- last revised December 2nd, 2023 -
According to Shinran Shonin, and as I
mentioned previously, the Contemplation
Sutra is explicitly guiding people to the 19th Vow, while
implicitly referring to the Primal Vow (18th Vow)[1]:
“When I consider the Sutra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, taking into account the interpretation of the commentator [Shan-tao], I find there is an explicit meaning and an implicit, hidden, inner meaning.
‘Explicit” refers to presenting the meditative and non-meditative good acts and setting forth the three levels of practicers and the three minds. The two forms of good and the three types of meritorious acts, however, are not the true cause of birth in the fulfilled land (center of the Pure Land). Further, the three minds that beings awaken are all minds of self-benefit that are individually different and not the mind that is single, which arises from [Amida’s] benefiting of others. They are roots of good with which to aspire for the Pure Land that [Sakyamuni] Tathagata taught as a distinct provisional means. This is the import of the sutra; it is its “explicit” meaning.
‘Implicit’ refers to disclosing the Tathagata’s universal Vow and revealing the mind that is single, to which [practicers of the three minds] are led through [Amida’s] benefiting of others. Through the opportunity brought about by the grave evil acts of Devadatta and Ajatasatru, Sakyamuni, with a smile[2], disclosed His inner intent. Through the condition brought about by the right intention in Vaidehi’s selection, Amida’s Primal Vow of great compassion was clarified. This is the hidden, implicit meaning of the sutra.”[3]
Simply stated, those who can’t entrust themselves completely to Amida Buddha and can’t accept that their birth in the Pure Land is possible entirely through His Power are offered a path on where they can use their so-called merits and virtues. Unlike the Primal Vow where only faith, the Nembutsu of faith and the wish to be born in the Pure Land are all that matters, the 19th Vow speaks about the necessity of meritorious deeds and to be in a good state of mind at the moment of death so that we can have a vision with Amida coming to welcome us:
“If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”[4]
For a detailed explanation of the 19th Vow please refer to my book, Commentary on the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life[5]. In short, the 19th Vow is about doing various good deeds and practices through your self-power while focusing on Amida and wishing to be born in His Pure Land. The result is that due to Amida’s help you will be born in the Pure Land, but because of clinging to your own self-power and your so-called merits and virtues you will stop (you stop yourself) at the borderland of the Pure Land[6]. Contrary to this, the Primal Vow (18th Vow) requires that you rely entirely on Amida’s Power and say the Nembutsu as an expression of faith. The result is that because of Amida’s help you will be born in the Pure Land. As your mind relies entirely on Amida’s Power and you don’t believe you have any merits and virtues you will advance to the “fulfilled land” or center of the Pure Land[7].
Although the sutra contains explicit instructions on doing various good deeds and practicing the visualizations, we can see hints to the Primal Vow (some of which I already explained in the previous chapter) in the fact that actually Vaidehi depends totally on the Buddha’s Power and is constantly helped by Shakyamuni and Amida to see, understand (seeing also means understanding) and attain complete trust in accordance with the Primal Vow. Thus, the explicit meaning is – “do good deeds, practice the visualizations and you will be born in the Pure Land”, while the implicit, hidden meaning is “actually, you are ordinary beings and your so-called merits and virtues are nothing compared to the supramundane merits of Amida, so you should better entrust completely to His Infinite Power to reach the Pure Land.”
