conditions from the distant past　宿縁 Deeds, whether good or bad, done in the past that bring about their rewards or retributions in the present life. An apparently causal encounter with a Buddha, a Buddhist teacher, or, through him or her, the Buddhist teaching, is seen as the result of a stock of merit accumulated in past lives. The meritorious deeds, however, may indeed be done under the influence of Buddhist sages who approach us in the guise of our friends and relatives and teach us to do good. In Shin Buddhism, our encounter with the teaching of liberation by Amida is seen as the result off the long relationship established with us from the distant past.