TANNISHO (歎 異 抄)
A RECORD IN LAMENT OF DIVERGENCES
This heart-felt teaching, lamenting the divergences from the Path of True Faith (Shinjin – 信 心) in Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, was written by Shinran Shonin’s direct disciple Yuien-Bo, after the Venerable Master’s going forth to The Pure Land. In order that the wrong views, often propagated during his time and today, be set right, through this record of deviations, Yuien has poignantly listed some of the common tendencies and heretical views, that are contrary to Master Shinran’s teachings.
PART ONE, consisting of articles 1 to 10, clearly and resolutely, describes the essential teachings of Shin Buddhism, while,
PART TWO, consisting of articles 11 to 18, laments on prevalence of divergences from the True Teachings.
Let us listen deeply to the Tannisho, as we read through this wonderful text. We should be ever mindful, not to fall into the trap, of false teachers and ‘smart’ scholars, who are out there in large numbers, preaching these appalling divergences, that certainly prevent would-be seekers, from receiving Amida’s gift of Shinjin.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: We are reading this important writing, directly from this English translation:
The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series,
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997.
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PART ONE
Preface
As I humbly reflect on the past [when the late master was alive] and the present, in my foolish mind, I cannot but lament the divergences from the true shinjin, that he conveyed by speaking to us directly, and I fear there are doubts and confusions, in the way followers receive, and transmit the teaching. For how is entrance, into the single gate of easy practice possible, unless we happily come to rely on a true teacher, whom conditions bring us to encounter? Let there be, not the slightest distortion of the teaching of Other Power, with words of an understanding based on personal views.
Here, then, I set down in small part, the words spoken by the late Shinran Shonin, that remain deep in my mind, solely to disperse the doubts of fellow practicers.
1
“Saved by the inconceivable working of Amida’s Vow, I shall realize birth in the Pure Land”: the moment you entrust yourself thus to the Vow, so that the mind set upon saying the nembutsu arises within you, you are immediately brought to share, in the benefit of being grasped by Amida, never to be abandoned.
Know that the Primal Vow of Amida, makes no distinction between people young and old, good and evil; only shinjin is essential. For it is the Vow, to save the person, whose karmic evil is deep and grave, and whose blind passions abound.
Thus, for those who entrust themselves to the Primal Vow, no good acts are required, because no good surpasses the nembutsu. Nor need they despair of the evil they commit, for no evil can obstruct the working of Amida’s Primal Vow.
Thus were his words
2
Each of you has come to see me, crossing the borders of more than ten provinces, at the risk of your life, solely with the intent of asking, about the path to birth in the land of bliss. But if you imagine in me, some special knowledge of a path to birth other than the nembutsu, or of scriptural writings that teach it, you are greatly mistaken. If that is the case, since there are many eminent scholars in the southern capital of Nara, or on Mount Hiei to the north, you would do better to meet with them, and inquire fully about the essentials for birth.
As for me, I simply accept and entrust myself, to what my revered teacher told me, “Just say the nembutsu and be saved by Amida”; nothing else is involved.
I have no idea whether the nembutsu is truly the seed for my being born in the Pure Land, or whether it is the karmic act, for which I must fall into hell. Should I have been deceived by Master Honen, and, saying the nembutsu, were to fall into hell, even then, I would have no regrets.
The reason is, if I could attain Buddhahood by endeavoring in other practices, but said the nembutsu and so fell into hell, then I would feel regret, at having been deceived. But I am incapable of any other practice, so hell is decidedly my abode, whatever I do.
If Amida’s Primal Vow is true, Shakyamuni’s teaching cannot be false. If the Buddha’s teaching is true, Shan-tao’s commentaries cannot be false. If Shan-tao’s commentaries are true, can Honen’s words be lies? If Honen’s words are true, then surely what I say cannot be empty.
Such, in the end, is how this foolish person entrusts himself [to the Vow]. Beyond this, whether you take up the nembutsu, or whether you abandon it, is for each of you to determine.
Thus were his words
3
Even a good person attains birth in the Pure Land, so it goes without saying, that an evil person will.
Though it is so, people commonly say, “Even an evil person attains birth, so it goes without saying, that a good person will.” This statement may seem well founded at first, but it runs counter to the intent of the Primal Vow, which is Other Power. This is because people who rely on doing good, through their self-power, fail to entrust themselves wholeheartedly, to Other Power, and therefore not in accord with Amida’s Primal Vow, but when they overturn the mind of self-power, and entrust themselves to Other Power, they will attain birth in the true and fulfilled land.
It is impossible for us, who are possessed of blind passions, to free ourselves from birth-and-death, through any practice whatever. Sorrowing at this, Amida made the Vow, the essential intent of which is the evil person’s attainment of Buddhahood. Hence, evil persons who entrust themselves to Other Power, are precisely the ones who possess the true cause of birth.