Shakyamuni was presenting the meditative (the visualizations) and non-meditative practices (“the two forms of good and the three types of meritorious acts”) to help those who are not yet ready to accept that Amida Buddha can do everything for them. To those who wish to be born in the Pure Land but cannot depend totally on Amida (as they should) and are deluded into thinking (like emperor Wu in the previous chapter[8]) that they can really have merits, Shakyamuni and Amida decided to give them something to play with so that they do not give up, while waiting for the time when they will be ready to accept the Primal Vow[9]. As Shinran said,
“Based on Amida’s Vow to appear at the time of death,
Sakyamuni presented all the various good acts
In one scripture, the Contemplation Sutra,
To encourage those who perform meditative and non-meditative practices.”[10]
These being said, lets read and understand the meditative practices and non-meditative practices. I will repeat this quote because it contains a very important element:
“Then the World-honored One said to Vaidehi, ‘Do you know that Amitayus (Amida) is not far away? Fix your thoughts upon and contemplate that Buddha land. Then you will accomplish the pure acts. I shall describe it to you in detail with various illustrations, so that all ordinary people in the future who wish to practice pure karma may also be born in that Western Land of Utmost
Bliss.”[11]
What does it mean that Amida is not far away? First and foremost, it means that Amida exists. No matter you chose to follow the 18th (Primal Vow), the 20th or the 19th Vow, you must first and foremost believe in Amida’s existence. The followers of the Primal Vow have faith in Amida’s existence and in Amida’s Power to save them, while the followers of the 19th Vow also believe in Amida’s existence but doubt His Power to take them to the Pure Land in the sense that they think their own pitiful merits are important and can somehow help Amida to help them.
The non-meditative practices are explained by Shakyamuni as follows:
“’Whoever wishes to be born there should practice the three acts: first, caring for one’s parents, attending to one’s teachers and elders, compassionately refraining from killing, and doing the ten good deeds; second, taking the Three Refuges, keeping the various precepts, and refraining from breaking the rules of conduct; and third, awakening aspiration for Enlightenment (bodhicitta), believing deeply in the law of causality, chanting the Mahayana sutras, and encouraging people to follow their teachings. These three are called pure karma.’
The Buddha further said to Vaidehi, ‘Do you know that these three acts are the pure karma practiced by all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future as the right cause of Enlightenment?”[12]
Everybody, no matter they rely exclusively on Amida in accordance with the Primal Vow or they chose the 19th Vow, should try to do the above good deeds. However, the followers of the Primal Vow (18th Vow) do not relate this trying with birth in the Pure Land as they know that they’ll go there through Amida’s Power alone while the followers of the 19th Vow are convinced that the better they are at observing the above non-meditative practices, the more chances they have to be born there. Also, for the followers of the Primal Vow, the Three Refuges are an expression of their complete faith in Amida, and their aspiration for Enlightenment/Buddhahood (Bodhicitta/Bodhi Mind) is fulfilled by relying on His Power and Compassion. As Master Shan-tao said, “awake your Bodhi Mind to Amida’s Compasion”, that is, aspire to your and other beings Liberation by relying on the Compasion of Amida (His Primal Vow). In the case of the Primal Vow, the awakening of the Bodhi mind is the complete faith in Amida, as Shinran explained:
“The mind that aspires to attain Buddhahood
Is the mind to save all sentient beings;
The mind to save all sentient beings
Is true and real shinjin (faith), which is Amida's benefiting of others."[13]
However, in the case of the followers of the 19th Vow the aspiration for Enlightenment or Buddhahood is done while clinging to their self-power which is the very reason they don’t attain it upon birth in the Pure Land like the followers of the Primal Vow, but remain in an unenlightened state of mind in the border land of the Pure Land.
Those who became Buddhas through their self-power indeed relied on the above non-meditative practices as karmic causes for Enlightenment, but who is really capable of perfectly keeping all the precepts and never make any mistake? Certainly, not the “ordinary people in the future” mentioned in the Contemplation Sutra. However, because these ordinary people in the future will believe they are superior people, capable to accomplish the spiritual task of birth in the Pure Land on their own, they are given the 19th Vow as a way to escape. If they strive hard and are constant in their efforts, they may achieve, with Amida’s help, birth in the border land of the Pure Land.
Next, Shakyamuni started to explain the meditative practices.
