Karma has no expiration date.  

In our ignorance and delusion, we do not truly understand karma. What we think, say, and do will assuredly come back to us—just as surely as our ball thrown against a wall will ricochet back to us. This ricochet may take a million lifetimes to come back to us, but regardless of the time span a cause will give rise to a result.

Many of us will say that we believe in karma. Yet we behave like we do not.

Please reconsider this.

Have we become even a little irritated with someone or something today? That was anger, and we have not understood karma.

Have we ever declared “I want pizza tonight!” (and nothing else).

Have we ever thought, Yes! That gap is enough for me to get into the other lane.

Those were greed—for taste, for self-interest. If we still have ignorance and delusion, still feel anger and craving, then we have not really understood causality. And instead of planting seeds to be born in the Pure Land, we are continuing to plant the wrong seeds, those that would see us suffering in samsara, over and over.

Chant the buddha-name.

No problem if you are not a Buddhist.  

Chanting “Amituofo” is a form of meditation. It’s a way of calming our mind and controlling where it goes by focusing on a chosen object or idea. The primary aim of this form of meditation is to achieve the mental state of one-mind undisturbed, a state in which the mind concentrates solely on its meditative subject.

We chant “Amituofo” to focus our thoughts on an awakened being, a being who used to be like we unawakened beings but who has now achieved perfect wisdom and compassion.

We are not worshiping him.

Just like when we meditate by concentrating on our in- and out-breaths, we aren’t worshiping our breaths.

Or when listening intently to the sound of ocean waves, we aren’t worshiping the ocean.

In our chanting, we are focusing our thoughts on a being who possesses the virtues we wish to develop. So, Buddhist or not, chant the buddha-name to develop these same virtues.