The rules
of conduct are found in Rennyo Shonin’s Letters[2]:
- do not
belittle other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
- do not
put on airs of a high spiritual person – be humble
- be
careful when you talk about Jodo Shinshu teaching with people who are not
karmically mature and not open to understanding and receiving it – do not
impose it on them; in general, speak only when it is truly necessary and at the
right time.
- do not be
proud and do not become noisy, especially in the public, with your convictions
and faith in Jodo Shinshu; be discrete, act normal, and enjoy your faith in
silence and humbleness.
- do not
denigrate or slight government and local authorities because you have faith and
they don’t
- meet your
public obligations and duties in full without fail
- take the
laws of the state as your outer aspect[6],
store Other Power faith deep in your hearts and take the principles of humanity
and justice as essential[7].
[1]Ryogemon is the creed of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching, composed by
Rennyo Shonin, the Restorer of our Jodo Shinshu school. In it we find all we
need to know and accept in order to be born in the Pure Land of Amida:
“Having abandoned the mind of self-power to perform various practices
and miscellaneous acts, I have entrusted myself to Amida Tathagata with singleness
of heart recognizing that He has resolved my crucial after-life problem once
and for all.
I understand that at the moment such entrusting Faith arises in me, my
deliverance from samsara is settled with the assurance of birth in the Pure
Land, and joyfully accept that recitation of the Nembutsu which follows is to
express my indebtedness to Amida.
How grateful I am that I have come to this understanding through the
benevolence of the founder, Shinran Shonin, who appeared in this country
(Japan) and of the Masters of the succeeding generations who have guided me
with deep compassion!
From now on, I will abide
by the rules of conduct all my life.”
[2]References to these rules can be found on pages 20, 27, 32, 34, 35, 40,
41, 47, 50, 53, 71, 74, 77, 81 from Rennyo Shonin Ofumi (The Letters of
Rennyo), published by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center Translation and
Research in 1996.
[3]Rennyo said in one of his
many letters referring to this aspect: „Within our tradition there must be
no slandering of other teachings and sects. As the teachings were all given by
Shakyamuni during His life time, they should be fruitful if they are practiced
just as they were expounded. In this last Dharma age, however, people like ourselves are not equal to the
teachings of the various sects of the Path of Sages; therefore, we simply do not rely on
them or entrust ourselves to them”.
[4]We do not rely on the kami,
but this does not mean that we denigrate them.
[5] This does not mean we
should not do missionary work, but that we should not force people to convert
to Jodo Shinshu.
[6]Act accordingly with
the laws of the state you live in. Of course, this does not apply to laws that
are inhumane, criminal or go against the Buddhist teaching and morality.
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