La razón de Honen para la fundación de una escuela Tierra pura separada y la razón por la cual he fundado Amidaji

Buda Amida es mi fuerza.
El Buda Amida es mi refugio.

Buda Amida es mi salvación.

Amida Buddha es todo lo que transmito 

a los demás

                    traducido del inglés por 

Juan Sebastian Hincapie Arana  

“Honen dijo una vez: ‘La razón por la cual fundé la escuela Jodo   (Tierra Pura) es para poder mostrarle al hombre común cómo   nacer  en la verdadera tierra de compensación (hōdo) del Buda.

 Según la secta Tendai, el hombre ordinario puede nacer en la

 llamada Tierra Pura, pero esa tierra se concibe como un lugar muy

 inferior. Aunque la escuela Hossō la concibió como un lugar muy

 superior, no permiten que el hombre común pueda nacer allí en

 absoluto. Además todas las escuelas, aunque difiriendo en muchos

 puntos, están de acuerdo unánimemente en no permitir que el

 hombre común pueda nacer en la tierra de compensación real del

 Buda; mientras que según el comentario de Zendo (Shan-tao), quien

 sentó las bases de la escuela Jodo (Tierra Pura), quedó claro que el

 nacimiento en esa tierra es posible incluso para el hombre común.

Sin embargo muchos me dijeron: 'Seguramente puedes promover la

 forma de Nembutsu para alcanzar el Ojo (nacer en la Tierra Pura)

 sin necesidad de establecer una nueva escuela. Estás haciendo esto

 simplemente por ambición, para parecer superior a los demás. Si

 nosotros, la gente común, solo podemos lograr este nacimiento,

 debería ser suficiente nacer en la tierra en la que el Buda aparece en Su cuerpo temporal. ¿Por qué necesitas hablar de que (las personas comunes) alcanzan esa tierra de compensación real que está ocupada solo por los Budas y los Bodhisattvas más elevados?´

Master Honen’s reason for the founding of a separate Pure Land school and my reason for founding Amidaji

Amida Buddha is my strength.

Amida Buddha is my refuge.

Amida Buddha is my salvation.

Amida Buddha is all I transmit to others.

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

 "Honen once said: ‘The reasons I founded the Jodo (Pure Land)   school was that I might show the ordinary man how to be born into     the Buddha’s real land of compensation (hōdo). According to the   Tendai sect, the ordinary man may be born into the so-called Pure   Land, but that land is conceived of as a very inferior place.   Although  the Hossō school conceived of it as indeed a very   superior  place, they do not allow that the common man can be born   there at all. And all the schools, though differing in many points, all   agree in not allowing that the common man can be born into the   Buddha’s land of real compensation; while according to Zendo’s   (Shan-tao) commentary, which laid the foundation of the Jodo (Pure   Land) school, it was made clear that birth into that land is possible   even for the common man. But many said to me: ‘You surely can   promote the Nembutsu way of attaining Ojo (birth into the Pure  Land) without establishing a new school. You are doing this merely out of ambition, to appear superior to others. If we ordinary people can only attain this birth, it ought to be enough to be born into the land in which the Buddha appears in His temporary body. Why do you need to talk of their reaching that land of real compensation that is occupied by the Buddhas and the highest Bodhisattvas alone?’
At first sight this seems quite plausible, but on further reflection it really misses the point. Unless I start a separate school, the truth that the common man may be born into the Buddha’s land of compensation will be obscured, and it will be hard to realize the deep meaning of Amida’s Primal Vow. I, therefore, in accordance with the interpretation given by Zendo (Shan-tao), unhesitatingly proclaim the doctrine of the land of real compensation. This is by no means a question of personal ambition.”[1]

Shinjin (faith in Amida Buddha) is knowing, not feeling

 

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Buddhas exist

Buddhas are real, living, enlightened Ones. Amida is a real, living, enlightened Buddha.

Unenlightened beings like us cannot say that the reality of the Buddhas is mythological, symbolical or metaphorical, thus denying their actual existence. They should rather see their own so-called samsaric reality as dreamlike and illusional and the reality of the Buddhas as truly real. Unlike us, samsaric beings, Buddhas (Amida included) have their existence grounded in the ultimate Reality of Nirvana which makes them truly real and alive. Thus, it is stupid, harmful and demonic to relate to the Buddhas as to symbols, metaphors or myths when they are actually more real and alive than us.

Our samsaric reality is an optical illusion and a dream while the Pure Land is a real enlightened place. Our world and everything we see here is dreamlike and not actually real, while the Pure Land is truly real because, I repeat, it is rooted in the ultimate reality.

