Soldiers are saved by Amida Buddha if they entrust to Him - Honen Shonin's instructions to Samurai Taro Tadatsuma Amakasu

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

In the province of Musashi there lived a samurai called Taro Tadatsuna Amakasu, who belonged to the Inomata clan and was in the service of the Minamoto family. He was also a devout Nembutsu follower of Honen Shonin. At that time there was a conflict with the monk armies of Mount Hiei who took their stand at the Hiyosho Hachioji shrine. Tadatsuna was put by Imperial command in charge of a body of troops to suppress the uprising. Before going to battle he paid a visit to Honen and said to him: 

“I have often heard you say that even sinners like us, if they will only say the Nembutsu, and put their whole trust in Amida’s Primal Vow, will undoubtedly attain Ojo (birth in the Pure Land). This has made a deep impression upon me, but I suppose it is the case only with those who are lying on a sick bed and calmly waiting for the end to come. But as for myself, being a samurai, I cannot do just as I would like, and now in obedience to an imperial order, I am setting out for the castle at Hachioji to chastise those obstreperous priests of Sammon. I was born in a soldier’s family and trained in the use of the bow and arrow, being on the one hand under obligation not to fail in carrying out at least in some measure the will of my ancestors, and on the other responsible for handling down something of glory to my posterity. And yet if, as a soldier, I abandon myself to the driving back of the enemy, all sorts of wicked and furious passions are likely to be stirred within me, and it becomes very hard to awaken any pious feeling in my heart. If, indeed, I should allow myself to keep thinking all the time about the transitoriness of life, and trying not to forget the truth about attaining Ojo by the Nembutsu, I should be in danger of being taken captive by my enemies, and thereby be eternally branded as a coward, straightway have all my patrimony confiscated, and so for a fool like me it is very hard to decide which of these courses to choose. Will you not tell me how I may accomplish my cherished desire for Ojo, without on the other hand sacrificing the honor of my family as an archer?” 

To this Honen made the following reply:

‘Amida’s Primal Vow says nothing about whether a man is good or bad, nor does it discuss whether a man’s religious practices are many or few. It makes no discrimination between the pure and the impure, and takes no account of time, space or any other diverse circumstances of men’s lives. It matters not how a man dies. The wicked man, just as he is, will attain Ojo if he calls on the sacred Name. This is the wonderful thing about Amida’s Primal Vow. And so, though a man born in an archer’s family goes to war, and loses his life, if he only repeats the sacred Name and relies upon Amida’s Primal Vow, there is not the slightest doubt whatever that Amida will come to welcome him to His Pure Land’. 

Under these gentle instructions his doubts left him, and with a glad heart he exclaimed: ‘Tadatsuma’s birth into the Pure Land will verily take place today’. 

Honen handed him a sacred scarf which he put under his armor, and he finally set out for the castle at Hachioji, where he abandoned himself to battle with the rioters. In the midst of the struggle his sword was broken, and he received a deep wound. Seeing it was quite hopeless, he flung down his sword, and clasping his hands, with a loud voice he called upon the sacred Name, and gave himself over to into the hands of the enemy. Purple clouds covered the battlefield and many smelled the delicious perfume, and people said that purple clouds also hung over the northern mountain. When Honen heard about it, ‘Good’ said he, ‘Amakasu has been born into the Pure Land.’ 

His wife, who stayed at home in his native province, dreamt that he appeared to her in the act of attaining Ojo, and startled at the dream, she at once dispatched a messenger to the scene of battle, who on his way met a messenger coming to tell the news of Amakasu’s death to his wife. They talked together, the one of the dream far away in the country, and the other of the way in which he had attained Ojo on the battlefield. Is it not indeed a remarkable coincidence?

On the one hand he attained Ojo as he gave his life on the field of battle, and on the other he maintained the glory of his ancestors. Both illustrate the profound meaning of the Primal Vow, and at the same time the force of Honen’s teaching and example.”[1] 

Commentary:
It is important to understand that Honen did not justify war nor did he discuss whether the war led by Amakasu was right or not, or if his enemies were evil or innocent. He didn’t try to convince the samurai to be peaceful, didn’t give him some moral speeches and he didn’t tell him that so-called glory or honor are illusions and actually mean nothing from the point of view of ultimate reality. Why? Because it was useless. Would Amakasu gave up going to war if Honen had a different approach? No, so why insist on that when he knew that a soldier like him could not disobey orders and was so much entangled in his illusory self-created warrior personality?
Only two things were in Honen’s wise and compassionate mind:
1) war is part of samsara and thus, it is unavoidable and
2) how to save Amakasu, given his impossible to break illusions and blind passions.
 
