The Name of Amida Buddha is the Great Practice

- updated on January 21st 2017 - 

Amida Buddha

          In chapter II of his Kyogyoshinsho, Shinran defines the great practice:

"When I humbly contemplate the 'going forth' aspect of Amida’s merit transference, I realize that there are great practice and great faith. The great practice is to call the Name of the Tathagata of Unhindered Light (Amida Buddha). This practice contains all good and roots of virtue, and is perfectly accomplished and most eficacious in bringing about liberation. It is the treasure-sea of merits of true suchness, ultimate reality. For this reason, it is called great practice.

This practice comes from the vow of great compassion, the Seventeenth Vow, which is called the Vow that the Name shall be glorified by all the Buddhas. It is also called the Vow that the Name shall be praised by all the Buddhas, and the Vow that the Name shall be lauded by all the Buddhas. Further, it can be called the Vow accomplishing the going-forth aspect of merit transference, and also the Vow of the Nembutsu chosen from among many practices.'

Concerning the vow that the Name shall be praised by all the Buddhas, the Larger Sutra states:

'If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the lands of the ten directions should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.'

The Ten Benefits of faith in Amida during this life: 7. The benefit of having great joy in our hearts

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The Ten Benefits in this Life of a Person who 
has Faith in Amida Buddha

The receiving of faith (shinjin) is equivalent with escaping a great burden. We know that we’ll become Buddhas in the Pure Land of Amida, no matter our present situation. This joy is like the relief you feel when a great burden is taken from your shoulders, and indeed there is no greater burden than to be unenlightened and a slave of samsaric existence. The burden of your liberation is carried by the Buddha called Amida, who already crossed the Path for you. Anybody who carries a great burden is happy when that is taken away from him, so you can be happy or feel relief when you first entrust to Amida Buddha, if attaining Buddhahood or final liberation from birth and death is the most important matter for you. However, this doesn’t mean that hour by hour, minute to minute, second to second, you will think on Amida or feel a continuous joy as to jump in the air. Our lives are in such a way that we can always be overwhelmed by daily problems and worries. But its ok, its simply ok to be like this. We are not compelled to always jump with joy because we are saved by Amida. Despite of this, the salvation of Amida is always present, as our simple faith in Him remains with us since we first received it in our hearts. I usually explain that faith, once received, becomes like breathing, always being there although you don’t always express it consciously. We don’t always feel our breathing, but this doesn’t mean that breathing doesn’t exist. Sometimes we feel it better when, for example, we are fascinated by the clear air of the mountains or of a beautiful morning and we take long and deep breaths, while some other time we are too hurried and busy in our daily life to concentrate on it.

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.

The Ten Benefits of faith in Amida during this life: 8.The benefit of being aware of Amida’s benevolence and of responding in gratitude to His virtues; 9.The benefit of constantly practicing great compassion

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The Ten Benefits in this Life of a Person 
who has Faith in Amida Buddha

As I explained at the chapter related with the Primal Vow, faith gives us two kinds of awareness:

1) that we are people of deep karmic limitations, incapable to attain Buddhahood through our own power; and

2) that only Amida Buddha can save us through His Vow Power (Other Power), without asking anything from us.

The repeated births and deaths of samsaric existence are not a matter of mythology but a real danger for the unenlightend beings and the most important problem to be solved while we are still enjoying the rare karmic circumstance of being born a human being and meeting Amida Dharma. If the follower deeply realizes that samsara is not the place where he should build himself a destiny, but a never-ending cycle of momentary or false hapiness and disatisfaction, and that he cannot escape from it through his own powers, he may reach the point when  he accepts Amida Buddha’s helping hand that is extended to him.

In the next passages we see  how Shinran expressed his awareness of Amida’s benevolence after he received faith:

Is Amida Buddha a real person or a symbol/metaphor?

the altar of Amidaji temple

- fragment from a letter to a friend - 

Question: Is Amida a symbol or metaphor for Wisdom and Compassion? Some scholars nowadays support this idea.

Answer: Those scholars are wrong. Amida Buddha is NOT a symbol or metaphor for Wisdom and Compassion, but a real, existing Enlightened Person possessing Infinite Wisdom and Compassion. 

