Self-power and Amida's Power

Click here to return to Selected passages from Honen Shonin with commentary

Honen Shonin said:

 “It is impossible to predict the length of our lives, and although we may live a long time, the past is in the end like a phantom dream.

Therefore, remember that together we will enter the same Buddha-land of Amida Buddha. Upon the lotus flower we will dispel memories of sadness in this defiled world of suffering, we will reminiscence about our past karmic connections, and we will vow to save and lead people to Enlightenment in the future. I shared the importance of this with you when we first met. 

Believe deeply in the Primal Vow[1] of Amida Buddha; do not doubt even for a moment that you will attain birth in the Pure Land; and believe that with ten recitations of Namo Amida Butsu you will definitely achieve birth in the Pure Land through the power of the Primal Vow, however much negative karma you may have. Please focus on reciting Nembutsu. 

Goodness or badness are NOT the cause of birth into the Pure Land

 

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

Some people were conversing about the future life, some saying that fish-eaters will be born in the Pure Land, others that they will not. Honen overhearing them said, ‘If it is a case of eating fish, cormorants would be born into the Pure Land; and if it is a case of not eating them, monkeys would be so born. But I am sure that whether a man eats fish or not, if he only calls upon the sacred Name, he will be born into the Pure Land.’”[1] 

Commentary:
There is a sentence in Tannisho which explains the reason for such useless discussions about eating or not eating meat in relation with birth in the Pure Land: 

“In truth, myself and others discuss only good and evil, leaving Amida’s benevolence out of consideration”.[2] 

The determination of the true disciple of Amida Buddha

 

Click here to return to Selected passages from Honen Shonin with commentary

Honen Shonin said: 

“When a deer is being pursued by the hunters, it does not stop even to look around for its fellows or look back at its pursuers, but with all eagerness, hastens straight forward, and no matter how many may be following, it escapes in safety. It is with the same determination that a man fully entrusts himself to the Buddha’s power, and without regard to anything else, steadfastly sets his mind upon being born into the Pure Land.”[1] 

Commentary:
A genuine disciple of Amida Buddha does not care about other practices and does not listen to the wrong views of modernists or the false teachings of externalists (non-Buddhists). Even if thoughts of “what if Amida is not real” or “what if the Primal Vow is not true” appear suddenly in his mind, he does not pay attention to them, but continues to be focused on the Nembutsu of faith. Instead of looking at these “pursuers” who come in the form of non-Buddhists, heretics or even random thoughts, he goes forward to the Pure Land encouraged by Shakyamuni and the lineage Masters. 

To be satisfied with the Nembutsu and to think that Nembutsu is enough, to not need anything else than Amida’s Holy Name – these are the characteristics of a person of faith. Promises of other practices and religions fall deaf to his ears because he obeys only to the exclusive requirements of the Primal Vow: exclusive faith in Amida, exclusive saying of His Name and exclusive wish to be born in His Pure Land. 

Even if the people around him follow other paths or the stones and rocks, the sky and the trees all shout in one voice that Amida does not exist or that so and so god has a better teaching, the true disciple will never falter in his determination to have faith only in Amida, say only His Name and wish to go only to His Pure Land after death. Just like the deer pursued by hunters, he sees nothing, hears nothing and is not interested in any other path than the Nembutsu of faith. Only such a true disciple will reach the safety of the Pure Land.
 

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[1] Honen the Buddhist Saint - His Life and Teachings, volume III, compiled by imperial order, translation by Rev Ryugaku Ishizuka and Rev Harper Havelock Coates, The Society for the Publication of Sacred Books of the World, Kyoto, 1949, p. 399

Soldiers are saved by Amida Buddha if they entrust to Him - Honen Shonin's instructions to Samurai Taro Tadatsuma Amakasu

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

In the province of Musashi there lived a samurai called Taro Tadatsuna Amakasu, who belonged to the Inomata clan and was in the service of the Minamoto family. He was also a devout Nembutsu follower of Honen Shonin. At that time there was a conflict with the monk armies of Mount Hiei who took their stand at the Hiyosho Hachioji shrine. Tadatsuna was put by Imperial command in charge of a body of troops to suppress the uprising. Before going to battle he paid a visit to Honen and said to him: 

