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| a Buddhist priest and a hungry ghost |
Many people asked me how they can help hungry ghosts, bardo beings and other types of nonhuman beings entrust to Amida Buddha, and if trying to help them goes against the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching.
For people interested in such matters, myself included, I devised two type of ceremonies and a few instructions,. I am convinced 100% that because these ceremonies have the single goal of helping non-human beings to make a connection with Amida Buddha, listen to the Dharma about Him and entrust to Him, they are not in contradiction with the Jodo Shinshu teaching.
For people interested in such matters, myself included, I devised two type of ceremonies and a few instructions,. I am convinced 100% that because these ceremonies have the single goal of helping non-human beings to make a connection with Amida Buddha, listen to the Dharma about Him and entrust to Him, they are not in contradiction with the Jodo Shinshu teaching.
Also, the ceremonies do not contain any idea of personal merit or something which can be
misunderstood as personal power (jiriki). Although it seems strange for our
Jodo Shinshu community, as something like this has never been done before, it
does not contradict the teaching of our school, but on the contrary, it
corresponds to the universality of Jodo Shinshu which is a Dharma Gate for all
beings, not only humans. As Shinran indicated, beings from all forms of
existence can entrust to Amida and say His Name,
"When
sentient beings in the various forms of
existence throughout the ten quarters,
On hearing Amida's Name of transcendent virtues,
Come to attain true and real shinjin (faith),
They greatly rejoice at what they have heard".[1]
On hearing Amida's Name of transcendent virtues,
Come to attain true and real shinjin (faith),
They greatly rejoice at what they have heard".[1]
Click here to read and download the two ceremonies:
Smoke offering ceremony to help all beings make connections with Amida Buddha and receive faith in Him (please download the book and read it)
If you find the above ceremonies too complicated or too long, you can check these two instructions:
Of course, such ceremonies or instructions as the above are not an obligation in our temple sangha. People can simply say Nembutsu to express their faith in Amida and do not mind about nonhuman beings.
[1] The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation
Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.331
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