I always insist on the actual, literal existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land because without realizing and accepting this existence, faith of unenlightened people becomes abstract and false. There can be no real faith without a real object of faith – in our case, Amida Buddha.

If you can’t say it to yourself and others that the object of your faith is a real, living Buddha, then you don’t have faith. No matter how great scholar you are, if your knowledge and study has not simplified your faith, and if you can’t talk about faith in simple terms, then you don’t have faith.

The meaning of "sincerely entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and say my Name, perhaps even ten times" from the Primal Vow

            - click to return to A Detailed Explanation of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha - 

"If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings of the ten quarters who sincerely entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and say my Name perhaps even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain the supreme Enlightenment." 
Primal Vow of Amida Buddha 

One who is sincerely in love will say „I love you” often or seldom, and wish to be with the person he loves. Similarly, a person who sincerely entrusts to Amida Buddha will express his faith by saying the Name of Amida and wish to be born in His Pure Land. It’s as simple as that.

Feelings of love are automaticaly expressed with words of affection, just like faith in Amida will manifest as Namo Amida Bu (Nembutsu). Thus, we can say that the Nembutsu and wish to be born in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha are expressions or manifestations of faith. One who has faith or „sincerely entrusts” to Amida will certainly say His Name and desire to be with Him in His Pure Land. This is why Shinran Shonin said that faith (shinjin) is the cause of birth in the Pure Land and subsequent attainment of Nirvana:

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 7. The answer to the Call of Buddha Amida

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1.Like the sun who sends its rays everywhere, Amida is calling all beings to entrust to Him; nevertheless some people close the windows of their minds and hearts while others keep them open. But even if you open your window, the rays of light belong to the sun, and not to yourself. It is the same with faith.

2.It is because of Amida that one entrusts to Amida. The echo of Amida's Call in one's heart (faith) is due to the power of the One who calls (Amida).

Some people become open to this Call while others don't. Your openness depends on how karmically mature you are in relation to this Call, which is why in our school we are asked to listen again and again to Amida Dharma until we finally become open to it.

Honen’s one-page testament

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

"The method of final salvation that I have propounded is neither a sort of meditation, such as has been practiced by many scholars in China and Japan, nor is it a repetition of the Buddha's name by those who have studied and understood the deep meaning of it. It is nothing but the mere repetition of the 'Namo Amida Butsu,' without a doubt of His mercy, whereby one may be born into the Land of Perfect Bliss. 
The mere repetition with firm faith includes all the practical details, such as the threefold preparation of mind and the four practical rules. If I as an individual had any doctrine more profound than this, I should miss the mercy of the Two Honorable Ones, Amida and Shakyamuni, and be left out of the Vow of the Amida Buddha. 
Those who believe this, though they clearly understand all the teachings Shakyamuni taught throughout His whole life, should behave themselves like simple-minded folks, who know not a single letter, or like ignorant nuns or monks whose faith is implicitly simple. 
Thus without pedantic airs, they should fervently practice the repetition of the Name of Amida, and that alone."[1]

Commentary:

On doubts and fears

Question: “How does the person of Nembutsu, who has received shinjin, deal with the ‘demon’ of doubt that resurfaces after the believer has received and experienced the blessings of true entrusting from Amida Buddha? 

As foolish beings, our Saha world minds are prone to delusion and ‘doubt’. That is part of our hopeless condition as bonbu. Perhaps those who have doubt after receiving shinjin are loved all the more by Amida Nyorai, because Amida recognizes the great need to embrace these hopeless, helpless beings in their delusional state of doubt. A Chinese Pure Land Master once said, “You may not ever doubt Buddha Amitabha (Amida), but, you will doubt yourself.” (I realize that those who have shinjin have Amida’s own faith through His merit transference to us, and that Amida Buddha cannot doubt himself).

At some level, most Westerners, who are converts from some form of Christianity, know they are ‘risking their very eternal lives’ (souls?) to receive, and possibly transmit, the Dharma of our school of Buddhism.

Topics of examination for those who want to become lay teachers or monks and nuns in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

Here are some topics for study and examination in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, especially useful for those who want to become lay teachers or monks and nuns. The candidate is required to use passages from the sacred texts in support of his or her explanations. You can start with any topic as the order is not important.

