Key

Buddhist Terms

Amida is the Japanese word which refers to Amitabha (Infinite Light) and Amitayus (Immeasurable Life). Amida is the Buddha whose essence is dharma-body as compassionate means, characterized by form. The formless dharma-body, to awaken us to itself, manifested a form and announced a name, appearing as Dharmakara Bodhisattva according to the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra. This bodhisattva established and fulfilled 48 Vows outlined in the same sutra to become Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (Vow #13) and Infinite Light (Vow #12). A special characteristic unique to Amida is the Vow (Vow #18) to save foolish and evil beings. While other Buddhas help people who accumulate meritorious deeds, practice meditative activities, and perfect wisdom, Amida Buddha liberates the being of blind foolishness and karmic evil through the (Buddha's) Name of "Namu-Amida-Butsu." That is, through the virtue of Amida, who is light that is wisdom-compassion, persons of the nembutsu realize themselves to be very human and at the same time realize that Amida's immense compassion is being directed solely to them, illuminating, embracing, nurturing and eventually transforming them into the Ultimate (of Nirvana, Buddhahood, Enlightenment). Another characteristic worth mentioning is that in contrast to other Buddhist Traditions which emphasize self-power, the Shin Buddhist Tradition which reveres Shinran (1173-1262) as its sectarian founder emphasizes the "Other Power" of the Buddha Amida. In the wide range of Buddhism which recognizes individual differences and capabilities, the Shin Tradition is found at one end of the spectrum of various available paths leading to Supreme Enlightenment (which I might add is, at present, little known in the Western World). Sakyamuni, the Historic Buddha born in India, is regarded as one of the countless Buddhas in the Universe who appear to lead and share the Nembutsu Teaching of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Infinite Light.

PRIMAL VOW, THE EIGHTEENTH VOW

According to the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, Amida Buddha as a bodhisattva (Dharmakara) made 48 Vows which express the bodhisattva's aspirations and goals. Honen and Shinran (of Japan) focused on the 18^th Vow and considered it to be primal. Hence, in the Pure Land Tradition, this vow is often referred to as the Primal Vow.

It reads: If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters, with sincere mind entrusting themselves, aspiring to be born in my

Land, and saying my Name perhaps even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain the supreme enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the five grave offences and those who slander the right dharma.

In the lineage of (Tanluan, Taochao &) Shantao of China, the "Nembutsu" is interpreted as the "saying of Amida Buddha's Name. Today, most commonly "Namo-Amida-Butsu." The essence of the Vow is that through the sincere recitation of the Buddha's Name we are assured birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha as promised in the 18^th Vow. The Pure Land is in essence Nirvana in a shape or form, a reality brought forth by the Vow Power of Amida Buddha. Shinran's view of the Vow is unique in that he experienced the "with sincere mind entrusting themselves, aspiring to be born in my Land," as coming from the side of the Buddha itself. In other words, it is not the mind of the unenlightened saying "I with sincere mind, entrust myself (to the Buddha) and aspire for birth in the Pure Land" but rather it is the sincere, joyful heart and mind of the Buddha itself which has been transferred to that individual and because of it that individual now wishes for birth in the Pure Land in concord with the Buddha's ultimate aspiration that all beings aspire for birth in the Pure Land of Enlightenment. While it is the individual that says the Name, Namo-Amida-Butsu, ultimately it stems from the great heart and mind of the Buddha. The last part of the Eighteenth Vow has a special significance in the Shin Buddhist Tradition in that it is not seen as an exclusionary clause. Rather the clause is interpreted "as an expression of compassion so boundless and profound that it directs itself to the very person whom it censures-the being who has committed the five grave offenses and slandered the dharma."

