What are the modes of birth in Amida Buddha’s Pure Land?

Concluding episode of The Anjin Ketsujo Sho

安心决定鈔

Part 6 – Anjin Ketsujo Sho (安心决定鈔)

‘On the firm establishment of peace of mind’

What are the Four modes of birth in the Pure Land?

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There are four modes of birth in the Pure Land.

(1) Birth with right mindfulness: This is what is referred to in the Amida Sutra as “one instantaneously attains birth while dwelling in an unperverted state of mind”.

(2) Birth in a frantic state of mind: It is stated in the Meditation Sutra, section on the lower grade of birth: “He who has done ten evil acts or broken precepts or committed five deadly sins will be in a frantic state of mind at the time of death, grasping at the air, perspiring white sweat and seeing the fierce fire of hell manifesting before his eyes. If, however, he meets a good teacher and is led to say even one Nembutsu, think of Amida even once or recite even ten Nembutsu, he will be born in the Pure Land.”

(3) Birth with a dim consciousness: This is mentioned in the Gungi-ron. Even though, ordinarily, a person is shone upon by the all-embracing Light and, thereby, the faith of complete trust has been awakened in him, since he still has a body of birth-and-death, his consciousness may become dim (at the time of death) owing to some karmic causes in the past.

Even if it does, there is no doubt that his birth in the Pure Land will be brought about by the Other-Power Wisdom of the Buddha. It is just as the moonlight ceaselessly shines upon us even when we are sleeping. Since the
all-embracing Light continuously shines upon us even if we lapse into a dim state of consciousness, we shall still attain birth in the Pure Land by the power of the Light.

Those who are ignorant of the law of causality will question: “Why doesn’t the Buddha, with his power, keep aspirants from lapsing into a dim state of consciousness?” or “In a dim state of consciousness, one will not attain birth.” They have these doubts because they are not well-versed in the holy scriptures and are confused about the law of causality and, thus, entertain doubts about the Buddha’s inconceivable wisdom.

(4) Birth with a mere thought of the Buddha: This is mentioned in the
Hokku-kyo. It is stated in it that one will attain birth even if one does not say the Nembutsu but only thinks of the Buddha in one’s mind.

The four modes of birth were distinguished by the Shonin of Kurodani.

Ordinary people of the world, being unclear about the four modes of birth, think that if one does not say the Nembutsu or lapses into a dim state of consciousness at the time of death, one will not be born but that if one says the Name one’s birth is certain. This may sound reasonable but it is a thoughtless view.

It is stated in the Shugo-kokkai-kyo, that 500 sons of a rich merchant recited the Buddha’s Name at their death, but failed to attain birth. Thus, those who recite the Name but lack a trusting faith will be reborn in the human or heavenly realm, (not in the Pure Land). All the four kinds of aspirants attain birth, if a trusting faith has been awakened in them.

In Vasubandhu’s Discourse on the Birth it is said, “I take refuge in the Tathagata of Light unhindered throughout the ten quarters”.

A profound teaching may be understood through a simple parable. Let us suppose that the sun is Kannon. Kannon’s light is perceived even by a little child. When very young, he does not know it. When he gets some wisdom, he will suppose that he sees things with his own power, that is, with his eye-sight.

However, when told by someone who really knows about the sun that if one were able to see things with one’s eye-sight alone, one could see things at night and then urged to go back to the primary cause, that is, the sun-light, he follows this instruction and becomes convinced of the working of the sun-light.

Similarly, the belief in one’s eye-sight will be replaced by, the belief in Kannon’s light. This is also the case when we have a trusting faith in Amida. Our life, is Amida’s life even while we are unaware of it. We do not know this while our wisdom is not yet developed. When we get some wisdom and learn to depend on our own power, we think that this is our life.

Then, hearing a good teacher’s instruction that we should go back to Amida’s life, which is the root of our life, we accept it and take refuge in the Buddha of Immeasurable Life with a belief that our life is the Immeasurable Life. Taking refuge in him in this way is explained as ‘having right mindfulness’.

