Why Hasn't Life Turned Out as I Prayed? | Master Jingben
【Q&A Series】
Why Hasn't Life Turned Out as I Prayed?
Master Jingben Answers: Namo Amitabha.
First, do not measure the effect of reciting the Name by "whether or not life has changed according to what I prayed for."
The vision of us ordinary beings is very limited. We often assume that "what I want" is what is best — but in truth, what we pray for may not really be what is best for us. Amitabha Buddha is a loving father, truly endowed with great wisdom and great compassion. He gives us what is "most suitable," not necessarily what we "ask for."
It is like a small child crying to his father for candy, or to play with a sharp knife. A wise and loving father would never simply indulge the child just because he cries and fusses; instead, he gives the child the proper meal he truly needs, and quietly shields him from danger. The child may not understand at the time, and may even feel resentment — but only when he grows up will he understand that what his father gave him back then was truly for his own good. Amitabha Buddha is precisely our loving father; His arrangements are often wiser and more ultimate than what we pray for ourselves.
In truth, those who recite the Name are already benefiting — they simply may not be aware of it.
Amitabha Buddha's protective care is often silent: in places we cannot see, He dissolves calamities that should have befallen us; when we are anxious and restless, He quietly settles our hearts; karma that should have been heavy, He turns into something light… these things our mortal eyes may not perceive. And the most real change is often the transformation of the "heart" — when we meet with adversity, having Amitabha Buddha in our hearts as our support, we are not crushed, and never driven to a dead end. This itself is the greatest change and benefit of reciting the Name.
So rather than clinging to "why has it not turned out as I prayed," it is better to turn this same heart into trust in and entrustment to Amitabha: in what calls for effort, do your utmost; then entrust the result to Amitabha Buddha with a peaceful heart, trusting in the arrangements He makes for us. Know this: true peace of mind is not "everything turning out as I wish," but "whatever I may encounter, I have Amitabha as my support."
In what calls for effort, keep striving; what must be faced, face with a peaceful heart; and at the same time, recite the Name one phrase at a time, entrusting your whole life to Amitabha Buddha. Rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss — the greatest matter of this life — has long since been settled for us. This is the most ultimate, most perfect "change" and assurance of all. Namo Amitabha
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