“The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi’, ‘Listen carefully, listen carefully and ponder deeply. I, the Tathagata, shall discourse on pure karma for the sake of all sentient beings of the future who are afflicted by the enemy, evil passions. It is very good, Vaidehi, that you have willingly asked me about this. Ananda, you must receive and keep the Buddha’s words and widely proclaim them to the multitude of beings. I, the Tathagata, shall now teach you, Vaidehi, and all sentient beings of the future how to visualize the Western Land of Utmost Bliss. By the power of the Buddha all will be able to see the Pure Land as clearly as if one were looking at one’s own reflection in a bright mirror. Seeing the utmost beauty and bliss of that land, they will rejoice and immediately attain insight into the non-arising of all dharmas.’
“When I consider the Sutra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, taking into account the interpretation of the commentator [Shan-tao], I find there is an explicit meaning and an implicit, hidden, inner meaning.
‘Explicit” refers to presenting the meditative and non-meditative good acts and setting forth the three levels of practicers and the three minds. The two forms of good and the three types of meritorious acts, however, are not the true cause of birth in the fulfilled land (center of the Pure Land). Further, the three minds that beings awaken are all minds of self-benefit that are individually different and not the mind that is single, which arises from [Amida’s] benefiting of others. They are roots of good with which to aspire for the Pure Land that [Sakyamuni] Tathagata taught as a distinct provisional means. This is the import of the sutra; it is its “explicit” meaning.
‘Implicit’ refers to disclosing the Tathagata’s universal Vow and revealing the mind that is single, to which [practicers of the three minds] are led through [Amida’s] benefiting of others. Through the opportunity brought about by the grave evil acts of Devadatta and Ajatasatru, Sakyamuni, with a smile[2], disclosed His inner intent. Through the condition brought about by the right intention in Vaidehi’s selection, Amida’s Primal Vow of great compassion was clarified. This is the hidden, implicit meaning of the sutra.”[3]
Simply stated, those who can’t entrust themselves completely to Amida Buddha and can’t accept that their birth in the Pure Land is possible entirely through His Power are offered a path on where they can use their so-called merits and virtues. Unlike the Primal Vow where only faith, the Nembutsu of faith and the wish to be born in the Pure Land are all that matters, the 19th Vow speaks about the necessity of meritorious deeds and to be in a good state of mind at the moment of death so that we can have a vision with Amida coming to welcome us:
“If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”[4]
For a detailed explanation of the 19th Vow please refer to my book, Commentary on the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life[5]. In short, the 19th Vow is about doing various good deeds and practices through your self-power while focusing on Amida and wishing to be born in His Pure Land. The result is that due to Amida’s help you will be born in the Pure Land, but because of clinging to your own self-power and your so-called merits and virtues you will stop (you stop yourself) at the borderland of the Pure Land[6]. Contrary to this, the Primal Vow (18th Vow) requires that you rely entirely on Amida’s Power and say the Nembutsu as an expression of faith. The result is that because of Amida’s help you will be born in the Pure Land. As your mind relies entirely on Amida’s Power and you don’t believe you have any merits and virtues you will advance to the “fulfilled land” or center of the Pure Land[7].
Although the sutra contains explicit instructions on doing various good deeds and practicing the visualizations, we can see hints to the Primal Vow (some of which I already explained in the previous chapter) in the fact that actually Vaidehi depends totally on the Buddha’s Power and is constantly helped by Shakyamuni and Amida to see, understand (seeing also means understanding) and attain complete trust in accordance with the Primal Vow. Thus, the explicit meaning is – “do good deeds, practice the visualizations and you will be born in the Pure Land”, while the implicit, hidden meaning is “actually, you are ordinary beings and your so-called merits and virtues are nothing compared to the supramundane merits of Amida, so you should better entrust completely to His Infinite Power to reach the Pure Land.”