One who has submitted oneself to Amida and thus attained right mindfulness will be born even if one afterwards loses consciousness owing to some heavy karmic bonds. It is explained in the Gungi-ron that one will attain birth even in a dim state of consciousness, because, when shone upon by the all-embracing Light, being in a dim state of consciousness will cease and one will attain birth with a heart of great joy.

Again, before they submit themselves to Amida, the three lowest classes of person mentioned in the Meditation Sutra see (at the time of death) manifestations of hell and become frantic with fear. However, if led by a good teacher to submit themselves to Amida, they will attain birth.

Further, those who have submitted themselves to Amida at ordinary times receive the benefit of ‘being embraced’; hence, when they die, they will attain birth while dwelling in unperverted thought. This is called ‘birth with right mindfulness’.

Again, according to the Hokku-kyo, when the faith of submitting oneself to Amida is awakened, one will be born even if one dies without expressing one’s faith in words [i.e. saying the Nembutsu]. This is called ‘birth with a mere thought of the Buddha’. Whatever the case may be, when the inconceivable Other-Power faith is firmly established, there should not be any doubt about birth in the Pure Land.

There is a parable in the Kambutsu-zammai-kyo, which says that once there lived a rich merchant, who had a daughter. When he disposed of his wealth before death, he gave her a lump of gold obtained from Jambu River. She wrapped it in a filthy cloth and hid it in the mud. The king sent his retainers to take it but, unable to find it even though they walked on it, they returned home. Later, the daughter recovered it and engaged in business with it, and then became even richer than her father.

This is what the parable means: the king is one’s mind-king. The treasures are various good acts. Retainers are the ‘six bandits’. Being robbed of various goods by the six bandits means that one has no chance of attaining emancipation. To recover the gold from the mud and become so rich that there was nothing she could not do with her wealth means that when one attains firm faith through the Nembutsu Samadhi one very quickly attains birth in the Land of Peace and Bliss. To wrap the gold in a filthy cloth and hide it in the mud means that ordinary people, who are defiled and evil, in the period of the five defilements are the primary object of salvation.

Again, when fire is brought to a piece of firewood, the fire does not leave it (until it is burnt out). The firewood is the practitioner’s heart. The fire is Amida’s Light which ’embraces and does not forsake’. When one is illumined and protected by Amida’s spiritual Light, one will see that the Buddha’s mind is not separate from one’s own and that one’s mind is not separate from the Buddha’s. This state of unity is called Namu-Amida-Butsu

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Here concludes our listening of Anjin Ketsujo Sho (安心决定鈔)

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Firmly establishing the marvelous peace of mind, that comes with our entrusting faith (shinjin) in Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, we know that our birth in the Land of Peace and Bliss, is absolutely guaranteed..

May all our Dharma friends, who have read along with us, benefited from listening to this wonderful tract and entrust themselves, single-heartedly to Amida’s Primal Vow.

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

Do Not indulge in poison because there is an antidote

MATTOSHO LETTER 20 – LAMP FOR THE LATTER AGES

靠 佛 力 消 三 毒

Do not indulge in poison because there is an antidote

All of us have been trapped in samsara – the vicious cycle of birth and death – for many trillions of lives, without an effective method, that could surely extricate ourselves from it. We are so strongly drugged, by the poisons of greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy and arrogance, that, they have now become, the deeply ingrained habits, which constantly overwhelm our lives.

Thus, we continue to transmigrate, endlessly, in pain and suffering, within the six treacherous realms of samsara.

In Letter 20 of his Mattosho (Lamp for The Latter Ages), Venerable Master Shinran, rejoices that many of his followers, persons like us, have now discovered the antidote to samsara in Amida’s Primal Vow, and are certain to be born in The Pure Land. However, he poignantly appeals to all of us, not to indulge ourselves, in the 3 poisons of greed, anger and folly, just because we have found the antidote.

