FAQ: Is it normal to cry when I hear Amituofo chant

In the Infinite Life Sutra, the Buddha told us that if one cries upon hearing Amituofo chant is because they have encountered the Pure Land Dharma in their past lives. One may even feel very touched and excited and get goosebumps, signs that they have previously practised the Pure Land Dharma. 

Another question you may ask is, "If I had already practised the Pure Land Dharma in my past life, why am I still here?" It could be very much due to your attachment to the Saha world towards the end of your life that you had decided not to go to the Pure Land. Your attachment to your loved ones and other things in the Saha world could be another reason which prevented you from exiting the cycle of reincarnation sooner. 

For Nianfo practitioners who are serious about exiting the cycle of Samsara (reincarnation) and attaining rebirth in the Pure Land, we should ensure our attachment to this temporary Saha world is not so strong. This is to ensure that we will follow Amitabha Buddha to the Pure Land at the time of death easily without any distractions. If we really want to help our loved ones, we can share the Nianfo practice with them and tell them about the Pure Land. Even if they don't believe, we should still go to the Pure Land to realise Buddhahood first so that we can come back to help whomever we want to help afterwards. But by staying in the cycle of Samsara without realising Buddhahood, we don't have much ability to help others to liberate them from all suffering in life.

Namo Amituofo

Namo Amitabha Buddha