Letters of Summer (1)

During his final summer spent at the Yamashina Honganji before his death on the 25th March 1499, Rennyo Shonin composed four letters which later came to be known as the ‘Letters of Summer’. The first two were composed in May 1498 and the latter two in the June and July. At this time Rennyo Shonin had been suffering from a grave illness, and, believing that his time in this world was very short, sought only to encourage his followers to attain Shinjin-faith.

The ‘Sayings and Doings of Rennyo Shonin’ (Rennyo Shonin Goichidai Kikigaki) records his strict but ever compassionate concern towards them during that time in this passage:

Article 44.

The Shonin had a recurrent illness during the Summer of the 7th, year of MEIO (1498) and was confined to quarters. On the 7th day of the 5th month, he stated his desire to pay his farewell respects to Shonin Shinran, and came up to Yamashina. Almost immediately, he said, “I do not wish to see anyone who has not received SHINJIN. I would meet and visit with anyone who will receive SHINJIN even if I have to invite them to come”. Thus, spoke the Shonin.

Twenty-two years after his death, Rennyo Shonin’s grandson Ennyo, undertook to compile together Rennyo Shonin’s letters. The main five fascicle collection of eighty letters is known as the Ofumi(or Gobunsho). The four ‘Letters of Summer’ were grouped together in a seperate volume known as the Natsu Ofumi or, in the Nishi-Honganji tradition, Ge no Ofumi.

Here in the first of the ‘Letters of Summer’, Rennyo Shonin looks at the meaning of Anjin (the peaceful or settled mind) in the context of single-hearted trust in Amida Buddha.

He then goes on to comment on a quotation from Shinran Shonin’s Wasan using passages taken from the Anjin Ketsujosho (On Attaining the Settled Mind), an anonymous work that is thought to probably be a text composed within the Seizan Tradition of the Jodo Shu. It is a text Rennyo Shonin greatly valued comparing it to a ‘goldmine’. It must be emphasised however that Rennyo Shonin interpreted it purely from the standpoint of Shinran Shonin’s teaching, using it to express the depth of Shinran’s thought in terms ordinary people could understand. These passages you can find in the last main paragraph of the letter which begins ‘Relative to this…’.

Another preliminary point to note is that the quotation from the wasan is actually an amalgamation of two from the Shozomatsu Wasan - the first part is from verse 35 and last from verse 34. (Rogers and Rogers page 131 note 85).

The reason that you have all gathered here today to listen seriously to the readings of the Triple Sutras is to gain a further understanding of Shinjin-Faith. However, unless you cease from listening to the Teachings in a negligent manner, you have no business being here after today. I shall explain the reason for this now; listen to me carefully.

By “Anjin-Faith” is meant the discarding of all other practices, the reliance upon Amida Tathagata with a singleness of heart, and the seeking of deliverance by Amida in the life to come. He who has accomplished this is a follower that has received the Determination of Anjin. The Nembutsu recited by those who have received this Determination of Anjin is known as the Nembutsu expressing the gratitude and the debt owed to Amida Buddha. Thus, in Shinran’s “Wasan” it is most clearly stated:

“The receipt of the Nembutsu of Wisdom is through the power of the Vow of Dharmakara. A person becomes one who expresses gratitude to the debt he owes Amida Buddha only after being immersed in the Wisdom of Shinjin-Faith”.

It is very important to understand the essence of this “Wasan”.

Relative to this: Firstly, when a follower of the Nembutsu hears the sacred name “Namu Amida Butsu” he should realise that his own rebirth has already been clearly established. He should know that it is the resultant Sacred Name that followed the Great Enlightenment of Dharmakara as He vowed that He would not take the Great Enlightenment if the rebirth of all sentient beings of the Ten Quarters was not clearly established. Secondly, when a follower of the Nembutsu hears the word “Land of Bliss” he should realise that his own place of rebirth has been clearly determined for him. He should know that it is the Land of Bliss established by Dharmakara as He vowed that he would not take the Great Enlightenment if the rebirth there of all sentient beings were not clearly established. While believing in the Original Vow and reciting the Sacred Name, it is a very saddening thing for any to think that this Sacred Name comes from the benevolence of some other Buddha, and that unless we supplement our own merits to it, we would never obtain rebirth. When Shinjin-Faith arises strongly so that our established rebirth is in the form of “Namu Amida Butsu” (since the work for our rebirth is accomplished by the Nembutsu), a single recitation of the Sacred Name assures us of our rebirth!

