This is the second of the four ‘Letters of Summer’ composed by Rennyo Shonin in the last year of his life. This letter was written in May, 1498 and continues on from the themes explored in the previous epistle. What stood out the most for me in this letter was Rennyo Shonin’s exhortation to listen deeply to the readings of the Triple Sutras (the three Pure Land Sutras), and to understand the essential focus of this act of hearing the Buddha-Dharma according to the teaching of our tradition.

All who have come here today to the shrine of Shinran Shonin are here for the purpose of listening to the readings of the Triple Sutra. However, it appears to me that to attend these gatherings, wherever held and without the slightest desire to understand the meaning of the Sutras but attend 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 recognise 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 you today, you must seriously understand the meaning if the Teachings and ask others about the erroneous concepts of Shinjin-Faith that you had formerly held and correct them into True Shinjin. If you should understand this well and listen carefully, it will be beneficial both to you and to 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 he sundry practices, by single-heartedly placing reliance on Amida Tathagata, and by placing total reliance on the life to come in this Amida, truly such a person becomes a follower of the Nembutsu who will have received that “Determined-Anjin” (Faith). Only after a thorough understanding of this can one express truly the Nembutsu of gratitude to Amida Buddha. Thus, in the Shonin’s “Wasan”, this essence is expressed as follows:

“To receive the Nembutsu for the Wisdom of Amida Buddha is the actualisation of the Power of the Vow of Dharmakara. Without this Shinjin-Faith from the Wisdom of Amida Buddha, 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 and 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 rebirth into the Land of Bliss.

With reverence, I remain

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

This is a print of a calligraphy by the famous Shin teacher Kaneko Daiei which my teacher gave to me at the end of a pilgrimage we made together to various temples and sites associated with the history of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan. I understand that it reads roughly: “Listening is practice, hearing is faith” (though I would be glad to hear anyone else’s translations).

In connection with this phrase I found the following passage in Rev. Chijun Yakumo’s book Thankyou Namo Amida Butsu (Nembutsu Press, LA 1995):

“We consider “listening/hearing” (chō-mon) to be extremely important in our Jōdo-Shinshū tradition of Buddha-dharma, so much so, that we receive wisdom through “listening/hearing.” But it is not really as simple as that.  Unfortunately, the truth is that often the only thing that increases is our knowledge, and we end up with scholars of Buddha-dharma and scholarly ministers and members, rather than true persons of wisdom.”

“There is a tradition in Jōdo-Shinshū in which:

To “go” is said to refer to “listening (chō).
To “come” is said to refer to “hearing” (mon).

In other words, although we may feel we are doing our best to get there by “listening”, actually, it is the dharma that is coming towards us and allows us to “hear”. (p.58-59)

]]> http://jodoshinshubuddhism.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/kaneko-daiei-calligraphy/feed/ Kyōshin http://jodoshinshubuddhism.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/amida-is-change/ http://jodoshinshubuddhism.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/amida-is-change/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:00:10 +0000 Kyōshin http://jodoshinshubuddhism.wordpress.com/?p=278

Last night I read the following words of my teacher Rev. Kemmyo T. Sato:

As you know, there is no eternal entity in Buddhism.  Every thing is always changing, interrelated and interdependent.”

This got me to thinking that Shin Buddhists, including myself, sometimes mistakenly conflate the activity of Dharmic nature, that is to say Amida, with the constancy of Dharmic laws or principles.  This then leads us to see Amida precisely as an eternal entity.  It is important to remember though that nirvana is the goal and Amida, and more specifically Amida’s Name, is the compassionate vehicle that leads us there.

Amida … ultimately represents the Dharma of impermanence itself, the powerful force that liberated Shakyamuni. ” - Rev. N. Haneda

… no Buddhist term or concept refers to or represents a fixed entity.  The self, like all else, is impermanent, is in a constant state of flux and flow and not static, fixed or constant as we would like.  The true nature of the Dharma, the true nature of Amida is also impermanence.  So, to come to know the self as it really is, is to come to know the self as one and the same with Amida; this is what is meant by self-reflection (examination) in Amida’s light, a process of examining the nature of the self in light of our understanding of the teaching.”
- Jerry Bolick (Source)

If we ask the question then, “Does Amida change?” perhaps we can say that “Amida is the constancy of change”, or “the unchangeable fact of change”.  And because of change our personal, isolated world of self can be embraced and penetrated by the unhindered Light and revealed as one facet of an infinite life and being.

