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My Path to True Shin Buddhism
Gansen John Welch Sensei |
By Gansen John Welch
I am writing this at the request of my teacher, Reverend Josho Adrian Cirlea and in the hope that others may be encouraged, inspired and motivated to listen to and read Amida Dharma, find a good teacher of True Shin Buddhism and “entrust your karmic destiny entirely, utterly and completely to Amida Buddha.” This too was my motivation for narrating Josho’s excellent books and writing verses inspired by Amida Dharma.
I was born in 1958 and thus, if I live an average lifespan, I have only about 20 years left in this body. But, of course, no one (except a fully enlightened Buddha) knows exactly when or how they will die and more importantly what negative karmic seeds will ripen at the time of death causing us to be reborn in realms lower than the human realm resulting in perhaps many millions of years before again having the opportunity to benefit from Buddha Dharma. According to Shakyamuni, it is only human beings who have the best opportunity to learn and benefit from Buddha Dharma.
My mother encouraged me to read as a young boy and I was always reading in an attempt to understand myself, the world and the seemingly endless disappointments, frustration, pain and suffering that I (and many others) experienced all my life. At 18 I read a book (The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley) in which the author quoted from Buddhist texts and provided some interpretation and analysis of Buddha Dharma. From that moment I became a part-time student of Buddhism, mainly Tibetan Buddhism. My favourite book was an English translation (by Robert Thurman) of Padmasambhava’s “Tibetan Book of the Dead.” In the Tibetan tradition Padmasambhava is considered to be a manifestation of Amitabha Buddha. As there were no teachers near where I lived (and no internet as this was during the 1970s and 1980s) I was self-taught and totally dependent on books and a few audio teachings.
I worked (for 28 years in University and Public Library Services - mostly as a manager, and for 4 years inother occupations) full-time from age 18 until 50 when I became sick from multiple inherited health conditions. During 20 of these 32 years I was studying part-time and earned 4 University Degrees in order to progress in my career and survive in a very competitive work environment where promotion was difficult to get and salaries were relatively low. I was working a lot of unpaid overtime and thus did not have as much time as I would have liked for Buddha Dharma. As my health deteriorated from age 50 onwards, I became even more frustrated at my slow“ progress” on my self-power spiritual journey.
During April 2017 I came across Paul Roberts’ 16 YouTube videos and became his student until Paul went to Amida’s Pure Land in December 2017. I am forever grateful to Paul (who was a gifted teacher) for helping me through his videos, writings and one-to-one discussions (using Skype) to help me understand Amida Dharma and rely completely on Amida Buddha’s infinite wisdom and compassion.
Paul also recommended Josho to me and I became Josho’s student in January 2018. Josho is a very good teacher whose books are full of insights to help his students understand Amida Dharma. Josho also speaks to his students one-to-one to answer questions and clarify any doubts, difficulties, etc. In his wonderful book “The Path of Acceptance: Commentary on Tannisho” Josho explains the attributes of a good teacher and in my experience Josho does his very best to meet or exceed these very high standards. Any progress that I have made in understanding Amida Dharma is due to Josho and Paul (and of course Amida, Shakyamuni, Shinran, Rennyo and the Amida Dharma Lineage Masters).
It can be seen from the above, I could very easily have died before encountering Paul and Josho and because I am an unenlightened being living in this age of Dharma decline, I would have died without entrusting myself to Amida and would have inevitably been reborn in the lower realms. So, this brief summary of my spiritual journey will be of value to you only if you find a good teacher like Josho, listen deeply to Amida Dharma and depend entirely on Amida Buddha to save you from the endless suffering of samsara. The passages below will hopefully further encourage, motivate and inspire you (and your friends and family) to become committed and serious students of Josho and Amida Dharma.
“It is impossible for us, who are possessed of blind passions, to free ourselves from birth-and-death through any practice whatever. Sorrowing at this, Amida made the Vow, the essential intent of which is the evil person's attainment of Buddhahood. Hence, evil persons who entrust themselves to Other Power are precisely the ones who possess the true cause of birth.” (Page 3 of Tannisho)
“As for me, Shinran, I have never said the nembutsu even once for the repose of my departed father and mother. For all sentient beings, without exception, have been our parents and brothers and sisters in the course of countless lives in the many states of existence. On attaining Buddhahood after this present life, we can save every one of them.” (Page 4 of Tannisho)
“The nembutsu is the single path free of hindrances. Why is this? To practicers who have realized shinjin, the gods of the heavens and earth bow in homage, and maras and nonbuddhists present no obstruction. No evil act can bring about karmic results, nor can any good act equal the nembutsu.” (page 6 of Tannisho)
“If we entrust ourselves to Amida's Vow that grasps and never abandons us, then even through unforeseen circumstances, we commit an evil act and die without saying the nembutsu at the very end, we will immediately realize birth in the Pure Land. Moreover, even if we do say the Name at the point of death, it will be nothing other than our expression of gratitude for Amida's benevolence, entrusting ourselves to the Buddha more and more as the very time of enlightenment draws near.” (page 16 of Tannisho).
“Since it is extremely difficult to free oneself from blind passions and the hindrances of karmic evil in this life; even the virtuous monks who practice the Shingon and Tendai teachings pray for enlightenment in the next life. In our case, what more need be said?” (Page 17 of Tannisho)
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Homage to Amida Buddha
I take refuge in Amida Buddha
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