“Jogan Shonin
(1168-1251) thus stated: ‘Someone said to Honen Shonin, ‘The perception of the
physical features of Amida Buddha is taught in the Contemplation Sutra. Should
even Nembutsu practitioner observe this meditative practice?’ Honen Shonin replied:
‘I, Genku, also observed such a futile practice at the beginning, but I
do not practice it now. I recite the Nembutsu with implicit belief in attaining
birth in the Pure Land.’”[1]
Commentary:
Why did Honen Shonin regarded the thirteen contemplations in the above mentioned sutra to be a futile practice? And if he regarded them so, why were they mentioned there?
The answer to the first question is that the thirteen contemplations and the perception of the physical features of Amida Buddha are NOT found in His Primal Vow where only faith, Nembutsu of faith and wish to be born in the Pure Land are mentioned. Because they are not part of the Primal Vow, it means they do not constitute the main intention of Amida and are not the cause of birth in the fulfilled land (center) of the Pure Land where we immediately become Buddhas.
As
to why they were mentioned by Shakyamuni in the Contemplation Sutra, the answer is that those thirteen
contemplations are related with the 19th Vow which represents the Path Amida
designed for those still not ready to fully entrust themselves to His Power but
still think there is something they need to do by themselves in order to obtain
birth there. Please refer to my detailed explanations of The Path of the 19th Vow and the explicit and implicit (hidden) meaning of the Contemplation Sutra as well as the chapter dedicated to the 19th
Vow from my Commentary on the Sutra on
the Buddha of Infinite Life.
Thus, the nineteen contemplations and the Contemplation Sutra itself are provisional teachings, while the Larger Sutra where the Primal Vow is mentioned, is the true intention of Amida and Shakyamuni.
Those who seriously follow such practices as the thirteen contemplations will be born in the Border land of the Pure Land where due to their lack of complete trust in Amida’s Power will stay for some time until the sin of doubt is expiated, while those who enter the Pure Land through the Gate of the Primal Vow by saying the Nembutsu of faith (“Nembutsu with implicit faith”) will instantly attain Buddhahood upon birth in the center of the Pure Land, thus being able at once to benefit all sentient beings.
Also, due to the difficulty of the practice of the thirteen
contemplations very few can actually do them correctly, so why bother ourselves
with them when we have the Name of Amida which can be said by anybody and who
does not even depend on us to be effective! When we are born in the Pure Land
we’ll be able to clearly see all its splendors, including the glorious features
of Amida, so there is no need to bother with that now when His main instruction
is to simply say the Nembutsu of faith.
[1] 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.304-305
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