Q: Is the merit from reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha the same if people have different levels of faith?

A: The merit of Amitabha’s name remains constant. Yet the degree to which one receives that merit varies depending on the depth of their faith.

       Those who entrust themselves deeply to Amitabha Buddha are able to fully receive the benefit of his name. But the Infinite Life Sutra warns that those whose faith is shallow or uncertain, and who doubt the Buddha’s wisdom, may be reborn in the borderland of the Pure Land—where they will be unable to perceive the Buddha’s presence for five hundred years.

       This principle is reflected in everyday life. Parents may love their children equally, yet if one child doubts their fairness, that child will not fully receive or recognize that love. In the same way, doubt becomes a barrier to receiving Amitabha’s compassion.

       Let us look at two examples here, both related to Master Honen.

       1. Master Honen’s Wisdom and Faith

       Master Honen once said: “If I relied on my own wisdom in reciting the Buddha’s name, all sixty thousand recitations each day would become futile, and I would fall into the three wretched realms of animals, hungry ghosts and hells.”

       In other words, even though Honen was revered as the most erudite and wise figure of his time, he relied not on self-power, but fully on his faith in Amitabha. The Sacred Path, which depends on supreme wisdom and personal effort, cannot ensure rebirth in the Pure Land. Honen made it clear: salvation comes solely through Amitabha’s vow, not one's own wisdom.

       He asserted explicitly, “I, the ignorant Honen, do not rely on my own wisdom. If I did, it would be self-powered practice, and my recitation of Amitabha’s name would be in vain. Instead, I entrust myself completely to Amitabha’s vow. Even the foolish may attain rebirth in the Pure Land.”

       Whether one is wise or ignorant, all who recite the Buddha’s  name with faith are equal in  Amitabha’s deliverance.

        2. Awanosuke and the Equality of Faith

       The second example features Awanosuke, a man of poor learning, low status, and little virtue – deemed least worthy by worldly measures. Yet Master Honen said: “Awanosuke seeks Amitabha’s salvation, so he recites the Buddha’s name. I, Honen, seek the same salvation and recite the same name. There is no difference between us.”

       Through this story, we see the essence of the twofold deep faith, as taught by Master Shandao.  First, a resolute belief that one is a sinful, deluded being, endlessly wandering through the cycle of samsara, lacking any capacity for self-liberation. Second, an unshakable trust that Amitabha Buddha, through his forty-eight vows, embraces all beings without discrimination. Unburdened by doubt, one entrusts themselves to these vows and is assured rebirth in the Pure Land. 

       Though one was a great teacher and the other despised, Honen emphasized that, because they had the same faith, the spiritual merit was equal in the eyes of the Buddha.

The Brocade and the Gold: a Metaphor for Faith

       To make his principle clearer, Master Honen illustrated his point with a metaphor:

       “If you believe the merit differs, they do not understand the essence of Amitabha-recitation. It’s like wrapping gold in brocade or in a bundle of rough straw—it is still gold.”

       In this metaphor, the gold represents the boundless merit of Amitabha’s name, while the wrapping material –be it fine brocade or humble straw–symbolizes faith, the means by which that merit is received. Though the outer covering may vary in refinement –– representing differences in status, knowledge, or virtue–the merit held within remains the same.

       A wise monastic well-versed in sutras may be like brocade; a layperson burdened by wrongdoing may be like rough straw. Yet both enclose the same gold through faith. Rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land does not depend on personal achievements, but on one’s sincere entrustment to the Buddha’s vows. In this, all are equal in receiving his light.

Effect of Lack of True Faith

       Without true faith in the name Namo Amitabha Buddha, the benefit of recitation may amount to no more than forming a karmic affiliation with the Buddha—without the assurance of rebirth in this very lifetime. If one is half-believing or uncertain, rebirth may occur in the borderland of the Pure Land—where the Buddha’s presence cannot be seen for five hundred years.

       Clearly, doubt diminishes the benefit. That’s why we’re urged to cultivate faith without hesitation. The Contemplation Sutra describes two essential kinds of faith: sincere faith and deep faith.

       To possess ‘deep faith’ is to hold unwavering trust—faith free from even the faintest doubt.

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