This Letter was written by Master Shinran to his followers on the Eight month, Nineteenth day, in the Year 1252. We are reading the letter from the excellent English Translation found in ‘The Collected Works of Shinran’ credited to Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto:

“I have received all the gifts from the various people as listed, and Myokyo-bo’s visit to Kyoto is truly welcome. Words cannot express my appreciation. Although scarcely unexpected, Myoho-bo’s attainment of birth, still makes me deeply happy. Surely it is celebrated by all the people, in Kashima, Namekata, and the remote districts, who desire birth in the Pure Land. I have also learned, that the ordained layman Hiratsuka attained birth, and I feel something that surpasses all words. I cannot express how wonderful it is. Each of you should realize that you are also certain to attain birth in the Pure Land.

In the past, however, some of those desiring birth failed to understand certain things. It seems that this is still the case. Even in Kyoto, there are people who do not understand, and who stray in confusion, and I hear of many such people in the various provinces. And even among Honen’s disciples, those who take themselves to be remarkable scholars, make various changes in expressing the teaching, confusing others, as well as themselves, so that all suffer together.

It has not been uncommon for people like yourselves, who do not read or know the scriptures, to distort the teaching, having heard that no evil interferes with the attainment of birth. It seems that this is still the case. To hear that you are all falling deeper and deeper into error, following the words of Shinken-bo and others who know nothing of the Pure Land teaching, is truly lamentable.

There was a time, for each of you, when you knew nothing of Amida’s Vow, and did not say the Name of Amida Buddha, but now, guided by the compassionate means of Sakyamuni and Amida, you have begun to hear the Vow. Formerly you were drunk with the wine of ignorance, and had a liking only for the three poisons of greed, anger, and folly, but since you have begun to hear the Buddha’s Vow, you have gradually awakened from the drunkenness of ignorance, gradually rejected the three poisons, and come to prefer at all times the medicine of Amida Buddha.

In contrast, how lamentable that people, who have not fully awakened from drunkenness, are urged to more drunkenness, and those still in the grips of poison, encouraged to take yet more poison. It is indeed sorrowful to give way to impulses, with the excuse, that one is by nature possessed of blind passions – excusing acts that should not be committed, words that should not be said, and thoughts that should not be harbored – and to say that one may follow one’s desires in any way, whatever. It is like offering more wine, before the person has become sober, or urging him to take even more poison, before the poison has abated. “Here’s some medicine, so drink all the poison you like” – words like these should never be said.

In people who have long heard the Buddha’s Name, and said the nembutsu, surely there are signs of rejecting the evil of this world, and signs of their desire to cast off the evil in themselves. When people first begin to hear the Buddha’s Vow, they wonder, having become thoroughly aware of the karmic evil in their hearts and minds, how they will ever attain birth as they are. To such people, we teach that, since we are possessed of blind passions, the Buddha receives us without judging, whether our hearts are good, or bad.

When, upon hearing this, a person’s trust in the Buddha has grown deep, he or she comes to abhor such a self, and to lament continued existence in birth-and-death; and such a person then joyfully says the Name of Amida Buddha deeply entrusting himself to the Vow. That people seek to stop doing wrong as the heart moves them, although earlier they gave thought to such things and committed them as their minds dictated, is surely a sign of having rejected this world.

Moreover, since shinjin that aspires for attainment of birth arises through the encouragement of Sakyamuni and Amida, once the true and real mind is made to arise in us, how can we remain as we were, possessed of blind passions?

There are reports of wrongdoing even of some among you. I have heard of their slandering the master, holding their true teachers in contempt, and belittling their fellow-practicers – all of which is deeply saddening. They are already guilty of slandering the dharma and committing the five grave offenses. Do not associate with them. The Treatise on the Pure Land states, that such thoughts arise because they fail to entrust themselves, to the Buddha dharma.

