Master Shinran’s view of the characters in the Contemplation Sutra

 

Fragment from my Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. It is a work in progress and under constant revision. Click here to read the other chapters.

As we have seen in the last chapter, Master Rennyo considered that “Shakyamuni used the five grave offenses in which Vaidehi, Devadatta, and Ajatasatru were involved, as compassionate means to cause women and those who have committed the five grave offenses in the last Dharma age to aspire to birth in the Land of Serene Sustenance (the Pure Land of Amida); He assured us that even such people would unfailingly attain birth in the Land of Serene Sustenance if they took refuge in the inconceivable Primal Vow. This you should know.”[1]
 
Master Shinran already went even further than Rennyo in this matter and considered that all the events presented in the Contemplation Sutra were a play by enlightened actors to create the proper conditions for the teaching on Amida Buddha in its implicit and explicit aspect to appear in our world. In chapter I of his Kyogyoshinsho, he said,
 
“I reflect within myself: The universal Vow difficult to fathom is indeed a great vessel bearing us across the ocean difficult to cross. The unhindered Light is the sun of wisdom dispersing the darkness of our ignorance. Thus it is that, when conditions for the teaching of birth in the Pure Land had matured, Devadatta provoked Ajatasatru to commit grave crimes. And when the opportunity arose for explaining the pure act by which Birth (in the Pure Land) is settled, Shakyamuni led Vaidehi to select the land of peace. In their selfless love, these incarnated ones - Devadatta, Ajatasatru, Vaidehi - all aspired to save the multitudes of beings from pain and affliction, and in His compassion, Shakyamuni, the great hero, sought indeed to bless those committing the five grave offenses, those slandering the Dharma, and those lacking the seed of Buddhahood. We know, therefore, that the auspicious Name embodying the perfectly fulfilled supreme virtues is true wisdom that transforms our evil into virtue, and that the diamond-like shinjin so difficult to accept is true reality that sweeps away doubt and brings us to attainment of Enlightenment”.[2]

The Contemplation Sutra was taught in the same time with the Lotus Sutra (in reference to sections 1 and section 33)

 

Fragment from my Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. It is a work in progress and under constant revision. Click here to read the other chapters.

“Then the World-honored One returned to Vulture Peak through the air. There Ananda fully explained to the assembly what had happened. Innumerable humans, devas, nagas, yakṣas, and all other beings greatly rejoiced to hear the Buddha’s teaching. Having worshiped the World-honored One, they departed.”[1]
 
The last section reminds us of the beginning of the Contemplation Sutra where we are told that Shakyamuni was already teaching another sutra on Vulture Peak when Vaidehi asked for His help:
 
“Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying on Vulture Peak in Rajagṛha with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty monks. He was also accompanied by thirty-two thousand Bodhisattvas led by Manjusri, the Dharma Prince.”[2]
 
After these first lines, we are told about the events related with Ajatasatru, king Bimbisara and Queen Vaidehi who, while she was confined in the palace by her son, turned her attention to the direction of Vulture Peak:

The transmission of the teaching of the Contemplation Sutra (section 32)

Fragment from my Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. This is a work in progress and under constant revision. Click here to read the other chapters.

“Then Ananda rose from his seat, stepped forward, and said to the Buddha, ‘World-honoured One, what should we call this sutra and how should we receive and retain the essentials of its teaching?’

The Buddha answered, ‘Ananda, this sutra is called the ‘Visualization of the Land of Utmost Bliss of Buddha Amitayus and of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta.’ It is also called the ‘Purification and Elimination of Karmic Hindrances for Attaining Birth in the Presence of All Buddhas.’ Hold fast to this sutra and do not forget it. Those who practice this samadhi will be able to see, during their lifetime, Buddha Amitayus and the two Mahasattvas. If good men or women simply hear the Name of this Buddha or the names of those two Bodhisattvas, the evil karma that would bind them to birth and death for innumerable kalpas will be extinguished.

And so, how much more merit will they acquire if they concentrate on them! You should know that all who are mindful of that Buddha are like white lotus flowers among humankind; Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta become their good friends. They will sit in the seat of Enlightenment and be born into the family of the Buddhas.’ 