Shakyamuni was presenting the meditative (the visualizations) and non-meditative practices (“the two forms of good and the three types of meritorious acts”) to help those who are not yet ready to accept that Amida Buddha can do everything for them. To those who wish to be born in the Pure Land but cannot depend totally on Amida (as they should) and are deluded into thinking (like emperor Wu in the previous chapter[8]) that they can really have merits, Shakyamuni and Amida decided to give them something to play with so that they do not give up, while waiting for the time when they will be ready to accept the Primal Vow[9]. As Shinran said,
“Based on Amida’s Vow to appear at the time of death,
Sakyamuni presented all the various good acts
In one scripture, the Contemplation Sutra,
To encourage those who perform meditative and non-meditative practices.”[10]
These being said, lets read and understand the meditative practices and non-meditative practices. I will repeat this quote because it contains a very important element:
“Then the World-honored One said to Vaidehi, ‘Do you know that Amitayus (Amida) is not far away? Fix your thoughts upon and contemplate that Buddha land. Then you will accomplish the pure acts. I shall describe it to you in detail with various illustrations, so that all ordinary people in the future who wish to practice pure karma may also be born in that Western Land of Utmost
Bliss.”[11]
What does it mean that Amida is not far away? First and foremost, it means that Amida exists. No matter you chose to follow the 18th (Primal Vow), the 20th or the 19th Vow, you must first and foremost believe in Amida’s existence. The followers of the Primal Vow have faith in Amida’s existence and in Amida’s Power to save them, while the followers of the 19th Vow also believe in Amida’s existence but doubt His Power to take them to the Pure Land in the sense that they think their own pitiful merits are important and can somehow help Amida to help them.
The non-meditative practices are explained by Shakyamuni as follows:
“’Whoever wishes to be born there should practice the three acts: first, caring for one’s parents, attending to one’s teachers and elders, compassionately refraining from killing, and doing the ten good deeds; second, taking the Three Refuges, keeping the various precepts, and refraining from breaking the rules of conduct; and third, awakening aspiration for Enlightenment (bodhicitta), believing deeply in the law of causality, chanting the Mahayana sutras, and encouraging people to follow their teachings. These three are called pure karma.’
The Buddha further said to Vaidehi, ‘Do you know that these three acts are the pure karma practiced by all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future as the right cause of Enlightenment?”[12]
Everybody, no matter they rely exclusively on Amida in accordance with the Primal Vow or they chose the 19th Vow, should try to do the above good deeds. However, the followers of the Primal Vow (18th Vow) do not relate this trying with birth in the Pure Land as they know that they’ll go there through Amida’s Power alone while the followers of the 19th Vow are convinced that the better they are at observing the above non-meditative practices, the more chances they have to be born there. Also, for the followers of the Primal Vow, the Three Refuges are an expression of their complete faith in Amida, and their aspiration for Enlightenment/Buddhahood (Bodhicitta/Bodhi Mind) is fulfilled by relying on His Power and Compassion. As Master Shan-tao said, “awake your Bodhi Mind to Amida’s Compasion”, that is, aspire to your and other beings Liberation by relying on the Compasion of Amida (His Primal Vow). In the case of the Primal Vow, the awakening of the Bodhi mind is the complete faith in Amida, as Shinran explained:
“The mind that aspires to attain Buddhahood
Is the mind to save all sentient beings;
The mind to save all sentient beings
Is true and real shinjin (faith), which is Amida's benefiting of others."[13]
However, in the case of the followers of the 19th Vow the aspiration for Enlightenment or Buddhahood is done while clinging to their self-power which is the very reason they don’t attain it upon birth in the Pure Land like the followers of the Primal Vow, but remain in an unenlightened state of mind in the border land of the Pure Land.
Those who became Buddhas through their self-power indeed relied on the above non-meditative practices as karmic causes for Enlightenment, but who is really capable of perfectly keeping all the precepts and never make any mistake? Certainly, not the “ordinary people in the future” mentioned in the Contemplation Sutra. However, because these ordinary people in the future will believe they are superior people, capable to accomplish the spiritual task of birth in the Pure Land on their own, they are given the 19th Vow as a way to escape. If they strive hard and are constant in their efforts, they may achieve, with Amida’s help, birth in the border land of the Pure Land.
