last update - March 3rd, 2024 - scroll down to see the new books!
Amida Dharma, by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
This book represents the essence of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist
teaching as it is taught at Amidaji temple and in our international Sangha. Its
study is an obligation for any follower. If somebody can’t read it, it will be
read to him by the priest or one of the Dharma colleagues.
Amida Dharma contains the minimum knowledge required for
a member of Amidaji. It is a simple book without quotations and technical terms,
limited to what is strictly necesary to understand the world of repeated births
and deaths (samsara) and the Path to escape from it.
The Meaning of Faith and Nembutsu in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
This book is, as the title shows, an attempt to explain the meaning of
faith and Nembutsu in accordance with the teaching of our school. It contains a very detailed explanation of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha, sentence by sentence, word by word, and other important teachings and explanations related with faith (shinjin) and nembutsu (the saying of the Name of Amida Buddha).
Click here to download the free online edition
Click here for the audio version on my youtube channel
Click aquí para la versión en español (pdf)
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE PRINTED VERSION
Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Teachings - 2nd revised edition by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea NEW!
Jodo Shinshu does not give moral speeches and it doesn’t
contain difficult practices. While other Buddhist methods talk about the ideal
of Buddhahood and the possibility to attain it in this life, Jodo Shinshu
starts with the sense of failure.
It is a simple path for ordinary people like you and me,
lost from morning till evening in the fight for daily survival, filled with
illusions and attachments to which we see neither the beginning nor the end.
Jodo Shinshu is not a path for saints, but for losers, for those who cannot
attain by themselves anything stable in the spiritual life.
Not the promise of purification, but of salvation as we are
is the essence of Jodo Shinshu. Nothing special, no state of mind to be
attained or developed. Only faith in the Infinite Compassion of Amida Buddha.
This book is an adaptation of some Dharma sermons given at
Tariki Dojo, Amidaji temple and letters to my Buddhist friends all over the
world.
On the Monks and Nuns of Amidaji Branch of Jodo Shinshu BuddhismThis
short introduction presents the doctrinal foundation for the monks and nuns
ordination in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, as well as their duties,
activities and way of life.
Click here to download the free online edition in pdf or buy the printed version.
The Path Between the Thorns - the spiritual autobiography of a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist priest, by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
I
called this book The Path Between the
Thorns because for me, the 18 years since I became a priest where a
constant fighting and struggle against inner and outer obstacles placed in my
way by my own delusions as well as proponents of wrong views. I am happy to say
that despite all these, I have never lost my Path, and although the thorns
sometimes hurt my feet, I always knew the right direction to take as Amida
Buddha and the true teaching of Shakyamuni and the lineage Masters were always
my guiding light.
(the spiritual journey of Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea - the founder of Amidaji International Temple)
The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land,
by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
The Dharma is the supreme medicine given by the Buddha, the supreme Doctor, and in receiving it we must have the attitude of humble patients whose health and salvation depend totally upon the Doctor’s prescription and proper administration of the medicine. If we are priests or teachers we simply cannot be careless with people’s salvation from birth and death, just like a good pharmacist does not give poison to those who come to him looking for the medicine prescribed by their doctor.
As long as we ourselves are not Doctors (Enlighted beings/Buddhas) we should also not change the Medicine (the Dharma), but instead act as the good pharmacist and give to others exactly what the Doctor has prescribed. Trully, Amida Dharma is not our property and in dealing with it, we should act only as transmitters, not creators of the teaching. This is exactly what I am trying to do in this book – to show the true teaching about Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, while also counteracting some of the most spread wrong views of our time.
Click aquí para la versión en español (pdf)
Simple Teachings on Emptiness and Buddha nature,
by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
All
sentient beings have Buddha nature. This Buddha nature is now obscured, but it
has always been there. Obscured Buddha nature may become unobscured Buddha
nature if the obscurations are purified, and they will be automatically
purified when we are born in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. There, in that
Enlightened realm, everything is conducive to Enlightenment, unlike here, in
samsara, where everything is conducive to more obscurations, blind passions and
suffering.
To
practice for the attainment of Enlightenment in this samsaric environment is
like trying to melt ice by placing it in the snow, while to be born in the Pure
Land is like putting ice into a powerful stove. The ice of our obscurations
will be melted by the Enlightened Power of Amida and His Pure Land, thus
revealing our innate Buddha nature with its myriad qualities.
Perhaps
by clearing up the confusions brought by false teachers who talk about
emptiness and Buddha nature in a way that leads to nihilistic and materialistic
views, my readers will be able to discover the joy of faith and true aspiration
for that wonderful ultimate Reality of Wisdom, Compassion and unconditional
Freedom where Amida and all Buddhas are guiding us through the Pure Land
teaching.
Click here to download the free online edition Click here to listen to the audio version on my youtube channel
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE PRINTED VERSION
Commentary on the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life,
by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
This is not
an academic, secular or historical study, but a religious commentary. Its goal
is to explain in easy to understand terms the deep meaning of the Larger
Sutra so that people can receive faith in Amida Buddha and be born in His
Pure Land after death.
There are
many ways to read the Larger Sutra and various layers of interpretation,
which is why different types of practitioners benefit from it - those who
choose to focus on Amida Buddha but still cling to their self-power like
followers of the 19th and 20th Vows, as well as followers
of the Primal Vow (18th) who rely exclusively on Amida’s power.
However,
because Jodo Shinshu is the school of the Primal Vow, this commentary and
explanation is written from the perspective of the Primal Vow and the complete
reliance on the Power of Amida Buddha.
Members and
followers of Amidaji temple should look to this commentary as their guide in
reading and studying the Larger Sutra.
NEW! Selected Teachings from Honen Shonin with Commentary, by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
The role of a teacher is to make things simple and this is exactly what
I’m trying to do through my books. I pick and choose that which is easy to
understand from the many volumes of the sacred texts and organize and explain
them in such a way so that both the idiot and the scholar can understand and
receive faith (shinjin).
I also try to make useful connections between various Masters and their
teachings. For example, in this book I show that Honen and his disciple
Shinran, spoke the same language of faith and essentially taught the same
teaching although sometimes the words and context are different.
Among the many sayings of Honen, I chose a few in this book and my other
books, that I consider to be very important and which can serve as a standard
of reading and understanding him in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu
Buddhism.
Click here to download the free online edition in pdf or buy the printed version
The Path of Acceptance - Commentary on Tannisho,
by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
This book is an adaptation of my Dharma talks on the sacred text of Tannisho – Notes on Lamenting Divergences, given at Tariki Dojo Craiova during the usual days of practice. Each chapter is explained in easy to understand terms so that to be accesible to beginers and the general public.
Worshiping Amida Buddha - Liturgies and ceremonies of Amidaji Temple, by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea
All parts of this present book, every word and
explanation are intended to help you focus exclusively on Amida Buddha and
remember Him in all aspects of your daily life. Although it is dedicated to the
Sangha of Amidaji International Temple, I hope that non-members will also find
it useful. No initiation or empowerment are needed to follow the liturgies and
instructions presented here, so feel free to pick and choose what you like.
If you find these books useful, please consider a small donation
to support Amidaji:
IMPORTANT NOTICE by Rev Josho Adrian Cirlea!
I often repeat some things in my books or even in the same book. Learned
scholars might laugh about it, but I don't care. I am not a scholar and
I do not write for scholars. I repeat myself intentionally because I
want people to remember those things that I consider extremely important
and make the right connections. My books are not academic studies nor
some kind of elevated literature, but religious instructions for
escaping birth and death.
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