The Buddha further said to Ananda, ‘Bear these words well in mind. To bear these words in mind means to hold fast to the Name of Buddha Amitayus (Amida).”

When the Buddha had spoken thus, Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, Venerable Ananda, Vaidehi, and all the others greatly rejoiced to hear the Buddha’s discourse.”[1] 

Benefits gained by the audience of the Contemplation Sutra (section 31)

Fragment from my Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. It is a work in progress and under constant revision. Click here to read the other chapters.

“As the Buddha delivered these words, Vaidehi and her five hundred female attendants listened to His teaching. Having envisioned the boundless features of the Land of Utmost Bliss, of Buddha Amitayus (Amida), and of the two Bodhisattvas, Vaidehi rejoiced in her heart. Wonder-struck at this revelation, she attained great awakening with clarity of mind and insight into the non-arising of all dharmas (phenomena). Her five hundred female attendants awakened aspiration for highest, perfect Enlightenment and desired to be born in that land.
The World-honored One gave them all assurances that they would be born there and that they would then gain the samadhi of being in the presence of all the Buddhas. Innumerable devas (gods) also awakened aspiration for highest Enlightenment”.[1]
 
As I mentioned previously, Vaidehi entrusted herself to Amida and was helped by His and Shakyamuni’s Power to attain various spiritual realisations. This time it’s mentioned that “she attained great awakening with clarity of mind and insight into the non-arising of all dharmas (phenomena)”. Also, her five hundred female attendants received faith(shinjin) which is itself the Bodhi Mind - aspiration to attain Enlightenment for oneself and all beings. Thus, they entered the stage of definite assurance, also called the stage of non-retrogression for birth in the centre of the Pure Land – this is the meaning of “the World-honored One gave them all assurances that they would be born there and that they would then gain the samadhi of being in the presence of all the Buddhas”. In this case, to be in the presence of all Buddhas means to become one of the Buddhas. Innumerable devas who listened to this sutra were either able to entrust to Amida and entered the same stage of non-retrogression for birth in the centre of the Pure Land or they started to create the karmic connections for birth into one of the various levels and grades of the border land.

to be continued 

(source of the image in the upper left https://erichuntington.org/?da_image=taima-mandala-denver) 

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[1] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.99

On the nine grades of birth in the border land of the Pure Land (sections 22 – 30)

            

Fragment from my Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. It is a work in progress and under constant revision. Click here to read the other chapters.

(last revised October 5th, 2025)

 As I previously explained based on Shinran Shonin’s reading of the Contemplation Sutra, those who reach the Pure Land through the 19^th Vow of Amida Buddha[1], that is, through the practices mentioned in this sutra, are born in the borderland of the Pure Land. This is because they still cling to their self-power and the idea of personal merits and personal transference of merits, while the followers of the Primal Vow (18^th Vow ) are born in the center of the Pure Land (Fulfilled Pure Land) due to their complete faith in the Power of Amida Buddha which makes them understand that all the merits necessary for birth in the Pure Land belong only to Amida.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MY LIFE by HOSHIN Fernando Rodríguez, member of Amidaji Sangha

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biographies of Amidaji members

Warm greetings to Josho Sensei, Daigan Sensei, and friends and members of Amidaji International Temple. My name is Fernando Rodriguez - Shaku HOSHIN (which means Treasure of Faith). I am a member of Amidaji thanks to the generosity of Josho Sensei and the ongoing support of Sensei Daigan and, at the time, Sebastian (Sensei Kosho).
I am 73 years old and live in Montevideo, Uruguay. I am a retired agricultural engineer, married with five children and five grandchildren.
 
The reason for writing this, at the request of Sensei Josho, which was conveyed to me by Sensei Daigan, is to give a brief summary of my life and, in particular, my spiritual quest.
 
My spiritual concerns began back in my distant twenties. My family has Christian roots, which is quite logical given my Western origin. However, even in that distant youth, many things about Christianity did not convince me, such as the idea that a person's final destiny was decided in the tiny space of time that is a human life.

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Namo Amida Bu

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