She took his
advice, gave up the reading, and did nothing but call upon the sacred Name all
the rest of her life, till she at last attained Ojo (birth in the Pure Land).
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Honen Shonin and the nun in the Ninnaji temple
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Honen Shonin's letter to nun Shonyobo
“I am very sorry indeed to hear about Shonyobo’s illness. Having heard that she is ill, in fact seriously so, I should like to go and see her, and make sure whether she is going right on with the practice of the Nembutsu up to the very end; but especially so when I remember how often she used to call upon me to ask questions about the way of salvation. So as soon as word reached me, I at once wanted to go and see her. But I had just before that decided upon the special Nembutsu practice (Nembutsu retreat) for some days, and not to go out of my chamber for anything whatsoever. Now circumstances have so changed, that I am tempted to reverse my decision and go at once to see her. But on further reflection I have come to feel that, after all, it does not matter one way or the other about such interchanges of courtesy in this world, for the fact is that we are in danger anyway of becoming foolishly attached to these earthly bodies of ours. No matter who it is, no one stays forever here in this fleshly body. The only difference is that either I myself or someone else must be left behind and the other go first. Then if we think of the interval of time that will separate us, that too is uncertain. And even though they may call it long, at the longest it is only like a short dream. So no matter how many times I think it over, the more I am convinced that the thing to do is to think only of our meeting in the land of Amida Buddha where, as we sit upon our lotus flowers, the cares of this world will have all clear away, and we shall converse together about the scenes and events of our past lives.
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Simple explanations of shinjin (faith) coming from Amida Buddha (video)
Please watch these two video teachings on this topic and check the links bellow:
Friday, May 27, 2022
Selected teachings from Honen Shonin with commentary
Say the Nembutsu with an undivided mind
The transmission of the Nembutsu faith from Master Shantao to Master Honen
The superiority of the Nembutsu Path according to Honen Shonin
On people who cannot be saved by Amida Buddha
Self-power teachings and practices are not appropriate for our times
Honen's reason for the founding of a separate Pure Land school and my reason for founding Amidaji
Just say the Nembutsu without adding anything to it
On those who slander the exclusive Nembutsu practitioners
Don't listen to teachers who deny birth in the Pure Land through Nembutsu
The protection by Amida Buddha can reach only those who exclusively say His Name in faith
The Meaning of "no working is true working" in relation with our birth in the Pure Land
Do not mix Nembutsu with other practices
Faith, Nembutsu and aspirations are one
The number of Nembutsu recitations is not important as long as we rely on Amida's Power
The uniqueness and universality of Nembutsu
Focus on Amida's Name, not on your monkey mind
Do not despise other Buddhas, Dharma Gates and Buddhist teachings because you have faith in Amida
Nembutsu is the same no matter who says it
Goodness or badness are not the cause of birth into the Pure Land
Honen said the Nembutsu as if already saved by Amida
The determination of the true disciple of Amida Buddha
The cause for birth into the Pure Land may appear anytime
The need for oral instructions by a true teacher
Honen Shonin and the nun in the Ninnaji temple
Honen Shonin's letter to the nun Shonyobo
Kyo Amidabutsu (Shiro Amano) of Kawachi Province
The prostitute of Muro, a disciple of Honen Shonin
More will follow soon!
Monday, May 23, 2022
The origin of universe and humans in the Buddhist cosmology
Friday, May 20, 2022
Shinjin does NOT mean we realize the True Self (Buddha nature) of Amida is the same as ours (video)
Useful articles mentioned in the video: