The Nembutsu liturgy of Amidaji temple (final version)

Nembutsu service at Amidaji temple

click aici pentru versiunea  in romana

Although we also have other services, I  decided this will be the main liturgy at Amidaji temple. Unlike other services that you can see in various temples, this one is easier to follow, especially because all parts (including the Three Invitations) are recited, not chanted. 
What makes this service unique is also that it contains various types of recitations of the Name of Amida Buddha taken from the Larger Sutra (like the recitation of the Twelve Lights of Amida), as well as the Ten Character Name and Nine Character Name which were also recited by Shinran Shonin himself from time to time. 

Translations of each phrase to be recited are added so that you can always know what you recite. 

The reason we use this Sino-Japanese transliteration is that people of various countries and languages have a common liturgy when we meet and worship together in the same temple. Thus, be sure we'll do this service when you visit me at Amidaji! Any temple or dojo related with Amidaji that will be open in the future will also have this liturgy. 

El Camino de la aceptación- comentario sobre el Tannisho (edición gratuita)

Portada de la versión inglesa

Traducido del inglés por:

Juan Sebastián Hincapié Arana

Este libro es una adaptación de mis charlas de Dharma sobre "Tannisho– Notas lamentando las divergencias", dadas en el Dojo Tariki en Craiova durante los días habituales de práctica.

Yuien-bo, el autor de Tannisho, advierte que este texto puede ser comprendido erróneamente por aquellos que todavía no están preparados para recibir el mensaje del Voto Primordial del Buda Amida:

"No se debe mostrar indiscriminadamente".

The testimony of Ananda and the audience gathered on Vulture Peak to the existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land – commentary on the sections 41 and 42 from the Larger Sutra

This painting shows the manifestation of 

the Pure Land as shown to Ananda and 

the audience gathered on Vulture Peak. 

Ananda is in the middle with his 

right shoulder barred and facing Amida. 

Behind him sits a long-haired monk, 

who is Maitreya, the future Buddha. 

On his left sits Buddha Shakyamuni 

surrounded by monks, bodhisattvas and 

deities. A layman and laywoman are seen 

behind Maitreya worshiping Amida. 

Click for the source of this painting.

fragment from my commentary on the Larger Sutra

- this is a work in progress and under constant revision -  

click here to return to the table of contents

As we have seen in this sutra, Shakyamuni not only presented the story of Dharmakara becoming Amida, but described in many details the wonders of the Pure Land as well as the splendor of Amida and the enlightened beings living there. Then, in sections 41 and 42 He went even further and did something more extraordinary – He showed Amida and His Pure Land to the audience!!!

First, before Ananda made his request, and knowing in advance what he will say, Shakyamuni asked him to worship Amida, invoking the testimony of all Buddhas who always praise Amida’s Name and His method of salvation, thus encouraging all beings to entrust to Him and worship Him:

Listening the Dharma in the presence of Amida and attaining perfect Enlightenment - commentary on section 29th of the Larger Sutra

 

fragment from my commentary on the Larger Sutra

- this is a work in progress and under constant revision -  

click here to return to the table of contents

“The Buddha said to Ananda, ‘When Amitayus (Amida) preaches the Dharma to sravakas and Bodhisattvas, they all assemble in the seven-jeweled lecture hall. There He fully expounds the teachings of the Way and proclaims the wonderful Dharma. The whole audience rejoices, comprehends, and attains Enlightenment. At that time a breeze spontaneously arises in each of the four directions and wafts over the jeweled trees, producing sounds of the pentatonic scales and causing innumerable exquisite flowers to fall like rain and scatter everywhere. Natural ways of glorification such as these are endlessly repeated. All the devas bring with them a hundred thousand flowers, pieces of aromatic wood, and thousands of musical instruments to use as offerings to the Buddha and the assembly of bodhisattvas and sravakas; they scatter flowers, diffuse perfumes everywhere, and play various kinds of music. They come and go in succession, giving way to each other. At such times their joy and happiness are beyond description.”[1]

Eight guidelines to protect and transmit the true faith in Amida Buddha

Many people asked me for a detailed and strict guideline on how to think and act in matters related with faith (shinjin), so that they do not fall into wrong views, nor be a cause of wrong views in others. As you probably know if you read my book The Meaning of Faith and Nembutsu in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, I always teach that genuine faith in Amida Buddha has eight aspects:

1) To accept the actual, literal existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land

2) To accept the story of Amida  Buddha as told by Shakyamuni Buddha in the Larger Sutra

Los 48 votos del Buda Amida (edición gratuita)

Portada de la versión inglesa

Traducido del inglés por Diego Daleffe y 

Jaime Salvador Guzmán Valladares

Revisado por Juan Sebastián Hincapié Arana

En el momento en que Dharmakara se convirtió en el Buda Amida, Sus 48 votos y Su Tierra Pura se transformaron en métodos reales y eficaces para la salvación de los seres sintientes. Este libro es mi intento personal de proporcionar explicaciones fáciles de entender sobre los votos, para que la gente pueda vivir de acuerdo con ellos y adquirir la verdadera y real salvación del nacimiento y la muerte.

Para una mejor comprensión dividí los 48 votos del Buda Amida de la siguiente manera:

1. Votos sobre el Buda Amida y su Tierra Pura.

Estos votos se explicarán en el primer capítulo.

2. Los votos relacionados con la salvación de todos los seres sintientes – Se explican en el segundo capítulo.

Fundraising for the new Hondo (Amidado) of Amidaji temple

Amidaji courtyard. In the far left is
the present Hondo and in the far right is
the library. The new Hondo (Amidado)
will be built near  the present Hondo

I have decided to make the building of the new Hondo (Dharma Hall) a priority for 2019. 

This will be placed near the present Hondo which will be transformed into the library (the present library will remain an accommodation place for visitors). The new Hondo will be called Amidado (The Hall of Amida) like it's done in other temples, Hongwanji included. 

the present Hondo

The new Hondo will have 40 square meters (8 meters in length and 5 meters in width) and will be built from wood on a cement platform (the actual Hondo is 17 square meters). Unfortunately, I can’t afford to build it from bricks as I wished, because it would be too expensive. The cost of 80% of this new Hondo is around 1000 euro (building materials plus workers - the same I used for the new guestroom, bathroom, and kitchen), which include a cement platform, the walls, insulation for the outside walls, and a simple roof. 

th present Hondo and part of
the library(right)

The insulation for the inside walls plus various other things that must be done inside can be postponed for the next year, but if I raise some extra funds, I will do them this year.

If any of you, the readers of this website and Dharma friends of Amidaji, can help with a little DONATION, I would be very grateful. Having no taxes or fees for Dharma activities, Amidaji depends on the generosity of its readers and Dharma friends.


PLEASE CLICK HERE IF YOU WISH TO DONATE (PayPal):

or to this link if you wish to use other methods,
http://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/p/donation.html

The name of donors (no matter the amount offered) will be included in the dedication list of my new book. Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity!
Namo Amida Bu