Some ideas about the temple altar - how is done in Japan and other places and how we'll do it at Amidaji

last update June 23rd - please scroll down in the article and read! 

As some may already know, the naijin (inner area) is the altar area of a Jodo Shinshu temple in Japan where usually only priests are allowed to enter. This situation is copied by many Shinshu temples outside Japan, too. There, in the naijin, the Buddha statue, whose face is sometimes partially covered by a kind of rich material, is enshrined in a big decorated box. Also there are some minor altars of Shinran, Rennyo, the seven Patriarchs and Shotoku Taishi. Another important element is that the naijin is placed on a little raised platform, which means that priests actually stay higher than lay people. Because of all these, and also because the altars are in the back of the naijin, lay people who attend the service and Dharma talks from the gejin (outer area/sitting area) can hardly see the statue and the images on the minor altars.

However, at Amidaji temple we’ll never follow these Japanese customs. Now the Hondo (main hall/Dharma Hall) is small, but even when it will be bigger, there will be no naijin or special area for priests.

Faith in Amida Buddha is not the creation of our mind

"Since Amida makes you trust Him

And responds to your trust,

Your trusting heart does not arise

From within yourself."[1]

The reason why in a Nembutsu follower’s heart coexist both faith in the Primal Vow and his blind passions and illusions is that this faith doesn’t belong to him.   

This is another important aspect of the Jodo Shinshu teaching. It is said that in a poisonous Eranda forest grow only Eranda trees and not the famous Chandana trees with their fine fragrance. It is a miracle if a Chandana tree grows in an Eranda forest. Similarly, it is a miracle if faith in Amida Buddha flourishes in the people’s hearts. How can it be possible that from human passions the faith in Buddha be born? The answer is that this phenomenon is practically impossible and that faith in Amida is not the product of our minds, but what Amida plants in us. That is why shinjin or the entrusting heart is called “rootless faith” for it has no roots in the human mind but in Amida’s Power and Compassion. The same thing happens with saying the Name which expresses faith. Everything comes from Amida and manifests like an echo in our minds and on our lips, just like a child who faithfully answers his mother’s calling.

Birth in the borderland of the Pure Land

I already explained in detail the Primal Vow (18^th) and showed that faith in Amida’s Power is the cause of birth in the Pure Land. However, the situation is that not all practitioners are able to give up entirely the attachment to their personal power in reaching birth in the Pure Land. They simply cannot rely exclusively on Amida but think there is still something they need to add to His Power so that they will deserve to be born in the Pure Land. Thus, they remain attached to the idea of merit accumulation even if they also put some trust in Amida. This kind of faith mixed with reliance on their own so called “merit” and personal power is not in accord with the Primal Vow, but still Amida does not abandon such people. Especially for those who are not capable to rely exclusively on Him, but still wish to be born in His Pure Land, Amida created the 19^th and 20^th Vows[1]. 

The true disciple of Amida and all Buddhas

As I already explained, Shinran Shonin taught that the true reason for all Buddhas appearance in the world is to help sentient beings entrust to Amida and be born after death in His Pure Land, where they can easily attain Nirvana. Thus, the logical conclusion he draw from here, is that the person who has faith in Amida is the true disciple of the Buddhas because he is in accord with their inermost intent. He said:

"The true disciple of the Buddha means this: 'true' contrasts with false and provisional. 'Disciple' means a disciple of Shakyamuni and other Buddhas, namely, the practitioner who has attained adamantine faith (shinjin). Because one certainly realizes great Nirvana with this faith and practice, one is called a true disciple of the Buddha"[1].

Information on priest ordination in Jodo Shinshu (Nishi Hongwanji branch) and my opinion on this matter

Last update - September 2020. 

This is an old article. However, I will keep it here as I wrote it in May 2018 for those who are looking for such information and for the sake of historical record. Amidaji is now an independent branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism with its own system of priest ordination. Click here if you are interested to know more about it. 

Many people ask me about priest ordination in Jodo Shinshu, so I thought to post this article to help them get some information, and also to express some of my own views on this matter.

As far as I know, in Jodo Shinshu school (Nishi Hongwanji branch) a tokudo (priest ordination) candidate must have two recommendation letters from other Jodo Shinshu priests with a higher rank, but sometimes, even one recommendation is enough from one’s local priest to make one join a tokudo session for foreigners, as the other recommendation will be easier to get if one has earned the trust of a priest with a good connection in the system. These tokudo sessions for foreigners are usually organized from time to time (not at fixed intervals) by Hongwanji International Center, which deals with all matters related with ordination for non-japanese candidates. Their website is this, http://international.hongwanji.or.jp You can also access the official page of  Hongwanji here, http://www.hongwanji.or.jp/english

The candidate must spend 15 days in some kind of retreat at a facility near the main temple (Nishi Hongwanji), in Kyoto. There he (or she) is examined and attends various courses on doctrine and ritual, after which he receives a tonsure and the actual ordination from the Go Monshu sama - the Patriarch and leader of Nishi Hongwanji branch.

The Three Refuges in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

download in pdf from 1) my google drive, 2) my page on Academia.edu

The Three Refuges[1] are:

I TAKE REFUGE IN THE BUDDHA

Buddham saranam gacchami[2] (Namo kye Bu[3])

I TAKE REFUGE IN THE DHARMA

Dhammam saranam gacchami (Namo kye Ho)

I TAKE REFUGE IN THE SANGHA

Sangham saranam gacchami (Namo kye So)

     1) The meaning of taking refuge in the Buddha 

       This means to take refuge in Amida Buddha who is the central Buddha in Jodo Shinshu. Only through Him can we attain Buddhahood in the Pure Land as He is the only Buddha among all Buddhas who made the Vow of saving everybody, no matter their spiritual capacities.  

By taking refuge in Amida, we automatically honor and take refuge in Shakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher who showed us the path of Amida Dharma (His main reason for coming into this world) and in all Buddhas in the ten directions, as all encourage us, teach us and guide us to entrust to Amida Buddha.

The Ten Benefits of faith in Amida during this life: 10. The benefit of entering the stage of the truly settled (non-retrogression)

click to return to 

The Ten Benefits in this 
Life of a Person who 
has Faith in Amida Buddha

By receiving faith (shinjin) and saying the Name of Amida we enter, in this life, in the stage of the truly settled for birth in the Pure Land, where we’ll actually go after death, and where we’ll immediately attain Buddhahood (Nirvana). This is also called the stage of non-retrogression, the stage of definite assurance, the group of the rightly established stage, the stage equal to perfect Enlightenment, the stage equal with Maitreya, etc.

Here are some passages related with this stage:

„If one is mindful of that Buddha’s infinite power and

merit,

One will instantly enter the stage of definite

assurance. So I am always mindful of Amida”[1]

"When we, ordinary people filled with evil passions, the multitudes defiled by karmic evil and subject to birth and death, attain the faith and practice transferred by Amida for our going forth, we will immediately join the Mahayana group of the rightly established stage. Because we dwell in the rightly established stage, we unfailingly reach Nirvana".[2]