1) What is samsara? The illusory nature of samsara.

2) There is no creator god, ruler and judge of the world. The incompatibility of belief in a monotheistic god and Buddhism. Why those who believe in a creator god cannot have true faith in Amida Buddha? Difference between the so-called gods of monotheistic religions and Amida Buddha.

3) Buddhist explanations on the origin and existence of the universe.

4) The Buddhist teaching on rebirth.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Here is a collection of articles posted on this website. For more articles, books, photos, and news please look at the navbar and on the left and right columns.

I. BUDDHIST EXPLANATIONS OF THE WORLD
There is no supreme creator god in the Buddha Dharma
Some Buddhist explanations on the origin and existence of the universe
Two questions on Buddha-nature and Samsara
Belief in a creator god is an obstacle to shinjin (faith in Amida Buddha)
The six realms of samsaric existence

II. KARMA
The Buddhist teaching on man, rebirth, and karma
The influence of past karma and the impossibility of becoming a Buddha in this life
Karmic evils do not create hindrance to birth in the Pure Land

III. ARTICLES ABOUT AMIDA BUDDHA AND HIS PURE LAND
About Amida Buddha and His Pure Land
The Story of Amida Buddha as told by Shakyamuni Buddha
The Infinite Life of Amida Buddha - explanation of the 13th Vow
The Infinite Life of Amida Buddha - explanation of the 12th Vow
The Three Bodies (Aspects) of Amida Buddha
Master T'an-luan on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land
The Relation between the Doctrine of the "Two Buddha Bodies" and "Three Buddha Bodies" (Trikaya) of Amida Buddha
Amida as the eternal Buddha and the Buddha described in the Larger Sutra
Amida is not an abstract concept but a living Buddha
Those who deny the existence of Amida don't have shinjin - some simple explanations
Amida is a real Buddha - video teaching by Paul Roberts
Honen Shonin on Amida Buddha
 The Safe Enlightened Realm of Amida Buddha
The Pure Land in the teaching of Jodo Shinshu
The manifestations of the Pure Land - short explanations of the 32nd Vow of Amida Buddha
The Pure Land of Amida reveals in its Light all the Buddha lands - explanation of the 31st Vow of Amida Buddha
The two aspects of the Pure Land
Trees of Enlightenment
The reason for the western location of the Pure Land and its wonderful description in the sutras
Does the Pure Land really exists?
What part of our mind goes to the Pure Land?

IV. SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA
The purpose of Shakyamuni Buddha's coming to this world
The smartest guy in the room

V. THREE DHARMA AGES
The three Dharma ages
Jodo Shinshu - the only effective path in this last Dharma age

VI. SHINJIN (FAITH) AND NEMBUTSU
Aspiration to become a Buddha - the most important matter
Don't rely on "all beings will eventually become Buddhas"
Entering the Jodo Shinshu Path
Only for me, Shinran
The miracle of Jodo Shinshu
Our Path is simple
The effect is similar to the cause - difference between the Path of self-power and the Pure Land Path
Concentrate exclusively on Amida Buddha
What is the meaning of faith (shinjin) and nembutsu
Nembutsu of faith and gratitude
The dream world and the nembutsu of faith
All Buddhas praise the Name of Amida Buddha - explanation of the 17th Vow
Three Vows of salvation - explanation of the 18th, 19th and 20th Vows of Amida Buddha
The so called "exclusion" in the Primal Vow of Amida
Birth in the borderland of the Pure Land - commentary on the 17th chapter of Tannisho
No discrimination of women in the salvation of Amida Buddha - explanation of the 35th Vow
The peace and happiness of shinjin - explanation of the 33rd Vow
Equal to Maitreya Buddha
Shinjin is not mind created
On doubts and fears
Question: How can one know that he received shinjin if he has no access to a temple and priest?
Just say the Name in faith
Nembutsu does not work because of us
Faith is simple, nothing special
Shinjin: knowing, not experiencing
Do not rely on your spiritual evolution
Realizing our limitations in daily life
Don't play smart in Samsara
Jump in the arms of Amida
Do not worry about wandering thoughts
About your thoughts and bad tendencies that do not stop after receiving shinjin
How can the ego become a Buddha?
The ten benefits in this life of a nembutsu follower
Shinjin and Buddha-nature
Merit transference from Amida Buddha to the practitioner
Faith and nembutsu are not our creations
Two questions on "faith and nembutsu are not our creation"
Question: discrimination in the saving activity of Amida?
The alaya storehouse consciousness and faith in Amida Buddha
Repentance in Jodo Shinshu
"Good" for birth in the Pure Land
Those who deny the existence of Amida don't have shinjin (faith)
Enjoy the taste of nembutsu
Four misconceptions concerning the nembutsu
Self power as obstacle to nembutsu
Many recitations of nembutsu - a question
Saying nembutsu as many times as we like - a story
No meditation, just nembutsu
We cannot mix nembutsu with zazen
No zazen here for this ignorant man
Nembutsu recitation (audio)
Difference between Jodoshu and Jodo Shinshu
Complete peace of mind

