The doctrine of cause and effect or Ichinen Sanzen teaches us to acknowledge favors received from others and to repay favors to others. It is a totally a incorrect view to relate cause and effect to feelings of guilt or fear because it cannot improve our minds and lives.

As an example, when we hold memorial services for the deceased, we should hold them from the heart of compassion and to repay favors. This is how our heart gets connected to the deceased. According to the doctrines of Ichinen Sanzen and cause and effect, we share the fortune and misfortune of our own relatives, including the deceased, as our own. Thus, when we wish to help relatives or others having difficulty, such as an illness, we accumulate and dedicate merits for all beings including our ancestors.