ASTRID: (starts a computer search) You mean you think that someone made him crazy on purpose?
WALTER: (casual) It's a theory. The truth is there is no cure for madness -- it's a fantasy. The road back from madness is a struggle. Only the luckiest of people find their way, more or less, back to the world you live in. And from what we saw of Mister Slater, well, my only supposition is that he wasn't mad to begin with.

There is some truth in this regular TV script. The road back from madness is a struggle. What is your struggle?

Amitabha Puja

I am practicing Amitabha puja. I got the impression that the practice was for the swift rebirth of our master, Shamar Rinpoche. However, the more I practice, the more I think it is for the benefits of the practitioner. My points are:
1. Shamar Rinpoche is supposed to be able to choose the rebirth place & time when & wherever he wants. I trust he will choose wisely.
2. SR should be a living Bodhisattva. The chanting will not get him more enlighten but for us, the practitioner, to get enlighten.
3. The practice is dedicated to all living beings.

I came across this 開示 by 虛雲和尚 which matches my thoughts:

五日，師開示云：「佛菩薩豈要人念？只緣眾生障重，佛菩薩指示種種法門。念佛菩薩聖號，不過令眾生澄清妄念，徹見本來耳。所謂清珠投於濁水，濁水不得不清；佛號投於妄心，妄心不得不淨。蓋人如果以一菩薩之聖號，都攝六根，淨念相繼，則當下自與佛菩薩無異。」

六祖壇經、機緣品

六祖壇經、機緣品﹕

「有僧舉臥輪禪師偈曰﹕『臥輪有伎倆，能斷百思想，對境心不起，菩提日月長。』

師聞之，曰﹕『此偈未明心地。若依而行之，是加繫縛。』

因示一偈曰﹕『惠能沒伎倆，不斷百思想，對境心數起，菩提作麼長』」

無念者，不是一個念頭不起，而是念起不隨，事來不住。一點不動，那就成了死屍，還有什麼用？！

離無念，誰無生，莫將鏡影認作真。

凡夫當然是有念頭、有生死的，那我們悟道之後呢？是不是一個念頭不生呢？這句話大家都以為，悟道之後當然是沒有念頭了，念頭不生了。那就錯了！無念不是一個念頭不生，而是生如不生叫無念，生而無住，不停留，是為不生。惠能大師不是說「不斷百思想」，「對境心數起」嘛。「不斷百思想」還是有思想啊，「對境心數起」還是要起念頭啊。所以我們要認識正路，不要認錯路，以為是沒有念頭，死在那裏不動。「誰無念，誰無生」，念頭一起知道了，不跟它走、不停留，就是無念；無生，生生不已無所住叫無生，不是斷絕種姓叫無生。