One should understand that all these points are the essence of the thoughts following the receipt of “Anjin-Faith.”

With reverence, I remain

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

From the ‘Shinshu Seiten’ - published by the Buddhist Churches of America 1978

 

Priorities (& Meditation #2)

[We] think of the Buddha (say the nembutsu) whilst reflecting on death [in daily life].” - Old Pure Land saying

In all likelihood things will be quiet here over the next week. If you’ve got a national holiday like we have here in the UK then I hope you have a relaxing time in which to be refreshed, reflect on the year past, and prepare for the new!

In last night’s gongyo at my home the Ofumi was Juzu no Sho (Chapter on Devotional Beads). The Ofumi is one of the few parts of the liturgy I still read out in English, and this was an occasion when I rather wished I had an annotated Japanese-English copy to hand. The reason being is that in the letter Rennyo Shonin criticises the shallow, fake piety of certain priests and urges them to stop only going ‘through the motions of listening’. Then, very interestingly, he says that they should review their situation with ‘calmed minds’.

In the context of our recent discussion about meditation and Jodo Shinshu it is interesting that Rennyo Shonin doesn’t tell them to calm their minds via any practice but simply draws their attention to human mortality via the breath; “Man’s life is dependent upon breathing where the out-going breath must await the incoming breath. Enshrine the Dharma in your hearts and obtain Faith with deliberate concern and without laxity.”

Jodo Shinshu at its best is in many ways a return to the pristine spirit of early Buddhism. It’s about the fact that we have already been given what we need to hear the Dharma, and we don’t need to engage in any complicated practices or calculated efforts. Though death may seem a peculiar topic to reflect on, both in terms of calmness and as we approach the ‘new year’, it has a tendency to bring a clarity and sense of priorities to our lives.

If you are reading this you may be a Shinshu follower or just curious, but I hope that you will join me in 2008 as I continue to contemplate with my Dharma friends what Rennyo in the above letter calls; “the sacredness of the Primal Vow of Amida Tathágata (having been so established, especially) as the most suitable way” [for ordinary people such as ourselves]. Namuamidabutsu.

 

Bearer of the Light

Mon Soku Shin (“listening-is-awakening”) - After having physically bowed to the Dharma, and after having vocally “returned” to the Dharma, one now mentally listens to the Dharma in the form of readings from scripture, readings from commentaries, sermons, etc. Having done all three ritual acts, one is now hopefully prepared to “hear the light” (monko) of the Dharma, that is to say, to hear the Light of Truth of the Dharma with ones entire being.” - Masao Kodani & Russell Hamada

I’ve mentioned here many times how I didn’t really get or enjoy Rennyo Shonin’s Ofumi (a.k.a. Gobunsho) until I established myself in the habit of reading them during daily gongyo - just as they do at the temple. This is because they are pastoral letters which are completely geared towards helping people to receive shinjin. If misread as purely doctrinal tracts they seem dry and repetitive (here one is reminded of Shinran’s words; “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. {Notes on ‘Essentials of Faith Alone’} “). When read in the context of gongyo however, at the times of day when we most formally and ritually refresh our relationship to the Buddha, they really come to life. Yesterday for instance the letter I reached was I.13 - On the False “Ten Kalpas” Teachings in This Region which tackles a false notion in which the individual believes that self-generated knowledge and awareness of a particular piece of Pure Land doctrine constitutes faith.

Even though I have been very fortunate to have good teachers, a home temple and access to the writings of the Shinshu Masters … sometimes at my lowest ebbs it is easy to develop anxieties about my condition and to think that mentally, or even physically, holding onto certain Buddhist doctrines or forms will help. In the case Rennyo is referring to people try to reassure themselves by ‘not forgetting the benevolence of Amida, who settled our birth [in the Pure Land] from the time of his enlightenment ten kalpas ago!” This kind of self-generated faith is terrible and destructive because is utterly empty and without foundation. As such it leads either to us starting to doubt the teachings themselves (when we fail to feel peace of mind through conceptual beliefs) or alternatively - in some people - the continuation of that anxiety, despite great effort towards belief, leads to a person gripping more tightly to dogma and sliding into fundamentalism (both these problems are very evident in physical and especially cyber communities today.

As is his way, in letter I. 13 Rennyo Shonin skilfully points the lost individual back to the Buddha by taking into account their particular nature. The person who tries to find illumination by turning to the sutra passage on Amida’s enlightenment ten kalpas ago is obviously someone familiar with and respectful of the scriptures. Consequently Rennyo Shonin basically says, ‘Wait, it’s good that you are relying on the sutras but you are looking to the wrong passages for guidance in this case’. What is important is that all three of the primary Pure Land scriptures state that true and real faith is the mind that is single (in relying on Amida) and characterised by the three aspects of entrusting.

The threefold entrusting consists of ’sincere mind’, ‘deep mind’ and ‘the mind aspiring for birth’. These are not three separate conditions which we have to fulfill but rather aspects of one dynamic to which we are taught to awaken in ourselves. ‘Sincere Mind’ isn’t about our superficial, outward attitude but is a consciousness that is uncovered when we become deeply aware of ourselves as we really are. In terms of the problem we have been discussing; if we feel really lost and distant from the reality of Amida we shouldn’t run away from this by clinging to some intellectual idea of the Buddha but rather accept and face that feeling. When we do this we become aware of a pure desire, an inward urge within that exists independently of, and in spite of, our mental and emotional confusion. This is the moment of the dynamic which is termed ‘deep mind’ … it is the time when the utter depths of our own limitations stand in stark contrast to, and thus put the stamp of veracity on, the pure awareness of the Dharma arising from beyond the self. Finally, when we experience this true awareness shining out of the darkness of illusion it fills us with joy and gratitude, makes us strong in heart and gives energy to our lives. Here it is called ‘aspiration for birth’, but it is not the weak and wavering aspiration that we once tried to maintain on our own, but instead is driven by an actual reality entering into our existence. It is Dharmakara-Amida’s own aspiration for us and the echo out of Nirvana which assures us now of our Pure Land birth at the time of death.

I’m not sure how clearly I’ve expressed my feelings on this letter but basically I think it is wonderful because it points so clearly away from abstractions straight to personal experience. To the person who feels lost in the midst of daily life Rennyo doesn’t hold out some vague promise wrapped in doctrinal or mythological language, but rather directs us to experiment within ourselves with our notions of faith, aspiration and desire and to determine what is reliable and true and what is not. What in our experience is just our own fabrication, and what that is pure enters in in spite of ourselves?

Anyway enough from me. The title of this post is obviously a tribute to Rennyo Shonin’s role in my life but it is also the title of a great book by Rev. Jitsuen Kakehashi that I wanted to recommend. There are many merits to the book but in particular it is valuable because it counters a lot of the myths and prejudices about Rennyo. For example it is popular in some Western Shin circles to see Rennyo as the person who dissolved the informal Shin congregations of Shinran’s day and institutionalised the tradition. In reality however Rennyo probably established more ko congregations than any other Shinshu leader and he also provided them with ongoing support in the form of personal visits, pastoral letters and a liturgy. The establishment of the larger temples was primarily driven by practical requirements such as the need to serve as many people as possible (as the tradition grew in popularity, defense (from secular and religious persecutors) and so on. Anyway check it out and see what you think!