Surfing the net I came across the following from Venice Hongwanji Temple’s newsletter (.pdf):

In Shin Buddhism, there are no reasons why the chantings (sic) cannot be revised. Traditional chanting, both in melody and content are derived from the Tendai Sect. In the 15th century, Rennyo Shonin created a liturgy based upon the Shoshinge, and used more Japanese intonations. In the 16th (? ed. 17th I think!) century, the Patriarch Jakunyo reintroduced aspects of Tendai music and influences of Shingon chanting were brought into the Hongwanji tradition. In the 18th century, Patriarch Honyo reorganized and systematized Shin chanting as an independent tradition. Further musical theory in 1910 and 1933 have brought the tradition to what it is today. So there is no fundamental reason why, in the future or present, more modifications could not be made. Just remember, the Jodo Shinshu position is that modifications ought to arise out of spiritual experience and not for [a]esthetic reasons, novelty or convenience.”

(from The Book of Jodo Shinshu Chanting (BCA Ministerial Association Gonshiki Liturgy Committee))

Jishin and I have mentioned in the past that our temple follows the Higashi Honganji liturgical tradition and our styles of chanting are different to the Nishi Honganji.  Having said that however I’ve never known much about the specifics of these differences other than those I have noticed in actually listening to the services of each tradition.

Bearing in mind that the the Honganji split took place in 1602 we can possibly ascertain from the above quote that the differences are at least partially related to the Higashi’s non-involvement in the Nishi sect’s re/introduction of Tendai and Shingon styles into the liturgy and the re-organisation that they undertook in the 18th century.  That said I would hesitate to assume that the Higashi traditions liturgy is ‘older’ as it is perfectly possible that they undertook their own changes.

Elsewhere I also came across mention of a special Higashi Honganji ceremony that I have never previously encountered* (I attended the Hoonko ceremony of our head temple in Japan in 2006 and it had its own different tradition of liturgy involving a very high-toned, powerful style of chanting):

On November 28 [2007], Higashi Honganji Temple, the headquarters of the Shinshu Otani sect of Buddhism, in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, held the “Bando-bushi” service in Amida Hall. Bando-bushi is the closing service of “Hoonko,” a memorial service in honor of Shinran, the sect’s founder. Approximately 60 seated monks dynamically swayed their upper bodies, and their booming chants of the Buddhist invocation “Nembutsu” echoed in the hall.

During the sutra reading, one monk in the inner sanctuary led recitation of “Namu-amida-bu,” and other monks, called “Do-shu,” also began chanting Nembutsu at the top of their voices while moving their upper bodies back and forth and side to side. Amida Hall was packed with 4,500 followers, who brought their hands together in prayer before the wooden statue of Shinran and the principal image of the temple.

This unique prayer style is said to represent the image of the founder of the sect, Shinran, who continued offering fervent prayers on a boat rocking in the water when he was exiled to Echigo, the old name for the most part of Niigata Prefecture 800 years ago. Now, Higashi Honganji Temple is the sole temple that maintains this prayer style. (Kyoto Shimbun 2007.11.28)

* The Higashi splits further into several other groupings.  Our Shogyoji tradition is completely independent of any but has strong links of friendship and communication with the Tokyo Higashi Honganji.

Reading Shinran’s Kyogyoshinsho I noticed for the first-time the term ‘Supportive Power’ (Kairiki).  I often hear the terms jiriki and tariki but rarely kairiki.  The glossary to the Nishi Honganji translation of the KGSS defines Kairiki as follows:

In Buddhism generally, the supportive and protective powers of Buddhas which aid the practicer in overcoming obstacles and difficulties on the path to enlightenment. For Shinran, this majestic power is none other than the working of the Primal Vow, which leads a person to realize shinjin:

“It is through the Tathagata’s supportive power, and through the vast power of great compassion and all-embracing wisdom that a person realizes pure, true, and real shinjin. (Passages on the Pure Land Way).”

I’m not 100% sure what the kanji for kairiki is but I think 戒力 which more generally refers to ‘the power of the precepts’.  This would fit in with the Jōdo Shinshū doctrine of Dharmakara-Amida’s directing of the fruits of his/her practice towards us.

