靠 佛 力 成 佛
Entrusting ourselves to The Other-power
What is Other-power?… What is self-power?… Why we must rely solely on Other-power, for our escape from the vicious cycle of birth and death?….
These are the questions, that most seekers of truth have not carefully considered, when they diligently perform, self-power practices, to free themselves from the relentless onslaught of pain and suffering.
The Buddha Dharma has explained to us about the prevalence of suffering, the causes of suffering, the ending of suffering and the Right Path we should take, that would definitely lead us, to the end of suffering. Yet, being overwhelmed by our persistent ignorance and arrogance, very few of us, would listen deeply to the Sutras. We struggle in vain, with the difficult, self-power, meditative and non-meditative practices, which are completely unsuitable to our poor spiritual capacities, and utterly ineffective in the badly polluted environments, we now live in.
In letter 2 of his Mattosho (Lamp for the latter Ages), written in the year 1255, Venerable Master Shinran, clearly answers our questions, regarding Other-power and self-power.
Now, let us listen deeply, as we carefully read through this marvellous letter from Master Shinran in:
Response to Inquiry from Nembutsu People of Kasama
“According to Shin Buddhism, there are two kinds of people who seek birth in the Pure Land: those of Other Power and those of self-power. This has been taught by the Indian masters and Pure Land teachers.
Self-power is the effort to attain birth, whether by invoking the names of Buddhas other than Amida and practicing good acts other than the nembutsu, in accordance with your particular circumstances and opportunities; or by endeavoring to make yourself worthy through mending the confusion in your acts, words, and thoughts, confident of your own powers and guided by your own calculation.
Other Power is the entrusting of yourself to the Eighteenth among Amida Tathagata’s Vows, the Primal Vow of birth through the nembutsu, which Amida selected and adopted from among all other practices. Since this is the Vow of Tathagata, Honen said: “In Other Power, no working is true working.” “Working” [that is negated] is a term connoting calculation. Since the calculation of the person seeking birth is self-power, it is “working.”
Other Power is entrusting ourselves to the Primal Vow and our birth becoming firmly settled; hence it is altogether without one’s own working. Thus, on the one hand, you should not be anxious that Tathagata will not receive you because you do wrong. A foolish being is by nature possessed of blind passions, so you must recognize yourself as a being of karmic evil.
On the other hand, you should not think that you deserve to attain birth because you are good. You cannot be born into the true and real fulfilled land through such self-power calculation. I have been taught that with shinjin of self-power a person can attain birth only in the realm of indolence, the borderland, the womb-palace, or the city of doubt.
Through the fulfillment of the Eighteenth Primal Vow, Bodhisattva Dharmakara has become Amida Tathagata, and the benefit that surpasses conceptual understanding has come to transcend all bounds; to express this, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu uses the words, “Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters.”
Truly know, therefore, that without any differentiation between people good and bad, and regardless of one’s having a heart of blind passions, all beings are certain to attain birth. Describing the manner of entrusting in the nembutsu of the Primal Vow, Genshin, Master of Eshin-in, states in his Essentials for Attaining Birth: “It makes no difference whether you are walking, standing still, sitting, or reclining, nor is there a choice to be made among times, places, or other circumstances.” He affirms beyond question that the person who has attained true shinjin has been grasped by the compassionate light.
And so, Sakyamuni has taught, at the very moment that we, possessed of ignorance and blind passions, are born into the Pure Land of peace, we attain the supreme fruit of Buddhahood.
Yet, it is very rare that people of this corrupt world of the five defilements embrace the teaching of the one Buddha, Sakyamuni, alone, and for this reason al the Buddhas throughout the ten quarters, countless as the sands of the Ganges, have become witnesses to the attainment of birth through the nembutsu that embodies Amida’s Primal Vow.
This Master Shan-tao has written in his commentary. He explains that Sakyamuni, Amida, and the Buddhas of the ten quarters, all with the same mind, are no more apart from sentient beings of the nembutsu than shadows from things. Hence it is that Sakyamuni rejoices in persons of shinjin, saying, “They are my true companions.” Persons of shinjin are the true disciples of the Buddha; they are the ones who abide in right-mindedness. Since they have been grasped never to be abandoned, they are said to have attained the diamond-like mind.
They are called “the best among the best,” “excellent persons” “wondrous, excellent persons,” “the very finest persons,” “rare persons.” Such people have become established in the stage of the truly settled and are declared, therefore, to be the equal of Maitreya Buddha. This means that since they have realized true shinjin, they will necessarily be born in the true and real fulfilled land. You should know that this shinjin is bestowed through the compassionate means of Sakyamuni, Amida, and all the Buddhas in the quarters.
Therefore you should not disparage the teachings of other Buddhas or the people who perform good acts other than nembutsu. Neither should you despise those who scorn and slander people of nembutsu; rather, you should have compassion and care for them. This was Honen’s teaching.”
Respectfully.
“The depth of the Buddha’s benevolence is such that even with birth in the realm of indolence and pride, the borderland, the city of doubt or the womb-palace, which is brought about only through the compassion revealed in Amida’s Nineteenth and Twentieth Vows, we meet with a happiness that surpasses understanding.
Thus the depth of the Buddha’s benevolence is without bound. But how much more should we realize the benevolence of the Buddha with birth into the true and real fulfilled land and attainment of the enlightenment of the supreme nirvana. This is not a matter that Shoshin-bo or I have decided ourselves. Not in any way at all.”
End of letter written by Master Shinran at age 83.
>>>
As beautifully described in Master Shinran’s Hymns of True Faith, the other lineage teachers of Shin Buddhism, also encourage us to rely solely on The Other-power:
“Bodhisattva Vasubandhu explains in his treatise
That the fruition of the Fulfilled Land is itself manifestation of The Vow.
Going to the Pure Land and returning are merit transference of Other-Power
And the cause of true settlement is solely due to Shinjin.”
“Tao Cho asserted that achieving realization by the path of sages is difficult
Clarifying that only the Pure Land Way could deliver us
He downgraded the diligent practices of myriad good and self-power
Urging us to solely Say the Name endowed with perfect virtues.”
>>>
May all our Dharma friends, who are brought here due to their good karma from the past, abandon all their self-power struggles to attain freedom from samsara. May all of us, entrust ourselves solely to Amida’s fulfilled Primal Vow and constantly Say His Name. This is the inconceivable, Other-power, that assures our birth in The Land of Peace and Happiness.
The Buddha’s infinite merits and virtues,
Are bestowed equally to all beings.
May all accept Amida’s Gift of Shinjin,
And obtain birth in His Land of Peace and Bliss.
Namo Amida Butsu
南 無 阿 彌 陀 佛
callofboundlesscompassion 