Mercy of the God or Amitabha Buddha to Save People from the Corona-Pandemic
Almost 800 years ago, when the political power was about to shift from the imperial court to a samurai regime in Japan, some unique and notable Buddhist monks appeared, establishing their own schools or versions of Buddhism.
One of them taught that people should concentrate on Buddha or specifically Amitabha Buddha to be saved in this world under control of Satan. For this purpose, he said that people should just call the name of Amitabha Buddha and ask the deity to save them. "People should just rely on mercy of Amitabha Buddha to be saved and allowed to enter into the paradise but should not rely on their efforts," he taught. He asserted that believing in salvation of one's soul by Amitabha Buddha and calling its name was the only way for him to be saved in this corrupted world.
One might acquire enlightenment to be saved through long-term hard learning and rigorous ascetic training, but it is only possible for rare excellent saints such as the Buddha. Such severe conditions should not be requested or expected to be fulfilled by ordinary people most of whom are poor and not highly educated. Therefore, ordinary people should abandon their desperate efforts to enhance their levels in understanding truth of the life and the world as well as the paradise and the hell, in order to have their souls saved and allowed to go to the paradise.
Some Buddhist denominations built on such a creed are still active in Japan today.
The teaching that good people can be saved because even bad people can be saved through calling the name of Amitabha Buddha is the core of their teachings. According to such a school of Japanese Buddhism, no good deeds, study, training, etc. are useful and effective for one's souls to be saved. Any man that calls Amitabha Buddha, relying on and trusting in its mercy can be saved and welcomed into the paradise.
It is a kind of anti-elite movement. When the imperial court was losing political power, which had lasted for centuries, and samurai clans were gaining momentum with their military strength in the Japanese society 800 years ago, people were involve in big turmoil, conflicts, and attrition as well as various natural disasters, famines, etc. Dead bodies were sometimes left even in streets and river banks of the capital Kyoto at the time of a civil war or a famine. Buddhism that had been supported, managed, and diffused by the imperial court became useless to help and save ordinary and poor people and, especially, farmers. Therefore, new schools of Buddhism came to be widely accepted by people around the 12th century of Japan.
Their teachings resemble some Christian principles written in the Bible. However, the Bible stresses that love is the most important factor among faith, hope, and love. The Bible ultimately declares that whoever calls the name of God for help can be saved.
For example, when one is suffering from corona-viruses, one's learned wisdom, scholarly achievements, past good deeds, social status and even wealth are useless. One can and should only rely on mercy of the God or Amitabha Buddha.
Mat 9:26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Mat 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mat 9:30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.