Essentials on Faith Alone
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Essentials of Faith Alone
Seikaku
When persons aspire to free themselves from birth-and-death and attain enlightenment, there are two routes open to them: the gate of the Path of Sages and the gate of the Pure Land. The Path of Sages consists of performing practices and accumulating merit while living in this Saha world, striving to attain enlightenment in this present life. People who practice the Shingon teaching aspire to rise to the stage of great enlightenment with their present bodies, all followers who endeavor in the Tendai school seek to attain the enlightenment known as "the stage of purifying the six sense organs" in this life. Although such indeed is the final objective of the teaching of the Path of Sages, since the world has reached the age of the corrupt dharma and entered the period of defilement, not even a single person among millions can attain enlightenment in this present life. Hence, those who endeavor in the gate of the Path of Sages in the present age become weary and withdraw in their attempt to attain enlightenment of becoming Buddha with this present body. In remote anticipation of the birth in this world of Maitreya, the Compassionate One, they look to the dawning sky 5,670,000,000 years in the future, or awaiting the appearance of even later Buddhas, they become lost in clouds of the night of countless transmigrations through innumerable kalpas. Or they merely yearn for the sacred sites of Vulture Peak or Potalaka Mountain where Avalokitesvara dwells, or for the small reward of another birth as heavenly or human beings. Although any spiritual relationship with the Buddhist teaching is admirable, immediate enlightenment seems completely beyond hope. What is longed for remains within the three worlds, and what is hoped for is still life within transmigration. Why should they undertake much practice and cultivate understanding, seeking such a small reward? Truly, is it not the result of the dharma being too profound and our understanding too shallow, having become so far removed from the Great Sage, Sakyamuni?
Second is the gate of the Pure Land, in which, directing the merit of practice in the present life, one aspires to be born in the next life in the Pure Land to fulfill the bodhisattva practices and become a Buddha. This gate meets the needs of people of these latter days; it is truly a marvelous path. But this gate is itself divided into two: birth through various practices and birth through the nembutsu.
"Birth through various practices" means to aspire to be born in the Pure Land through observing filial piety toward one's parents, serving one's teacher and elders, maintaining the five precepts or eight precepts, and practicing charity and patience, and also through such practices as the Three Mystic Acts (Shingon) or the meditation exercise of the One Vehicle (Tendai). One may attain birth through these practices, for all are, without exception, none other than practices for birth into the Pure Land. But in all of them one aspires for birth by applying oneself relentlessly to practices, so they are called "birth through self-power." If the practices are done inadequately, it is impossible to achieve birth. They do not accord with Amida's Primal Vow; they are not illuminated by the radiance of Amida's grasp.
"Birth through the nembutsu" is to aspire for birth through saying the Name of Amida. Because this is in accordance with the Buddha's Primal Vow, it is called the act of true settlement; since one is pulled solely by the power of Amida's Vow, it is called birth through Other Power. If one asks why utterance of the Name is in accord with the Buddha's Primal Vow, we must recall the Vow's origin. In the distant past, before Amida Tathagata became a Buddha, he was called Bhiksu Dharmakara. At that time there was a Buddha named Lokesvararaja Buddha. When Bhiksu Dharmakara had already awakened the thought of enlightenment, he desired to dwell in a land of purity and benefit sentient beings, and going before the Buddha he said: "Already I have awakened the thought of enlightenment and desire to establish a Buddha-land of purity. May the Buddha, for my sake, teach fully the innumerable, wondrous practices for adorning the Pure Land." Then Lokesvararaja Buddha taught completely the good and bad of the human and heavenly beings in the pure lands of twenty-one billion Buddhas, as well as the coarse and the wondrous aspects of each of the lands, fully revealing each one of them. Bhiksu Dharmakara listened and looked upon them, and discerning the bad he took up the good, casting out the coarse he aspired for the wonderful. He, for example, discerned and rejected lands which contained the three evil paths, but he requested and selected in the first Vow a world in which these three paths did not exist. We should understand that all the other Vows were established in this manner. Thus he chose the surpassing qualities from among the pure lands of twenty-one billion Buddhas and established the world of perfect bliss. It is as though cherry blossoms were made to bloom on the branches of willow trees, or those renowned sights, Kiyomi Beach and Futami Bay, were placed together. This selection was not made out of a brief consideration; it was the result of contemplation over the span of five kalpas. Thus, Dharmakara vowed to create a land most wondrous and adorned with purity, and he further contemplated: "The creating of this land is to guide all sentient beings. Though the land be exquisite, if it is difficult for beings to be born there, it would go against the intent of the great compassion and the great vow. In seeking to determine the special cause for birth into the land of bliss, none among all the various practices is easily performed. If I were to select filial piety toward one's parents, those who lack piety could not be born; if I were to adopt the recitation of Mahayana sutras, the illiterate would have no hope; if I determined charity and observance of precepts to be the causal act, followers who are stingy and greedy or who break precepts would be dropped; if I made patience or effort the act resulting in birth, those given to anger or sloth would be completely abandoned. The other practices are all likewise. Hence, in order that all foolish beings, both good and evil, may equally be born and that they may all aspire for the land of bliss, I shall make simply the utterance of the three characters of the Name, A-mi-da, the special cause for birth therein."
Thus he completed five kalpas of profound contemplation and first of all established the Seventeenth Vow that all Buddhas shall say and praise the Name. It is important to have a thorough understanding of this in regards to the Vow. Because he sought to guide sentient beings everywhere with his Name, he vowed that his Name be praised as the first step. If it were not so, since the Buddha has no desire for acclaim, what need would there be to be praised by all the Buddhas? Thus it is stated:
The sacred name of the Tathagata is exceedingly distinct and clear;
Throughout the worlds in the ten quarters it prevails.
Solely those who say the Name all attain birth;
Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta come themselves to welcome them.
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Hi Billy,
the post was too long and it could be deleted automatically later so i decided to break the post into 5 parts, hope you don't mind. And thanks for posting such an important teaching.
Will be posting Shinran Shonin's commentary.
Gassho -
Next he established the Eighteenth Vow, the Vow of birth through the nembutsu, in which he declared that he would guide even people of ten utterances. When we carefully reflect upon it, this Vow is truly vast and profound. Because the Name is composed of but three characters, it is easy to keep even for one as foolish as Sakyamuni's disciple Panthaka, and in its utterance, it makes no difference whether one is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, nor is discrimination made regarding time, place, or circumstance, nor is distinction made between householder and monk, man and woman, old an young, good and bad. Who, then, is left out? Thus it is stated:
[Amida] Buddha, in the causal stage, made the universal Vow:
When beings hear my Name and think on me, I will come to welcome each of them,
Not discriminating at all between the poor and the rich and wellborn,
Not discriminating between the inferior and the highly gifted;
Not choosing the learned and those upholding pure precepts,
Nor rejecting those who break precepts and whose evil karma is profound.
