A Buddhist Reflection on “Memories of Tomorrow”
Exploring themes of Alzheimer’s, memory loss, and the meaning of life through the compassionate teachings of Amida Buddha and Jōdo Shinshū. How faith and human connection provide hope in suffering.
Introduction
There is a Japanese film titled “Memories of Tomorrow”, starring Ken Watanabe.
A successful advertising executive is suddenly diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
He rapidly loses his memory, the work that once supported his spirit, and finds himself pushed into despair.
His wife stays by his side —
but how will their story end?
It is a heartbreaking yet deeply moving masterpiece.
Question from a Friend
When I shared this movie with a friend, they asked me:
“If I were diagnosed with an incurable disease, I don’t think I could find any meaning in life.
What would you do if you were in that situation?”
As a Buddhist, I would like to share my thoughts.
Every Existence Has Meaning
No life is meaningless — not a single one.
Yes, there are people and things in this world that seem so evil, so pointless, that we wish they would “just disappear.”
But that is only because our eyes are clouded by ignorance.
Human beings are foolish and self-centered.
And yet, out of compassion for our foolishness, Amida Buddha extends His saving hand to us through the nembutsu — the recitation of “Namu Amida Butsu.”
When we say this phrase, Amida is believed to be right beside us, watching over us in the form of that very voice.
This is the teaching of Jōdo Shinshū (Shin Buddhism).
Amida’s Vow and His Wish for Us to Live
Amida made 48 great vows when He became a Buddha.
The most important is the 18th Vow:
“When I attain Buddhahood, if anyone sincerely entrusts themselves to me, wishes to be born in my land, and even recites my name as few as ten times, yet is not born there, I will not attain enlightenment.”
There is an exception for those who commit the gravest sins or slander the Dharma, but Shinran Shōnin, the founder of Shin Buddhism in Japan, explained that this “exception” is simply a warning.
In other words, even if there is only the slightest chance, Amida wishes for us to keep living, to not give up.
Living Because We Are Wished to Live
We are never truly alone.
Just as you wish for someone you love to “stay with you,”
your family and friends also wish for you to “stay alive.”
And even if you feel abandoned by everyone,
Amida Buddha still wishes — deeply — that you continue to live.
I believe this with all my heart.
So please:
When things are unbearable, reach out to someone. Ask for help.
The world is smaller than we think — someone will reach back to you.
The Love of Amida, Seen in Memories of Tomorrow
At the end of the movie, the wife tells her husband:
“I’ll stay with you forever…”
To me, her words feel just like the compassion of Amida Buddha.
Human relationships themselves are our hope.
Suffering, sorrow, and joy —
to embrace all of it and still stay beside another person…
I believe that is the true mission of being human.
And may the voice of the nembutsu always be near your life.
Namu Amida Butsu.
In Closing
“I was writing… before I knew it, I was writing a diary…
If my old self disappears one day,
I feel I must leave something behind…”
This line from the movie, spoken by the protagonist, was his very mission in life.
What is your mission?
What do you wish to leave behind?
And for whom?
For Japanese Readers:
This story is also available in Japanese.
↓ 日本語版は（note）へ
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