The existence of the transcendental Buddhas and Enlightened Bodhisattvas of the Mahayana pantheon is not similar with our existence which is false and illusory. They don't exist like us, but this does NOT mean they don't exist. Samsaric minds cannot understand everything about the Buddhas but should accept, based on the sutras, that they truly exist and are active in guiding and saving us.

Please don't fall into the wrong view of denying the existence of the Buddhas just because your unenlightened mind cannot understand them yet. The time will soon come when you'll meet them face to face after birth in the Pure Land. Until then, enjoy and be grateful for their protection because all of them guided you to Amida Buddha.

(please click on the highlighted words as they lead to useful articles on this topic)

Say Nembutsu in the mountains and forests

If you can, go to mountains and forests, say the Name of Amida Buddha and encourage all nonhuman beings living there to say it in faith. Spread the good news of the Primal Vow everywhere!

May all beings create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, say His Name in faith and wish to be born in His Pure Land!
Namo Amida Bu

Ve a las montañas y los bosques, di el nombre del Buda Amida y anima a todos los seres no humanos que viven allí a decirlo con fe. ¡Difunde las buenas noticias del Voto Primordial por todas partes!

¡Que todos los seres creen conexiones indestructibles con el Buda Amida, digan Su Nombre con fe y deseen nacer en Su Tierra Pura!

 Идите в горы и леса, произносите Имя Амида Будды и побуждайте всех живущих там нечеловеческих существ произносить его с верой. Распространяйте благую весть об Изначальном Обете повсюду!
 

Пусть все существа создадут неразрушимые связи с Амида Буддой, произнесут Его Имя с верой и пожелают родиться в Его Чистой Земле!
Намо Амида Бу  

Mergi in munti si paduri, spune Numele lui Buddha Amida si incurajeaza toate fiintele neumane care traiesc acolo (spirite si zei) sa-l rosteasca cu credinta. Raspandeste peste tot vestea cea buna a Legamantului Principal!
Fie ca toate fiintele sa creeze legaturi indestructibile cu Buddha Amida, sa rosteasca Numele lui cu credinta si sa isi doreasca sa se nasca in Taramul sau Pur.
Namo Amida Bu

 

Just say the Nembutsu without adding anything to it

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

“Once a devotee from the Chinzei district came up to Kyoto to visit Honen at his cottage.
Before meeting him, he asked one of Honen’s disciples if it was a good thing to meditate upon the Buddha’s signs of eminence while one is repeating the Nembutsu. The reply was that it was an excellent thing to do.
 
Honen who was sitting in the adjoining room before the Buddha’s image, overheard the conversation. He opened the sliding door and remarked, ‘I don’t think so. It is as Zendo (Master Shan-tao) says, ‘If a single one of the sentient beings in the ten quarters of the world should fail to be born into the Pure Land through calling of my Name at least ten times, then I refuse for myself the perfect Enlightenment of Buddhahood. Now the fact is that He did become a Buddha and now exists as one. So from this we are perfectly sure that His Great Primal Vow was not in vain. If therefore any sentient being now does call upon His Name, he shall certainly attain Ojo (birth in the Pure Land). No matter how much we may meditate upon the Buddha, we cannot do it in the perfect way as Shakyamuni explained it (in the Contemplation Sutra). So the only thing for us to do is to put our trust deeply in the Primal Vow itself, and call upon the sacred Name with our lips. This is the one and only way to practice religion.[1]’”[2]

Visions or Dharma? How can one know he has genuine faith in Amida Buddha?

Here are the Eight Elements of Faith (Shinjin) - click here to read -  explained in detail based on the sutras and words of the Masters of our lineage. If you miss one of them, then you don't have faith. It does NOT matter what visions or spiritual experiences one has. If he misses only one element he does not have faith in Amida Buddha and cannot be born in the true fulfilled land of the Pure Land. If spiritual experiences contradict the Amida Dharma as explained in this article based on sutras and words of our Masters then one does not have faith (shinjin). Only when spiritual experiences coincide 100% with the Dharma can they be called authentic. If not, they are illusions. If one would guide oneself only after one's spiritual experience and not after the Dharma then all kinds of heresies and wrong views will appear according to anyone's ego and the sangha would be in chaos.

In our chaotic times, the Dharma is our only guiding lamp. If one wants to ask something to Amida Buddha he should ask the Dharma about Amida, not wait to receive spiritual experiences and visions (or signs from Amida) while ignoring His Dharma. The monks and teachers who rely on their visions but do not conform with the Dharma are a danger for themselves and others. People should trust a teacher only by checking his words with the Dharma and do not be impressed by the visions (true or false) he pretends to have!
I myself as a teacher am not impressed by one's visions and spiritual experience but by seeing people being in accord with the Amida Dharma.  Please always check the Dharma and put your mind in accordance with the Dharma! This is the best spiritual experience.

Namo Amida Bu