When beings just turn about at heart and often say the nembutsu,
It is as if bits of rubble were turned into gold.
This is birth through the nembutsu.
Bodhisattva Nagarjuna states in his Commentary on the Ten Bodhisattva Stages:
In practicing the Buddha-way there is a path of difficult practice and a path of easy practice. The path of difficult practice is like going overland on foot; the easy path is like receiving a favorable wind upon the sea-lanes. The difficult path consists in seeking to attain the stage of nonretrogression within the world of the five defilements; the easy path consists of being born in the Pure Land by virtue of simply entrusting oneself to the Buddha.
The difficult path is the gate of the Path of Sages; the easy path is the gate of the Pure Land. Thinking to myself, it seems that those who enter the Pure Land gate and yet endeavor in various practices for birth are like those who ride on a boat on the sea-lanes, but not receiving favorable wind, push oars and expend their strength, going against the tides and forcing through the waves.
In this gate of birth through the nembutsu, moreover, two practices are distinguished: single practice and sundry practice. Single practice is to perform simply the one practice of the nembutsu, awakening the aspiration for the land of bliss and the faith of entrusting to the Primal Vow, never mixing any other practices whatsoever with it. To say the Name of Amida only and think wholeheartedly on this one Buddha, never upholding other formulas or thinking on other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, is called single practice. Sundry practice, while taking the nembutsu as primary, places other practices alongside it and includes other forms of good acts. Of these two, single practice is to be considered superior. The reason is as follows. If one already aspires wholeheartedly for the land of bliss, why include other things besides contemplating on the master of that land? Life is like a flash of lightning, or a dewdrop at daybreak, and the body like the plantain tree or a bubble - yet one seeks in a mere lifetime of religious practice to depart immediately from one's long abode in the five courses. How can one leisurely combine diverse practices? For securing spiritual bonds with the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, one must await the morn when one can make offerings to the Buddhas as one wishes; for the essential principles of the Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures, on must await the eve when all the teachings will be illuminated. Aside from aspiring for the one land and thinking on the one Buddha, there is no other necessity. People who enter the gate of the nembutsu but combine it with other practices are attached to their former practices and have difficulty abandoning them. Those who hold to the One Vehicle or practice the Three Mystic Acts do not change their aspiration to attain birth in the Pure Land by directing the merits of such practices, wondering what can be wrong with pursuing them together with the nembutsu. Without endeavoring in the nembutsu of easy practice that accords with the Primal Vow, meaningless is it to follow various practices rejected by the Primal Vow. Thus Master Shan-tao declared: "Among those who abandon the single practice and incline toward the sundry, not one in a thousand can be born; among those of single practice, a hundred in a hundred, a thousand in a thousand, can be born." It is said:
The land of bliss is the realm of nirvana, the uncreated;
I fear it is hard to be born there by doing sundry good acts according to our diverse conditions.
Hence, the Tathagata selected the essential dharma,
Instructing beings to say Amida's Name with singleness, again singleness.
That which is rejected as "various good acts done according to one's conditions" is the attachment to one's own former practice. In serving as a retainer, for example, one should serve one's lord, depend on him, and wholeheartedly be loyal to him. However, suppose a person, while evidently serving his lord, in addition harbors designs concerning an unfamiliar, distant person and, arranging to have him meet his lord, seeks to be well spoken of by him. Compared with serving directly, which is superior and which inferior is clearly known. Being of two minds and being of one mind are as vastly different as heaven and earth.
Concerning this, someone asks: "Suppose there is a person who practices the nembutsu, reciting it ten thousand times each day, and aside from that does nothing but play all day and sleep all night; and another person who says it ten thousand times and afterwards reads sutras and recites the names of other Buddhas: which is superior? In the Lotus Sutra is the phrase, 'by virtue of this sutra one is born in the land of peace.' Can reading this sutra be the same as playing and frolicking? In the Yakushi Sutra is found the guidance of eight bodhisattvas. Thinking on Yakushi Buddha is surely not like useless sleep. I still cannot understand praising one as single practice and rejecting the other as sundry practice."
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In considering this matter over again now, single practice is still superior. The reason is that we are essentially foolish beings of this defiled world who experience obstacles in everything. Amida, observing this, taught the path of easy practice. One who plays and frolics all day is a person of great distraction and confusion. One who sleeps the whole night is a person of great lethargy. All are consequences of blind passions, difficult to sunder and difficult to control. When playing has ended, say the nembutsu; when awakening from sleep, recall the Primal Vow. This does not violate the performance of single practice. To recite the nembutsu ten thousand times and afterward hold in mind other sutras and other Buddhas seems splendid upon first hearing, but who determined that the nembutsu should be limited to ten thousand times? If you are a person of diligence, then recite all day. If you take up the nenju-beads, then utter the Name of Amida. If you face an object of worship, then choose the image of Amida. Directly await Amida's coming; why depend on the eight bodhisattvas to direct your way? You should rely solely on the guidance of the Primal Vow. Do not struggle to undertake the exercises of the One Vehicle (Tendai). In the capacities of nembutsu practicers there are the superior, the ordinary, and the inferior. Those of superior nature constantly say the nembutsu both night and day; in what interval, then, can they turn their attention to other Buddhas? You should reflect on this deeply and not become entangled in distracting doubts.
Next, in saying the nembutsu, you should possess the three minds. With the simple saying of the Name, who cannot obtain the virtue of one or ten utterances? Nevertheless, those who attain birth are exceedingly rare, the reason being that people do not have the three minds. The Contemplation Sutra states: "The person with the three minds will be born without fail in that land." Shan-tao says in his commentary: "If one possesses these three minds, one will unfailingly attain birth. If one of these minds is lacking, then birth is not attained." This means that if a person lacks one of the three minds, he cannot be born. Although there are many who say the Name of Amida in this world, rare are those who actually attain birth. Know that this is because they do not possess the three minds.
Concerning these three minds: first is the mind of sincerity; this is the true and real heart and mind. In entering the Buddha path, one must first of all have a sincere mind; if the mind is not sincere, it is impossible to advance. Amida Buddha in the past accomplished the bodhisattva practices and established the Pure Land; in doing this he awakened the sincere mind. Hence, if you desire to be born in that land, you must also awaken a sincere mind. As to this true and real heart and mind, one must abandon that which is untrue and unreal and manifest that which is true and real. Indeed, although we are without profound aspiration for the Pure Land, on meeting others we talk as though we have deep aspirations. While being deeply attached within to fame and gain in this life, our outward show is a rejection of this world. While on the surface we act as though we have a good heart and are noble, we have within an evil heart and a self-indulgent heart. This is called a heart and mind which is empty and transitory, opposite of the true and real heart and mind. You should turn away from this and firmly grasp the true and real heart and mind.