“I have often heard you say that even sinners like us, if they will only say the Nembutsu, and put their whole trust in Amida’s Primal Vow, will undoubtedly attain Ojo (birth in the Pure Land). This has made a deep impression upon me, but I suppose it is the case only with those who are lying on a sick bed and calmly waiting for the end to come. But as for myself, being a samurai, I cannot do just as I would like, and now in obedience to an imperial order, I am setting out for the castle at Hachioji to chastise those obstreperous priests of Sammon. I was born in a soldier’s family and trained in the use of the bow and arrow, being on the one hand under obligation not to fail in carrying out at least in some measure the will of my ancestors, and on the other responsible for handling down something of glory to my posterity. And yet if, as a soldier, I abandon myself to the driving back of the enemy, all sorts of wicked and furious passions are likely to be stirred within me, and it becomes very hard to awaken any pious feeling in my heart. If, indeed, I should allow myself to keep thinking all the time about the transitoriness of life, and trying not to forget the truth about attaining Ojo by the Nembutsu, I should be in danger of being taken captive by my enemies, and thereby be eternally branded as a coward, straightway have all my patrimony confiscated, and so for a fool like me it is very hard to decide which of these courses to choose. Will you not tell me how I may accomplish my cherished desire for Ojo, without on the other hand sacrificing the honor of my family as an archer?” 

The cause for birth into the Pure Land may appear anytime

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

Honen Shonin said: 

“The completion of the karma necessary for birth into the Pure Land may be at any ordinary time, or at the time of death. There is no distinction made between the two in the language of the Primal Vow.”[1]

In the very first moment one entrusts to Amida Buddha he enters the stage of non-retrogression for birth in the Pure Land where he will attain supreme Enlightenment. The karma necessary for birth into the Pure Land appears in the very first moment of faith when the believer receives the pure karmic merits of Amida which make him capable of going there. 

This passage contradicts those who think that the moment of death is of paramount importance for birth into the Pure Land. I always insist that we are the school of the Primal Vow and that whatever we need to know is to be found in the Primal Vow. Honen Shonin thought the same when he made reference to “the language of the Primal Vow” in which Amida urged us to entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His land. Some do this when they are strong and healthy, young or old, while others when they are about to die. Amida did not mention a specific moment in life when one should entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His land, so we should not worry about this. Anytime is a good time to say the Nembutsu of faith. 

The following passage proves even more that Honen Shonin did not add a special significance to the Nembutsu at the time of death: 

"Question: Which is more profound: Nembutsu at the time of death or Nembutsu in our daily life?

Answer: They are the same. Our daily Nembutsu and Nembutsu at the time of death are no different at all. When we are visited by death, our daily Nembutsu becomes Nembutsu at death; if our life is prolonged,  Nembutsu at death becomes Nembutsu of daily life."[2]

  

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[1] Honen the Buddhist Saint - His Life and Teachings, volume III, compiled by imperial order, translation by Rev Ryugaku Ishizuka and Rev Harper Havelock Coates, The Society for the Publication of Sacred Books of the World, Kyoto, 1949, p. 398
[2] 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.125

Honen Shonin's letter to nun Shonyobo

 

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin with commentary

A nun called Shōnyobō who practiced Nembutsu and embraced the teaching of Honen Shonin became sick, and as she was lying on her death bed she sent word that she would like to see him one last time. At that moment Honen was in a Nembutsu retreat and he wrote her the following letter (words in brackets are my own): 