Accordingly he said, “Even the good person is born in the Pure Land, so without question, is the person who is evil”
4
Concerning compassion, there is a difference between the Path of Sages, and the Pure Land Path.
Compassion in the Path of Sages is to pity, commiserate with, and care for beings. It is extremely difficult, however, to accomplish the saving of others, just as one wishes.
Compassion in the Pure Land Path, should be understood, as first attaining Buddhahood quickly through saying the nembutsu, and, with the mind of great love and compassion, freely benefiting sentient beings as one wishes.
However much love and pity we may feel in our present lives, it is hard to save others as we wish; hence, such compassion remains unfulfilled. Only the saying of the nembutsu, then, is the mind of great compassion that is thoroughgoing.
Thus were his words
5
As for me, Shinran, I have never said the nembutsu even once, for the repose of my departed father and mother. For all sentient beings, without exception, have been our parents and brothers and sisters, in the course of countless lives in the many states of existence. On attaining Buddhahood after this present life, we can save every one of them.
Were saying the nembutsu indeed a good act, in which I strove through my own powers, then I might direct the merit thus gained towards saving my father and mother. But this is not the case.
If, however, simply abandoning self-power, we quickly attain enlightenment in the Pure Land, we will be able to save, by means of transcendent powers, first those with whom we have close karmic relations, whatever karmic suffering they may have sunk to, in the six realms through the four modes of birth.
Thus were his words
6
It appears that disputes have arisen, among followers of the sole practice of nembutsu, who argue that “these are my disciples” or “those are someone else’s disciples.” This is utterly senseless.
For myself, I do not have even a single disciple. For if I brought people to say the nembutsu, through my own efforts, then they might be my disciples. But it is indeed preposterous, to call persons “my disciples” when they say the nembutsu, having received the working of Amida.
We come together, when conditions bring us to meet, and part when conditions separate us. In spite of this, some assert, that those who say the nembutsu, having turned from one teacher to follow another, cannot attain birth. This is absurd. Are they saying, that they will take back the shinjin given by Amida, as if it belonged to them? Such a claim should never be made.
If one comes to be in accord with, the spontaneous working of the Vow (jinen), one will awaken to the benevolence of the Buddha, and of one’s teachers.
Thus were his words
7
The nembutsu is the single path free of hindrances. Why is this? To practicers who have realized shinjin, the gods of the heavens and earth, bow in homage, and maras and non-Buddhists, present no obstruction. No evil act can bring about karmic results, nor can any good act equal the nembutsu.
Thus were his words
8
The nembutsu, for its practicers, is not a practice or a good act. Since it is not preformed, out of one’s own designs, it is not a practice. Since it is not good done through one’s own calculation, it is not a good act. Because it arises wholly from Other Power, and is free of self-power, for the practicer, it is not a practice, or a good act.
Thus were his words
9
“Although I say the nembutsu, the feeling of dancing with joy is faint with me, and I have no thought of wanting to go to the Pure Land quickly. How should it be [for a person of the nembutsu]?
When I asked the master this, he answered, “I, too, have had this question, and the same thought occurs to you, Yuien-bo!
“When I reflect deeply on it, by the very fact, that I do not rejoice at what should fill me with such joy, that I dance in the air and dance on the earth, I realize all the more, that my birth is completely settled. What suppresses the heart that, that should rejoice and keeps one from rejoicing, is the action of blind passions. Nevertheless, the Buddha, knowing this beforehand, called us ‘foolish beings possessed of blind passions’; thus, becoming aware that the compassionate Vow of Other Power, is indeed for the sake of ourselves, who are such beings, we find it all the more trustworthy.
“Further, having no thought of wanting to go to the Pure Land quickly, we think forlornly that we may die, even when we become slightly ill; this is the action of blind passions. It is hard for us to abandon this old home of pain, where we have been transmigrating, for innumerable kalpas down to the present, and we feel no longing for the Pure Land of peace, where we have yet to be born. Truly, how powerful our blind passions are! But though we feel reluctant to part from this world, at the moment our karmic bonds to this saha world run out, and helplessly we die, we shall go to that land. Amida pities especially the person, who has no thought of wanting to go to the Pure Land quickly. Reflecting on this, we feel the great Vow of great compassion, to be all the more trustworthy, and realize that our birth is settled.
“If we had the feeling of dancing with joy, and wishing to go to the Pure Land quickly, we might wonder, if we weren’t free of blind passions.
Thus were his words
10
Concerning the nembutsu, no working is true working. For it is beyond description, explanation, and conceptual understanding.
Thus the Master stated.
Here ends PART ONE of the Tannisho
PART TWO of the Tannisho, will be read in the next Chapter.
Namo Amida Butsu 南 無 阿 彌 陀 佛
Namo Amida Butsu 南 無 阿 彌 陀 佛
Namo Amida Butsu 南 無 阿 彌 陀 佛
callofboundlesscompassion 