A person who erroneously grasps this, saying that if all things are not as they seem to be they might as well be empty and transitory, exposes to others even what should be matters of reserve and shame, and, contrarily, invites the faults of self-indulgence and shamelessness. Concerning the true and real heart and mind, in seeking the Pure Land, rejecting this defiled world, and entrusting to the Buddha's Vow, one must have such a heart and mind. It does not necessarily mean to openly manifest shame or to make a show of one's faults. You should deeply reflect on this in all circumstances and on all occasions. Shan-tao's commentary states: "Do not express outwardly signs of wisdom, goodness, or diligence, while inwardly possessing falsity."
Second is deep mind, the mind of trust. You should first know the features of the mind of trust. The mind of trust is to have deep faith in people's words without doubting them. For example, suppose that a man whom one deeply trusts and of whom one has no cause for suspicion whatever tells you about a place which he knows well at firsthand, saying that there is a mountain here, a river there. You believe deeply what he says, and after you have accepted these words, you meet other people who say it is all false. There is no mountain and no river. Nevertheless, since what you heard was said by a person whom you cannot think would speak a mere fabrication, a hundred thousand people might tell you differently but you would not accept it. Rather, you deeply trust what you heard first. This is called trust. Now, believing in what Sakyamuni taught, entrusting yourself to Amida's Vow, and being without any doubt should be like this.
There are two aspects concerning this mind of trust: the first is to believe oneself to be a foolish being of defiled karma, subject to birth-and-death, from incalculable kalpas past constantly sinking and constantly turning, without any condition that could lead to liberation. The second is to believe deeply and decisively that, since one does not doubt that Amida's Forty-eight Vows grasp sentient beings, one rides on the power of that Vow and will without fail attain birth. People often say: "Not that I don't believe in Buddha's Vow, but when I reflect on myself, I see that my karmic hindrances have accumulated greatly and that the appearance of a good heart is rare. My mind is ever distracted and single-mindedness is impossible to achieve. I am forever negligent and lack diligence. Although the Buddha's Vow is said to be profound, how can the Buddha possibly receive me? Such thoughts appear truly sensible; arrogance is not aroused and self-conceit nonexistent. Yet there is the crime of doubting the inconceivable power of the Buddha. Does one know what power the Buddha possesses, when one says that because of one's karmic evil it is impossible to be saved? Even those wrongdoers who commit the five grave offenses, because of ten utterances, attain birth in an instant; even more so those who never go so far as to commit the five grave offenses, and in merit far surpass that of ten utterances.
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If karmic evil is deep, all the more aspire for the land of bliss. It is said: "Nor rejecting those who break precepts and whose evil karma is profound." If your good is slight, think even more on Amida. It is said: "[With but] three or five utterances, the Buddha comes to welcome us." Do not meaninglessly despise yourself, weaken your heart, and doubt the Buddha's wisdom, which surpasses conceptual understanding. Suppose that there is a man at the bottom of a tall cliff unable to climb it, but there is a strong man on the cliff above who lowers a rope and, thinking to have the man at the bottom take hold of it, tells him he will draw him up to the top. However, the man at the bottom holds his arms back and refuses to take the rope, doubting the strength of the man pulling and fearing that the rope is weak. Thus it is altogether impossible for him to climb to the top. If he unhesitatingly followed the man's words, stretched out his hands and grasped the rope, he would be able to climb at once. It is difficult for people who doubt the Buddha's power and who do not entrust themselves to the power of the Vow to climb the cliff of enlightenment. One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.
The Buddha's power is without limits; even the person deeply burdened with karmic evil is never too heavy. The Buddha's wisdom is without bounds; even those whose minds are distracted and self-indulgent are never rejected. The mind of trust alone is essential. There is no need to consider anything else. When trust has become settled, the three minds are naturally possessed. When the entrusting to the Primal Vow is true and sincere, there is no heart empty and transitory. When there is no doubt in the anticipation of one's birth in the Pure Land, there arises the thought of directing merit toward it. Hence, although the three minds seem to differ from each other, they are all included in the mind of trust.
Third is the mind aspiring to be born in the Pure Land through directing merit. The term is self-explanatory; therefore, I need not explain it in detail. It is to turn over the merit of the three modes of action of the past and present and to aspire to be born in the land of bliss.
Next, the text of the Primal Vow reads: "If sentient beings say my Name even ten times but do not attain birth, may I not attain the supreme enlightenment." Concerning these ten nen, some people have doubts and state: "The person who has one thought (nen) of rejoicing in the Lotus Sutra reaches deeply to the ultimate truth which is neither accommodated nor real. Why are the 'ten nen' of the Vow understood to be utterances of the Name?" To answer this question: in describing the nature of the people of the lowest grade in the lowest rank, the Contemplation Sutra states, "Upon reaching the moment of death, a person guilty of the five grave offenses and the ten transgressions and burdened with all kinds of evil follows, for the first time, the encouragement of a true teacher, barely says the Name ten times and is born at once in the Pure Land." This does not at all mean quiet contemplation or deep reflection; it is simply saying the Name with the lips. The sutra states: "If you cannot think..." This has the meaning of not thinking deeply. It also states: "Say the Name of the Buddha of immeasurable life." This encourages us simply to say the Buddha Name. The sutra states: "When you say Namu-muryoju-butsu (literally, "Namu Buddha of immeasurable life") ten times, because you say the Buddha's Name, with each utterance the evil karma of eight billion kalpas of birth-and-death is eliminated." The words "ten times" mean simply saying the Name ten times. You should understand the text of the Primal Vow in this way. Master Shan-tao profoundly realized this import and restated the Primal Vow: "If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters say my Name as few as ten times and yet are not born, may I not attain supreme enlightenment." The words "ten times" signify reciting with the lips.
1. Next, some people also say, "The nembutsu at the moment of death contains a profound virtue. Extinguishing the five grave offenses in ten utterances is the power of the nembutsu at the moment of death. The nembutsu of ordinary times lacks such power."
Reflecting upon this: True, the nembutsu at the time of death is particularly excellent in virtue. However, it is necessary to understand this fully. When people are about to die, a hundred sufferings assail them and right-mindedness is easily disturbed. At such a time, how is it that thinking on the Buddha has great virtue? In thinking about this, when one is gravely ill, nearing the end, and one's life is in peril, it is easy for trust to arise naturally. In actually observing the habits of people, we see that when they are without troubles they do not put trust in doctors and diviners, but when severely ill they have full trust in them. If they are told that the disease will be cured with a certain treatment, people believe that it will truly be cured; they will even swallow bitter medicine and undergo painful treatment. When they are told that they will live longer if they perform a certain ceremony, they spare no expense and expend their energies in ceremonies and prayers. Thus, because their attachment to life is deep, if they are told they can prolong it, they have profound trust. The nembutsu at the moment of death should be understood in this manner. When you feel that the final moment of life has come and that you will not live, the suffering of your next life suddenly appears - the fiery car of hell approaches or tormenting demons fill your eyes. Thinking of how to evade such suffering and escape from such terror, you hear about the attainment of birth through ten utterances from a true teacher; suddenly a profound, momentous mind of trust arises in you and you have no doubt whatever. Because the revulsion against suffering is strong and the desire for happiness keen, one immediately awakens the mind of trust upon hearing that birth into the land of bliss is imminent. It is like trusting a doctor or an exorcist upon hearing them say that life will be lengthened. If one is of this mind, even though it is not one's last moment - if the mind of trust is established - the virtue of each utterance in ordinary times is equal to the nembutsu at the moment of death.
