Sunday, January 28, 2024
Monday, January 8, 2024
We do not rely on personal vows but on Amida's Primal Vow
I will state it clearly and I ask all of you to please listen deeply:
We do not need to make a personal vow to be born in the Pure Land because birth in the Pure Land does NOT depend on our personal power, but on Amida's Power.
This is extremely important - you can be born in the Pure Land by the Power of Amida Buddha, and NOT by your self power! The vows you make have ZERO importance. What matters is that you give up any idea of self power and entrust completely to Amida Buddha.
In His Primal Vow (18th Vow) Amida mentioned three conditions to be born in His Pure Land : "say my Name, entrust to me and wish to be born in my land". He did not mention that you must make any vows or transfer any merits! To wish to be born is not the same as a vow which can easily make one think that he goes to the Pure Land through his own act of will. So, if we do the above three simple things in the Primal Vow, we become karmically connected to Amida's Power and we are assured of birth in the Pure Land.
Our Jodo Shinshu is the school of the Primal Vow, of total and exclusive reliance on Amida Buddha. Nothing inside our unenlightened minds can bring us closer to the Pure Land. Only Amida's Power and His Primal Vow (His Main Promise) are reliable. We will reach His Pure Land because He vowed that He will bring us there if we entrust to Him and say His Name in faith, and NOT because we make any personal vows or we transfer our pitiful "merits" to birth there.
The promises and vows made by unreliable and unenlightened minds mean nothing, while the Promise and Vow of Amida is everything.
Namo Amida Bu
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
I take refuge in Amida NOT in God or Jesus (video by Joshin of Amidaji)
(click here to read his short biography) .
You can visit his YouTube channel at this link (click here)
Namo Amida Bu 🙏
Sunday, December 3, 2023
There is no need to develop special feelings of gratitude towards Amida Buddha in order to be saved (video teaching)
Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 170 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you.
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Amidaji simple style of teaching Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 170 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you.
Monday, November 13, 2023
To what kind of people is Jodo Shinshu Buddhism intended for? (video discussion)
Here is a new video in the series of the 71 topics of examination for those who want to be ordained in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. The main speaker is my student Rev Kosho Arana from Colombia. He already received monk (priest) ordination in our school, in September this year.
The links mentioned in the video are posted in its description on my youtube channe.
Namo Amida Bu
Thursday, August 31, 2023
The difference between personal power (jiriki) and the Power of Amida Buddha (Tariki) - video teaching
Here is a new video in the series of the 71 topics of examination for those who want to be ordained in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. The main speaker is my student Kosho Arana from Colombia. His presentation is based on my book AMIDA DHARMA - the essential doctrine of Amidaji temple
Kosho Arana is scheduled to receive monk (priest) ordination soon, together with Daigan from Uruguay. He already finished all the examinations with me but we continue this public presentation so that people find how we do things at Amidaji, and what a candidate for ordination needs to know.
May all beings create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land.
Namo Amida Bu
Thursday, July 27, 2023
New video discussion on the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha
Here
is a new video in the series of the 71 topics of examination for those who want
to be ordained in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. The main speaker is
my student Kosho Arana from Colombia. His presentation is based on my books TheMeaning of Faith and Nembutsu in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and my Commentary on the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life.
Kosho Arana is scheduled to receive monk (priest) ordination soon, together with Daigan from Uruguay. He already finished all the examinations with me but we continue this public presentation so that people find how we do things at Amidaji, and what a candidate for ordination needs to know.
At THIS LINK you can also find the original detailed explanation (video) of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha as it appears in my books mentioned above. HERE is the same content on Amidaji website.May all beings create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land.
Namo Amida Bu
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
The Pure Land is NOT here and now (video discussion)
Articles related with this video teaching,
The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure LandTuesday, February 21, 2023
The Way of Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Why Amidaji – the testimony of a member who re-enters our Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Sangha
Monday, October 17, 2022
Is Jodo Shinshu Buddhism the teaching of non-ego?
Question: I saw somewhere the saying that Jodo Shinshu is the teaching of non-ego. What does it mean?
My answer: Master Rennyo said: “The teaching of Buddha Dharma is the teaching of non-ego”.
In Buddhism, the teaching of non-ego is often linked with the image of Bodhisattvas who never think of themselves but are always dedicated to the salvation of all beings. This is true, but it is only one aspect of it. How can we, ignorant people, understand the teaching of non-ego? In what form do we find it emphasized in Jodo Shinshu? To follow the teaching of non-ego also means to abandon once and for all any thought of merit or non-merit, for it means not to include any personal calculation in matters that concern our birth in the Pure Land.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
On sangha, politics and the hypocrisy of modern Buddhists in the Last Dharma Age
Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 130 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you.
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Dont try to fix your mind while entrusting yourself to Amida Buddha (video teaching)
Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 130 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you.
Saturday, September 17, 2022
1. Faith in Amida Buddha is not a feeling 2. On the joy of faith (video teaching)
Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 130 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Those who have faith in Amida Buddha automatically help others even without knowing it
I wrote these words today to a Dharma friend who was sad that he is not able to teach or help those who live far from him. I hope you guys will also find it useful:
Being an example of faith is teaching without words. If you are established in faith others will be helped just by being in your presence because they make a karmic connection with a future Buddha. It is the same with the people you met and you could not help. Even those you didn’t meet but you think of them, will receive your help after you become a Buddha in the Pure Land. This is because you create a karmic connection with them by keeping them in your mind.
If you have faith (shinjin) you automatically help visible and invisible beings even without teaching them directly. Invisible beings are helped just by knowing your thoughts of devotion towards Amida and by hearing you saying His Name. Also human beings are helped just by hearing your Nembutsu or by just looking at you. As a person of faith you are imbued with the infinite merits of Amida Buddha. Although you are a grave sinner you shine in the light of Amida and this helps others without their knowing. You have a limited unenlightened mind and you cannot deeply understand what I am saying here but it is true nevertheless.
I explained more on this topic in the following video:
Monday, August 8, 2022
There is no good or bad Nembutsu
Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are 128 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you.
Monday, August 1, 2022
When does our salvation takes place? In this life or after death? (video discussion)
I always ask questions to my students so that they themselves be able to explain the Dharma. At Amidaji not only the teacher speaks:
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Shinjin (faith in Amida Buddha) is knowing, not feeling