Question: As a former Christian, when I chant "Amituofo" feelings of doubt, guilt and fears arise in my mind. While chanting can clear these thoughts away in the moment, my question is...how long should it take for these "bad seeds" to be burned? Will there always be such feelings periodically, or should I expect them to vanish permanently after a time?
Response: Once in Malaysia, we went to climb a small mountain. Some of the climbers even referred to it as "hill." To me it was abundantly clear from my perspective at the bottom that it was a BIG MOUNTAIN and for some unfathomable reason we were climbing up the side that went straight up. (Fortunately, we got there before dawn and I could only see a little way up. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.)
But whatever it was--a small mountain, hill, big mountain--we were supposed to climb it.
After years of computer work, I was definitely not in shape to undertake such a climb. But there was no way that I was going to give up and admit defeat. (Probably a combination of perseverance with a healthy dash of ego here. ;-))
Rather than look up and try to see how much further I had to go, I just focused on taking the next step. No more than that. Just the next step. I thus climbed one step at a time. Eventually, I reached the top of the mountain.
It was an invaluable lesson.
Don't try to do the calculations of how long it will take, don't look too far ahead and give in to doubt, just keep taking the next step. Gradually doubts, fears, and worries will recede. And with time, we will reach our goal.