2. Next, people often say: "Even if I entrust myself to the power of Amida's Vow and aspire to be born in the land of bliss, it is difficult to know my defiled karma from past lives. How can I attain birth so easily? There are a variety of karmic obstacles. 'Succeeding' karma does not necessarily take effect during the life in which it was created, but in lives to come it may bear fruit. Thus, although we have received birth into human life now, we may possess the karma for the evil paths without our knowing. If the power of such karma is strong and brings about birth into the evil courses, will it not be difficult to attain birth in the Pure Land?"
Although the sense of this is quite sound, such people are unable to sever the net of doubt and create deluded views by themselves. Karma, more or less, may be compared to a scale. It tips towards the heavier weight. If the power of my karma for birth in the evil courses were strong, then I would not have been born into human life but would have fallen first into the evil paths. This much is clear from having already received birth into human life: though we may possess karma for evil courses, that karma is weaker than the observance of the five precepts which brought about our birth into human life. If this is so, such karma cannot obstruct even the five precepts; how could it obstruct the virtue of ten utterances? The five precepts are acts of defiled beings; the nembutsu is a virtue of undefilement. In the five precepts no help from the Buddha's Vow is found, but we are guided to saying the nembutsu by Amida's Primal Vow. The virtue of the nembutsu, moreover, is superior to even the ten precepts and surpasses all the good of the three worlds. How much more does it surpass the scant good of the five precepts? Evil karma does not obstruct even the five precepts, it can never be an obstacle to birth.
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3. Next, people again say: "The attainment of birth by ten utterances by people guilty of the five grave offenses comes about through their past good. It is difficult to possess such past good. How can we attain birth?"
Here, too, it is because they are lost in the darkness of folly that they vainly entertain such useless doubts. The reason is that those full of past good will cultivate good in this life also and fear doing evil acts. Those scant of past good will prefer evil acts in this life and not perform good. We clearly know the good and bad of past karma from the way this life is led. We lack a pure heart, however, so we know that our past good is minimal. But though our karmic evil is heavy, we do not commit the five grave offenses, and though our good acts are few, we deeply entrust ourselves to the Primal Vow. Even the ten utterances of someone guilty of the five grave offenses comes about through that person's past good. How could it be, then, that the saying of the Name throughout one's life is not also due to one's past good? How can we think that the ten utterances of someone guilty of the five grave offenses is due to past good, while our own saying of the Name throughout a lifetime is through our past good which is shallow? A little wisdom is an obstruction to enlightenment, so it is said; truly, here is an example.
4. Next, some who follow the way of the nembutsu say: "The essence of the path to birth in the Pure Land is a trusting mind. Once this mind of trust has become settled, it is not always necessary to recite the nembutsu. The sutra teaches: 'say it even once'; hence, one utterance is understood to be sufficient. When one seeks to accumulate many utterances, it is, on the contrary, a failure to trust in the Buddha's Vow." Thus they greatly mock and gravely slander those who recite the nembutsu, saying that they are people who do not truly believe in the nembutsu.
These people first of all abandon all Mahayana practices in the name of "single practice of the nembutsu," and then, adhering to the doctrine of "once-calling," they stop saying the nembutsu. This is the means the demons have used to deceive the sentient beings of this latter age. In such explanations there are both good and bad points. In principle the statement that one utterance suffices as the act for birth in the Pure Land is perfectly true; nevertheless, it is going too far to say that the accumulation of a large number of utterances shows the lack of a trusting mind. It does show, however, a lack of a trusting mind if one believes that one utterance is insufficient and birth requires accumulating a great number of utterances. Though one utterance suffices as the act for birth, some may think that it is important to accumulate more and more merit while passing their days and nights, and so, if they say the Name, they recite it day and night, and the merit increases more and more and the cause for birth becomes even more determined. Master Shan-tao stated that as long as one is alive, one should constantly say the nembutsu. Are we to say such people lack trust? To dismiss them with ridicule would be wrong. "One utterance" actually appears in a passage of the sutra. Not to believe it is not to believe the Buddha's word. Thus, one should believe in the settling of birth with one utterance, and further continue saying the Name without negligence throughout one's life. This is the true meaning of the teaching.
Although there are many important doctrines concerning the nembutsu, they can be summarized in the preceding way. Some people who read this will surely ridicule it. Nevertheless, both belief and slander will become a cause for each one's birth in the Pure Land. With the pledges of friendship in this life - brief as a dream - to guide us, we tie the bonds for meeting before enlightenment in the coming life. If I am behind, I will be guided by others; If I go first, I will guide others. Becoming true friends through many lives, we bring each other to the practice of the Buddha-way, and as true teachers in each life, we will together sunder all delusion and attachment.
Honored Sakyamuni, the teacher,
Amida Buddha, compassionate mother,
Avalokitesvara, on the left,
Mahasthamaprapta, on the right,
The great ocean of immaculate beings,
The ocean of the three treasures,
Throughout the dharma-realm:
Singleheartedly I think on your witness;
Pity and comfort me, and hear my prayer.
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Notes on 'Essentials of Faith Alone'
In the title, Essentials of Faith Alone, alone means "this one thing only," expressing a rejection of two things standing together. It also means "by itself."
Faith is the heart and mind without doubt; it is shinjin, which is true and real. It is the heart and mind free of that which is empty and transitory. "Empty" means vain; "transitory" means provisional. "Empty" means not real, not sincere; "transitory" means not true. To be free of self-power, having entrusted oneself to the Other Power of the Primal Vow - this is faith alone.
Essentials indicates the selecting and gathering together of significant passages from the scriptures. Thus the title, Essentials of Faith Alone.
Faith alone also means that nothing is placed equal with this shinjin of Other Power, for it is the working of the universal Primal Vow.
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The Sacred Name of the Tathagata is exceedingly distinct and clear;
Throughout the worlds in the ten quarters it prevails.
Solely those who say the Name all attain birth;
Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta come of themselves to welcome them.
The sacred Name of the Tathagata is exceedingly distinct and clear
The Tathagata is the Tathagata of unhindered light. The sacred Name is Namu-amida-butsu.