Moreover, in explaining the sincere mind, it teaches that one should keep a respectful distance, and not become familiar with those who give themselves to such wrongdoing. It teaches us rather to draw close to and become companions of our teachers and fellow-practicers. As for becoming friends with those who are given to wrongdoing, it is only after we go to the Pure Land and return to benefit sentient beings that we can become close to and friendly with them.

That, however, is not our own design; only by being saved by Amida’s Vow can we act as we want. But at this moment, as we are, what can we possibly do? Please consider this very carefully. Since the diamond-like mind that aspires for birth is awakened through the Buddha’s working, persons who realize the diamond-like mind will surely not slander their master or be contemptuous of their true teachers.

Please read this letter to all the people who share our aspiration, in Kashima, Namekata, Minami-no-sho, and any other area.”

“Respectfully”

Here ends Letter 20, from Master Shinran at age 79

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May all our Dharma friends, who are brought here due to their good karma from the past, listen deeply to the wonderful teaching conveyed to us, through this letter. Entrusting ourselves solely to Amida’s fulfilled Primal Vow, let us not indulge in our blind passions and constantly Say the Name instead. Although this inconceivable Other-power, freely given to us by The Buddha, is beyond our conceptual understanding, it absolutely 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

Entrusting ourselves to The Other-power

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.

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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.”

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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

Contemplation Sutra – Hymn by Shinran Shonin

觀 無 量 壽 經 偈

Master Shinran’s Hymn on The Contemplation Sutra on Infinite Life

The karmic events that led Shakyamuni Buddha to preach The Contemplation Sutra on Infinite Life, is vividly told in the Nirvana Sutra and related by Master Shinran, in his wonderful exposition, the Kyo Gyo Shin Sho (真 實 教 行 信 證):

“I reflect within myself: The universal Vow difficult to fathom is indeed a great vessel bearing us across the ocean difficult to cross. The unhindered light, is the sun of wisdom dispersing the darkness of our ignorance. Thus it is that, when conditions for the teaching of birth in the Pure Land had matured, Devadatta provoked Ajatasatru to commit grave crimes. And when the opportunity arose for explaining the pure act by which birth is settled, Sakyamuni led Vaidehi to select the Land of Peace.

In their selfless love, these incarnated ones – Devadatta, Ajatasatru, Vaidehi – all aspired to save the multitudes of beings from pain and affliction, and in His compassion, Sakyamuni, the great hero, sought indeed to bless those committing the five grave offences, those slandering the Dharma, and those lacking the seed of Buddhahood.

We know, therefore, that the auspicious Name embodying the perfectly fulfilled supreme virtues is true wisdom that transforms our evil into virtue, and that the diamond-like shinjin, so difficult to accept, is true reality that sweeps away doubt and brings us to attainment of enlightenment.”

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The story of Ajatasatru, the unborn enemy, as poignantly told in the Nirvana Sutra, is an excellent example and true story, about how an ordinary foolish person (bombu,凡 夫), badly overwhelmed by blind, evil passions, can still be saved by Great Compassion. Having committed the gravest, despicable crimes, Prince Ajatasatru later realized, how evil he was, and considered himself to be ‘one who lacked the seed of salvation’, a person without any hope of salvation, and was certainly condemned to the deepest hell.

Prince Ajatasatru was the beloved son of King Bimbisara of the country of Magda in northern India about 2600 years ago. Under the instigation of Devadatta, a rebellious senior disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, he seized the throne and mercilessly starved his blameless father to death in prison.

If not for the intervention of his compassionate uncle Jivaka, a true disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, and the other senior ministers in Bimbisara’s court (Candraprabha and Varsakara), he would have also killed his own mother Queen Vaidehi, for smuggling food to sustain the imprisoned Bimbisara.

