, or between those who can or cannot keep the precepts. Please keep this in mind. (Clause 145)
Is it true that when a corrupt person dies, Amida Buddha will go back without taking him to the Pure Land?
Why does Buddha not return without taking the person, just because that person is corrupt? For Buddha, there is no difference between a righteous person and a corrupt person. The corrupt may be seen as righteous and the righteous be seen as corrupt, depending on one's perspective. Nembutsu is the only important thing. Even if you are clean, you will not have divine favor if you do not recite Nembutsu. Just chant Nembutsu casting aside all the conventional ideas. There is much evidence to prove this. (Clause 140)
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