Some Dharma Verses

It has now been three years, more or less,

Since I left behind the miscellaneous practices

And abandoning the myriad beliefs,

Boarded the ship of the Primal Vow

And embarked on the Pure Land Way.

Blown by the wind of Other-Power,

I cross the great ocean of birth-and-death,

To the blissful shore of great emancipation.

Though I am destined to remain in the world

For so long as my karma determines,

I will dwell constantly in joy and gratitude.

The clouds of fear and doubt are broken through,

And the sun of Amida’s wisdom and mercy

Shines unendingly upon my blind and ignorant self.

The karma that binds me to birth-and-death

Being dissolved in the unending Light that embraces me

With no thought of abandoning, I am sure to obtain

Birthless birth in the Land of Fulfillment.

From being someone without any refuge,

I became a person blessed daily

By the innumerable virtues and the ten benefits;

How awesome is the Power of the Primal Vow!

Having myself received these benefits in Amida’s Name,

Which contains the merit for our going forth and returning,

I wish to share this teaching with all beings,

So that they too might accept true faith,

The cause of supreme Nirvana.

NAMO AMIDA BUTSU

Dharma verses composed on December 9, 2014

"Honganji shonin Shinran den-e 本願寺聖人親鸞伝絵 (Text to Accompany the Illustrated Life of Monk Shinran) © Trustees of the British Museum

 

 

NAMO AMIDA BUTSU

 

How could we ever return the benevolence of the Venerable Master Shinran?

Without his guidance, we would still be lost in delusion,

Mired in self-power, adrift on the endless ocean of birth-and-death.

Though others may confuse themselves with useless theories and ideas,

I simply trust in the words of the Founding Master.

Pondering how to preserve the True Teaching and benefit future generations,

He set brush to paper and composed sacred lines,

Lines imbued with the Light and Life of Amitabha,

Hymns resonant with the Dharma-music.

The Venerable Master rejoiced to find himself

Safe aboard the ship of the Primal Vow;

Reciting "Namo Amida Butsu," he recorded his deep joy,

Filling each page with the wisdom of the Buddha-Mind.

All his works, from beginning to end, are acts of gratitude, written for our sake.

Those who humbly read them, casting off the calculating mind,

Will certainly find their doubts resolved

And their innermost aspiration for the Buddha-Dharma brought to fulfillment.

Riding the Other-Power, paying no heed to anything else—

Such people are certain to be born in the Land of Utmost Bliss,

One hundred out of one hundred, and ten out of ten.

 

 

November 1, 2014

 

 Since Amida arranges your birth in the Pure Land,

reciting the Nembutsu is simply to repay

this debt of gratitude you owe.

 

May all practicers – persons of deeply entrusting mind – single-heartedly entrust themselves to the Buddha's words alone and, thinking not of their lives but relying utterly on the practice [of the nembutsu], abandon what the Buddha brings them to abandon, practice what the Buddha brings them to practice, leave what the Buddha brings them to leave. This is called "being in accord with the Buddha's teaching, being in accord with the Buddha's intent." This is "being in accord with [Amida] Buddha's Vow." This is to be a "true disciple of the Buddha."

—Master Shan-tao, Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra (as quoted by Master Shinran in Kyogyoshinsho, Chapter III: "Chapter on Practice")

Sundry Practices

Just as children forsake their play
And come running at their mother's call,
So did I give up the sundry practices
Upon hearing Amida Buddha's Name.

September 13, 2014

On Listening

It is autumn here in the northern hemisphere, and my favorite time of year. It is a good time for wandering, for losing oneself in the ephemeral beauty of nature, for contemplating impermanence, as the leaves fall and the weather is in a state of constant change. It is a good season to think about what is truly important in life. In Jodo Shinshu, we learn that the most important thing is to attain birth in the Land of Utmost Bliss, there realizing Nirvana, the state of absolute freedom, tranquility and peace, of benefiting others without end.

 

Since the only way to Nirvana for small, foolish beings such as ourselves is to be born in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, the question that naturally follows is, “What must one do to be born there?” The answer is, “Nothing at all, only hear and accept the Name fulfilled in the Primal Vow.” To hear and accept the Name is to realize shinjin, the diamond-like faith, which is in fact Amida’s Bodhi-mind bestowed on us. How, then, do we realize this diamond-like shinjin? As already stated, the only way is by hearing and accepting the Name. But how can we hear it?

 

The Japanese term chomon, which means “listening,” is the word used to describe the process by which we “hear the Name and accept it.” Listening to the Dharma should not be thought of as a pastime to be engaged in only after all the other obligations of life have been met.  Rather, it should be our constant priority, for there is nothing in this life more important than listening to the Buddha-Dharma for the purpose of settling our faith. Though this injunction seems easy enough, there are many pitfalls waiting to ensnare those who fail to carefully follow the instructions of Shinran Shonin and the Pure Land Masters. A number of these misunderstandings have come to my attention in the past. I discuss them here in order to warn other seekers against them.

 

I have heard it said that chomon is the “only practice” in Jodo Shinshu, but this seems a somewhat misguided if not altogether misleading assertion. Certainly our Dharma Masters never referred to listening as a practice. The Nembutsu is the only practice we have in our school, and even it is not a practice in the provisional sense, but the great working of Amitabha in saving beings. If we cannot call even the Nembutsu our practice, how much less can we refer to listening to the Dharma as such! If listening is made a practice—something that we set out to do in order to gain a result—we will miss the whole point of listening, which is not to obtain new and wonderful states of mind or mystical experiences, but simply to hear the Name, Namo Amida Butsu. Once genuinely heard, this Name does all the work necessary to save us, sweeping away our doubts and establishing us in the stage of those who are assured of their birth in the Pure Land. Zonkaku Shonin, the fourth Monshu of the Hongwanji, wrote regarding this, “Hearing is hearing with ‘Buddha-centered power.’ Settlement of my shinjin is determined by Amida’s Vow-Power.”[1] No matter how much we expend our energy in studying the Buddha-Dharma, if we do not rely on Other-Power, our minds will remain unsettled. You cannot manufacture shinjin through your self-powered efforts and calculative designs. A contrived faith is merely a pretense, devoid of any real value.

 

Some people say that we must first understand the Dharma intellectually in order to entrust ourselves to it. This assertion is completely wrong, however. It is not possible for bombu (foolish beings) like ourselves to intellectually understand the Dharma, nor is there any requirement for us to do so. Rather, the genuine understanding that arises upon truly hearing the Name is a spiritual correspondence that does not require intellectual effort. Indeed, the most ardent devotees of Jodo Shinshu throughout the ages have for the most part been unlettered common people, who clearly had no intellectual aspirations. If we are to truly understand Jodo Shinshu, to some degree we must also be willing to cast aside our intellectual pretensions and become like humble peasants. Peace of mind is not a mental struggle, but its cessation.

 

Not surprisingly, listening to the Dharma can easily devolve into a self-powered process, if we do not make it a point to rely on the Buddha’s power. Though we listen to the Dharma with the purpose of acquiring shinjin, in truth shinjin is right before us. Amida Buddha has already fulfilled all the requirements for our birth in the Pure Land, including listening, hearing the Name, accepting faith, and reciting the Nembutsu. So all that is left for us to “do” is to leave everything to Him. Dr. Eiken Kobai of Soai University writes, “The problem, then, is why it is so difficult to leave it completely up to Amida Buddha. And the answer is that it is due to our being so taken in by our desire to be ‘logical’ and our desire to ‘understand’ it all. There is understanding, but it is spiritual and not logical.”[2] Those who sincerely seek true and real shinjin must be careful, lest they fall into the trap of self-power and calculative thinking regarding their attainment.

 

The late Rev. Zuiken Inagaki was well aware of the perils of treating listening as a practice and shinjin as an object to be grasped. In his book The Pitch-Darkness, he relates many anecdotes stressing that those who invest in listening to the Dharma without recourse to the Buddha’s power will only be confounded and confused. In the end, they will have to admit that they have listened and heard nothing. Simply put, bombu are deaf and blind, incapable of seeing or hearing the Dharma as such. The light of wisdom opens our eyes and ears, enabling us to hear and accept shinjin. Zuiken challenges us to ponder what we will do when we find ourselves at the gate of death, completely helpless, and bereft of everything we have “heard” in our lives. What will we rely on then? At that time, in such absolute darkness, only the call of the Primal Vow will be audible to us, urging us to give up self-power, and trust wholly in Amida. This call may be felt not only at one’s actual deathbed, but all throughout life. Indeed, from the perspective of the Buddha-Dharma, we are on our deathbeds right now. [3]