The extreme pain and unimaginable suffering experienced by Vaidehi brought her to implore The Buddha, to show her a place throughout the entire universe and trillion world systems, that was completely free from the dreadful agonies of this mortal world.

That tragic incident in this story of Ajatasatru, presented the ripening of an excellent karmic opportunity for Shakyamuni Buddha to reveal and teach about Amida Buddha and His Pure Land of Peace and Happiness. This Pure Land was the indisputable choice selected by a painfully distraught Vaidehi, from among the billions of Pure Lands showed to her by The Buddha, through His transcendental power.

In spite of the despicable, evil acts, apparently committed by Devadatta and Ajatasatru, Master Shinran venerates them as incarnated sages, for without them, The Contemplation Sutra on Infinite Life, would never have been preached by Shakyamuni Buddha.

This Sutra, was clearly taught by the Buddha, to Vaidehi and other lay followers, in the presence of His accomplished disciples such as Ananda, Maudgalyayana and Purna. It implicitly exhorts, all ordinary foolish persons (like ourselves), to abandon all meditative and non-meditative practices, which they are definitely incapable to perform, and to single-mindedly entrust themselves to Amida Buddha and His Primal Vow, for their assured freedom from samsara.

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Nine Hymns on The Contemplation Sutra composed by Master Shinran:

Sakyamuni Buddha, out of vast benevolence,
Instructed Queen Vaidehi, leading her to select,
From among all the lands manifested in the pedestal of light,
Amida’s world of happiness.

King Bimbisara put the ascetic to death
Without waiting for the time of his rebirth as determined by past conditions,
And in recompense for this act of murder,
Was imprisoned in a cell seven walls thick.

King Ajatasatru shouted, in a fit of rage,
“My own mother betrays me!”
And heinously, to strike her down,
He drew his sword against her.

Rage (means): to be angry in one’s expression; to be angry in one’s heart.

Jivaka and Candraprabha earnestly admonished the king,
Saying such acts were those of an out-caste,
And that they could not remain in the castle should he persist;
Thus they tried to quell his lawless impulses.

The minister Jivaka, with hand on his sword,
Stepped backward and began to take his leave;
Ajatasatru was thus made to discard his sword,
But he confined Vaidehi within the palace.

Amida and Sakyamuni, employing compassionate means,
And Ananda, Maudgalyayana, Purna, Vaidehi,
Devadatta, King Ajatasatru, Bimbisara,
Jivaka, Candraprabha, Varsakara, and others –

All of them great sages –
By various means, brought the most foolish and lowest
Of evil people to enter the Vow
That does not neglect people of grave offences and transgressions.

Most foolish and lowest: we who have sunken to the bottom of the great sea.
Grave offences and transgressions: the five grave offences and the ten transgressions.

Since conditions for the Pure Land teaching had matured,
Sakyamuni and Vaidehi, manifesting compassionate means,
Led the minister Varsakara to bear witness
And King Ajatasatru to commit grave offences.

Let us overturn the three minds of self-power, whether meditative or non-meditative,
Which vary with each practicer;
Let us aspire to enter into shinjin
That arises from Amida’s benefiting of others.

Shinjin (entrusting faith): the true and real shinjin of the Primal Vow.

Here ends Master Shinran’s Hymn on The Contemplation Sutra.

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Abandoning all self-power, meditative and non-meditative practices, we simply entrust our karmic destiny entirely to Amida Buddha and the natural working of His Primal Vow. Let us single-heartedly recite His auspicious Name:

Namo Amida Butsu 南 無 阿 彌 陀 佛

Thus, with the merit transference from Amida Buddha for going forth, our birth in the Land of Happiness is absolutely assured, while we are still living out this treacherous existence. We know without any doubt, that this is our last life as deluded beings in painful samsara.

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The Buddha’s infinite merits and virtues
Are bestowed equally on all beings.
May all accept Amida’s Gift of Shinjin
And obtain birth in His Land of Peace and Bliss.