Next, Shakyamuni started to explain the meditative practices.
“The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi’, ‘Listen carefully, listen carefully and ponder deeply. I, the Tathagata, shall discourse on pure karma for the sake of all sentient beings of the future who are afflicted by the enemy, evil passions. It is very good, Vaidehi, that you have willingly asked me about this. Ananda, you must receive and keep the Buddha’s words and widely proclaim them to the multitude of beings. I, the Tathagata, shall now teach you, Vaidehi, and all sentient beings of the future how to visualize the Western Land of Utmost Bliss. By the power of the Buddha all will be able to see the Pure Land as clearly as if one were looking at one’s own reflection in a bright mirror. Seeing the utmost beauty and bliss of that land, they will rejoice and immediately attain insight into the non-arising of all dharmas.’
The Buddha said to
Vaidehi, ‘You are unenlightened and so your spiritual powers are weak and
obscured. Since you have not yet attained the divine eye, you cannot see that
which is distant. But the Buddha Tathagatas have special ways to enable you to
see afar.’
Vaidehi said to the Buddha, ‘World-honored One, through the Buddha’s power, even I have now been able to see that land. But after the Buddha’s passing sentient beings will become defiled and evil and be oppressed by the five kinds of suffering. How then will those beings be able to see the Land of Utmost Bliss of Amitāyus?”
Shakyamuni said: “By the power of the Buddha all will be able to see the Pure Land as clearly as if one were looking at one’s own reflection in a bright mirror”.
Thus, nothing can be accomplished through self-power alone, and even those who still cling to their own power are helped by Amida (“by the power of the Buddha”) to see the Pure Land, have insight into the non-arising of all dharmas (samsaric phenomena)[14] and attain birth in the border land of the Pure Land.
Amida helps all beings to come to His Pure Land but because of clinging to their self-power some keep themselves in the border land while the followers of the Primal Vow allow Amida to take them to the center of the Pure Land (fulfilled land of the Pure Land). It’s not the fault of Amida that you do not arrive to the center of the Pure Land, because you keep yourself in the border land by your own self-power attitude.
In the next chapter I will discuss the visualization methods to be practiced by those who wish to be born in Amida’s Land but cling to their self-power. As already explained, these instructions were not destined to Vaidehi who was actually helped by Shakyamuni to see, understand and entrust to Amida Buddha. Her name is thus mentioned only for convenience.
[1] The words in brackets (….) in the quoted passages are my own.
[2] Remember the passage from the Contemplation Sutra mentioned by me in the previous chapter where Shakyamuni Buddha smiled and helped King Bimbisara receive faith and enter the stage of nonreturner or nonretrogression:
“The World Honored One smiled, and from His mouth came five-colored rays of light, each shining on King Bimbisara’s head. Although the old king was confined, with his unhindered mind’s eye he saw the World-honored One in the distance. He knelt down in homage to the Buddha and effortlessly made spiritual progress until he reached the stage of non-returner”.
[3] The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.212
[4] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist translation and Research, 2003, p.16
[5] See my explanations of section 7 of the Larger Sutra – chapter “Vows made for those who still cling to their own power - explanation of the 19th Vow and 20th Vow”.
[6] There is also the 20th Vow which requires that you do Nembutsu as an exclusive practice and rely on your self-power. The result – because of Amida’s help you will be born in the Pure Land but because of clinging to your own self-power and your so-called merits and virtues you will stop (you stop yourself!) at the borderland of the Pure Land. Read the chapter mention in the previous footnote for an in depth explanation.
[7] Your mind doesn’t become an obstacle to your birth in the center of the Pure Land, so Amida can take you there very easily. Imagine that the coast guard is trying to save you by helicopter with a rope from a wreck in the ocean. If you stay still and allow them to take you out of there it will be easier for them to bring you to safety.