Sacred means holy, excellent.
Name (go) indicates the name of a Buddha after the attainment of Buddhahood; another term (myo) indicates the name before this attainment. The sacred Name of the Tathagata surpasses measure, description, and conceptual understanding; it is the Name of the Vow embodying great love and great compassion, which brings all sentient beings into the supreme nirvana. The Name of this Buddha surpasses the names of all the other Tathagatas, for it is based on the Vow to save all beings.
Exceedingly distinct and clear
Exceedingly here means utterly, unsurpassed.
Distinct implies "to distinguish"; here it means to distinguish each sentient being.
Clear means evident. It is evident that Amida, distinguishing every sentient being in the ten quarters, guides each to salvation; thus the Buddha's compassionate concern for us is unsurpassed.
Throughout the world in the ten quarters it prevails
Throughout means universally, extensively, boundlessly.
Prevails means that the Name spreads universally throughout the worlds in the ten quarters, countless as minute particles, and guides all to the practice of the Buddha's teaching. This means that, since there is no one - whether among the wise of the Mahayana or the Hinayana, or the ignorant, good or evil - who can attain supreme nirvana through his or her own self-cultivated wisdom, we are encouraged to enter the ocean of the wisdom-Vow of the Buddha of unhindered light, for the Buddha's form is the light of wisdom. This form comprehends the wisdom of all the Buddhas. It should be understood that light is none other than wisdom.
Solely those who say the Name all attain birth
Solely those who means that only those who say the Name single-heartedly attain birth in the Pure Land of bliss; this is the meaning of "Those who say the Name all attain birth."
Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta come of themselves to welcome them
Namu-amida-butsu is the Name embodying wisdom; hence, when persons accept and entrust themselves to this Name of the Buddha of inconceivable wisdom-light, holding it in mindfulness, Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta accompany them constantly, as shadows do things. The Buddha of unhindered light appears as Avalokitesvara, and becomes manifest as Mahasthamaprapta. A sutra states that Avalokitesvara, with the name Bodhisattva Treasure-response, reveals himself as the god of the sun and dispels the pitch darkness of ignorance in all beings; and Mahasthamaprapta, with the name Bodhisattva Treasure-happiness, reveals himself as the god of the moon and illuminates the long night of birth-and-death. Together they bring forth wisdom in all beings.
Come of themselves to welcome: of themselves (ji) means "in person." Amida and a vast and numberless saintly host, consisting of innumerable manifestation-bodies of Buddhas, of Avalokitesvara, and of Mahasthamaprapta, appear in person to be alongside and always protect those who have realized true and real shinjin, at all times and in all places; hence the word "themselves."
Ji also means of itself. "Of itself" is a synonym for jinen, which means to be made to become so. "To be made to become so" means that without the practicer's calculating in any way whatsoever, all that practicer's past, present, and future evil karma is transformed into the highest good, just as all waters, upon entering the great ocean, immediately become ocean water. We are made to acquire the Tathagata's virtues through entrusting ourselves to the Vow-power; hence the expression, "made to become so." Since there is no contriving in any way to gain such virtues, it is called jinen. Those persons who have attained true and real shinjin are taken into and protected by this Vow that grasps never to abandon; therefore, they realize the diamondlike mind without any calculation on their own part, and thus dwell in the stage of the truly settled. Because of this, constant mindfulness of the Primal Vow arises in them naturally (by jinen). Even with the arising of this shinjin, it is written that supreme shinjin is made to awaken in us through the compassionate guidance of Sakyamuni, the kind father, and Amida, the mother of loving care. Know that this is the benefit of the working of jinen.
Come to welcome: come means to cause to come to the Pure Land; it is a word which expresses the actualizing of Amida's Vow, "If any should not be born in my land, may I not attain the supreme enlightenment." It indicates that a person is made to reject the defiled world and come to the true and real fulfilled land. In short, the word indicates the working of Other Power.
Come also means to return. To return is to attain the supreme nirvana without fail because one has already entered the ocean of the Vow; this is called "returning to the city of dharma-nature." The city of dharma-nature is none other than the enlightenment of Tathagata, called dharma-body, unfolded naturally. When person become enlightened, we say they "return to the city of dharma-nature." It is also called realizing true reality or suchness, realizing the uncreated or dharma-body, attaining emancipation, realizing the eternal bliss of dharma-nature, and attaining the supreme enlightenment. When persons attain this enlightenment, with great love and great compassion immediately reaching their fullness in them, they return to the ocean of birth-and-death to save all sentient beings; this is known as attaining the virtue of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. To attain this benefit is come; that is, "to return to the city of dharma-nature."
To welcome means that Amida receives us, awaits us. Hearing the inconceivable selected Primal Vow and the holy Name of supreme wisdom without a single doubt is called true and real shinjin; it is also called the diamondlike mind. When sentient beings realize this shinjin, they attain the equal of perfect enlightenment and will ultimately attain the supreme enlightenment, being of the same stage as Maitreya, the future Buddha. That is, they become established in the stage of the truly settled. Hence shinjin is like a diamond, never breaking, or degenerating, or becoming fragmented; thus, we speak of "diamondlike shinjin." This is the meaning of to welcome.
(1) -
The Larger Sutra of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life states:
All sentient beings aspire to be born in that land; they then attain birth and dwell in the stage of nonretrogression.
Aspire to be born in that land is a command: All beings should aspire to be born in that land!
They then attain birth means that when a person realizes shinjin, he or she is born immediately. "To be born immediately" is to dwell in the stage of nonretrogression. To dwell in the stage of nonretrogression is to become established in the stage of the truly settled. This is also called the attainment of the equal of perfect enlightenment. Such is the meaning of they then attain birth.
Then means immediately; "immediately" means without any passage of time and without any passage of days.
That the Name spreads universally throughout the worlds in the ten quarters is due to the fulfillment of the Vow embodying the ocean of the One-Vehicle wisdom, the Seventeenth Vow of Bodhisattva Dharmakara's Forty-eight great Vows, which states, "My Name shall be praised and pronounced by the countless Buddhas in the ten quarters." This is evident from the description of the Buddhas' witness and protection in the Smaller Sutra. The Buddhas' intention in their witness and protection is also expressed in the Larger Sutra. Thus, this Vow of compassion already shows that the Primal Vow, which encourages the saying of the Name, is the true cause of birth selected by Amida.
I have not gone into the significance of this passage as fully as I would like, but using these notes, please explore it carefully. It is the exposition of a master named Fa-chao, "the second Shan-tao." Tz'u-chio called him Master Fa-tao (Dharma Way), and in a biography he is called the Amida of Mount Lu-shan. He is also called Master Ching-yeh (Pure Karma). He was the reincarnation of the T'ang dynasty master Shan-tao of Kuang-ming temple, and hence is known as "the second Shan-tao."