VII. DIVERGENCES FROM THE JODO SHINSHU TEACHING
If nembutsu is true and real
If Amida's Primal Vow is true...
What do I mean by "modern heresies"?
Belief in a creator god is an obstacle to shinjin
The story of Amida Buddha as told by Shakyamuni
My responsibility
An example of the false teachings of Kiyozawa Manshi
Guard the gates of the temple
Do not use Amida Dharma for worldly matters
Official position of Hongwanji on the matter of after death birth in the Pure Land
Amida is not an abstract concept, but a living Buddha
Notes on the 16th European Shinshu Conference
Those who deny the existence of Amida don't have shinjin - some simple explanations
The reason for the western location of the Pure Land and its wonderful description in the sutras
The Pure Land in the teaching of Jodo Shinshu
Honen Shonin on Amida Buddha
Amida is a real Buddha - video teaching by Paul Roberts
Build barricades of true Shinshu Dharma in your own town and country
Against the view that the Pure Land sutras are not Shakyamuni's teaching, but a later invention
Does the Pure Land really exists?
Next European Shinshu Conference supposed to be held in Romania was cancelled
Exclusion from the German sangha due to my uncompromising attitude against modern divergences
Which teachers are actually worth listening to?
A Dharma dialogue on modern divergences from the Jodo Shinshu teaching
More on modern divergences from the Jodo Shinshu teaching
A book by Unno is denied access to the library of Tariki Dojo
Reactions to my criticism of Unno's writing (part1)
Reactions to my criticism of Unno's writing (part2)
Against Shigaraki's false teachings
Kobai Sensei's statement (video): Amida is a true and real Buddha, not a fictional character
Reactions against Kobai Sensei's statement and my answers (part1)
Reactions against Kobai Sensei's statement and my answers (part2)
Some discussions on the nature of Amida Buddha
Letter to a non-Jodo Shinshu friend about modern heresies and respect for all Buddhist schools

VIII. LISTENING THE TEACHING
A few verses on the right attitude of hearing the Amida Dharma
Rennyo Shonin on sangha - what can we learn from him
Listen deeply - video teaching by Paul Roberts
It is difficult...
Do not place your teacher on a pedestal
A test for your understanding of the Jodo Shinshu teaching

IX. DEATH AND IMPERMANENCE
You are not your body
Shinjin is freedom from death
Immediate Buddhahood for ordinary people without passing through Bardo
State of mind in the moment of death
Question: what part of our mind goes to the Pure Land?
Because you are an ordinary person
On the "here and now" slogan
Again on the "here and now" slogan
Do NOT have patience
Time for practice
The meaning of Obon - festival of the dead
Death barrier
Brutal awareness
Intense awareness of impermanence
Disgusted with Samsara
On "White Ashes"
Solve the matter of death and after-death now

X. ETHICS/PRECEPTS AND JODO SHINSHU
No self-improving programs for Jodo Shinshu followers
The meaning of "there are no precepts"
Words of Rennyo useful for meat eaters
Again on Jodo Shinshu ethics