Clearly and distinctly, we have now Heard:

The Call of Boundless Compassion

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

Master Shan Tao – Life and Teachings

善 导 大 师

Venerable Master Shinran, with deep reverence and gratitude, to Master Shan Tao, wrote these beautiful  verses, in his ‘Gatha of True Faith’. They precisely capture, the essential teachings, carefully expounded, by this great Lineage Teacher, of the True Pure Land School…

“Shan Tao alone understood the Buddha’s true intent.
Pitying meditative and non-meditative practicers and people of grave evil,
He revealed that Amida’s Light and Name are the cause and condition of birth,
When they enter the wisdom ocean of The Primal Vow.”

“Followers would certainly receive the diamond-like mind,
When the one-thought moment of joy and gratitude arises.
Like Vaidehi they would similarly acquire the three insights,
And instantly realize the eternal bliss of Dharma Nature.”

Thus, this 5th Lineage Master of Jodo-Shinshu (净 土 真 宗), clearly understood the true intent, for Shakyamuni Buddha’s appearance in this world. He emphasized that, in this degenerated age, when people are overwhelmed, by deep-rooted mental and physical defilements, only Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow could save us from samsara,  the vicious cycle of birth, suffering and death.

Arising from his unique interpretation, of the ‘Meditation Sutra on Infinite Life’  (觀 無 量 壽 經), and his deep personal realization, Master Shan Tao clearly proves that, through sincere Faith (信 心 – Shinjin), and the great practice of exclusively Saying the Buddha’s Name (念 佛 – Nembutsu), all ordinary foolish persons, would definitely be born in The Land of Peace and Bliss, at the end of their mortal lives. This is made possible, solely by the inconceivable fulfillment, and power of the Primal Vow.

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Let us continue to listen deeply to this Chapter 27: Master Shan Tao – His Life and Teachings – presented in the 17 minutes YouTube video above…

Visitors to this blog are invited to watch more videos presented on ‘Amida Buddha’ media channel, which is also deeply dedicated to the accurate dissemination of Venerable Master Shinran’s Teachings.

If you like the videos presented, please help us spread this wonderful Dharma of Salvation by clicking:

SUBSCRIBE and SHARE them with those who aspire to permanently reside in the realm of Peace and Happiness.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kRnBOV4lz63J_WKKr7adg

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

Master Tao Cho – Life and Teachings

道 绰 大 师

Chapter 26 | Master Tao Cho | 道 绰 大 师 | Life and Teachings | 南 無 阿 彌 陀 佛 | True Pure Land Buddhism – YouTube

With deep reverence and gratitude to Master Tao Cho, Shinran Shonin composed these beautiful verses in his Gatha of True Faith. They precisely capture the essential teachings on The True Pure Land Way carefully expounded by this great Lineage Teacher…

“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.

With deep concern he taught the three aspects of entrusting and of doubt
And Compassion in the Dharma Ages of Semblance, Ending and Extinction 
So, with lifelong evil, we should solely depend on The Great Vow,
Realizing the perfect fruit of Nirvana in the Land of Serene Sustenance.”

Thus, this 4th Lineage Master of Jodo-Shinshu (净 土 真 宗), clearly emphasized that, in this Dharma Ending Age, only Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow could save us from samsara – the vicious cycle of birth, suffering and death. He strongly discouraged us from depending on our own self-power and various diligent practices, which simply cannot free us from samsara.

Master Tao-Cho carefully explained that, persons living in this, badly defiled, Dharma Ending Age, are constantly overwhelmed by deep-rooted evil passions and simply do not possess the spiritual aptitude to perform the difficult meditative and non-meditative practices, taught for the superior disciples during Shakyamuni lifetime. We should therefore, depend single-heartedly on The Great Vow and take the easy path for our assured birth in Amida’s Pure Land, at the end of our wretched lives.