(2) -
That Buddha, in the causal stage, made the universal Vow:
When beings hear my Name and think on me, I will come to welcome each of them,
Not discriminating at all between the poor and the rich and wellborn,
Not discriminating between the inferior and the highly gifted,
Not choosing the learned and those upholding pure precepts,
Nor rejecting those who break precepts and whose evil karma is profound.
Solely making beings turn about and abundantly say the nembutsu,
I can make bits of rubble change into gold.
That Buddha, in the causal stage, made the universal Vow
That Buddha refers to Amida Buddha.
In the causal stage indicates the time when Amida Buddha was Bodhisattva Dharmakara.
Universal means wide, to spread. Bhiksu Dharmakara established the supreme, unexcelled Vow and spread it widely. "Supreme" means that it goes beyond the vows of other Buddhas. It connotes transcendent, unequalled. The Tathagata's establishing of the universal Vow is explained in detail in Essentials of Faith Alone.
When beings hear my Name and think on me
Hear is a word indicating shinjin.
Name refers to the Name embodying the Tathagata's Vow.
Think on me instructs us, Hold this Name in mindfulness! This is implied in the compassionate Vow that all the Buddhas pronounce the Name. "Hold in mindfulness" means that people of true shinjin constantly recall the Primal Vow without interruption.
I will come to welcome each of them.
Each of them means all inclusive, everyone. Welcome means to receive, to await, expressing Other Power. Come means to return, to be made to come. Thus, we are made to come and return to the city of dharma-nature. Since there is coming from the city of dharma-nature into this Saha world to benefit sentient beings, come has the sense of "to arrive from"; since there is attainment of the enlightenment of dharma-nature, it means "to return."
Not discriminating at all between the poor and the rich and wellborn
Not discriminating means not choosing, not rejecting.
Poor means impoverished and in need. At all is for emphasis, meaning "not at all"; it also means "with" and to lead. Rich and wellborn indicates the wealthy and the people of rank. Thus, without in the least differentiating among such people, Amida leads each and every person to the Pure Land.
Not discriminating between the inferior and the highly gifted
Inferior refers to those whose knowledge is shallow, limited, and slight.
Highly gifted indicates those with great ability for learning. Amida does not choose between the two.
Not choosing the learned and those who uphold pure precepts
Learned means to hear and believe in numerous and diverse sacred teachings.
Upholding means to maintain. "To maintain" means not to lose or dissipate what we learn.
Pure precepts indicates all the various Hinayana and Mahayana precepts - the five precepts, the eight precepts, the ten precepts of morality, all the Hinayana codes of precepts, the three-thousand regulations of deportment, the sixty-thousand regulatory practices, the diamondlike one-mind precepts of the Mahayana, the threefold pure precept, the fifty-eight precepts expounded in the Brahma-net Sutra, and so on - all the precepts for monks and for laypeople. To maintain these is "to uphold" and to violate them is "to break." Even saintly people who observe these various Mahayana and Hinayana precepts can attain birth in the true fulfilled land only after they realize the true and real shinjin of Other Power. Know that it is impossible to be born in the true, fulfilled Pure Land by simply observing precepts, or by self-willed conviction, or by self-cultivated good.
Nor rejecting those who break precepts and whose evil karma is profound
Break precepts applies to people who, having received the precepts for monks or laymen mentioned earlier, break and abandon them; such people are not rejected.
Evil karma is profound: evil people who have committed the ten transgressions or the five grave offenses, people of evil karma who have reviled the teaching or who lack seeds for Buddhahood, those of scant roots of good, those of massive karmic evil, those of shallow inclination to good, those of profound attachment to evil - such wretched men as these, profound in various kinds of evil karma, are described by the word profound. Profound means bottomless. Good people, bad people, noble and low, are not differentiated in the Vow of the Buddha of unhindered light, in which the guiding of each person is primary and fundamental. Know that the true essence of the Pure Land teaching (Jodo shinshu) is that when we realize true and real shinjin, we are born in the true fulfilled land.
Come and welcome each of them means making all beings of true and real shinjin return to the Pure Land by welcoming and leading them there.
Solely making beings turn about and abundantly say the nembutsu
Solely making beings turn about instructs us, Single-heartedly make your heart turn about!
Turn about means to overturn and discard the mind of self-power. Since those people who are to be born in the true fulfilled land are without fail taken into the heart of the Buddha of unhindered light, they realize diamondlike shinjin. Thus, they "abundantly say the Name."
Abundant means "great" in the sense of great in number, "exceeding" and "supreme" in the sense of excelling and surpassing all good acts. This is because nothing excels the Primal Vow embodying Other Power.
"To abandon the mind of self-power" admonishes the various and diverse kinds of people - master of Hinayana or Mahayana, ignorant beings good or evil - to abandon the conviction that one is good, to cease relying on the self; to stop reflecting knowingly on one's evil heart, and further to abandon the judging of people as good and bad. When such shackled foolish beings - the lowly who are hunters and peddlers - thus wholly entrust themselves to the Name embodying great wisdom, the inconceivable Vow of the Buddha of unhindered light, then while burdened as they are with blind passion, they all attain supreme nirvana. "Shackled" describes us, who are bound by all our various blind passions. Blind passions refers to pains which torment the body and afflictions which distress the heart and mind. The hunter is one who slaughters many kinds of living things; this is the huntsman. The peddler is one who buys and sells things; this is the trader. They are called "low." Such peddlers, hunters, and others are none other than we, who are like stones and tiles and pebbles.
I can make bits of rubble change into gold
This is a metaphor. When we entrust ourselves to the Tathagata's Primal Vow, we, who are like bits of tile and pebbles, are turned into gold. Peddlers and hunters, who are like stones and tiles and pebbles, are grasped and never abandoned by the Tathagata's light. Know that this comes about solely through true shinjin. We speak of the light that grasps because we are taken into the heart of the Buddha of unhindered light; thus, shinjin is said to be diamondlike.
Although I have not set forth the meaning of this passage as fully as I would like, I have presented a rough explanation. I hope the reader will ask good teachers about its profound implications.
The passage is the exposition of Tz'u-min, master of the Tripitaka, who studied in India. In China he is known as Hui-jih.
(2) -
The land of bliss is the realm of nirvana, the uncreated;
I fear it is hard to be born there by doing sundry good acts according to our diverse conditions.
Hence, the Tathagata selected the essential dharma,
Instructing beings to say Amida's Name with singleness, again singleness.
The land of bliss is the realm of nirvana, the uncreated
The land of bliss is that Pure Land of happiness, where there are always countless joys and never any suffering mingled with them. It is known as the land of peace. It was Master T'an-luan who praised it and called it "Land of Peace." Also, the Treatise on the Pure Land describes it as "the lotus repository world" and as the uncreated.
