No one has ever seen the wind,

Needless to say, neither you nor I, but

When the leaves are rustling,

Then we know the wind is right there.

No one has ever seen the air,

Needless to say, neither you nor I, but

Every breath we take

Tell us where the air prevails.

No one has ever seen the Buddha,

Needless to say, neither you nor I, but

When we recite Amitabha’s name

We know the Buddha is surely here.

No one has ever seen the Pure Land,

Needless to say, neither you nor I, but

Wherever the name exists,

We know that place is the Pure Land.

There are always those who think that

Amituofo is too far away from us,

Looking up at the lofty place where he dwells,

Paying him homage is the most that mere mortals could ever do.

There are always those who think that

Amitabha’s demands are too harsh on us, and

We must beg and beg with our prayers

For the Buddha’s protection and embrace.

Amitabha is not far away,

He is right here next to you.

On the perilous samsara trail,

He waits silently for you,

For more than ten kalpas long,

To recite his name and return to our home.

Whether you recite his name or not,

The Buddha is thinking of you through his name;

Whether you are willing or not,

The Buddha is beckoning you through his name;

Whether you see him or not,

The Buddha is guarding you through his name;

Whether you want to be reborn there or not,

The Buddha is waiting for you through his name.

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