 

It is when our futile attempts to understand and make intellectual sense of the Dharma come to nothing that we are thrown back to where we started from, but ready to truly and humbly listen to the teaching of Namu Amida Butsu. Again, Dr. Kobai states, “Only when we sense what ignorant beings we are, only when we sense the base passions that truly move us and simply acknowledge it will we be able to break the bonds of ‘logic’ and the desire to ‘understand,’ that bind us. That is when doubts about the Primal Vow disappear, and when we are able to leave our salvation completely up to the workings of Amida Buddha.”[4]

 

It’s for this reason that Rev. Zuiken wrote, “Believing does not come after hearing. Peace of mind does not come after believing. Listen carefully to the call of the Original Vow, which has accomplished namuamidabutsu and also accomplished our hearing of it, believing in it and peace of mind. If you have listened well, you will be relieved of the heavy burden on your shoulders.”[5] Accordingly, Shinran Shonin tells us that listening simply means to hear the Primal Vow and be free of doubt concerning its origins and fulfillment. If we do not keep this in mind, all our Buddhist studies will be in vain.

 

I have noticed that some people attempt to excuse their lack of shinjin with such words as, “Well, I’ve done my best. Even if I can’t (or won’t) believe in the Dharma in this life, no doubt I’ll get plenty of chances in the next one.” But those who have actually read the sacred texts realize that the likelihood for us to be born in favorable conditions is slight, while the karmic evil weighing us down is heavy. In less than a second, this life is over. If you do not settle your faith now, when will you be able to? If you do not listen to the Dharma now, when will you be able to? The urgent matter of the afterlife presents itself to us in every breath we take. Death is our constant companion, whether we acknowledge it or not. Each one of us should consider this life as his or her last chance to escape from the wheel of suffering. For once the stock of good that has caused us to be born in the human realm is exhausted, we will once again fall back into the three evil courses. Who knows when we will emerge? The chances of being born a human being and encountering this Dharma are slight, almost so as to be nonexistent. Do not let your life pass by in vain.

 

In closing, I will present some verses composed by the Myokonin Okaru, as quoted by Dr. Kobai in his superb book Misunderstandings of Master Rennyo [6]:

 

Why not listen to the Way of Truth...

It isn’t an unreasonable teaching at all.

Don’t you want to hear what is true and real?

Makes me wonder what you want to hear...

Though you are entitled to walk freely,

Why not give up all attachments

And leave it all to Amida?

 

Rennyo Shonin clearly states, “For this reason, those who, without doubting, deeply entrust themselves to Amida Tathagata single-mindedly and unwaveringly, and disregarding their own deep karmic evil and leaving it to Amida’s care, and who have their heart settled in a single thought of entrusting, will no doubt, ten out of ten and a hundred out of a hundred, attain birth in the Pure Land.”[7] I have written this brief essay to address what I consider to be serious misconceptions regarding “deep listening” in the Jodo Shinshu tradition, in the hope that it will be helpful for those who earnestly desire to share the same faith as Shinran Shonin. Any essay of this length on so vast a topic is bound to miss some important points. Moreover, I am not a Shinshu scholar. I therefore urge my readers to avail themselves of the many fine versions of Gobunsho and other sacred writings in order to resolve all their doubts and realize the supreme Faith that is true and real.

 

 

In gasshō,

 

 

Gabriel Schlaefer

Sacramento, California

October 11, 2014

 

NOTES

 

[1] Kobai, Eiken. Misunderstandings of Master Rennyo. Los Angeles: The Nembutsu Press. 1998.

[2] Ibid.

[3] For translations of The Pitch Darkness and other books by Zuiken Inagaki, please visit http://diamondlikeshinjin.blogspot.com/.

[4] Kobai, Misunderstandings.

[5] Inagaki, Zuiken. “On Faith.” Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.nembutsu.info/of.htm.

[6] Kobai.