An hour before the morning service began, we gathered as a group of six to listen to a reading from an important Shin Buddhist text, and then to discuss our personal impressions of what we had heard. The basic structure of this eza (faith-meeting) was that by rote someone would read out aloud the passage and then give a short reflection on what the text, or what they saw as the essential message conveyed by that text, meant to them. Then we would each follow to give voice to our own reflections, not only on the reading, but also on what others had said. After everyone had their chance to say something the meeting would close with an informal talk to catch up on what we did the day before, though this could sometimes also give rise to a serious discussion on a event which had particularly touched the speaker in some way.

By way of a short example, one morning the meeting was lead by MM a young lady in her twenties. She read a chapter from a collection of writings by Venerable CT on the history and development of Shin Buddhism. This is a useful book for this type of study as each chapter is fairly short and discusses an individual topic. The group had been going through each, one by one, every morning. Today the reading was on the life of Jitsunyo Shonin, the fifth son of Rennyo Shonin and the child Rennyo had selected to be his successor. Jitsunyo Shonin was a quiet man who lacked confidence in taking on the office of Head Priest of the Honganji, an organisation which had grown so greatly under his father’s leadership and propagation. Jitsunyo Shonin was advised that he shouldn’t worry about what he saw as his own personal failings but that his main task was to continue transmitting the teaching of his father which was recorded in the many letters (ofumi) he had written. Taking this advice to heart Jitsunyo Shonin was able to realise the way in which he should continue to nuture the faith-movement revived by Rennyo Shonin and continue its development. [Note: this is a very rough translation that I have written from memory but I hope it reflects the basic message of the story].

Using this text as our starting point we talked, in varying ways, about how we in our very different lives understood this episode in the life of Jitsunyo Shonin. For example M-san related the difficulties she had in fulfilling the role and responsibilities she had inherited. Looking back at her life she recalled some of her own experiences which had been central in awakening in her the way she should follow in the light of Amida Buddha. For my own part I remembered times in which my future life course had become uncertain. and how through encountering the sincere minds of my Dharma-friends, I was able to find a solution to the deep seated problems which were preventing me from seeing the way forward. I also thought about the times in which I had lacked confidence in contributing to the life of our sangha in the UK.

In this way, what was on the surface an interesting historical account of a venerable figure in the past, became the gateway to a series of personal introspections that allowed us to look honestly, not only at problems which we had overcome, but also those which lay unilluminated and unreconciled beneath the surface of our everyday consciousness. It brought me to a much clearer understanding of my relationship with others and the unceasing activity of Amida Buddha that emerges through our encounter with the other. Personally speaking it also allowed me to experience a much closer and honest relationship with the members of our small group. Since then I have experienced a much more stable and deep connectedness with our Shin Buddhist community, both at home and in Japan.

Although it would be very difficult to replicate this type of Eza in our home Sangha, it has been interesting to discuss with Kyoshin ways in which to utilize the means of communication we have at our disposal to experience its spirit, if not its form, with a our small, geographically spread, sangha in the UK. This is something I am looking forward to exploring more and more in the future.

Namuamidabutsu

The letter that I reached last night in my current cycle of Ofumi readings was I.6.

Reading the Ofumi throughout life one might expect it to become repetitious but actually new things continuously leap out for examination and reflection.  Last night I noticed the interesting sentence:

… all I continously pray for day and night is that, [not only now but] after my death also, those who have been decisively awakened to faith at this temple may suffer no retrogression [on the Path].”

At first sight this statement of Rennyo’s seems rather contradictory; after all how can one regress from shinjin which is said to be akin to the Mahayana Bodhisattva ’stage of non-retrogression’.  However from my own experience I have found that the settlement of faith is a bit like finding a path home.   Once the path is realised one can always find one’s way home.  This does not however prevent us from choosing to neglect to attend to the call of that place and instead wandering off down various labyrinthine by-roads.

Further letter I.6 is closely related to another letter called The Family Members from Kyoto in the Jogai-Ofumi where Rennyo upbraids one of his sons for saying that it is OK to indulge in sleep when feeling drowsy or indolent if one’s faith is settled.  Here another metaphor comes to mind which is that of a relationship.  Shinjin indicates the settlement of the relationship between individual and Amida, but just like all relationships it is something living and dynamic.  If we don’t live in attentiveness to the Buddha-dharma then that relationship is negated, even though we still retain the certain knowledge that it always exists for us as a possibility.  The question is why lose out on a moments existence that could be lived within the fullest possible experience of the Light?