[8] See the footnote related with the supramundane roots of good in the previous chapter.
[9] Some convert to the Primal Vow in this life while some do it in the border land where they realize the stupidity of relying on self-power and turn to the Infinite Power of Amida.
[10] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the Pure Land, The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.342
[11] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.78
[12] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.78
[13] Shinran Shonin, Hymns on the Patriachs, The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.365
[14] Here to have an insight into the non-arising of all dharmas means to understand that because the samsaric phenomena (dharmas) are empty, they do not have a real existence.
Vaidehi said to the Buddha, ‘World-honored One, through the Buddha’s power, even I have now been able to see that land. But after the Buddha’s passing sentient beings will become defiled and evil and be oppressed by the five kinds of suffering. How then will those beings be able to see the Land of Utmost Bliss of Amitāyus?”
Shakyamuni said: “By the power of the Buddha all will be able to see the Pure Land as clearly as if one were looking at one’s own reflection in a bright mirror”.
Thus, nothing can be accomplished through self-power alone, and even those who still cling to their own power are helped by Amida (“by the power of the Buddha”) to see the Pure Land, have insight into the non-arising of all dharmas (samsaric phenomena)[14] and attain birth in the border land of the Pure Land.
Amida helps all beings to come to His Pure Land but because of clinging to their self-power some keep themselves in the border land while the followers of the Primal Vow allow Amida to take them to the center of the Pure Land (fulfilled land of the Pure Land). It’s not the fault of Amida that you do not arrive to the center of the Pure Land, because you keep yourself in the border land by your own self-power attitude.
In the next chapter I will discuss the visualization methods to be practiced by those who wish to be born in Amida’s Land but cling to their self-power. As already explained, these instructions were not destined to Vaidehi who was actually helped by Shakyamuni to see, understand and entrust to Amida Buddha. Her name is thus mentioned only for convenience.
[1] The words in brackets (….) in the quoted passages are my own.
[2] Remember the passage from the Contemplation Sutra mentioned by me in the previous chapter where Shakyamuni Buddha smiled and helped King Bimbisara receive faith and enter the stage of nonreturner or nonretrogression:
“The World Honored One smiled, and from His mouth came five-colored rays of light, each shining on King Bimbisara’s head. Although the old king was confined, with his unhindered mind’s eye he saw the World-honored One in the distance. He knelt down in homage to the Buddha and effortlessly made spiritual progress until he reached the stage of non-returner”.
[3] The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.212
[4] The Three Pure Land sutras, translated into English by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, revised second edition, BDK English Tripitaka12-II, II, IV, Numata Center for Buddhist translation and Research, 2003, p.16
[5] See my explanations of section 7 of the Larger Sutra – chapter “Vows made for those who still cling to their own power - explanation of the 19th Vow and 20th Vow”.
[6] There is also the 20th Vow which requires that you do Nembutsu as an exclusive practice and rely on your self-power. The result – because of Amida’s help you will be born in the Pure Land but because of clinging to your own self-power and your so-called merits and virtues you will stop (you stop yourself!) at the borderland of the Pure Land. Read the chapter mention in the previous footnote for an in depth explanation.
[7] Your mind doesn’t become an obstacle to your birth in the center of the Pure Land, so Amida can take you there very easily. Imagine that the coast guard is trying to save you by helicopter with a rope from a wreck in the ocean. If you stay still and allow them to take you out of there it will be easier for them to bring you to safety.
[8] See the footnote related with the supramundane roots of good in the previous chapter.
[9] Some convert to the Primal Vow in this life while some do it in the border land where they realize the stupidity of relying on self-power and turn to the Infinite Power of Amida.
[10] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the Pure Land, The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.342
[11] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.78
[12] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.78
[13] Shinran Shonin, Hymns on the Patriachs, The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.365
[14] Here to have an insight into the non-arising of all dharmas means to understand that because the samsaric phenomena (dharmas) are empty, they do not have a real existence.
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