Goodness or badness are NOT the cause of birth into the Pure Land

 

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

Some people were conversing about the future life, some saying that fish-eaters will be born in the Pure Land, others that they will not. Honen overhearing them said, ‘If it is a case of eating fish, cormorants would be born into the Pure Land; and if it is a case of not eating them, monkeys would be so born. But I am sure that whether a man eats fish or not, if he only calls upon the sacred Name, he will be born into the Pure Land.’”[1] 

Commentary:
There is a sentence in Tannisho which explains the reason for such useless discussions about eating or not eating meat in relation with birth in the Pure Land: 

“In truth, myself and others discuss only good and evil, leaving Amida’s benevolence out of consideration”.[2] 

It is important to understand that our salvation does not depend on something good we may find within ourselves, and that we are not obstructed in reaching the Pure Land because we are evil. As Shinran said: 

“For those who entrust themselves to the Primal Vow, no good acts are required, because no good surpasses the Nembutsu. Nor need they despair of the evil they commit, for no evil can obstruct the working of Amida's Primal Vow."[3] 

If we compare the evil karma that is committed in all samsaric universes, and Amida’s Name filled with infinite merits and virtues, it is like a tiny feather versus a sumo wrestler. Thus, we are not saved because we do this or that, eat meat or abstain from it, drink or not drink intoxicants, etc, but because Amida Buddha loves us unconditionally. By saying the Nembutsu of faith we enter into karmic connection with His love and salvific power. 

To bring the notion of good or evil in matters related with our salvation is useless because these are NOT the cause for birth into the Pure Land (Ojo). If goodness was the cause of birth into the Pure Land, then only good people would go there. If badness was the cause of birth into the Pure Land, then only evil people would be born there. However, because the Pure Land is the creation/manifestation of Amida, it can be reached only through Amida, so when we say the Nembutsu of faith we abandon ourselves to His Power who will carry us safely to the Pure Land at the end of our samsaric bodies.

It is also important to understand that Honen’s answer was NOT an appeal to indulgence or a justification for doing evil[4]. He had always advised people to do good deeds and improve their behavior in daily life. However, birth in the Pure Land is NOT related with good and evil but only with Amida’s Power. Our good deeds or bad deeds are fuel for samsara (for birth into higher or lower states of existence), while the infinite supramundane merits of Amida invested in His Name are fuel for reaching the Pure Land. When we entrust for the first time in Amida, and we automatically say the Nembutsu of faith, we receive from Him the karmic energy for reaching His Pure Land. 

Here are two more passages by Honen on the same topic. Please study them carefully: 

"There is no need to reflect on virtue or vice, or to discuss the gravity of your negative karma. Establish an unshakable faith that if you simply mouth Namo Amida Butsu with the aspiration for birth in the Pure Land, you will most certainly attain birth in the Pure Land. The karma of this birth will be determined by your degree of faith. Once you understand this, birth in the Pure Land will be attained easily. The attainment of birth in the Pure Land will be uncertain only if you doubt this birth; the attainment of birth in the Pure Land will be certain if you believe in this birth. After all, the profound faith is the firm belief without a shadow of doubt that the Primal Vow never abandons any person, regardless of the gravity of their karma, and that anyone will, with certainty, attain birth in the Pure Land with just a single utterance of the Name of Amida Buddha."[5] 

“Those who firmly believe in the definite attainment of birth in the Pure Land and repeat Namo Amida Butsu, Namo Amida Butsu - both the virtuous and the nonvirtuous, men and women, ten out of ten, or one hundred out of one hundred beings - will achieve birth in the Pure Land."[6]

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[1] Honen the Buddhist Saint - His Life and Teachings, volume III, compiled by imperial order, translation by Rev Ryugaku Ishizuka and Rev Harper Havelock Coates, The Society for the Publication of Sacred Books of the World, Kyoto, 1949, p. 401
[2] The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.679
[3] The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.661
[4] "There seem to be many who say that behaving prudently and exerting efforts to become a good person in order not to commit unwholesome karma will demean the Primal Vow. Don't lend an ear to such misguided notions. In the first place, where in the holy text does Amida Buddha encourage you to commit an offense?”
Honen Shonin, Instruction in the Seven Articles - The Promise of Amida Buddha - Honen's Path to Bliss; English translation of the Genko edition of the works of Honen Shonin - Collected Teachings of Kurodani Shonin: The Japanese Anthology (Wago Toroku), translated by Joji Atone and Yoko Hayashi, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2011, p.137
[5] Honen Shonin, An Outline of the Doctrine for Birth in the Pure Land; The Promise of Amida Buddha - Honen's Path to Bliss; English translation of the Genko edition of the works of Honen Shonin - Collected Teachings of Kurodani Shonin: The Japanese Anthology (Wago Toroku), translated by Joji Atone and Yoko Hayashi, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2011, p.109
[6] Honen Shonin, Essential Discourse on Birth in the Pure Land through Nembutsu; The Promise of Amida Buddha - Honen's Path to Bliss; English translation of the Genko edition of the works of Honen Shonin - Collected Teachings of Kurodani Shonin: The Japanese Anthology (Wago Toroku), translated by Joji Atone and Yoko Hayashi, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2011, p.118 - 119