SHINJIN

Before getting into the definition, a confession, a very difficult word to translate into English because of its special usage in Shin Buddhism. It has often been translated as "faith", but the word "faith" does not bring out the nuances of the word shinjin. It differs from the ordinary usage of the word "faith" in that shinjin originates from the side of the Enlightenment (Amida Buddha) and not sentient beings as is usually implied or taken for granted in normal usage. In Shin Buddhism, the "True Entrusting Mind" of the person of shinjin is possible due to Amida Buddha's transferring the Buddha's own "sincere, entrusting & aspiring (for birth in the Pure Land) mind to that individual. It is not a mind "faith" that originates with the individual. Hence is some translations it is translated as "Faith" with a capital "F." Shinran mentions "…it is the ocean of great shinjin directed to us through the power of the Primal Vow, it cannot be defeated or broken. This is likened to a diamond." The contents of shinjin is described in Shinran's "The True Teaching, Practice, and Realization with the following statements: first, in the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra it says about Bodhisattva Dharmakara-Amida Buddha, "No thought of greed, anger, or harmfulness arose in his mind;… Abounding in perseverance, he gave no thought to the suffering to be endured. … Always tranquil in a state of samadhi, he possessed wisdom that knew no impediment. He was free from all thoughts of falsity or deception. Gentle in countenance and loving in speech… He was full of courage and vigor… Seeking solely that which was pure and undefiled, he brought benefit to all beings… " Shinran thus summarizes "…we know indeed that this mind is the true and real mind of benefiting others through directing virtues, which originates from the inconceivable, indescribable, and inexplicable ocean of the Vow of great wisdom, the One Vehicle. This is "sincere mind.", secondly, "…concerning entrusting, it is the ocean of shinjin, perfect and unhindered, that is the Tathagata's consummately fulfilled great compassion. Hence, there is no mixture of doubt. It is therefore called "entrusting." "…since the beginningless past, the multitudes of beings have been transmigrating in the ocean of ignorance, sinking aimlessly in the cycle of all forms of existence and bound to the cycle of all forms of pain; accordingly, they lack the entrusting that is true and real. …The Tathagata, turning with compassion toward the ocean of living beings in pain and affliction, has given unhindered and vast pure shinjin to the ocean of sentient beings. This is called the "true and real shinjin that is [Amida's] benefiting of others." " and thirdly, "…aspire for birth (in the Pure Land) is the command of the Tathagata calling to and summoning the multitudes of all beings. …(it) is not the directing of merit through self-power of meditative and nonmeditative practices, whether performed by ordinary people or sages of the Mahayana or the Hinayana. …the Buddha directs this other-benefiting, true and real mind of aspiration for birth (in the Pure Land) to the ocean of all beings. …The directing of virtue has two aspects: that for going forth to the Pure Land and that for return to this world. "Directing for going forth" means to give one's virtue to all sentient beings and to aspire to bring them to birth in Amida's Tathagata's Pure Land of happiness. "Directing for return to this world" means that after being born in that land, fulfilling samatha and vipasyana, and gaining the power of compassionate means, one returns and enters the thick forests of birth-and-death, teaches and guides all sentient beings, and brings all to enter the Buddha-way together."

PURE LAND

The Sanskrit term is "Sukhavati." It has the meaning of supreme happiness and thus has been often translated as "Utmost Bliss." The Pure Land Sutras physically describe it as a fabulous world adorned with beautiful palaces, lakes, cool breezes, lotuses etc., and bedecked with jewels and precious stones including gold. In the Shin Tradition, in English, it is most often referred to as the "Pure Land." Each Buddha has a Pure Land but, many times in speaking of the "Pure Land" it is Amida Buddha's Pure Land that is being referred to. It is a realm established by Amida Buddha through fulfilling every necessary requirement for the enlightenment of all beings. Amida Buddha welcomes all forms of life to this Pure Land. It is a realm that becomes a reality as the fulfillment of Amida's Vows, but at the same time it is the realm of great compassionate activity which is working for the sake of the ultimate fulfillment of every life form. Although Supreme Nirvana has no form, just as the Supreme Buddha has no set form, this Pure Land is Nirvana expressed in a form or shape. Here, we can get a glimpse of the Wisdom & Compassion of Amida Buddha. Amida Buddha provides this Pure Land for those who require some form or shape to begin to grasp the inconceivable, vast and limitless realm of Supreme Nirvana and Enlightenment. In Shin Buddhism, the Pure Land ceases to be some ideal world to be born into after death to further polish oneself in one's quest for enlightenment. According to Shinran, a person born in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha instantaneously gains/attains Supreme Enlightenment equal to that of Amida Buddha.

