First phase of Amidaji's water system finished - your help needed for the second phase

Click aici pentru versiunea în limba română

As I mentioned in the article about the plan for the water system (click here if you want to read it), the local authorities managed to bring the main water pipes in the village and placed secondary ones in front of each property in order to bring water to the whole village. From this main and secondary water pipes each owner has to pay for installing its own pipes and build its own water system through which to bring the water inside his property and house.
 
However, I have decided to not wait anymore for the authorities to start the public water system in the village as they constantly delay it due to various technical problems and I decided to create Amidaji’s own independent water system from the well that is already available in the temple’s courtyard. Thus, I bought many materials, pipes, sacks of cement, engines, etc, and paid 4 workers  (two of them also built the Amidado Hall) who repaired and deepened the well, so that it can access the underground water source. 

They also built a concrete chamber in the ground near the well from where various pipes go underground to a short area in the courtyard and through the walls of the bathroom. They installed a new boiler (I hope this is how it’s called in English) of 100 liters that heats enough water to be used for many visitors, as well as a new washing machine which visitors who stay in retreat can use as much as they need. A shower and sink with permanent hot and cold water was also installed. As you can see in the first photo (upper left) now its easier to draw water from the well through a  pipe that leads to a small fountain near it. 

On the teaching of akunin-shoki, that evil person is the object of the salvation offered by Amida Buddha

 

Please carefully watch this video discussion and read my commentary on the third chapter of Tannisho – attainment of Buddhahood by the evil person (fragment from my book The Path of Acceptance - Commentary on Tannisho), that I present to you bellow,

“Even a good person attains birth in the Pure Land, 

so it goes without saying that an evil person will.”

 

This statement is to help us break our limited view of Buddhist practice based on the so called power of the ego and escape its dangerous traps. Many people who hear the message of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and the wonderful Jodo Shinshu teaching about it, are struck by the simplicity and easiness of the attainment of birth in the Pure Land. Although they seem to understand what it is all about, in fact they cannot accept this teaching as it is.
 
Even if they hear that Amida especially saves (leads to birth in the Pure Land and to Buddhahood) all people no matter their good or evil karma, their merits or lack of any merit, they still cannot believe what they hear and think that somehow, those with some merits and virtues are especially saved, or they are even more saved than the others with no merits.
 
When these people hear that Amida made his Primal Vow with the intent of the “evil person’s attainment of Buddhahood” they do not take this statement for what it is, i.e. to immediately entrust in it and become happy about it, but they think the contrary, that especially because “an evil person attains birth [in the Pure Land], it goes without saying that a good person will.” This line of thinking goes something along the lines “if evil people are saved, then we who are not so bad as they, deserve all the more to be born in the Pure Land.” Thus, instead of relying on Amida’s power, they still cling to their own power and merits. So Master Shinran continues as follows:

Faith in Amida Buddha is the peace of knowing your destination

 

Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 170 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you. 

Here is an important link mentioned in the video: 

A Collection of Passages on the True Meaning of Birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha

Namo Amida Bu

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The treasure of faith in Amida Buddha (fragment from a Dharma discussion on the occasion of refuge ceremony for a Russian member)

 

This is a fragment from a Dharma discussion (English and Russia) on the occasion of the online kieshiki (refuge ceremony) for a new member in Russia. We have an active group in Russia, represented online at this link, https://vk.com/amidaji led by Shingyo Yuri Sensei, lay teacher of Amidaji.
 
Useful links mentioned in the video,
 
Faith in Amida Buddha is not the creation of our mind 

Again on the idea that faith in Amida comes from Amida - very simple explanations 
 
Five conditions for birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha 

 

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The Nembutsu of Faith and Gratitude in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism (video teaching by Daigan Sensei of Amidaji Sangha in Uruguay)

Daigan Alejandro Sensei is a lay teacher in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, soon to be ordained a monk in our Sangha. He has been very active, together with Rev Kosho Arana (Colombia) and others in helping people receive faith in Latin America. 

For more teachings in Spanish please access https://temploamidaji.org 

If you have problems watching this video please click on the square in the lower right to enlarge it or CLICK HERE to watch it on the Youtube Channel 

Namo Amida Bu

Rev Kosho Arana opens the doors of Amidaji Temple in Colombia

click here for the Spanish version

We are pleased to inform all students of the Amidaji branch that Amidaji International Temple has opened its doors in Colombia (Valle del Cauca, La Leonera-Cali). The temple is headed by Reverend Kosho Arana who received ordination in Dolj, Romania in September 2023 under the guidance of Reverend Josho Adrian Cirlea, Daisojo (head monk) and founder of the Amidaji International Temple. Reverend Kosho Arana was authorized to open a Temple in his country for the benefit of all beings and he is also the leader (Sojo) of Colombia kyodan (district). You can read the article about Rev. Kosho Arana's ordination experience here (click here).

Rev. Kosho Arana is the official translator of Rev. Josho Adrian Cirlea's books in Spanish and has worked on promoting the official Amidaji Temple website in Spanish as well as the Amidaji YouTube Channel in Spanish. With great desire to also be able to share the Amida Dharma physically in his country, Rev. Kosho Arana has opened the doors of the Amidaji International Temple in Colombia. The Temple is located in Leonera, Valle del Cauca, on the outskirts of the city of Cali in a mountainous area full of forests, natural reserves and rivers (contact details at the end of the article).

Any sincere student of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is now welcomed to the Amidaji Temple in Colombia to study the Amida Dharma with Kosho Sensei. He is fluent in both Spanish and English so students from around the world who speak English can also go and study with him if they wish. 

Amidaji's Objective and his teaching style

The Bodhi Mind of the Pure Land Path (short question and answer)

Question from a reader: Shinran said that shinjin (faith) is Bodhi Mind. Does this mean that if I do not have Compassion for all beings in this life I will not go to the Pure Land?
 
My answer: The fact that shinjin (faith in Amida Buddha) equals Bodhi Mind does NOT mean that you are able to have the kind of Compassion ancient Mahayana saints had for every being in your present life! It only means that through faith in Amida you will be able to save all beings, because faith is the cause of birth in the Pure Land and of subsequent attainment of Buddhahood for you and all beings. So, the aspiration inherent in the Bodhi Mind is contained in shinjin in the sense that through faith you can fulfill the Bodhi Mind (after birth in the Pure Land). The aspirations of the Bodhi Mind (to become a Buddha for you and all beings) are fulfilled through faith, which is why faith is the Bodhi Mind. 

This is the proper way to understand this matter in accordance with our Jodo Shinshu school. So, don't worry. There is no problem that here and now you remain an ordinary person filled with ignorance and blind passions. It is especially for beings like you that Amida made His Primal Vow and created His Pure Land that is so easy to access.

PS: The only way you can practice compassion while you are still in this present samsaric body is to be an example of faith and help others entrust to Amida Buddha. I explained this when I presented the ten benefits in this life of a person of faith (click here to read the 9th benefit).