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Don’t listen to teachers who deny birth in the Pure Land through Nembutsu
“It is indeed
lamentable and regrettable that there are those who say birth in the Pure Land
is impossible. Please, do not ever be swayed by such words, even if the
speakers are wise and honorable. They may be people who are learned and
respected in their individual paths of endeavor, but the instructions of those
with different understandings and practices will be troublesome for those who
are aspiring for birth in the Pure Land. These proponents of other practices
are referred to as ‘undesirable teachers who will serve to distance the
aspirants from their karmic relationship with Amida Buddha.’ You must not lend
an ear to such misguided people but continue to rely steadfastly on the Primal
Vow for birth in the Pure Land”.
Commentary:We
cannot understand, at the level we are now as unenlightened beings, every
detail of all the Buddhist paths, especially that we did not create them. We
are like travelers lost in a dangerous jungle looking for the safety of the
beach. Because we do not fly and cannot see the jungle from above, we need to
choose one Path among the many that were made for us by the Guide.
The
Buddhas see and understand with their divine eyes and unobstructed wisdom the
entire samsaric jungle and are able to cut through it various Paths, each with
its own specific elements to guide various types of people with different
understandings and affinities. Thus, they teach the Zen Paths, the Esoteric
Paths, the so and so Path, and the Pure Land Path of exclusive reliance on the
Primal Vow of Amida Buddha. Travelers who chose to walk on one Path cannot give
indications to those who walk on another that they themselves do not see, nor
follow. A teacher who plays smart with many Dharma Gates is like one who lived
all his life in the mountains and walked only on mountain paths, and he insists
to give indications to those who walk through the desert. To express opinions about
Amida Buddha and His Pure Land when one does not have faith in Him is like a
blind talking about things he never saw. Yes, dear friends, as long as one has
not said the Nembutsu of faith he cannot know the Path of the Primal Vow and
cannot teach others about it. More than this, it is a sign of spiritual
arrogance to say to an Amida devotee that birth in the Pure Land is impossible or
that our Nembutsu Path does not work. Really, how can a teacher of a different Path
know that Nembutsu does not work, as long as he never entrusted himself to Amida,
nor had the aspiration for birth in His Land?
I’ve
seen a tendency in some nowadays teachers of other Buddhist Paths to interpret various
elements of our tradition through the concepts of their own Dharma Gate. This causes
a lot of confusion and leads to false views like the idea of Pure Land to not be found after death, but here and now or in the mind, etc. Sometimes
well-educated scholars who wear the robes and kesas of Jodo Shinshu but in
their hearts are ashamed to belong to a school of simple faith, also contribute
to this confusion. They play nice with such teachers from other Dharma Gates hoping
to be seen as more elevated than us peasants, who believe that we’ll go to the
Pure Land after death. These people don’t like Jodo Shinshu as it is, I mean as
it was transmitted by Honen, Shinran and Rennyo, but want it to be more Zen-like
or in agreement with other teachings and even worldly philosophies.
My
heart advice to my fellow simple minded peasants is to have eyes and ears only
for the exclusive requirements of the Primal Vow if they want to enter into
karmic relationship with Amida Buddha and be sure of reaching His Pure Land. Birth there is possible because Amida said is possible and Shakyamuni confirmed it
together with our great Masters of the past. Only fools whose life in human
form is spent in vain would trust the words of unenlightened teachers of
self-power paths and not Amida and Shakyamuni!
“If
those who entrust to me, say my Name, and wish to be born in my Land will not
go there, then it means I am not a Buddha” - this is the essence of Amida’s Primal
Vow. He is a Buddha and He will never break His promise.
Namo
Amida Bu
Recommended article:
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.248
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