[7] Nagao, Gadjin M. (ed.). Letters of Rennyo: A Translation of Rennyo’s Gobunshō. Kyoto, Japan: Hongwanji International Center. 2000.

Great Love

In life and in death,
I am grasped by Amida
Who never abandons me.

南無阿弥陀仏、南無阿弥陀仏

September 2, 2014

The Difficulty of Shinjin

The way to the Pure Land is not difficult in the ordinary sense, but it does demand our full attention. Each of us should make the Buddha-Dharma our first priority in life, following Rennyo Shonin's instructions. This requires a willingness to forego mundane pursuits in favor of religious ones, and implies an attitude of humility when reading or reciting the sutras, the hymns, or attending temple services. It means reflecting deeply on our limited capacities, and rejecting false spiritual philosophies that would make light of our karmic burden.

 

Most importantly, it means to rely exclusively on the words of the Buddha and the Pure Land masters, without letting ourselves be distracted by other notions and ideas, including our own. We should recognize that the key to our emancipation, the attainment of true faith, is unrelated to whatever views we may hold regarding worldly matters, however commendable these may otherwise be. Cultivating a sense of reverent awe when listening to the Dharma, while discarding mistaken views, is an essential function of authentic hearing (chomon).

 

Surely, it is extremely difficult to acknowledge one's insufficiency to the task of liberation from samsara; herein lies the singular difficulty of shinjin. In the case of serious illness, the patient must rely on the doctor's knowledge and insight. In the same way, only by entrusting oneself wholeheartedly to Amida's Original Vow is it possible to resolve the issue of birth-and-death once and for all. For the true disciple of Shakyamuni, nothing less will suffice.

 

Namo Amida Butsu _/\_

Safe

 

How wonderful is the incomparable Great Vow!

Miserable words can't possibly describe it.

Through the perfectly accomplished Vow-Power,

Faith hard as diamond has been settled in one

Completely incapable of awakening faith.

This foolish one is none other than myself.

Because of hearing the Dharma of Amida's Name,

This wandering cloud, listlessly drifting

Throughout birth-and-death,

Is now blown irreversibly to the Pure Land

By the unobstructed wind of the Primal Vow.

Truly, the compassionate Father grasps me firmly;

Truly, the compassionate Mother holds me tight!

What fear need I have of falling?

Whenever I die, I am home in the Land of Light;

Wherever I am, I am safe in the arms of

NAMU AMIDA BUTSU.

~ Composed upon reading the exhortation of faith and similitudes of the Vow of compassion in the Kyogyoshinsho of Shinran Shōnin (CWS I: 66-68), March 8, 2013.

 

Words from a Good Teacher

 

"Especially because you are an ordinary person, you can't afford not to be sure where you go after death. So, if you encountered Amida's helping hand, accept it immediately, without any second thought. You must not assume yourself any risk and do not allow death to catch you unprepared, that is, without faith (shinjin). Let smart guys and virtuous practitioners dwell in the 'here and now,' realize emptiness, oneness, or whatever they say they realize, but you stay humble and cling to the sleeves of Amida."
 

~ Rev. Josho Adrian Cirlea

(http://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/)

 

Leave Everything to Amida

 

舟は帆まかせ　帆は風まかせ

私しや阿弥陀に　丸まかせ

 

The course of the boat is left to the sail,

the movement of the sail is left to the wind;

As for me, I leave everything to Amida.

 

~ Zuiken's Shinshu Dharma-pada

Rennyo's Summer Letters

The following letter is the second of four written by Rennyo Shonin in his 83rd summer, one year before his birth in the Pure Land in 1499. Collectively titled "Summer Letters" (Natsu no Gobunsho), these epistles were originally composed in preparation for the annual thanksgiving services. Together with the Gobunsho and the Gozokusho, they form the complete canon of Rennyo's correspondence related to propagating the teachings of the Founder Shinran. Since these letters are not typically included in English translations, and since they are very important for showing how Rennyo's mature teaching differed not the slightest from his initial efforts, they are of the utmost importance to serious students of Jodo Shinshu. I may share some thoughts about it in a subsequent post; but in any case, since such commentary is tiresome and probably unnecessary, I am posting it first as it appears in the English-language Shinshu Seiten published by the Buddhist Churches of America. Please read it carefully, reflect deeply on its meaning, and follow its instructions. Gassho _/\_
 
ALL WHO HAVE come here today to the shrine of Shinran Shonin are here for the purpose of listening to the reading of the Triple Sutra. However, it appears to me that to attend these gatherings without the slightest desire to understand the meaning of the Sutras, but only for the sake of appearances, is totally pointless.

