On a teacher abandoning the Primal Vow

A few hours ago a friend showed me the message of Richard St Clair (Shaku Egen) posted on True Shin Buddhism Group from which I quote the most important sentence:

“My spiritual path has taken a very different direction, away from True Shin Buddhism and away from Buddhism in general”.

Here is my comment:

When you hear about a teacher leaving Jodo Shinshu and Buddhism after many years of writing, teaching and judging what is right and wrong, you should realize that person has never had shinjin (faith) but only knowledge and enthusiasm for the Dharma. As any enthusiasm is impermanent, it is inevitable that one day he will get tired and search for something else.

Also, you should ask yourself since when he had the thoughts of leaving and if he might have lied to you, hiding his doubts while playing as a person of faith and perhaps judging your faith or your understanding of the Dharma. The great disservice a person like that is doing to the Sangha is immense because the enemies of the true teaching will use his leaving to attack everything that person said (even the good things!) and taught by stating that he had no moral and spiritual authority to teach and correct the wrong understanding of others. And yes, they are right! Everything Richard St Clair said and did, even the good things, is now put under the shameful abandonment of the Dharma. Whenever somebody will read a good thing he said or a correct critic of modernist views they can attack him by saying that he left Buddhism so he has never had a true faith anyway. And they are right to say so!

However, they also don't have the spiritual authority to judge Richard for abandoning Buddhism because they themselves are NOT genuine disciples of the Buddha and lack faith as they have always denied the actual, real existence of Amida and His Pure Land as well as other teachings of the general Buddha Dharma.

Yes, Richard St Clair has never had faith because a person of faith never abandons the Primal Vow. Faith once received can never be lost as Shinran Shonin clearly explained in one of his Letters:

"Concerning the nature of shinjin, I have learned from the Master of Kuang-ming temple (Master Shan-tao) that after true shinjin (faith) has become settled in us, even if Buddhas like Amida or Sakyamuni should fill the skies and proclaim that Sakyamuni's teaching and Amida's Primal Vow are false, we will not have even one moment of doubt. Thus I have spoken for long years."[1]

Richard was deluded to think he had faith and also many of us were deluded to think he was a person of faith. I have felt something is wrong with him since two years ago since I've interrupted any connection with him after some disputes over general Dharma aspects. However, Richard St Clair did say some good things about the Amida Dharma while modernists have denied the very essence of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching - Amida Buddha himself. Certainly, with all his faults, Richard St Clair has a better karma and has created a stronger karmic connection with Amida Buddha (who might manifest in a future life) than them who, because of the fault of slandering the right Dharma will fall into hell at the end of their present life.

Yes, Richard St Clair had no faith but he brought something good in the life of others by making many authentic Jodo Shinshu texts available online and guiding people in the limited way a person without faith can do. He made mistakes but also many good things and even helped me during our past friendship.

It is a pity he left like this and that he abandoned the most precious thing one can hope to meet in many lifetimes - the Amida Dharma. This should be a lesson for all of us (except those who deny the existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land who clearly don't have shinjin (faith) as they deny the very object of our faith) that we never know for sure who has and who does not have shinjin. We can be easily fooled because no matter how much knowledge we have and even if we are people of faith ourselves we are not Buddhas yet and don't know, as a Buddha knows, what is inside one's heart and mind.

Namo Amida Bu

Update October 8th:

I heard that the True Shin Buddhist group was deleted by Richard recently. This is how an incompetent and irresponsible person destroys a Dharma place of many years in just a few hours. If any former member of that group wishes to continue to receive the authentic teaching of Jodo Shinshu he or she can contact me. I am always available for serious seekers. 

Update October 11:

Click here to watch the video reaction of Joshin David Kruemcke 

 

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[1] Shinran Shonin, Letters of the Tradition, Letter 2