A visitor from Northern Ireland to Amidaji

Today, Mr Iain Lee from Northern Ireland visited Amidaji temple. We made a service (Nembutsu with Amidakyo), and discussed the essentials of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching. We'll keep in touch and see each other soon.

As I clearly stated many times, Amidaji is an international temple, opened to anybody who wishes to learn the authentic (orthodox) Jodo Shinshu Dharma and receive shinjin  – simple faith in Amida Buddha. 

Last year we received visitors from Brasil and Japan. This year more people announced their visit. Amidaji is glad to receive anybody who comes with a sincere intention to listen to the Dharma.

Namo Amida Butsu

Do not worry about the salvation of your loved ones

One of my dearest Nembutsu friends wrote to me recently and expressed his worries about some of his deceased or living relatives who haven't received faith in Amida yet, and who might now dwell (or will be born after death) in various painful states of existence, even in hell. He was concerned that there is too much time left until he reaches the Pure Land and will be able to save them.

The following was my answer to him:

Dear M:

We never really know what others may become after they die. Certainly, if they did not have settled faith in Amida during their present life, they will not be reborn in the Pure Land and immediately attain Buddhahood. But this does not mean they will absolutely go to hell. The truth is we can never know what karma may manifest during their bardo (intermediary state between death and the next rebirth).

Don't do many things, just focus on the recquirements of the Primal Vow

Recently, a reader wrote to me:

"We do many things at our temple, we meditate, do various practices, so we never become bored. Why don't you do the same to attract new members?"

In His Primal Vow Amida Buddha mentioned that we should do three things only and exclusively, "entrust yourself to me, say my Name, and wish to be born in my land". All these three are expressed in the Nembutsu of faith.

Its a pity you are bored with the Primal Vow, and that you and your temple sangha are not focused on what Amida asks you to do.  If in the Primal Vow meditation was mentioned, then I would teach and practice meditation. But as only faith, nembutsu and wish to be born in the Pure Land are to be found there, I obey and limit myself to them. Please do the same if you wish to be born in the true fulfilled land of the Pure Land[1]. Our school is the school of the Primal Vow, so if you consider yourself a member, then be a follower of the Primal Vow.

Fund raising for strenghtening the library of Amidaji

the damage done to the library
by the storm, last year on November. It was repaired
in December

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE NEW UPGRADES AT THE TEMPLE 

As I said recently in my plan for this year, one of the most important thing to do is to strenghten the walls of Amidaji library and add a good roof like the one on the Hondo (Dharma Hall). This is extremely important, especially since the library was affected by a powerful storm last year in November, which almost destroyed it. I succesfully did some repair to it, in December, but I must continue to strenghten the wooden walls and fix them more strongly on the cement platform.

Sobre os fantasmas famélicos (seres famintos) que querem dominar os outros seres através da religião

traduzido do Inglês por Shaku Shinkai

- click here for the English version - 

“Aqueles que tomam refúgio com sinceridade e mente confiante, liberando a si mesmos de todos os apegos ilusórios e preocupações com o que é propício e impropício, nunca devem tomar refúgio nos espíritos ou nos ensinamentos não budistas.”[1]

Seres não iluminados são a causa kármica da existência dos reinos samsáricos não iluminados. Seus karmas individuais e coletivos manifestam estes reinos, mundos  e universos nos quais vivem. Ao contrário disso, seres Iluminados ou Budas, naturalmente e karmicamente manifestam Terras Puras ou reinos Iluminados. Se um assim chamado  “ser supremo” criou um mundo como o nosso, isto significa que ele não é iluminado, porque se o fosse, este mundo teria sido perfeito e habitado por seres perfeitamente iluminados. Buda Amida (e qualquer Buda!) não finge ser o criador deste mundo samsárico, apenas de sua Terra Pura Iluminada, para onde ele prometeu levar todos os seres samsáricos para a liberação final (Estado de Buda ou Nirvana).

New trees planted at Amidaji, construction plan for 2017 and a memorial for the donor of the temple's land

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE NEW UPGRADES AT THE TEMPLE 

click here for the Romanian version

planting a sycamore tree and a
maples tree in front of the Hondo
(Dharma Hall)

These days I planted the following trees, fruits and flowers in Amidaji courtyard:

2 sour-cherry trees, 3 hazel trees, 1 almond tree, 1 peach tree, 2 birch trees, 1 maple tree, 1 ash tree, 1 sycamore tree, as well as five blackberries, five raspberries, three blackcurrant, three redcurrant, seeds of blue morning glory on the west side of the land in the hope that they will quickly cover that fence. I hope all of them will go well. The whole courtyard of the temple will look better when the trees will make leaves.