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Let us continue to listen deeply to this Chapter 26: Master Tao Cho – His Life and Teachings – presented in the 16 minutes YouTube video above…

Visitors to this blog are invited to watch more videos presented on ‘Amida Buddha’ media channel, which is also deeply dedicated to the accurate dissemination of Venerable Master Shinran’s Teachings.

If you like the videos presented, please help us spread this wonderful Dharma of Salvation by clicking:

SUBSCRIBE and SHARE them with those who aspire to permanently reside in the realm of Peace and Happiness.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kRnBOV4lz63J_WKKr7adg

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

Precious Human Birth

寶 贵 人 生

Our human life, is characterized by impermanence, suffering from blind passions and the lack of an independent soul. Yet, human birth is extremely rare and becomes really precious to us, the moment when we would use it as the perfect receptacle to listen deeply to the Buddha Dharma and to receive Amida Buddha’s Boundless Compassion…

This human life is fleeting and impermanent
With suffering arising from blind passions
Though illusory and abides in emptiness
Shows us the uncreated Land of Happiness 

The Buddha’s Infinite merits and virtues
Are bestowed equally on all beings
May all accept Amida’s Gift of Shinjin
And obtain birth in His Land of Peace and Bliss

Suffering beings like ourselves do not know why we are born here – in an ever-changing environment firmly attached to greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy and arrogance – living perhaps for only a short period of a 100 years and then blindly leaving this world in agony for another unknown existence of continued pain and suffering. How painfully foolish and blind we are, not making use of this precious human birth which has brought us the right condition to free ourselves from samsara – the vicious cycle of birth and death.

This precious human birth is extremely rare and most difficult to obtain amongst the six realms within samsara – our perpetual and unsatisfactory home of painful existence for billions of lives. A human birth becomes really “precious” only if one would use it beneficially, as a receptacle for the Buddha Dharma and for receiving the appropriate instructions that could lead one permanently out of samsara. Otherwise, human birth is just the same as the other types of samsaric birth – it is simply another unsatisfactory existence perpetuating the vicious cycle of birth and death.

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Let us continue to listen deeply to this Chapter 25 – Precious Human Birth – presented in the 14 minutes YouTube video above…

Visitors to this blog are invited to watch more videos presented on ‘Amida Buddha’ media channel, which is also deeply dedicated to the accurate dissemination of Venerable Master Shinran’s Teachings.

If you like the videos presented, please help us spread this wonderful Dharma of Salvation by clicking:

SUBSCRIBE and SHARE them with those who aspire to permanently reside in the realm of Peace and Happiness.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kRnBOV4lz63J_WKKr7adg

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

Life & Teachings of Bodhisattva Vasubandhu

天 親 菩 薩

In his beautiful Gatha of True Faith, Venerable Master Shinran, in expressing his deep gratitude to Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, quotes the essential teachings on the True Pure Land Way expounded by the 2nd great Lineage Teacher of Jodo Shinshu…

“Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, composing a treatise declared
That he himself took refuge in The Tathagata Of Unhindered Light.
In accordance with the sutras, he revealed the true and real  
And elucidated the Great Vow of Cross-wise Transcendence.

Through the power of His Primal Vow, Amida directs His merits
Manifesting the One-mind in order to save the multitudes of beings    
So when one takes refuge and enters the great treasure ocean of virtues 
Definitely, one obtains entry into Amida’s Great Assembly.

When one reaches that lotus-store world
One instantly realizes the body of suchness or dharma nature
Playing in the forest of blind passions, one uses transcendental powers
Entering the garden of birth and death one uses skillful means to guide others.”

Thus, the second teacher of the True Pure Land lineage, had strongly encouraged all mundane foolish persons (凡 夫, bombu), like ourselves, to entrust ourselves single-heartedly, in Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, the Other Power that definitely saves us from samsara, the vicious cycle of relentless pain and suffering. Bodhisattva Vasubandhu clearly explains to us, through his wonderful Treatise on the Pure Land that, the moment when we are able to entrust ourselves and take refuge in Amida Buddha and His Primal Vow, our births in the Land of Happiness are instantly assured.

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Let us continue to listen deeply to this article – Chapter 22 – Life & Teachings of Bodhisattva Vasubandhu – presented in the 14 minutes YouTube video above…

Visitors to this blog are invited to watch more videos presented on ‘Amida Buddha’ media channel, which is also deeply dedicated to the accurate dissemination of Venerable Master Shinran’s Teachings.

If you like the videos presented, please help us spread this wonderful Dharma of Salvation by clicking SUBSCRIBE and SHARE them with those who aspire to be freed, forever, from the pain and suffering of samsara

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kRnBOV4lz63J_WKKr7adg

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

Life & Teachings of Bodhisattva Nagarjuna

龍 樹 菩 薩

“Shakyamuni Tathagata on Mount Lanka
Prophesied to the masses that in South India
Mahasattva Nagarjuna would appear in this world
To dispel the views of being and non-being.”

“Proclaiming the unexcelled Mahayana Teachings
He realized the Stage of Joy and was born in the Land Of Peace and Bliss 
Revealing that difficult practices are like hardships on the overland way  
He urged us to take the easy path of Shinjin sailing joyfully by waterway.”

“When one deeply remembers Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow
Naturally in that instant, one enters the Stage of Definitely Settled           
And solely Saying the Tathagata’s Name always  
Gratefully respond to Great Compassion’s Universal Pledge and grace.“

Thus, Bodhisattva Nagarjuna strongly encouraged all mundane foolish persons (凡 夫, bombu), like ourselves – miserable human beings who simply do not possess the spiritual capacity for difficult, self-powered, Buddhist practices – to entrust ourselves single-heartedly, to Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow. This is the Other Power that guarantees our complete freedom from all pain and suffering. He compassionately exhorts us, through his wonderful expositions of the sutras and personal realization, to take this ‘Easy Path’ especially made for spiritual idiots, that absolutely assures our attainment of Buddhahood at the end of our present lives…

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Let us continue to listen deeply to this article – Chapter 21 – Life & Teachings of Bodhisattva Nagarjuna – presented in the 15 minutes YouTube video above…

Visitors to this blog are invited to watch more videos presented on ‘Amida Buddha’ media channel, which is also deeply dedicated to the accurate dissemination of Venerable Master Shinran’s Teachings.

If you like the videos presented, please help us spread this wonderful Dharma of Salvation by clicking SUBSCRIBE and SHARE them with those who aspire to be freed, forever, from the pain and suffering of samsara

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kRnBOV4lz63J_WKKr7adg

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

Venerable Master Shinran – Video

Having lived through a life of tortuous trials and tribulations, both as a monk as well as a householder– one in which he was finally awakened by the Light of the Buddha’s Boundless Compassion – the Venerable Master had displayed to us that, even hopeless ordinary persons filled with blind passions can be saved.

He was therefore, profoundly grateful to the Buddhas and the seven Pure Land Masters for their compassion and heart-felt benevolence in transmitting the precious teaching of Faith and Nembutsu to him.

His fervent wish was that others would also listen deeply to this precious Pure Land Dharma, pristinely passed down from Shakyamuni Buddha through the ages and quickly receive Amida Buddha’s gift of Salvation…

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Let us continue to listen deeply to this article – Chapter 17 – Shinran Shonin, His Wish and Light, presented in the 17 minute YouTube video above…

Visitors to this blog are invited to watch more videos presented on ‘Amida Buddha’ media channel, which is also deeply dedicated to the accurate dissemination of Venerable Master Shinran’s Teachings.

If you like the videos presented, please help us spread this wonderful Dharma of Salvation by SUBSCRIBING to this Channel and sharing them with those who aspire to be freed, forever, from the pain and suffering of samsara:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kRnBOV4lz63J_WKKr7adg

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