 

The readings of the Sutras are for the purpose of receiving the Shinjin-Faith of the Other-Power and, through an understanding of the Dharma, to recognize the shallowness of one's own faith and attempt to correct it. This is the true teaching of the Buddha-Dharma. To gather at the daily readings of the Sutras without understanding them is truly futile.

 

From today, you must seriously understand the meaning of the teachings and ask others about the erroneous concepts of Shinjin-Faith that you formerly held and correct them into True Shinjin. If you should understand this well and listen carefully, it will be beneficial to both you and others. I shall now explain the reason for this. Listen very carefully!

 

By Anjin-Faith is meant that no matter how deeply evil a person may be, by discarding all the sundry practices, by single-heartedly placing reliance on Amida Tathagata, and by placing total reliance for the life to come in this Amida, such a person becomes a follower of the Nembutsu who has received "Determined Anjin." Only after a thorough understanding of this can one express the Nembutsu of gratitude to Amida Buddha. Thus, in the Shonin's Wasan, this is expressed as follows:

 

To receive the Nembutsu from the wisdom of Amida

Is the actualization of the Vow-Power of Dharmakara.

Without this Shinjin-Faith from the wisdom of Amida,

How can one receive enlightenment?

Unless one has received the determination of this Shinjin-Faith, there can be no expression of gratitude to the grace of Amida Buddha. I am curious as to how you have felt about this point up to this time.

 

You should all be fully aware of the essence of what I have just written. Should you carry it back home with you and, by discussing Shinjin-Faith among yourselves, obtain the determination of this Shinjin-Faith, you will have gained the unalterable determination of the coming birth in the Land of Bliss.

 

With reverence, I remain.

 

Latter part; 5th month, 7th year of Meio (1498)

Walking with Rennyo: Scholarly Ways

(12) Scholarly Ways

 

We may be well learned in the bulk of our religious literature, but lacking a settled peaceful mind of the other-power this study is useless. Our rebirth, determined by Amida, is the faith of one-mind lasting to the end of life and in the certainty of rebirth.

 

Since the days of the Founder Shinran, the Hongwanji denomination has developed an impressive body of scholarly literature in which the essential points of Shinshu teaching are set forth in fine detail. In this way, the standard of Shinshu teaching has been firmly established for the followers (monto) of the Head Temple, as well as for many who look to Shinran Shonin as their spiritual guide and mentor in this Dharma-ending Age. Such orthodox interpretations are not absolute, but embody the sincere efforts of the Masters to guide us in the True Path, and away from erroneous or insufficient teachings. They remind us that Jodo Shinshu is not a path of vague religious symbols and abstract speculations, but of spiritual realities with vital relevance to our present condition. Sincere seekers of birth in the Fulfilled Land must be wary of a purely academic approach to Shinshu, however. They should recognize that such study, though useful, is not the end of the journey, but rather the foundations for diamond-like Faith (shinjin).

 

Not that there is anything wrong with studying Shinshu as an academic subject. On the contrary, examining our tradition with academic rigor can only serve to heighten our appreciation for it. The Pure Land Way may be counted among those schools of Buddha-Dharma that are based on the sutras, the recorded sermons of Shakyamuni Buddha, specifically the Threefold Pure Land Sutra. It is decidedly not an esoteric path such as that transmitted without words to Venerable Mahakasyapa in the famous “Flower Sermon,” and which became the basis of the Zen school in later centuries. Rather, the Pure Land Way was widely proclaimed throughout India and China, and finally Japan, thanks to the writings and missionary activities of the Japanese Masters, including Genshin, Honen, and Shinran. To study these scriptures and commentaries, therefore, is a noble and praiseworthy endeavor, if not altogether necessary for comprehending the Path, and it is one that Rennyo Shonin himself encourages. It is certainly an unfortunate thing that there are many scholars of Jodo Shinshu who, though they know so much about its origins and development over the centuries, lack the heart of True Faith that enlivens authentic Shinshu discourse, and distinguishes it as a living Dharma, rather than an extinct or dormant one.

