Summary of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha

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            Now, after so many pages in which I tried my best to explain in detail the elements of the Primal Vow, I would like to make a summary, so that you keep in mind its essentials.

Click on the highlighted words to go to the specific part of the Primal Vow related to them.

Basically, what Amida promised is this:

"If you sincerely and exclusively entrust yourself to me, say my Name in a relaxed manner, without being obsessed with numbers and special states of mind, and wish to be born in my land, then you will go there after death. If this will not happen, then it means I do not deserve to be called a Buddha, but you should not worry, because a Buddha always keeps His promises.

However, the fact that I save you so easily, does not mean that I agree with your evil deeds, so please try your best not to do the five gravest offences. Don’t worry, I will save you anyway, no matter what you do, but please try your best to avoid them.

Also, please notice that I really can’t save you if you slander the right Dharma, that is, if you deny my existence, and the existence of my Pure Land. If you do that, you are not actually entrusting yourself to me and do not wish to be born in my land, and the saying of my Name is false. Nobody can go to a place which he thinks it doesn’t exist and can’t be saved by someone whom he considers being an imaginary person. It’s logical, isn’t it? So, please entrust yourself to me as to a real, existing Buddha who manifested a Pure Land especially for you, wish to be born there after death, and say my Name.

I am awaiting you! Please come as you are!"

Image with the Wheel of Samsara - gift for Amidaji temple

Wheek of life in the Hondo

Today a precious gift arrived at Amidaji, sent by a Tibetan Dharma friend from Canada – a Bhavachakra or Wheel of Samsaric Existence. The image contains the following elements:

The pig, rooster and snake in the small circle in the middle of the wheel represent the three poisons of ignorance, attachment and aversion.

The second layer represents karma.

The third layer represents the six realms of samsara: hells, pretas (hungry spirits), animals, humans, asuras (demi-gods), gods.

The fierce figure holding the wheel represents impermanence.

In the upper right we can see Shakyamuni Buddha pointing to the image in the upper left, where there is Amida Buddha and His Pure Land. The images of the Two Honored Ones are outside of the Wheel of Samsara, as they are free from the repeated births and deaths. Shakyamuni pointing the finger towards Amida means that escape from Samsara is possible through faith in Him and aspiration to be born in His Pure Land.

As this image will now be part of Amidaji temple, I will integrate it in the Jodo Shinshu context, and  also use it as a tool for teaching basic Buddhist doctrines.

Visitors and members will receive more in depth explanations of each fragment of the Wheel of Samsaric existence. The image was placed in the Hondo (Dharma Hall) of Amidaji.

A detailed explanation of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha

In this category of articles I intend to offer you a somewhat new and more in-depth explanation of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha, besides the one I already did many years ago.

"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. Excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses and those who slander the right Dharma." (The Primal Vow of Amida Buddha)

1) The meaning of "if when I attain Buddhahood [...] may I not attain the supreme Enlightenment"

2) The meaning of "sentient beings of the ten quarters"

3) The meaning of "sincerely entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and say my Name perhaps even ten times"

4) The so called "exclusion" in the Primal Vow - "excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses and those who slander the right Dharma"

5) Summary of the Primal Vow 

Update:  

this series of articles is now part of chapter "The 48 Vows of Amida Buddha" from my 

Commentary on the Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life

The so called “exclusion” in the Primal Vow: „excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses and those who slander the right Dharma."

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

-  updated and revised on September 22nd 2019 - 

"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. Excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses and those who slander the right Dharma."

(The Primal Vow of Amida Buddha)

Many people that come in contact with the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha experience two types of reactions: they are happy when reading the all-inclusive message in the first part, but they get unsure right after reading the last sentence: "excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses[1] and those who slander the right Dharma”.

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:

Elements of genuine faith: 1) Accepting the actual, literal existence of Amida Buddha and His Pure Land

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Without accepting the actual, literal existence of Amida Buddha there can be no true faith, no true salvation and no real birth in His Pure Land. If we have faith in someone, then it means we are sure beyond any doubt that he is reliable and that he will keep his promise. Also to believe in someone’s promise means that we accept his existence, too. Promises can be made by living persons, in our case by a living, existing Amida Buddha, not by material objects or fictional characters[1]. Thus, we must accept Amida as a living Buddha who can hear, see and save us by taking us to His Pure Land after death.

Honen Shonin said:

"Amida Buddha fulfilled the forty-eight vows and established the Pure Land. He always listens to a person who utters His name".[2]

„Amida Buddha never fails to hear you, regardless of time and circumstances”.[3]

He also said:

Elements of genuine faith: 2) To accept the story of Amida Buddha as told by Shakyamuni Buddha in the Larger Sutra

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This sutra explains the apparition of Amida and His Pure Land in terms of cause and effect[1] and cannot be denied, especially because Shakyamuni's main reason of coming to this world was to teach this sutra:

“To reveal the true teaching: It is the Larger Sutra of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. The central purport of this sutra is that Amida, by establishing the incomparable Vows, has opened wide the Dharma storehouse, and full of compassion for small, foolish beings, selects and bestows the treasure of virtues. The sutra further reveals that Shakyamuni appeared in this world and expounded the teachings of the way to Enlightenment, seeking to save the multitudes of living beings by blessing them with this benefit that is true and real[2]. Thus, to teach the Tathagata’s Primal Vow is the true intent of this sutra; the Name of the Buddha is its essence”[3].

“The Larger Sutra reveals the true teaching. It is indeed the right exposition for which the Tathagata appeared in the world, the wondrous scripture rare and most excellent, the conclusive and ultimate exposition of the One Vehicle[4], the precious words disclosing perfect, instantaneous fulfillment, the sincere words praised by all the Buddhas throughout the ten quarters, the true teaching in consummate readiness for the beings of this day. Let this be known”[5].