Finally I should add that the sentiments of the statement I have been discussing are closely related to the letter I.16 On Sare No Sho which urges us to:

Constantly dredge out the Channel of Faith and let the water of Amida’s Dharma flow freely.”

This latter teaching has become the basis for the bi-annual retreats we hold at our home temple and is one that I have found endlessly helpful.  Namuamidabutsu.

(See also: ‘Shinjin: A Basket Immersed in Water’)

I’ve jumped ahead a bit now as Jishin is covering the earlier part of chapter 3 very nicely already.

Kyōshin’s Notes - Day 4 (p.92-97)

p.92 - Kakunyo’s transmission of the teaching

Basing himself on the Ryuju verses of the Shoshinge Kakunyo transmitted the essential tenets of Shinran’s teaching in their most concise and radical format:

• Shinjin is the true cause of Birth
• Saying the Name is a response in gratitude for the Buddha’s benevolence

[Ryuju] teaches that the moment one thinks on Amida’s Primal Vow,
One is naturally brought to enter the stage of the definitely settled;
Solely saying the Tathagata’s Name constantly,
One should respond with gratitude to the universal Vow of great compassion.”
(Shinran’s ‘Shoshinge’, KGSS II:102)

p.93 - The ‘One-thought Moment’ as a manifestation of Amida’s Compassion

Kakunyo points out that because human lives are fragile, transient and fleeting Amida’s compassion brings about the settlement of shinjin in the space of ‘one-thought moment’.  As Shinran says “Contemplating true and real shinjin, I find there is the one thought-moment. One thought-moment expresses the ultimate brevity of the instant of the realization of shinjin and manifests the vast, inconceivable mind of joyfulness”.  This stands in contrast to Pure Land traditions which taught/teach the importance of continuous recitations of the nembutsu, and/or death-bed nembutsu.
(KGSS III:60)

p.97 - Shinran followed Honen all his life

Evidence that Shinran followed Honen’s teaching all his life can be seen his compilation of a collection of his teacher’s words, the Saiho Shinansho (Notes on Guidance Toward Birth in the West), when he was aged 84.

Jishin’s notes on pages 82 – 83

In the next few pages of chapter 3 Kakehashi examines in detail Shinran’s interpretation of the 18th Vow.

The Vow is comprised of two “gates”:

1) The gate of inclusion – Sesshu Mon
2) The gate of deterrence – Okushi Mon (this is commonly translated as the “exclusion clause”)

The intent of the Okushi Mon is to engender a “turning of the mind” (Eshin) – in those who have committed these offences. This point highlighted that the purpose of the gate of deterrence is an introspective one – to be examined from one’s own standpoint.

In the gate of inclusion three minds are established by Amida Buddha for the salvation of sentient beings:

1) Sincere Mind (Shishin) reveals the truth of the Vow
2) Entrusting (Shingyo) mind without doubt
3) Aspiring to be born (Yokusho Gakoku) wish to be born in the Pure Land

Three Minds are contained within the One Mind of entrusting (Shingyo) – “three minds are the one mind” (Sanshinsoku isshin)

The phrase “Saying my name perhaps even ten times” (naishi junen) establishes the saying of Amida’s Name (nembutsu) as practice. We entrust in the vow and say the nembutsu. This is the mind and practice selected and settled on by the Vow.

The Vow establishes the oneness of the birth of sentient beings and Amida’s enlightenment. See also the Anjin Ketsujo sho for a detailed treatment of this point.

Therefore, there is no Pure Land birth of any ordinary living being apart from Amida’s Perfect Enlightenment. Amida entered Perfect Enlightenment when the Pure Land birth of every living being was accomplished, and thereby Amida’s Perfect Enlightenment and our Pure Land birth were achieved simultaneously.

Amida’s directing of virtue is the activity (from the side of the Buddha) that confers people with the single mind of entrusting, the nembutsu which arises from this mind, and birth in the Pure Land.

Page 83 then goes on to look at the relationship between practice (nembutsu) and Shinjin.