 

Although we engage in reading and perusing of the scriptures, however, we should not close our minds to the Dharma experience that lies outside such study. Only yesterday I was taking a walk in the evening, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature while contemplating Shinran Shonin’s teachings, as I like to do now and then. A refreshing summer breeze was blowing from the river nearby, rustling the countless leaves on the trees surrounding, each a universe of minute worlds. By the side of the walkway, hundreds of ants were busy repairing their hills. I was struck at that time by the infinitude of Amida’s Dharma-body, by the inconceivable activities of its light, and the scope of its compassionate wisdom. A similar sense of wonder must have come upon the beings assembled on Vulture Peak when Shakyamuni Buddha revealed the glory of the Pure Land. I was aware that this wisdom and compassion enveloped all things—the trees, the sky, the ants by the roadside, as well as myself, who am in the final analysis little more than an insect—tirelessly urging them to awaken. Suddenly overwhelmed by a deep joy that nearly made my hair stand on end, I began to say the nembutsu. I repeated it again and again, feeling as though I had to say it or burst. It must have seemed odd to people passing by, seeing me smiling like a lunatic and mumbling to myself! They probably thought I was drunk.

 

I mention this personal anecdote because I feel it illustrates the importance of everyday life in Dharma-hearing. For all the many benefits I have gained from poring over our traditional literature, I would rather have one such moment of genuine insight than a diploma in Shinshu studies from a famous Buddhist university. More importantly, I think Rennyo Shonin would agree. Throughout his many sayings and letters, he is constantly urging us to cast aside our doubts and fears and plunge headfirst into the Dharma-streams of life. Rennyo Shonin himself was the kind of person who lived in the Light to the absolute fullest extent possible, and he wanted the same for all nembutsu followers, knowing that it is in the very act of living that Amida’s unbounded Life expresses itself, finding ways to reach our hearts. The sutras, the Masters’ commentaries, the Dharma-talks of good teachers—these manifestations are all intended for us, who are alive, and who “have ears to hear.” It does no good to learn about the Dharma, if we do not incorporate our daily existence in that learning process. In Understanding Jodo Shinshu, the Rev. Eiken Kobai reminds us that deep listening (chomon), while certainly including ordinary religious activities, is in no way limited to them [1]. It may be at the most unexpected time that the Dharma chooses to illuminate our minds, and it is up to us to be ready for these occasions. If we listen carefully, we will hear Amida's call summoning us to trust in the Vow made for each and for all.

 

Gassho _/\_

 

 

 

 

[1] Eiken Kobai, Understanding Jodo Shinshu (Craiova, Romania: Dharma Lion Publications, 2007), 173.

Walking with Rennyo: Why Are We Reciting Wasans?

(11) Why Are We Reciting Wasans?

 

At a late evening service in October, Rennyo told his listeners it was deplorable to think that by reciting wasans and the shoshinge they were actually making an offering to Amida Buddha and Shinran, “In other traditions merit transference is accomplished by this oral practice. In our school, Shinran intended to share with others the mind of faith in the other-power, and the wasans were composed to better understand this teaching of the seven patriarchs. Nembutsu is recited in recognition of gratitude for what he has done on our behalf, and an expressive outpouring of thankfulness to Amida Buddha, which we observe in the presence of Shinran Shonin.”

In the Chapter on True Buddha and Land in the Kyogyoshinsho, Shinran Shonin urges his readers thus: “Reverently entrust yourselves to the right teaching of the master of the sutras and the masters of the treatises and to the expositions of the Pure Land masters. You should uphold and devote yourself to them.” In this statement we perceive the clear command of the founding Master to abandon all miscellaneous paths and single-heartedly follow the path that leads to the Pure Land. We also sense his humility; for Shinran did not seek to offer his followers a new Dharma of his own invention, but rather an eternal one, imminently suited for the capacities and natures of men and women in an age far removed from the taming influence of Shakyamuni Buddha.

