Page:The Praises of Amida, 1907.djvu/35

 us, which draws our attention to our own miseries and those of human life, which cuts down to the root of Suffering, and places us mercifully in the Kingdom of Light. The Doctrine of the World either purposely refuses to see the miseries of human life, or tries to forget them, or else labours to suppress what it cannot forget. Buddhism is quite the reverse of that. It looks Suffering in the face, it understands it, it defends us from it, it is the Way by which we can cut Misery to the root and be rid of it. Men will try to say that they see no Suffering, they have to see it: they try to forget it, but it forces itself upon their notice: they try to suppress it, it comes constantly cropping up. But cut Misery at the root, and it cannot grow again: it can only wither and die. Sakyamuni was extremely sharp at cutting the roots of Misery and delivering men from it. And he has put the axe ready into our hands. That Axe is the One Sacred Name of our Salvation. 16. "A sharp sword truly is the Name of Amida." It is our glory to hold that sharp