The realm of nirvana refers to the place where one overturns the delusion of ignorance and realizes the supreme enlightenment.
Realm means "place"; know it as the place of attaining enlightenment.
Nirvana has innumerable names. It is impossible to give them in detail; I will list only a few. Nirvana is called extinction of passions, the uncreated, peaceful happiness, eternal bliss, true reality, dharma-body, dharma-nature, suchness, oneness, and Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature is none other than Tathagata. This Tathagata pervades the countless worlds; it fills the hearts and minds of the ocean of all beings. Thus, plants, trees, and land all attain Buddhahood.
Since it is with this heart and mind of all sentient beings that they entrust themselves to the Vow of the dharma-body as compassionate means, this shinjin is none other than Buddha-nature. This Buddha-nature is dharma-nature. Dharma-nature is dharma-body. For this reason there are two kinds of dharma-body with regard to the Buddha. The first is called dharma-body as suchness and the second, dharma-body as compassionate means. Dharma-body as suchness has neither color nor form; thus, the mind cannot grasp it nor words describe it. From this oneness was manifested form, called dharma-body as compassionate means.
Taking this form, the Buddha announced the name Bhiksu Dharmakara and established the Forty-eight great Vows that surpass conceptual understanding. Among these Vows are the Primal Vow of immeasurable light and the universal Vow of immeasurable life, and to the form manifesting these two Vows Bodhisattva Vasubandhu gave the title, "Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters." This Tathagata has fulfilled the Vows, which are the cause of that Buddhahood, and thus is called "Tathagata of the fulfilled body." This is none other than Amida Tathagata.
"Fulfilled" means that the cause for enlightenment has been fulfilled. From the fulfilled body innumerable personified and accommodated bodies are manifested, radiating the unhindered light of wisdom throughout the countless worlds. Thus appearing in the form of light called "Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters," it is without color and without form; that is, it is identical with the dharma-body as suchness, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and unobstructed by karmic evil. For this reason it is called "unhindered light." "Unhindered" means that it is not obstructed by the karmic evil and blind passions of beings. Know, therefore, that Amida Buddha is light, and that light is the form taken by wisdom.
I fear it is hard to be born there by doing sundry good acts according to our diverse conditions
According to our diverse conditions refers to directing the merit of practicing various good acts, which one performs according one's own particular circumstances and opportunities, toward birth in the land of bliss. There are 84,000 gates of dharma. Since they are all good practices done in self-power, they are rejected as not leading to birth in the true fulfilled land. Thus, I fear it is hard to be born.
Fear means to be apprehensive; that is, apprehensive about whether a person can be born in the true fulfilled land through the adulterated good practices, the good practices characterized by self-power.
Hard to be born means that it is difficult to attain birth in the Pure Land.
Hence, the Tathagata selected the essential dharma
Know that Sakyamuni Buddha selected the Name of Amida from among all the various goods and gave it to the evil beings, possessing wrong views and lacking faith, and living in this evil world of the five defilements. This is called selected, meaning "to pick out from among many."
Essential means wholly, to seek, to promise.
Dharma indicates the Name.
Instructing beings to say Amida's Name with singleness, again singleness
Instructing means to preach, the teaching. Here it refers to the instruction of Sakyamuni.
To say Amida's Name means to make a decision and not calculate in any way. Thus, these words instruct us, Be wholehearted in the single practice of saying the Name embodying the selected Primal Vow!
With singleness, again singleness: the first singleness means that we should perform the single practice.
Again means furthermore; it means to repeat. Hence with singleness furthermore means "Be of one-mind!" That is, Be wholly of single practice and of one mind! Moreover, singleness means "one." Wholly implies, Do not be of two minds! Thus, not wavering in any way is one mind. Amida grasps, never to abandon, such a person of this single practice and one mind, and therefore is called Amida. This is stated by Shan-tao, the Master of Kuang-ming temple.
This one mind is the shinjin of leaping crosswise.
Crosswise means across; leaping means "going beyond." This way surpasses all other teachings, and through it one quickly goes beyond the great ocean of birth-and-death and attains supreme enlightenment; therefore the term leaping is used. It is made possible by the power of the Vow that embodies the Tathagata's great compassion.
The shinjin becomes the diamondlike mind because Amida's grasp. This is the threefold shinjin of the Primal Vow of birth through the nembutsu and not the three minds of the Contemplation Sutra. Bodhisattva Vasubandhu declares that this true and real shinjin is none other than the aspiration to become a Buddha. This is the great thought of enlightenment of the Pure Land. This aspiration for Buddhahood is none other than the wish to save all beings. The wish to save all beings is the wish to carry all beings across the great ocean of birth-and-death. This shinjin is the aspiration to bring all beings to the attainment of supreme nirvana; it is the heart of great love and great compassion. This shinjin is Buddha-nature and Buddha-nature is Tathagata. To realize this shinjin is to rejoice and be glad. People who rejoice and are glad are called "people equal to the Buddhas."
To rejoice means to be joyous after being assured of attaining what one shall attain; it is rejoicing after realizing shinjin.
To be glad means to always have joy uninterruptedly in one's heart and constantly keep it in mind. It means to leap and jump, expressing boundless joy:
To leap is to dance to the heavens, to jump is to dance on the earth. The person who has realized shinjin is also likened to the white lotus flower.
The difficulty of realizing this shinjin is taught in the Larger Sutra: "The most difficult of all difficulties is to hear this sutra and accept it in shinjin; nothing surpasses this difficulty"; and in the Smaller Sutra we find, "It is the dharma that is most difficult to accept." But Sakyamuni Tathagata, appearing in this evil world of five defilements, put this dharma that is difficult to accept into practice and attained the supreme nirvana. He then gave this Name embodying wisdom to the sentient beings living in defilement. The witness of the Buddhas throughout the ten quarters and the protection of the Tathagatas as numberless as the sands of the Ganges are solely for the sake of people of true and real shinjin. Know that Sakyamuni, our loving father, and Amida, our compassionate mother, guide us to shinjin as our own parents.
For vast ages in the past, under Buddhas who appeared in this world three times the sands of the Ganges in number, we awakened the great thought of enlightenment of self-power. Having performed good practices numerous as the sands of the Ganges, we are now able to encounter the karmic power of the great Vow. Those who have realized the threefold shinjin of Other Power must never disparage the other good practices or malign the other Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
(3) -
The person with the three minds will be born without fail in that land
This means that because a person has the three minds he or she will be born without fail in that land. Thus Shan-tao states:
If one possesses these three minds, one will necessarily attain birth. If the one mind is lacking, then birth is not attained.
If one possesses these three minds means that we must have the threefold mind.
