Page:The Praises of Amida, 1907.djvu/66

 for something above ourselves which we can rest in. The storm of sin is blowing great blasts against us. The rain of delusion is falling fiercely. The darkness of doubt is growing thicker. Where can we find a refuge such as we have seen we need?

7. And then, what happiness it is for us, at such times, to hear the Sacred Name of the Tathāgata, Namu Amida Butsu! It is the Name of the Hotoke which we have heard from our childhood, and yet we have perhaps never known its meaning. If we are to accept the teachings and explanations of teachers of olden times, this Name is something more than a mere name. The word Namu, we are told, contains an invitation "believe" and to "trust": Amida, which implies Boundless Life and Light, contains the notions of Direction, Help, Salvation. Put these meanings together, and you will see that the Name implies that we must put our confidence in It, as It reveals to us the Boundless Life and the Promise of the Tathāgata Who desires to save us. As Zendō Daishi has well