Page:The Praises of Amida, 1907.djvu/98

 encouraged and enabled us to start on our heaven-ward journey. Surely, then, it is not the will of the Hotoke that we should forever be troubling ourselves with these anxieties about home, and this remorse for past mistakes. What He desires is quite the contrary: that we should let go our griefs and lay aside our remorse, and rise peacefully above our lead of Sorrow. Is it not therefore a direct disobedience to His Will for us to be for ever unmindful of His Mercy, to be troubled with vain cares and regrets about this or that? The object of going on a journey is not that we may be worried with home cares, but that we may enjoy our travelling. The heavenward journey is not undertaken in order that we may be distressed by the things that are behind, but that every step may give us more and more of the pleasures of our road. Behind us there is sin and darkness: in front there is goodness and light. The Hotoke does not tell us to look behind, but calls us to come straight to Him. And Sakyamuni tells us, does he not? to keep our eyes straight in one