On those who are not satisfied with Nembutsu only

 

Shinran Shonin said:

"Those who, it appears, will never attain Enlightenment

All attack the practice of solely saying the Name.

The mark of destroying the teaching of sudden attainment[1]

Is that for them, the vast sea of birth-and-death will have no end".[2]

We must pay attention here as the passage refers not to attacking the saying of the Name, but the solely saying of the Name. This means they attack the true teaching of exclusively saying the Name of Amida Buddha (Nembutsu). Those are the false teachers who, while wearing the kesa of Nembutsu faith (Jodo Shinshu), mix the saying of the Name with various meditative practices and make great efforts in convincing others that there is no problem with this combination. In the same time, they call those who follow faithfully the requirements of Amida's Primal Vow in which only the saying of the Name, faith and wish to be born in the Pure Land are mentioned, to be fundamentalists.

My advice is to please stay away from those who are not satisfied with "solely saying the Name".

Honen Shonin said:

"Abandoning the miscellaneous practices and performing the exclusive practice of the recitation of Nembutsu are in accordance with the heart of Amida Buddha."[3]

To feel that the Name of Amida Buddha is somehow not enough for your religious life is a sign that faith (shinjin) is not yet firmly established in your heart. A true Amida devotee never thinks that something is lacking and is completely satisfied to say Amida's Name alone. He will never feel the need to add this or that meditation practice or this or that sacred mantra to his daily Nembutsu, and he will not pray to various gods and spirits. In the Primal Vow, Amida Buddha presented the guidelines for our religious life, "entrust yourself to me, say my Name, and wish to be born in my land".

So, we should do nothing else, but entrust to Amida Buddha, say His Name in faith and wish to be born in His Land after death.

 

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[1] This is the teaching of sudden attainment of Nirvana upon birth in the Pure Land after death.

[2] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the Dharma Ages (Shozomatsu Wasan)

[3] Honen Shonin, An Outline of the Doctrine for Birth in the Pure Land