Life is full of worries — what should I do? | Master Jingben

Nov 19

A devotee asks: Master, Namo Amituofo. Lately, I’ve been feeling conflicted. I know a Buddhist friend who practises a kind of teaching that focuses on improving life, resolving problems, and dealing with emotional issues. She also encourages me to learn together with her.

But I worry that if I spend years following such step-by-step practices to fix my life, and impermanence suddenly comes before I even begin reciting the Buddha’s name, wouldn’t that mean I have wasted this entire lifetime?

Yet, if I focus solely on reciting Amitabha’s name, how should I deal with the worries and difficulties I encounter while I’m still alive? My heart is torn between these concerns. Master, please kindly give guidance.

[Master Jingben Replies]

Namo Amituofo. In truth, reciting Amitabha’s Name single-mindedly and relying on Him is already the best answer, and also the most effective method.

Why is that so?

The problems of this world are not all meant to be solved. Some matters only become more complicated when we try to control them more; the more we think about some worries, they grow heavier.

Everything in this world is inherently impermanent and constantly changing. And our ordinary minds are full of delusion and attachment. This is why problems often appear to be “so serious.”

Therefore, many of the world’s problems are not something we must resolve one by one. Quite often, the real method is simply not to take them too seriously.

When we stop giving them so much attention, naturally, they stop troubling us. It is like a bottle with a smell - if you leave it alone without shaking it, the smell will gradually dissipate on its own.

Furthermore -

the more we recite the Buddha’s Name, the fewer worries we have;

the more we recite, the more wisdom naturally arise;

the more we recite, the clearer Amitabha’s protection becomes;

the more we recite, the more our karmic obstructions quietly dissolve.

Throughout history, those who practised simple, pure recitation lived very free, very relaxed, very happy lives.

It’s not that their problems became fewer, but that the path opened wider. What once looked like a big problem gradually became insignificant.

So, instead of being busy trying to solve everything, it is far better to be busy reciting the Buddha’s Name and relying on Amitabha.

Namo Amituofo.

⧉ Pure Land Buddhism ⧉

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