A simple analogy between Vajrayana and Jodo Shinshu to help undecided practitioners

I know some people who come from a Vajrayana background and their thinking is still influenced by  Vajrayana terms and concepts but who sincerely wish to follow Jodo Shinshu.

For them I am going to make a short analogy between the two traditions to help them have an easy transition. Please listen carefully.

As you may know, in Vajrayana you cannot successfully practice without empowerment. When you receive empowerment from a realized Master you become connected with and blessed by an uninterrupted lineage of transmission which starts with a Buddha and continues with a series of Enlightened Masters. Then your practice can be successful if you are serious and put all your efforts into it. Without this empowerment and connection, your practice will not lead to realization. Also, once empowerment was given you must follow a samaya, that is, a specific set of rules and practices. However, breaking this samaya without repairing it will lead to birth in Vajra Hell.

AMIDA DHARMA - the essential doctrine of Amidaji temple (free download edition)

I was inspired to write another introduction into Jodo Shinshu Buddhism which will be known from now on, as the essential book of Amidaji temple, a must-read for all members and students. (75 pages)

 

You can order a printed copy from these links:

 

 Click here to order it in British pounds on Amazon.com/uk
Click here to order it in US Dollars on Amazon.com
Click here to order it CDN on Amazon Canada

Click here to order it from Amazon Australia
Click here to order it in Euro on Amazon Germany
Click here to order it in Euro on Amazon Italy

Click here to order it in Euro on Amazon France

Click here to order it on Amazon Spain
Click here to order it in Japanese yen on Amazon Japan

 

 Click here to download the book for free :

A simple method to help the hungry ghosts

fragment from my book 

Worshipping Amida Buddha - liturgies and ceremonies 

of Amidaji temple 

Click here to read about the state of hungry ghosts 

Click here to return to the main 
page of ceremonies for nonhuman beings

If you find the ceremony for hungry ghosts too difficult or too long, you can simply offer food (boiled rice, cookies, fruits or vegetables) and water to Amida Buddha and say the following words:

Amida Buddha, I offer you this food and water in the name of all hungry ghosts who suffer from hunger and thirst. Please receive it like it is offered by them. May they receive infinite food to forever satisfy their hunger and an infinite quantity of clear water to forever satisfy their thirst. May they be healthy in body and mind, make indestructible connections with you, entrust to you, say your Name and wish to be born in your Pure Land. Namo Amida Bu

Varias maneras de ayudar a los seres no humanos a crear conexiones con el Buda Amida y se encomienden a Él

un sacerdote budista y un fantasma habriento

translated from English by Kosho Arana

Haz click aquí para regresar a la sección de Ceremonia para ayudar a fantasmas hambrientos y seres en el estado intermedio acrear conexiones con el Buda Amida y recibir fe

Haz click aquí pararegresar a la sección de ceremonias para seres no-humanos

Haz click aquí para regresar a la sección Instrucciones sencillas para seres en el estado intermedio (Bardo) para ayudarlos a nacer en la Tierra Pura

 Si considera que la ceremonia para los fantasmas hambrientos es demasiado difícil o demasiado larga, simplemente puedes ofrecer comida (arroz hervido, galletas, frutas o verduras) y agua al Buda Amida y decir las siguientes palabras:

Instrucciones sencillas para seres en el estado intermedio (Bardo) para ayudarlos a nacer en la Tierra Pura

translated from English by Kosho Arana

Pregunta:

¿Puede una persona que no confió en Amida Buda durante su vida, cambiar de opinión y confiar en el estado intermedio entre la muerte y el próximo renacimiento (bardo)?

Respuesta:

No recuerdo ningún pasaje de Shinran, Rennyo, Honen u otro Patriarca de nuestro linaje en el que se mencionara específicamente la liberación a través de la fe en el bardo, pero personalmente creo que es posible. De hecho, Shinran también dijo algunas veces en sus escritos que los seres que nacen en la Tierra Pura del Buda Amida "no son exclusivamente de este mundo" [1], así que no veo por qué un ser del bardo no puede ir allí si él está en concordancia con el Voto Primordial de Amida, es decir, si confía en el Buda Amida, dice Su Nombre y desea ir a Su Tierra Pura. El Voto Primordial en sí mismo incluye todos los seres, ya que Amida no dice que solo los seres humanos puedan ir a Su Tierra Pura (- vean mis explicaciones del significado de "seres conscientes de las diez direcciones" del Voto Primordial).

Various ways to help non-human beings make connections with Amida Buddha and entrust to Him

a Buddhist priest and a hungry ghost

fragment from my book 

Worshipping Amida Buddha - liturgies and ceremonies 

of Amidaji temple 

Many people asked me how they can help hungry ghosts, bardo beings and other types of nonhuman beings entrust to Amida Buddha, and if trying to help them goes against the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching.

For people interested in such matters, myself included, I devised two type of ceremonies and a few instructions,. I am convinced 100% that because these ceremonies have the single goal of helping non-human beings to make a connection with Amida Buddha, listen to the Dharma about Him and entrust to Him, they are not in contradiction with the Jodo Shinshu teaching.  

Aroma offering ceremony to help hungry spirits and beings in the intermediate state (bardo) to make connections with Amida Buddha and receive faith in Him

                                                                

             

            

Buddhist monk helping a hungry ghost

fragment from my book 

Worshipping Amida Buddha - liturgies and ceremonies 

of Amidaji temple 

         Click here to return to the main page

       of ceremonies for nonhuman beings

 

            I.  Arguments for this ceremony
Because this ceremony has the single goal of helping all beings, especially the hungry ghosts and intermediate beings, to make a connection with Amida Buddha, listen to the Dharma about Him and entrust to Him, it is not in contradiction with the Jodo Shinshu teaching. 
Although we offer them something to eat in the form of aroma, this is only a skillful means to make them more receptive.  It is like you see a hungry person on the street and offer him food, shelter and a Buddhist book. When he is satisfied and safe under your roof he might be more open, due to your kind gesture, to read a few lines from the book. It’s the same with these non-human beings who are in a very difficult karmic situation and who actually feed (according to the sacred texts) on aroma. By satisfying them with the offering they might become open to Amida’s message of salvation.