“I am very sorry indeed to hear about Shonyobo’s illness. Having heard that she is ill, in fact seriously so, I should like to go and see her, and make sure whether she is going right on with the practice of the Nembutsu up to the very end; but especially so when I remember how often she used to call upon me to ask questions about the way of salvation. So as soon as word reached me, I at once wanted to go and see her. But I had just before that decided upon the special Nembutsu practice (Nembutsu retreat) for some days, and not to go out of my chamber for anything whatsoever. Now circumstances have so changed, that I am tempted to reverse my decision and go at once to see her. But on further reflection I have come to feel that, after all, it does not matter one way or the other about such interchanges of courtesy in this world, for the fact is that we are in danger anyway of becoming foolishly attached to these earthly bodies of ours. No matter who it is, no one stays forever here in this fleshly body. The only difference is that either I myself or someone else must be left behind and the other go first. Then if we think of the interval of time that will separate us, that too is uncertain. And even though they may call it long, at the longest it is only like a short dream. So no matter how many times I think it over, the more I am convinced that the thing to do is to think only of our meeting in the land of Amida Buddha where, as we sit upon our lotus flowers, the cares of this world will have all clear away, and we shall converse together about the scenes and events of our past lives.

Simple explanations of shinjin (faith) coming from Amida Buddha (video)

 Please watch these two video teachings on this topic and check the links bellow:

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Here are two articles on the same topic:

Faith in Amida Buddha is not the creation of our minds

Again on the idea that faith in Amida comes from Amida

I don't need miracles to strengthen my faith in Amida Buddha (video teaching)

 

You can find more video teachings on the playlist DHARMA TALKS in my YouTube channel.

Are faith and devotion two different things?

Question: Are devotion and faith two different things? Faith seems to be constant while devotion is sometimes felt more or less depending on our inner circumstance and our emotional states of mind. However, faith is not affected by our changing emotional states, so I ask if these are two different things.

Answer: Faith (shinjin) is a simple entrusting. As I always like to say, its similar with entrusting John who is a mechanic to fix your car because you can’t do it yourself. In the same way, we entrust to Amida Buddha to take us to the Pure Land of perfect Enlightenment because we can’t go there through our self-power.

Devotion does not always imply a specific emotional state of mind, but always means dedication. When you have faith you are dedicated entirely to Amida Buddha, you entrust only to Him, you say only His Name and wish to go only to His Pure Land. This exclusive focus on Amida Buddha in your religious life is devotion. It means you are entirely devoted to Amida. It does not matter that today you make more bows or say Nembutsu many times and tomorrow you do no bowing and say less Nembutsu. It means that no matter what happens in your daily life you continue to be devoted exclusively to Amida. Faith never disappears from your heart once it arrived there. So, as long as you have faith in Amida you are automatically devoted to Amida. Faith means devotion. Even those who don’t have mental stability have devotion towards Amida Buddha if they entrust to Him. So, faith and devotion are never separated.

What does it mean to doubt the wisdom of the Buddha?

Question: Doubting the Buddha's wisdom is like saying that what He teaches is false therefore, a person is not born in the Pure Land for doubting the Wisdom of the Buddha?  Not to doubt the Wisdom of the Buddha is equal to Shinjin?

Answer: Yes, not to doubt the wisdom of the Buddha means that you accept Amida Buddha knows better than you how to save you. That He devised the best method to save you, and so you follow exclusively His instructions in His Primal Vow.

To doubt the wisdom of the Buddha means that although you hear the requirements of the Primal Vow you think you know better than Amida and so instead of following the exclusive requirements of Amida – “say my Name perhaps even ten times” you think that you need to say Nembutsu many times or that you can combine Nembutsu with something else, like other practices. This means you doubt Amida’s wisdom and think you know better than Him what is needed for your salvation.

Although you hear Amida said, “entrust to me”, which means only to Him, you mix the reliance on Amida with faith in other Buddhist and nonbuddhist religious figures. Instead of wishing to be born in His Land as Amida asked you to do, you think you know better and you lie to yourself that you are already in the Pure Land of here and now. Although is clear from Amida’s own description (in the Larger Sutra) of the enlightened qualities of those born in the Pure Land, who indicate that the Pure Land is NOT here and now, you continue to believe that you know better and that the Pure Land is here and now when you clearly don’t have the same qualities.

These are just a few examples of playing smart and doubting the wisdom of the Buddha.