Hymn of Amida Buddha’s 18th Vow

I am very happy to share with you this poem written by my nembutsu friend, Jason Ranek from Norway. It contains a beautiful and good explanation of the essentials of Jodo Shinshu teaching in a poetry style. I hope you'll like it and find it useful for your understanding, as I myself did.



Hymn of Amida Buddha’s 18th Vow
by Jason Ranek

1.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Amida Buddha vowed
That whoever trusts in him

Lives in his infinite light
And, dying, becomes a buddha.


2.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

You cannot earn
A lotus seat in the Pure Land;

Birth is given by virtue
Of Amida’s 18th Vow.


3.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Uncover your cup
To receive the Dharma rain,

Then faith, and the Nembutsu,
Will naturally arise.

4.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

The only practice
In which you need endeavor

Is to hear the teaching
Again, and again, and again.

5.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

All has been accomplished
By the Buddha –

His compassion universal,
His care generous to a fault.

6.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

A mind free of doubt
Is a mind at peace;

The Buddha gives it freely
To those who listen.


7.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

The Buddha’s light penetrates
The densest matter –

The human heart –
Letting no shadow be cast.


8.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Even your blind passions,
Ignorance, and karmic evil

Are not obstacles
To enlightenment.


9.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

In the Nembutsu of pure faith,
Sentient beings and Buddha

Become one substance,
Like steam vanishing into air.



10.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Though it seems that it is we
Who entrust ourselves,

It happens wholly by
The working of the Buddha.


11.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

When the mind breaks open
In one moment of joy,

Say ”Namu Amida Butsu”
In heartfelt thanks.


12.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Think of it! In one thought
Of entrusting and joy,

All one’s suffering,
With certainty, is ended!



13.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Death comes more swiftly
Than the mind moves;

Hear this teaching
And entrust with haste!


14.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Do not worry at all
About attaining Shinjin;

Leave Amida
To Amida’s business.


15.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

There is no greater wisdom
Than to live as a child

Of Amida Buddha.
Namu Amida Butsu!



16.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

In this Dharma
There is nothing to be done

But hear, entrust,
And be saved.


17.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

The Nembutsu alone (1)
Leads only to the borderland.

Receive the heart of faith
Given by the Buddha!


18.

Listen well to the Dharma
Of Other Power

And entrust yourself
To Amida.

Once Shinjin is firmly settled,
Live and die in naturalness

Then be born
In the Land of Peace!


Namu Amida Butsu.

___________________________________________________________
(1) Nembutsu recited without absolute faith in the salvation power of the Primal Vow, also named self-power nembutsu (jiriki nembutsu). Some Pure Land followers think that through the recitation of the Name of Amida they accumulate personal merits and virtues that can be further transfered towards their birth in the Pure Land. Those who have such thoughts cannot entrust from their whole heart in the Power of Amida and because of their doubt they do not go directly to the Pure Land, but are born in the so called "Border Land" of the Pure Land. This land is also called "Land of indolence and pride". They dwell there until they overcome their doubts, and thus are finally able to be born in the true Pure Land - where they become immediately Buddhas.