On the expression “good men and women” from the Smaller Amida Sutra

This is a fragment from my 

Commentary on 

the Smaller Amida Sutra (Amidakyo) 

- work in progress 

and under constant revision - 

As you have probably noticed if you carefully read this sutra, there is an expression – “good men and women” that appears in sections 5 and 12: “a good man or woman who hears of Amitāyus (Amida), holds fast to His Name” - section 5, “all good men and women who hear this sutra and hold fast to it” and “good men and women of faith” – section 12.
 
“Of faith” is the key element of this expression and we should rely on it to understand its meaning and role in the Amida Sutra.
 
 "Men and women of faith” are called "good", not because they must be virtuous as a necessity for birth in the Pure Land, but because they are given Amida’s perfect virtues through faith.  In other words, Amida makes them good (suitable) for birth in the Pure Land, that is, He provides them with all that is necessary for birth there.
 
So, “faith” (shinjin) is the implicit meaning and the essence of those words. Without reliance on Amida’s Power, one cannot go to the center of the Pure Land (fulfilled land of the Pure Land) because his/her “goodness” or personal virtues are simply not enough for such a goal.  But if men and women entrust in Amida Buddha, they “dwell in the stage of non-retrogression” in this life, and at the moment of death they are born in the Pure Land, where they attain the “highest, perfect Enlightenment” as Shakyamuni promised in section 12.
 
Thus, instead of struggling ourselves to become worthy of the Pure Land, we should simply entrust to Amida and let Him carry us there.
 
As Shinran said in Tannisho:
 
“For those who entrust themselves to the Primal Vow, no good acts are required, because no good surpasses the Nembutsu[1]. Nor need they despair of the evil they commit, for no evil can obstruct the working of Amida's Primal Vow[2].”[3]
 

to be continued 

 

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[1] “No good acts are required because no good surpasses the Nembutsu” is NOT an encouragement towards a life of evil, but simply shows that we cannot be born in the [center of the] Pure Land through the limited merits gained by our actions done with an unenlightened mind. The Name of Amida contains all His infinite merits necessary for our birth there. For a more detailed explanation read my article “False (mundane) merits vs True (supramundane) merits” which also appears in the book Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Teachings – 2^nd revised edition.
[2] “No evil can obstruct the working of Amida's Primal Vow” means that we are born in the Pure Land through the Power and infinite (supramundane) merits of Amida Buddha.
[3] A Record in Lament of Divergences – Tannisho, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.661