If the one mind is lacking means that no one can be born when this one mind is lacking. To lack the one mind is to lack shinjin. To lack shinjin is to lack the true and real threefold shinjin of the Primal Vow. To realize the three minds of the Contemplation Sutra and then the threefold shinjin of the Larger Sutra is to realize the one mind. When this one mind is lacking, one is not born in the real fulfilled land. The three minds of the Contemplation Sutra are parts of the mind of self-power of a person who pursues meditative and nonmeditative practice. Know that the deep mind and sincere mind, which are means, are intended to bring the two goods - meditative and nonmeditative - into the aspiration for the threefold shinjin of the Larger Sutra. When one has not attained the true and real threefold shinjin, one is not born in the true fulfilled land. Since one is not born, it is said then birth is not attained.
Then means immediately.
Birth is not attained means that the person is not born. Those of meditative and nonmeditative good acts - performing sundry practices, undergoing disciplines, and lacking threefold shinjin - will be born in the true and real fulfilled land, after countless lives in vast ages, after they have realized the threefold shinjin of the Larger Sutra. Thus, the person is not born. The sutras state that even if such a person attains birth in the palace of womb or the borderland, he or she must pass five hundred years there; furthermore, out of millions upon millions of beings, scarcely a single one will advance to the true fulfilled land. Thus, we must carefully understand the importance of threefold shinjin and aspire for its realization.
~
We should not express outwardly signs of wisdom, goodness, or diligence
People who aspire for the Pure Land must not behave outwardly as though wise or good, nor should they act as though diligent. The reason is stated, for inwardly we are possessed of falsity (literally, that which is empty and transitory).
Inwardly means "within"; since the mind is filled with blind passions, it is empty and transitory.
Empty means vain, not real, not sincere.
Transitory means provisional, not true.
For this reason, in the Tathagata's teaching this world is called the defiled world of the corrupt dharma. All beings lack a true and sincere heart, mock teachers and elders, disrespect their parents, distrust their companions, and favor only evil; hence, it is taught that everyone, both in the secular and religious worlds, is possessed of "Heart and tongue at odds," and "Words and thoughts both insincere." The former means that what is in the heart and what is said are at variance, and the latter means that what is spoken and what is thought are not real. Real means "sincere." People of this world have only thoughts that are not real, and those who wish to be born in the Pure Land have only thoughts of deceiving and flattering. Even those who renounce this world have nothing but thoughts of fame and profit. Hence, know that we are not good persons, nor persons of wisdom; that we have no diligence, but only indolence, and within, the heart is ever empty, deceptive, vainglorious, and flattering. We do not have a heart that is true and real.
Reflect on this means that a person must understand this in accordance with the way things truly are.
~
Nor rejecting those who break precepts and whose evil karma is profound
This means that men who break the various precepts and whose evil karma is deep are not rejected. This was explained fully above. Please read the explanation carefully.
~
If sentient beings, saying my Name perhaps even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain the supreme enlightenment.
This is from the text of the selected Primal Vow. It means that if the people who say the Name as stated in the Vow, "up to ten times," are not born in my land, may I not become a Buddha.
Perhaps even contains all the meanings of upper and lower limit, more or less, near or far, long continued. This is the Vow that Bodhisattva Dharmakara made in advance out of compassion for beings of later ages, seeking to end attachment to either many-calling or once-calling. We should be truly happy about this, and take delight and rejoice.
~
Neither accommodated nor real
This is a teaching of the Tendai school. It has nothing to do with Shin Buddhism, and expresses the thought of the Path of Sages. It is not the way of easy practice, so please ask people of the Tendai school about it.
~
If you cannot think on Amida
This is the teaching which urges the person guilty of the five grave offenses and ten transgressions and of engaging in defiled expositions of the dharma, "If you are tormented by suffering due to illness and cannot think on Amida, then simply say Namu-amida-butsu with your lips." This demonstrates that Amida made verbal utterance the essence of the Primal Vow. The expression say the Name of the Buddha of immeasurable life refers to this fact, and say instructs us to utter the Name.
~
When you say Namu-muryoju-butsu [Namu-amida-butsu] ten times, because you say the Buddha's Name, with each utterance the evil karma of eight billion kalpas of birth-and-death is eliminated.
Those who commit the five grave offenses are burdened with evil karma, in fact, tenfold eight billion kalpas of evil karma; hence, they are urged to say Namu-amida-butsu ten times. It is not that the evil karma of tenfold eight billion kalpas cannot be extinguished in a single utterance; but in this way, we are made to realize the seriousness of the evil karma of the five grave offenses.
Ten times means that we should simply say the Name ten times with the lips.
Thus, Shan-tao rephrases the selected Primal Vow,
If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters say my Name even ten times but do not attain birth, may I not attain the supreme enlightenment.
Here, in Amida's Primal Vow, even includes "few" in contrast to "many," teaching us that sentient beings who say the Name as few as ten times will without fail attain birth. Know that "thinking" and "voicing" have the same meaning; no voicing exists separate from thinking, and no thinking separate from voicing.
~
I have not explained the meaning of these passages as fully as I would like. Please ask good teachers about them, and with these notes explore their deep significance.
Namu-amida-butsu
That people of the countryside, who do not know the meanings of written characters and who are painfully and hopelessly ignorant, may easily understand, I have repeated the same things over and over. The educated will probably find this writing peculiar and may ridicule it. But paying no heed to such criticisms, I write only that ignorant people may easily grasp the meaning.
Shoka 1 [1257], eighth month, 19th day
Gutoku Shinran
Age 85
(4) -
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hi , thats a good posting
so what is the main emphasis on the 48 vows of Amitabha based upon
in the Jodo Shinshu school
??
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bohiruci,
Could you be a bit more specific in your question? I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are asking.
Gassho -
I think bodhiruchi is asking which Vow of the 48 Vows is the most emphasised in Jodo Shinshu.
Answer:
For Shinran Shonin, Five Vows are seen as important. The 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th and 18th.
(11) If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
(12) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
(13) If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life-span should be limited, even to the extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
(17) If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the land of the ten quarters should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
(1 If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offenses and abuse the right Dharma.
(from http://www12.canvas.ne.jp/horai/48vows.htm)
These Five Vows correspond to the first five chapters of the Kyogyoshinsho. True Practice - 17, True Shinjin - 18, True Realization - 11, True Buddha and Buddha-land - 11 & 12.
Also, three Vows correspond to sentient being's birth in the Pure Land. Vows 18, 19 and 20.
(1 If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offenses and abuse the right Dharma.
(19) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds [268b] and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
(20) If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who, having heard my Name, concentrate their thoughts on my land, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely transfer their merits towards my land with a desire to be born there, should not eventually fulfill their aspiration, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
However, in Shinran Shonin's view, Vows 19 and 20 are for those of: self-power practices - 19; and self-power nembutsu - 20. These two vows are skilful means (Upaya) to lead us to the Vow that enables us to be born in the True Fulfilled Land - Vow 18.
Gassho