The goal of Buddha Dharma is to bring everybody to perfect Enlightenment. Attention here – EVERYBODY! Not only the spiritual elite, the peaceful, the smiling saint or the good and detached people, but especially those who cannot overcome their blind passions and egotism.  
 
How can a soldier whose mind is focused on the enemy, hating and killing can attain perfect Enlightenment through his own power?  Amakasu was himself aware of the evil inside and knew that he could not develop any pious feeling – “all sorts of wicked and furious passions are likely to be stirred within me, and it becomes very hard to awaken any pious feeling in my heart”.
In the chaos of battle nobody can contemplate Buddhist truths or stop fighting to develop some special feeling in relation with Amida and Nembutsu or meditate on the meaning of the Pure Land teaching. Doing that would lead to lack of focus and a dishonorable capture which would have very bad consequences for Amakasu’s family. Honen’s answer assured him that there is no such requirement in the Primal Vow.  Amida Buddha takes people from where they are, NOT from where they supposed to be. The goal of Buddhahood, perfect wisdom and perfect compassion is nice and desirable but here and now we are evil, we hate, we fight, and even kill others in war. Especially for such people who cannot abstain from evil and cannot saved themselves, the PrimalVow was made.
 
Amida is not a Nordic god who praises war and the Pure land is not Valhalla to be achieved by courage and dying in battle. One can lead the life of a warrior with all the worldly concepts of glory, honor, duty and ancestors pride or he can be a coward and still be saved by Him. Amida regards all worldly affairs and activities of unenlightened beings as events in a dream, and does His best to pull them out of their never ending suffering. His focus is on saving, not judging. Yes, killing is evil, but this is samsara, not the Pure Land. No Buddha agrees with killing and making sentient beings suffer but Amida is focused on saving, not judging, and YES, Amida saves warriors, too. I do not wish to enter into any philosophical arguments whether war is necessary or not, or if it can be justified (we should remember that Hitler was not defeated with flowers…) but simply want to point out that Amida Buddha is saving everybody who entrusts to Him, say His Name and wish to go to His Pure Land. This is all that is required from us in His Primal Vow and Honen emphasized this to Amakasu:
 
“Amida’s Primal Vow says nothing about whether a man is good or bad, nor does it discuss whether a man’s religious practices are many or few[2]. It makes no discrimination between the pure and the impure, and takes no account of time, space or any other diverse circumstances of men’s lives.”
 
Amida wants to save us and is focused on saving us. I am never tired on repeating this so that people understand it and feel accepted as they are. Being saved as we are does NOT mean Amida agrees with our evil minds and evil actions and it does NOT mean that evil is not evil or that wrong is right. It simply means Amida has Infinite compassion for us and loves us unconditionally. He made a Vow to create the karmic causes to take us out of samsara. A firefighter saves all people caught in a house on fire without checking if they are good or evil. He just goes there and saves them, which is exactly what Amida does with us. All that matters is that we accept His helping hand which is what the Nembutsu of faith is all about. Namo Amida Bu – I take refuge in Amida Buddha/I accept Amida’s salvation.
If one says this Nembutsu he will attain Ojo (birth in the Pure Land) no matter how he dies – in one’s own bed or in war, in the street or in the hospital, if he dies as a brave man or afraid and crying, if he has many virtues or none at all. “It matters not how a man dies” said Honen Shonin and his disciple Shinran was in agreement with him:
 
“I, for my own part, attach no significance to the condition, good or bad, of persons in their final moments. People in whom shinjin (faith) is determined do not doubt, and so abide among the truly settled. For this reason, their end also - even for those ignorant and foolish and lacking in wisdom - is a happy one.” (Letters).
 
This is indeed “the wonderful thing about Amida’s Primal Vow”.
 
As a person of faith the samurai Taro Tadatsuna Amakasu went to war and fought hard. Then with sword broken and mortally wounded he put his hands in gassho and said the Nembutsu, thus entering the Pure Land of Amida. He did not dishonor his ancestors and he became a splendid Buddha.
 
While the Primal Vow is beyond any samsaric and illusory concepts of honor and glory, it doesn’t prevent one from achieving them. One can love his country, fight and die for it and be remembered for many generations while also be saved by Amida and enter His Pure Land.
 
If possible, try to avoid war and killing, but if you must go to war then keep this teaching into your heart and say the Nembutsu of faith. If you die in battle you will attain Ojo and then you will be able to work as a Buddha, for the salvation of those you killed.
Namo Amida Bu

 

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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. 475-477
[2] Amida is not impressed by one’s spiritual practices and does not require us to to anything else than entrust to Him, say His Name in faith and wish to be born in His Pure Land.