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Yesterday, I went on a psychedelic trip and felt loved and held by a divine presence, not lost, but ultimately belonging. It was so wonderful. I want to secure that feeling in my heart. I'm drawn to the idea of Jesus Christ, a savior, a personal relationship, a friend who loves me, always listening, a friend who always loves me. I want to integrate that feeling into a Buddhist framework. Should I recite Namo Guanshiyin Pusa or Namo Amitabha, which is more similar to the feeling given by Jesus Christ of having an intimate personal relationship with a divine presence that loves you and holds you and you are with them and you belong to them?

EDIT: I read both the Universal Gate Chapter and the Short Amitabha Sutra and definitely felt avalokitesvara’s message hitting closer to home. However, I felt more emotinal impact when chanting Namo Amitiofo and also felt his visualization more concrete and powerful (the golden Buddha of infinite ligh) then Guanyin. So I’m kinda torn.

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  • I’m voting to close this question because this question, ABOUT THE EFFECT OF USING MIND ALTERING DRUGS, does not appear to be about Buddhist philosophy, teaching, and practice, within the scope defined in the help center. Commented Oct 4 at 23:24
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    The standard mantra for Avalokiteshvara is "OM Mani Padme Hum" to my knowledge. You can find many YouTube videos on its chanting. Commented Oct 5 at 1:25

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felt loved and held by a divine presence, not lost, but ultimately belonging

This implies that, relative to that, at other times you feel lost, unguided, isolated, not communal.

I want to integrate that feeling into a Buddhist framework.

IMO a framework might begin with:

  1. A solid understanding of dhamma -- otherwise you're vulnerable to a "train of thought" that leads to dismay

  2. Human society - friends, teachers, neighbors, coworkers or fellow students.

    A mantra isn't a substitute for e.g. breathing and "real" human community may be similarly important

    SN 45.2 is presumably addressed to and about monks in the Sangha -- "Mahayana" would add to or expand on that.

  3. Ethics - ethical behavior or "skillful ethics" can satisfy a desire for a feeling of things being "right".

    If so that might be a well-earned feeling, and even one that is not temporary -- per this answer

    So the absence of remorse is conditioned, but not being an existing thing, not having been constructed (sankharaed)-- it was the result of not-doing, is not itself subject to ending and is a small taste of Nibbana

IMO these three are the elements or the basis, the foundation -- after which, these elements need to be "integrated" e.g. viewing society from a Buddhist perspective and with ethics.

A mantra may be part of Buddhist practice but I fear that without the "basis" it would be a "cargo cult" -- i.e. repeating some of the superficial activity or appearance, hoping for the same result (or reward) but without understanding the underlying cause.

I also expect that psychedelics are dangerous in impairing your ability to interact well with other people -- and I infer that from it also that at least some of your current social relationships are dangerous, wrong, unsatisfactory.

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