A Standard of Shinshu Faith by Dr Ryosetsu Fujiwara was first published in 1963 by the Buddhist Churches of America and it contains a digest of the Anjin Rondai - Topics for Discussions on Faith, which is the doctrinal standard of the Nishi Hongwanji branch of Jodo Shinshu school. As the author himself said in the first part of the book:
"For the better
understanding of Shinshu and for the prevention of unorthodox faith, the Nishi
Hongwanji selected a certain number of special topics for discussion of
Doctrine and of Faith. The latter, including 30 topics, is called 'Anjin
Rondai' or 'Topics for Discussion on Faith.' The original is not so easy to
understand because of its classical terminology and expressions. So the writer
has tried to sum up the main points of these topics and rearranged them with
the hope that it would become a helpful guide for those voluntarily working for
the spreading of Shinshu in the West".
As this book is now out of print, I thought that it is very
important to make it available online to
readers, especially in our difficult times when so many divergences from the
Jodo Shinshu teachings prevail in the international sangha.
