Just think about it—can there really be a path to liberation so swift and effortless? It seems almost unbelievable, doesn’t it? 

       No wonder Shakyamuni Buddha said in the Amitabha Sutra: 

“For the sake of sentient beings, I have taught this Dharma which is the most difficult in the world to accept in faith.” 

       Indeed, the Dharma path of Amitabha-recitation is truly a teaching that’s hard for the world to believe. Wherever you go and whomever you speak to, people will likely find it difficult to accept. And sharing this Dharma is no easy task — it’s not only a matter of explaining it clearly, but about finding the right time, place, and audience.

       That’s why Shakyamuni Buddha lamented: 

“To proclaim this hard-to-believe Dharma to the world is itself immensely difficult.” 

       If it’s not conveyed skillfully,  people will not only dismiss it — they may even  turn against you and slander it.

       Even if someone comes to believe, a misguided understanding may twist the teaching into:

       “Well, if Amitabha Buddha’s vow guarantees my salvation, why bother doing good or being virtuous? I might as well indulge myself and enjoy life to the fullest!” 

       Misled by this distorted view, they could end up doing all sorts of wrong – acting recklessly and without restraint. That is why this Dharma is not only hard to believe;  it’s also hard to teach.

       Let’s be clear. Amitabha Buddha made a vow to save us out of boundless compassion. He had mercy on beings like us — caught in endless suffering, constantly creating bad karma, and too weak to practice even when we have the will.

       He spent five eons contemplating how best to save all sentient beings, and from that reflection came the Forty-Eight Great Vows – a blueprint for universal salvation.

       He then devoted countless eons to cultivating immeasurable virtues as a Bodhisattva, fulfilling every vow in full. Only after accomplishing all this did he attain Buddhahood, gaining the power to deliver beings throughout the universe. 

       This is entirely an expression of Amitabha’s great compassion. He sees how we are trapped helplessly in the cycle of samsara and reaches out to save us – not because he condones our misdeeds, but because he understands our misery and responds with mercy. 

       It’s like parents who are concerned about the future of a child who cannot support himself. They set aside a fortune to ensure the child would be financially secure – not because they approve of the child’s weakness, but because they care deeply and want the child to be well provided for.

       In the same way, Amitabha Buddha sees how deeply rooted our greed, anger, and ignorance are, and how impossible it is for us to break free from the cycle of birth and death on our own. That is why, out of boundless compassion, he made his vows to save us, not because he condones our wrongdoing.

       When we truly take in Amitabha’s compassion, we begin to understand what it means to be cherished by the Buddha. That realization softens us. We start to see others with the same empathy—with a heart that wants to protect, to care, and to consider their needs. Sometimes, it even moves us to put others before ourselves.

       And as we reflect on Amitabha’s mercy and acceptance toward us, we gradually learn to let go of resentment, to stop keeping score, and to embrace others with the same generosity of spirit.

       This path emphasizes Amitabha Buddha’s compassionate deliverance and speaks less often of “avoiding evil and doing good” or of the detailed practice of the Six Perfections. However, once we truly feel his compassion, those very virtues will naturally blossom in our hearts and express themselves in our actions.

(Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojin)