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| A palace for those of the embryonic birth - Larger Sutra Mandala |
In these sections Shakyamuni Buddha
explains the causes and characteristics of two types of beings born in the Pure
Land: 1) those born in “the embryonic
state” and 2) those “born by
transformation”.
I already explained the Primal Vow (18th) in detail 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:
“If there are sentient beings who do various meritorious deeds,
aspiring for birth in that land while still entertaining doubt, such beings are
unable to comprehend the Buddha wisdom, inconceivable wisdom, ineffable wisdom,
boundless Mahayana wisdom, and incomparable, unequalled, and unsurpassed
supreme wisdom. Although they doubt these wisdoms, they still believe in
retribution for evil and reward for virtue and so cultivate a store of merit,
aspiring for birth in that land.’Such beings are born in a palace, where they
dwell for five hundred years without being able to behold the Buddha, hear his
exposition of the Dharma, or see the hosts of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. For this reason,
that type of birth in the Pure Land is called the ‘embryonic state.’”
Such people
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 personal merit accumulation even if they
also put some trust in Amida.
To “believe in retribution for evil and reward for virtue” and to “cultivate a store of merit, aspiring for
birth in that land” means they think that the cause of birth in the Pure
Land is very much in their own hands like whatever they do bad can be an
obstacle for reaching that land and whatever they do good can have a good
influence for birth there. Thus, they think that their so-called “merits” and
“virtues” have the power to secure their place in the Pure Land. By cultivating
this state of clinging to their own pitiful power and merits, they prove they
doubt and “are unable to comprehend the
Buddha wisdom, inconceivable wisdom, ineffable wisdom, boundless Mahayana
wisdom, and incomparable, unequalled, and unsurpassed supreme wisdom.” To
doubt and do not understand these type of wisdom means they doubt that Amida Buddha knows how to save all beings, even those with extreme
evil karma and that He indeed devised, in His great wisdom, the right method
for them. This is why they think they can add something from their unenlightened
personality to His work of salvation, like their so-called "personal
merits" and "virtues" or why they do various practices not mentioned in
the Primal Vow of Amida where only "entrust to me, say my Name and wish to
be born in my land" is mentioned. In short, it’s like they think they are
smarter than Amida. Shinran advised against such ideas:
“Other Power is entrusting ourselves to the Primal Vow
and our birth in the Pure Land becoming firmly settled; hence, it is altogether
without one’s own working. Thus, on the one hand, you should not be anxious that Amida will not receive you because you
do wrong. A foolish being is by nature possessed of blind passions, so you
must recognize yourself as a being of karmic evil. On the other hand, you should not think that you deserve to
attain Birth because you are good. You cannot be born into the true and
real fulfilled land through such self-power calculations. I have been taught
that with shinjin of self-power (false shinjin/unsettled shinjin)a person can
attain birth only in the realm of indolence, the borderland, the womb-palace,
or the city of doubt.”[1]
Such people who doubt Amida’s wisdom and
Power are born in “the embryonic state”. Various names are
given for this state – Border Land (Henji)[2],
Realm of Indolence and Pride (Keman)[3],
the City (Castle) of Doubt (Gijo)[4],
and the Womb-Palace (Taigu)[5]
, etc.
Especially in the Larger Sutra this
state is likened to a jewelled palace where princes who committed offenses
towards the king are imprisoned and although they are given everything they
want, they still cannot see the king (Amida) and his retinue of loyal followers
(“hosts of [enlightened] bodhisattvas and
shravakas[6]”),
nor enjoy his presence:
“Such beings are born in a
palace, where they dwell for five hundred years without being able to behold
the Buddha, hear his exposition of the Dharma, or see the hosts of bodhisattvas
and śrāvakas. For this reason, that type of birth in the Pure Land is
called the ‘embryonic state.’”
‘Maitreya, you should know that
those born by transformation are possessed of supreme wisdom, while those in
the embryonic state lack that wisdom and must pass five hundred years without
being able to behold the Buddha, hear His teaching of the Dharma, see the hosts
of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas, make offerings to the Buddha, learn the rules of conduct for
bodhisattvas, or perform meritorious practices. You should know that this is
because those beings harbored doubt and lacked wisdom in their previous lives.’”
The
“supreme wisdom” that those born by
transformation posses and those born in the embryonic state lack is the wisdom
of perfect Enlightenment. The causal “wisdom
in their previous lives” which those born by transformation had and those
born in the embryonic state lacked is the wisdom of complete faith (shinjin) in
Amida Buddha’s Power. Because they lacked this wisdom of faith those born in
the embryonic state cannot enjoy the benefits of Enlightened Bodhisattvas of
the Pure Land like for example:
- - beholding “[Amida] Buddha” - they can’t see His Sambghogakaya form, nor
merge with His ultimate Dharmakaya,
- - “hear His teaching of
the Dharma” -
they can’t understand the ultimate profound meanings of the various Dharma
gates as taught by Amida,
- - “see the hosts of [Enlightened] Bodhisattvas and śrāvakas (faithful enlightened disciples of Amida)”,
- - “make offerings to the
Buddha”,
- - “learn the rules of
conduct for Bodhisattvas “ - they can’t act like the
Enlightened Bodhisattva of the Pure Land,
- - “or perform
meritorious practices” - they can’t save beings everywhere, and cannot visit all the other
Buddha-lands to make offerings to Buddhas living there.
Thus,
even if their state in the Pure Land is free from the sufferings of samsaric
existence, they are not truly happy:
“The Buddha said to Maitreya,
‘Let us suppose that a wheel-turning monarch has a special chamber that is
adorned with the seven kinds of jewels and provided with curtained couches and
silken banners hanging from the ceiling. If princes have committed an offense
against the king, they are taken to that chamber and fettered with gold chains.
There they are served with food and drink and provided with clothes, couches
and cushions, flowers and incense; and they can enjoy music. Being treated just
like the wheel-turning monarch himself, they have no wants. Do you think that
those princes would enjoy living there?’
‘No, they would not,’ replied
Maitreya. ‘They would seek various means of approach to ask a person of power
to help them escape.’
The Buddha said to Maitreya,
‘Those beings born within the lotus buds are like that. Because of their doubt
of the Buddha’s wisdom they have been born in palaces. Although they receive no
punishment or ill treatment even for a single moment, they must pass five
hundred years there without being able to see the Three Treasures, make
offerings to the Buddha, or cultivate a store of virtue. This is distressing to
them. Though there are other pleasures, they do not enjoy living there.”
The period of “five hundred years” represents the time[7]
those born in the embryonic state need to realize their mistakes and turn their
mind from clinging to their self-power to complete reliance on
Amida’s Power. When they finally do that, they will move from the borderland
to the center of the Pure Land (where Amida dwells in Sambhogakaya form) and enjoy all the enlightened benefits that come
naturally to those who enter it through the Gate of genuine Faith, that is,
through “birth by transformation”,
including the attainment of perfect Buddhahood, visiting other Buddha-lands
without leaving the Pure Land either for worshipping the Buddhas dwelling there,
assisting them or starting their own Dharma activities for helping all beings:
“‘If those beings become aware of
the faults committed in their former lives and deeply repent, they can, as they
wish, leave and go to where Amitayus (Amida) dwells. Then they can worship and
make offerings to Him; they can also visit innumerable and countless other
Tathagatas to perform various meritorious practices”.
After
describing the embryonic state, Shakyamuni urged us again to be aware of the great fault of doubting Amida’s wisdom and realize the importance of entrusting to Him
completely:
“Maitreya, you should know that
the bodhisattvas[8]
who allow doubt to arise lose great benefits. For this reason, you should have
resolute faith in the supreme wisdom of the Buddha.’”
“The
great benefits” one loses by doubting Amida’s
wisdom is to fail to achieve birth in the Pure Land by transformation and
instead, arrive there in the embryonic state.
“You should have resolute faith
in the supreme wisdom of the Buddha” – you should have faith that
Amida Buddha knows how to save all beings, even those with extreme evil karma
and that He indeed devised, in His great wisdom, the right method for them. Thus, you should NOT think that you can add something from your
unenlightened personality to His work of salvation, like your so-called
"personal merits" or "virtues". It also means that you
should limit yourself to what Amida asked you to do in His Primal Vow -
"entrust to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land". As He
considered that you need nothing else, then do nothing else (don't do other
practices) and limit yourself to the Primal Vow. In short, don't think you are
smarter than Amida.
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| birth by transformation from within the jeweled flowers |
Shakyamuni Buddha
said:
“‘If there are sentient beings
who with resolute faith accept these kinds of wisdom, from the Buddha’s wisdom
to the supreme wisdom, do meritorious deeds, and sincerely transfer the merit
acquired [to that land], those beings will be spontaneously born by
transformation, seated with legs crossed, in the seven-jeweled lotus flowers,
and instantly attain the same glorious
forms, wisdom, and virtue as
those of the Bodhisattvas there.
‘Further, Maitreya, if great bodhisattvas in the Buddha lands of
other directions desire to see Amitāyus, and revere and make offerings to Him
and the hosts of Bodhisattvas and śrāvakas, they will, after death, be born in the land of Amitayus.
Spontaneously transformed, they will be born from within the seven-jeweled
lotus flowers.”
There are some
things in the above passages that require an explanation from my part and great
attention from the reader’s part.
As I have
already explained in this chapter, those who doubt the Buddha wisdom and as a
consequence will be born in the embryonic state, are those who “believe in retribution for evil and reward for virtue” and who “cultivate a store of merit, aspiring for
birth in that land”. Into their opinion, the bad things they do can be an
obstacle for reaching Amida’s Land and their good actions can have a good
influence on birth there. Thus they erroneously think that their so-called
“merits” and “virtues” have the power to secure their place in the Pure Land.
If this is how things are, then
why in the passage referring to birth by transformation, meritorious deeds and
transference of merits are mentioned again – “do meritorious deeds, and sincerely transfer the merit acquired [to
that land]”? The sutra cannot
contradict itself, so the transference of merits related to birth by transformation (in the center of the Pure Land) is NOT an
actual transference of personal merits on the part of the practitioner. The
meaning is that the person of true faith avails oneself of the merits of Amida
Buddha (“the merit acquired” from Amida) which become one’s own, that is, Amida Buddha transfers His infinite
merits to him. At the moment one entrusts completely to Amida Buddha without a
trace of doubt and self power, Amida
Buddha transfers His infinite merits to him, thus making him capable to be born
in His Pure Land after death. Because of this faith
and Amida’s transference of merits, the believer is also capable of doing the
good deed (even if he is not forced to) of helping others receive the same faith, so here, “meritorious deeds” done by those who
have faith and have received Amida’s infinite merits, are those described in
the following passage:
"Let
those who realize shinjin that is Other Power,
In order to repay the Buddha's benevolence,
Spread the two aspects of Amida's directing of virtue
Throughout all the ten quarters".[9]
In order to repay the Buddha's benevolence,
Spread the two aspects of Amida's directing of virtue
Throughout all the ten quarters".[9]
To „spread
the two aspects of Amida's directing
of virtue” means to convince people of the truth that Amida can save them
by bringing them to His Pure Land where they attain Buddhahood/perfect
Enlightenment (the first aspect of Amida’s directing of virtue) and that once
they become Buddhas in the Pure Land they are able to return in various
samsaric realms to guide others to the Pure Land (the second aspect of Amida’s
directing of virtue).
Thus, people of faith who may also help
others receive faith or at least be examples of faith themselves, will benefit
from Amida’s transference of merit to them and will be “spontaneously born by transformation, seated with legs
crossed, in the seven-jeweled lotus flowers, and instantly attain the same
glorious forms, wisdom, and virtue as those of the Bodhisattvas there.” Such people, no matter
they are ordinary bodhisattvas in aspiration without any personal merits like
us[10],
or great bodhisattvas on the higher stages of spiritual development, if they
have genuine faith and follow exclusively the Primal Vow of Amida, they are capable
of true worship and so their offerings, coming from a true heart of faith, are
genuine offerings, too:
“‘Further, Maitreya, if great bodhisattvas in the Buddha-lands of
other directions desire to see Amitayus (Amida), and revere and make offerings
to Him and the hosts of Bodhisattvas and śrāvakas[11],
they will, after death, be born in the land of Amitayus. Spontaneously
transformed, they will be born from within the seven-jeweled lotus flowers.”
This birth by
transformation in the Fulfilled Land of the Pure Land is called “Inconceivable
Birth” and all those born there „are endowed with bodies of Naturalness,
Emptiness, and Infinity”[12], as the same Larger Sutra said.
To have bodies of Naturalness, Emptiness and Infinity means to become a
Buddha or to attain perfect Enlightenment. So, birth by transformation actually
represents the transformation (“spontaneously transformed”) of those
born in the Pure Land through the Gate of Faith (Gate of the Primal Vow) from
ordinary beings into perfect Buddhas. This is also the meaning of being born “seated with
legs crossed, in the seven-jeweled lotus flowers, and instantly attain the same
glorious forms, wisdom, and virtue as those of the Bodhisattvas there”. As I often mentioned
in this commentary, the Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land are not bodhisattvas in aspiration,
but Enlightened Bodhisattvas, or Buddhas who manifest as Bodhisattvas. They are present in three places in the same
time – in ultimate Dharmakaya beyond form, in glorious forms (Sambhogakaya) in
the Pure Land, and in all the universes and samsaric states of existence in
various transformed and accommodated bodies (Nirmanakayas). If we are born in the
Pure Land through the Gate of Faith (Gate of the Primal Vow), we’ll immediately
become like them.
[1] Shinran
Shonin, Lamp for the Latter Ages, The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997,
p.525-526
[2] It is
thus called because those born there are far removed from the true bliss of the
Pure Land just as those in a border land are less benefited by civilisation. cf
with Tannisho – Notes Lamenting Differences, Ryukoku Translation Series,
Ryukoku University, Kyoto, 1962, p. 41, fn 1.
[3] It is
thus called because those born there are too proud to believe in the Buddha’s
Primal Vow whole-heartedly, and due to the lack of faith they are not so
dilligent as to advance to the True Land of Recompense. cf with Tannisho –
Notes Lamenting Differences, Ryukoku Translation Series, Ryukoku
University, Kyoto, 1962, p. 41, fn 1.
[4] It is
thus called because those born there have to stay in the Transformed Land due
to the sin of doubting just as though pent up in a castle. cf with Tannisho
– Notes Lamenting Differences, Ryukoku Translation Series, Ryukoku
University, Kyoto, 1962, p. 41, fn 1.
[5] It is
thus called because those born there are like being enclosed in a lotus flower
and can neither see the Buddha nor hear the Dharma. cf with Tannisho – Notes
Lamenting Differences, Ryukoku Translation Series, Ryukoku University,
Kyoto, 1962, p. 41, fn 1.
[6]
Shravakas here mean the loyal disciples of Amida. They are also enlightened
Bodhisattvas.
[7] Five
hundred years is a suggestion given to us, readers and listeners of the human
world, so that we can realize that birth in the border land is not something we
should wish for, as the time spent there can be painfully long when we are
prevented from enjoying the enlightened benefits of the Pure Land.
[8] Here
“bodhisattva” is used in the sense of any follower of the Mahayana (bodhisattva
in aspiration) who aspires to attain Buddhahood for himself and all beings.
[9] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the Dharma Ages, The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.419
[10] All those who have true faith in
Amida, no matter they are the lowest of the low, can be called bodhisattvas in
aspiration. This is because, according to Shinran, to have genuine faith in
Amida is itself the Bodhi Mind:
“Faith is One Mind
One Mind is the Diamond-like Mind;
The Diamond-like Mind is the Bodhi-Mind;
This mind is given us by the Other-Power.”
The One Mind represents the cause of Enlightenment. Since this is the Bodhi-Mind, it has two aspects:
“To take refuge with One Mind in the Buddha
Of Unhindered Light Shining throughout the Ten Directions
Is the mind aspiring to become Buddha;
So says Vasubandhu, the Master of Discourse”
(Hymn on the Patriachs 17)
“The mind aspiring to become Buddha
Is the mind seeking to save sentient beings;
The mind that seeks to save sentient beings
Is True Faith endowed by Amida’s Compassion.”
(Hymn on the Patriachs 18)
One Mind is the Diamond-like Mind;
The Diamond-like Mind is the Bodhi-Mind;
This mind is given us by the Other-Power.”
The One Mind represents the cause of Enlightenment. Since this is the Bodhi-Mind, it has two aspects:
“To take refuge with One Mind in the Buddha
Of Unhindered Light Shining throughout the Ten Directions
Is the mind aspiring to become Buddha;
So says Vasubandhu, the Master of Discourse”
(Hymn on the Patriachs 17)
“The mind aspiring to become Buddha
Is the mind seeking to save sentient beings;
The mind that seeks to save sentient beings
Is True Faith endowed by Amida’s Compassion.”
(Hymn on the Patriachs 18)
[11] Worshipping
Amida Buddha and making offerings to Him with a heart of genuine faith means to
indirectly worship all Buddhas and Enlightened Bodhisattvas. Thus, the reader should
focus exclusively on Amida as only Amida is mentioned in the Primal Vow (“entrust
yourself to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land”) and in this act of
worship all Buddhas are automatically included. This is how we, Jodo Shinshu followers, should interpret the passage.
[12] Larger Sutra. Shinran
himself made reference to that passage in the Larger Sutra, in his work,
Passages on the Pure Land Way [REALIZATION]:
“Their
countenances are dignified and wonderful, surpassing things of this world.
Their features, subtle and delicate, are not those of human beings or devas;
all receive the body of naturalness or of emptiness, the body of
boundlessness.”
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