XI. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
The right attitude of mind when working for Amidaji
A vision with Amida Buddha
Enjoy the presence of the Buddhas
Sincere letter to a nice and virtuous Buddhist practitioner
Ordination as a way to the lower realms or the Pure Land
Thoughts on what is really important and joy of being a priest
Why do I shave my head
Chanting in the middle of personal chaos
The only path for me
I was a "good" Buddhist
The most important words for me

XII. PARABLES AND STORIES
The parable of the two rivers and the white path
A story of Shinran's meeting with a hungry ghost

XIII. DOJO/TEMPLE
Articles, news and photos related with the construction of Amidaji temple
Guard the gates of the temple
Beyond physical and ideological barriers
Sangha as spiritual friendship
Question: are gay and lesbians welcomed in the dojo or temple?
The nembutsu meetings in the Romanian Jodo Shinshu sangha
Rules of the dojo/temple
Why do we need discipline in a dojo or temple?
Traditional respect toward one's teacher

AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 12. The Three Refuges

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1.As disciples of Amida and all Buddhas, our only refuge is Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. When we enter the Buddhist Path and we are welcomed in the community of believers (Sangha) we say the Three Refuges with faith and devotion: „I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha”.

2.For us who follow Amida Dharma or the Dharma Gate of birth in the Pure Land, to take refuge in the Buddha means to take refuge in Amida Buddha. Only through Him can we attain Buddhahood in the Pure Land as He is the only Buddha among all Buddhas who made the Vow of saving everybody, no matter their spiritual capacities.

3.By taking refuge in Amida, we automatically honor and take refuge in Shakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher who showed us the path of Amida Dharma (His main reason for coming into this world) and in all Buddhas in the ten directions, as they all encourage us, teach us and guide us to entrust to Amida Buddha.

The difference between those born in the Pure Land in the embryonic form and those born by transformation – commentary on sections 43, 44 and 45 of the Larger Sutra

A palace for those of the embryonic
birth - Larger Sutra Mandala

fragment from my commentary on the Larger Sutra

- this is a work in progress and under constant revision -  

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            In these sections Shakyamuni Buddha explains the causes and characteristics of two types of beings born in the Pure Land: 1) those born in “the embryonic state” and 2) those “born by transformation”.

I already explained the Primal Vow (18^th) in detail and showed that faith in Amida’s Power is the cause of birth in the Pure Land. However, the situation is that not all practitioners are able to give up entirely the attachment to their personal power in reaching birth in the Pure Land:

“If there are sentient beings who do various meritorious deeds, aspiring for birth in that land while still entertaining doubt, such beings are unable to comprehend the Buddha wisdom, inconceivable wisdom, ineffable wisdom, boundless Mahayana wisdom, and incomparable, unequalled, and unsurpassed supreme wisdom. Although they doubt these wisdoms, they still believe in retribution for evil and reward for virtue and so cultivate a store of merit, aspiring for birth in that land.’Such beings are born in a palace, where they dwell for five hundred years without being able to behold the Buddha, hear his exposition of the Dharma, or see the hosts of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. For this reason, that type of birth in the Pure Land is called the ‘embryonic state.’”

Belief in a creator god is an obstacle to faith in Amida Buddha

click here to listen the audio version on my youtube channel

Please, read carefully the other articles in this category:

 - There is no creator god in the Buddha Dharma

- Some Buddhist teachings on the origin and existence of the universe

- Two questions on the Buddha nature and Samsara

Question[1]:

“A lot of folks who end up in Shin Buddhism here in the West have a lot of vestigial concepts from our Abrahamic background - whether or not they were ever "believers" [in God] themselves.  And they carry those vestigial ideas with them when they start in as Buddhists. Some don't do that of course - particularly the ones who are given to serious study, and really consider it important to know what Shakyamuni actually taught.  But as you know from your time in both the Zen and Shin Sanghas, such study is often not the primary focus - or even as great a focus as it is in the Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist Sangha groups. […]

So, in your opinion, based on your own reading and contemplating, is it possible for an ignorant, yet well meaning person to come to settled shinjin (faith) if he or she has never actually studied the subject[2], and has some mixed up ideas about eternalism stuck in his mind stream? Or is the presence of such thoughts a necessary karmic obstacle that must directly be addressed and removed before the person can receive Amida's gift of shinjin?”

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.