Amida's face.....

The first lines of Sanbutsuge are translated as:

The light of your face is unsurpassed in majesty,
Your awesome greatness is beyond limit,
A brightly shining flame with no equal.
Next to your brilliance,
Even the brightness of sun,
Moon, and Manji jewel seem covered in black ink.
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January 25, 2013

I came across this image on EBay of an Amida Buddha statue with no face.  I was very moved by the image.  I have many questions:

What happened to the face?

To whom did this belong?

Was the face removed by an angry person?

This statue may have an incredible story to tell.

Amida-no-face.

Face removed.

Labels removed.

Images held tight in my mind are broken free.

Amida has your face.

Amida has my face.

Amida directs the light of Compassion and Wisdom

into my heart, into my mind.

I am so blinded by my own desires that I can not see Amida's face.

I can not see the beauty before me.

Amida-no-face

reminds me of my

blindness - my inability to see Truth.

And yet, Amida, knowing my sight is limited

calls to me

louder and louder

Namu Amida Butsu!

Namu Amida Butsu!

Namu Amida Butsu!

I hear you, I hear you......thank you!

Jishin