Namuamidabutsu is both the Name of the Buddha and the Tathagata itself as it contains all its virtues. The Tathagata is manifested in the act of saying Namuamidabutsu. Hence it is called “Great Practice” (Daigyo). This practice arises from the mind of Amida Buddha not from the side of “ordinary beings”. The nembutsu is simultaneously the Buddha’s call to us - the “true and real Dharma” is the calling of Amida Buddha.

Shinjin is to hear without doubt. We hear the name and awaken Shinjin.

Namuamidabutsu is the essence of the cause for birth in the Pure Land. Shinjin is the acceptance of this cause. The cause of birth is true and real practice and Shinjin.

More on the relationship between Shinjin and practice in the next part.

Kyōshin’s Notes - Day 3 (p.56-58)

What has spread throughout the people of the world, and what everyone seems to believe, is that if they just recite the Name with their mouths, without any discernment, they will attain birth in the Land of Utmost Bliss.  This is a truly uncertain matter. (Rennyo, p.58)”

I didn’t have time last night to read much further but the section I did read could perhaps be tied together under the heading of ‘The Importance of Eshin’ (spiritual reformation [leading to the settlement of shinjin])’.

This section discusses Rennyo Shonin’s criticism of three erroneous views which are as follows:

(1) Peace of mind (anjin) is knowing that salvation took place ten kalpas ago.
(2) We will be saved by nembutsu alone even in the absence of shinjin.
(3) The settled mind (anjin) is attainable without taking refuge.

These views were widespread in Rennyo’s day due to popularised misunderstandings of Ippen’s Ji-shu teaching.  Whilst the completion of Dharmakara’s pure practice, and its intimate link to our own salvation, is of vital importance; a mere conception or recognition of this fact alone is inadequate because, without an accompanying awareness of our own visceral need for that salvation, it will always remain an abstraction - an intellectual notion or at best have the shallow aesthetic appeal of a beautiful fable.

To actually encounter the magnificence and dynamic working of the Primal Vow, in the here and now, a kind of conversion (turning of mind - eshin) is required.  (In emphasising this point the Shin tradition stands firmly within the mainstream of the Buddhist tradition in insisting on the absolute importance of taking refuge in the Buddha-Dharma.)  This is the significance of the oft-mentioned teaching on deep mind:

Deep mind is the deeply entrusting mind. There are two aspects. One is to believe deeply and decidedly that you are a foolish being of karmic evil caught in birth-and-death, ever sinking and ever wandering in transmigration from innumerable kalpas in the past, with never a condition that would lead to emancipation. The second is to believe deeply and decidedly that Amida Buddha’s Forty-eight Vows grasp sentient beings, and that allowing yourself to be carried by the power of the Vow without any doubt or apprehension, you will attain birth. (KGSS III:13)“

The late Shin Buddhist poet Harold Stewart explains the overall problem with Ippen’s thought as follows (if you are comfortable with philosophical language it is worth clicking on the link below to read his full comments.  If not don’t worry as you will have already taken away his main point):

“Ippen Shonin’s saying: ‘In the invocation the invoker and the invoked are one’ shows the influence of Zen, but in this unity what then becomes of the very real difference between the pure Amida Buddha and the defiled human bonbu, who are worlds apart? To be effective in practice, the religious life requires a dynamic tension between these two opposites, the ki and the ho, the sentient being and the Dharma.  (http://www.nembutsu.info/hsrindex.htm).”

It is important to recognise that in the above discussion Rennyo was addressing the matter of the establishment of shinjin.  Once the mind of entrusting becomes settled however it is unnecessary to seek a new ‘turning of mind’ (eshin).  Shinjin establishes the fullest relationship between Amida and the individual.  Therefore any subsequent failures in one’s active life take place within that context.  Consequently Shinran says:

“In all matters regarding birth it is not necessary to contrive or design but always remember and become absorbed in the deep and profound compassion of Amida. Then we shall be able to say the nembutsu spontaneously, “made to become so by itself.” When I do not contrive or calculate, I am “made to become so by itself.” This is none other than the working of Other Power. (Tannisho XVI).”

In conclusion we encounter the working or momentum of the Vow through reflecting on Amida’s compassion and at the same time encountering our ignorant selves just as we are.