In order to make these instructions plain to all, the Venerable Master composed three books of hymns written in the common language, with the intention that they would be easy to hear and recite by even the lowest classes of society. We know them today as the Sanjo wasan (Three Books of Hymns in English), regarded as a Japanese National Treasure, and the primary service book of Jodo Shinshu. As has been previously noted, it was Master Rennyo who established the important place the Hymns occupy within the Hongwanji, so that up to this day, the wasan are heard in homes and temples wherever Amida’s Name is praised. Indeed, to read through the wasan may be one of the best ways to enter the Dharma-gate of the Primal Vow, as taken in order these hymns present a structured overview of the entire Pure Land path, from its origins in Amida’s perfect enlightenment (Sanskrit anuttara-samyak-sambodhi) to its historical revelation through Shakyamuni Buddha and the Seven Patriarchs. A good companion for such a journey can be found at the website “Notes on the Nembutsu” (http://www.adelaideshinbuddhistdojo.com.au/shinranwasan/), maintained by the Rev. George Gatenby of Australia, whose succinct and insightful reflections on each wasan provided the inspiration for the present author’s efforts.

The traditional method for reciting the wasan is chanting, a solemn, unpretentious style of vocal intonation suitable to such sacred psalms. Herein lies a key difference between Jodo Shinshu and other Buddhist schools of thought, however. Generally, whenever chanting is made a part of Buddhist service, it is with the purpose of generating merit on the part of the chanter, who then directs this merit to all beings to secure their well-being. Indeed, such practice has as its basis the words of Shakyamuni Buddha, who affirmed that merit would accrue to those who recited the various sutras that He taught.

For those of us living in the Last Age of the Dharma, however, such merit-making is beyond our grasp. We are simply incapable, in our current state as foolish, unenlightened beings, of producing merit through any practices whatever. And so Master Rennyo admonishes us not to become foolishly attached to our act of chanting, but instead to listen carefully to the meaning of what is chanted. What a pity it would be if, fondly imagining that we could someone make our minds better or more like the Buddha’s through our vain efforts, we should miss the important message the wasan convey, which is simply to reverently entrust ourselves to the right teaching, and take refuge in the Source of unhindered light that pervades the entire universe.

In summary, therefore, the purpose of chanting in Jodo Shinshu services (whether public or private) is:

1)      To understand the Other-Power teaching based on Amida’s Primal Vow;
2)      To proclaim this teaching to others;
3)      To give thanks to the Buddha and Shinran Shonin for their benevolence to us.

In casting aside the thought of making merit through chanting or any other means, we have the example of Shinran Shonin himself. In a letter written by the Shonin’s wife Eshinni to Kakushinni, their youngest daughter, we read of a time when the Shonin set out to recite the sutras 1,000 times for the benefit of sentient beings. He stopped, however, when he realized that “to have faith oneself and to cause others to have faith is truly the way to respond to one's indebtedness to the Buddha. With faith in this, what outside of the nembutsu could possibly be lacking that would make one feel the need to chant the sutras?” Indeed, it is by realizing shinjin and guiding others to its realization that we truly repay Amida, our compassionate Parent, for the great love that He directs toward us.

Rennyo says that we observe this thankfulness "in the presence of Shinran Shonin." In fact, among devout nembutsu followers of the Jodo Shinshu tradition there is a definite sense of Shinran’s ongoing influence, as well as an awareness of his abiding presence. Of course, we know that Shinran was born in the Pure Land at the end of his life, and is now active in the world as a participant in the Buddha’s saving work. Along with this, it seems that something of his earthly existence as the forbearing, bald-headed monk lives on among those who recite the nembutsu of True Faith. Furthermore, I believe that this realization is not merely a sentimental one, but arises from the compassionate heart that the founding Master manifested in his life, and which he received from Amida. I believe it is this presence which nembutsu followers of Shinran’s tradition perceive when they seek his guidance in the scriptural texts.

In the wasan, the shoshinge, and the body of teaching that he bequeathed, the spirit of Shinran Shonin lives on forever. The message that he preached has the ability to solve our spiritual conundrums just as much today as when the Shonin traveled the byways of rural Japan, spreading the gospel of Amida’s salvation to all who would listen. May the disciples of Shakyamuni in the present era likewise heed the words of the founding Master, and, casting off the inclination toward sundry practices, entrust themselves in Amida Buddha alone.

Gassho _/\_