" The merit of protection by Amida Buddha is received in daily life. This is because one who has genuine belief in birth in the Pure Land holds no doubt. Amida Buddha casts eighty-four thousand rays of His light of compassion upon one who is resolute in the attainment of this goal. Amida Buddha shines this light continually on the Nembutsu practitioner in daily life and up to the final moment of that person's life. For this reason, it is called the 'Vow by which Amida Buddha never abandons the Nembutsu devotee."[1]
When saying the above, Honen Shonin relied on the following passage from the Contemplation Sutra:
“Buddha Amitayus (Amida)
possesses eighty-four thousand physical characteristics, each having eighty-four
thousand secondary marks of excellence. Each secondary mark emits eighty-four thousand rays of light; each
ray of light shines universally upon the lands of the ten directions, embracing
and not forsaking those who are mindful of the Buddha (have faith in Amida).”[2]
And he was also in complete agreement with Master Shan-tao:
"There are sentient beings who solely think on Amida Buddha; only these people are constantly illumined by the Light of that Buddha's heart, grasped and protected, never to be abandoned. It is not at all stated that any practitioner of various other acts (practices) are illumined and embraced. This is being protected in the present life, a manifestation of the decisive cause of birth in the Pure Land".[3]
Any Dharma method related with a specific Buddha assures
some kind of protection if it’s done correctly, but here we speak only about
the protection of those who rely exclusively on Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow. It
is not like Amida wishes to arbitrarily save some while rejecting others, or
that He saves only those who please Him. As I explained in the previous article, Amida’s
work of salvation takes place within the law of cause and effect, so He
actually cannot save or illuminate those who refuse His salvation. It is like
the light of the sun who spreads everywhere cannot illuminate the rooms with
closed windows.
Shinran Shonin also said, in agreement with Master Honen and
Master Shan-tao:
“Countless Amida
Buddhas reside
In the Light of the Buddha of Unhindered Light;
Each one of these transformed Buddhas protects
The person of true and real shinjin (faith)”.[4]
The countless transformed Amida Buddhas manifested in His Light are various Nirmanakayas or adaptation bodies of Amida who are always present with the person of faith. Amida Buddha is beyond any form in His Dharmakaya (absolute/ultimate) aspect, dwells with His transcendent form (Sambhogakaya) in the Pure Land, and in the same time He is here with us, people who have genuine faith in Him, in His various Accommodated and Transformation Bodies (Nirmanakayas). Wherever we are, in our room, on the street, alone or with friends and family, Amida Buddha is always accompanying us and illuminates us if we exclusively entrust to Him and say His Name in faith.
“Amitayus (Amida), exercising supernatural powers at will, can freely manifest His various forms in the lands of the ten directions"[5]
Exclusivity is extremely important if we want to benefit
from the protection of Amida’s Light. Again, because everything is cause and
effect, we can be saved and protected by Amida only if we come in karmic
agreement with His Primal Vow, where the causes of birth in His Pure Land are
mentioned: exclusive faith in Him, exclusive saying of His Name and exclusive
wish to be born in His Pure Land. This means, no other faith, no other practices
and no other aspiration should enter the heart and mind of an Amida devotee. For
the light of the sun to completely illuminate your room, you must open all your
windows, not just one. In the same way, for Amida Buddha to protect and save
you, all focus should be on Him alone. If you are hurt and somebody carries you
on his back to safety, you must let yourself into his power and not hinder his
movements by grabbing various trees and obstacles on the way. If you want Amida
to save you and protect you, then let yourself into His Power and do not hinder
him by changing your focus on other practices and teachings not related with His
Primal Vow.
[1] 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.126
[2] 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. 87
[3] Shinran Shonin quoted that passage from Shan-tao's Methods of Contemplation on Amida Buddha
in his Notes on Once-calling and Many-calling. The Collected Works of
Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
Kyoto, 1997, p.478
[4] Shinran
Shonin, Hymns of the Pure Land (Jodo Wasan) - Hymns of the Benefits in the
Present, The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series,
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.355
[5] Contemplation Sutra,
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.91
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