NEMBUTSU

The word "nembutsu" has several meanings in the long history of Buddhism depending on the definition of the word "nen." "Nen" can mean meditating or thinking or pronouncing. Therefore, "nembutsu" can refer to meditating on the special features of the Buddha image, holding to the thought of the Buddha, and pronouncing the name of the Buddha. In Pure Land Lineage of expounded by Shinran in which he reveres Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Tanluan, Taochao, Shantao, Genshin and Honen as the 7 Great Masters of the Tradition the "nembutsu" is the saying of Amida Buddha's Name. Honen emphasizes the recitation of Namo-Amida-Butsu as the religious practice selected for us by Amida Buddha. Shinran added another dimension to this thought by saying that the reason Namo-Amida-Butsu even comes to our lips is due to the Compassionate activity of Amida Buddha. He states that the saying of the Name (reciting Namo-Amida-Butsu) is none other than the Name (Myogo in Japanese, the Call of Amida) working in sentient beings, awakening them to shinjin (the great heart and mind of the Buddha: sincere mind, joyfully diamond-like entrusting mind without doubt and the mind aspiring for birth in the Pure Land). When persons realize this shinjin, it is expressed spontaneously as the nembutsu. Rennyo (1415-1499), the 8^th Spiritual Leader of the Hongwanji who is a descendant of Shinran, explains that that shinjin given to sentient beings by the Buddha is the cause of our birth in the Pure Land and the nembutsu is recited in sincere and deep appreciation to Amida Buddha. Shinran is known to have said, there is no shinjin separate from nembutsu and there can be no nembutsu separate from shinjin. It has been said that "While there is nothing extraordinary about saying the nembutsu, the realization attached to it, involving one's whole being, evokes an entirely new universe of meaning."

SHINRAN

Shinran (1173-1262) was a disciple of Honen and is considered the founder of Jodo Shinshu which is known in the West as Shin (Buddhist) Tradition or the "True Pure Land Tradition." Shinran whose childhood name was Matsuwakamaru was born near Kyotoas the eldest son of Hino Arinori. Shinran was separate from his parents at a very young age. Later at the age of 9, he was ordained by Jien of the Shoren-in temple in Kyoto. He then went to Mt. Hiei where he practiced Buddhist disciplines for 20 years. However, after trying for 20 years, he found himself no closer to enlightenment than the day he started. At an impasse he decided on a pilgrimage/retreat at which he paid nightly visits to the Rokkakudo Temple in the city of Kyoto at which was enshrined the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva who represents Amida Buddha's Compassion and was founded by Prince Shotoku. We are told that on the dawn of the 95^th day he received words of inspiration, which directed him to Honen. Inspired by Honen's teaching, Shinran became a Pure Land nembutsu follower.

When the nembutsu teaching was persecuted in 1207, Honen was exiled to Tosa (Shikoku Island) and Shinran to Echigo (Niigata Prefecture). There he married Eshinni. He was the first monk to officially and publically marry. In 1211, Honen and his followers were pardoned. In 1214, Shinran and his family move to Hitachi (Ibaragi Prefecture), northeast of Tokyo. It was at this point in his life that he began writing his major work "The Teaching, Practice and Realization of the Pure Land Way" which he would finished after he returned to Kyoto at about the age of 62. Most of Shinran's literary activity occurred during this latter part of his life until he died or attained birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha at age 90. He referred to himself as 'Gutoku Shinran' or "Ignorant stubble-hair Shinran." However, this did not mean he was not well versed actually he is regarded as a very important historical figure of the Kamakura Period of Japanese History and a revolutionary figure in the history of Buddhism. It should be mentioned though that Shinran had no intention of founding a new sect or denomination, but his descendents eventually formed a Sangha after his death which in time became the largest Pure Land denomination, notably through the efforts of the eighth Monshu or Spiritual Head of the Tradition Rennyo (1415-1499). Today, the Nishi Hongwanji or Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, is the largest of the Shinshu sects with more than 10,000 temples in Japan and abroad, and the second largest, the Higashi Hongwanji or Shinshu Otani-ha, has nearly the same number of temples and members.

RENNYO

Rennyo was born in 1415 in Kyoto, at the Hongwanji at Otani in Higashiyama. He was the eldest son of Zonnyo Shonin, the 7^th Monshu or Spiritual Head of the Hongwanji. Rennyo and his family lived in poverty, but despite this hardship he devoted himself to the study of the Buddha-Dharma especially to the Pure Land Tradition and the works of Shinran. In 1457, with the death of Zonnyo, he became the 8^th Spiritual Head of the Hongwanji and continued his propagational activities until his own death in 1499. He overcame numerous obstacles including persecution building the foundation of the present Hongwanji.

Rennyo's greatest achievement was his propagation of the Shin Teachings via his "Letters" known as Gobunsho or Ofumi written in vernacular Japanese, the language of the common people. He is known to have repeated over and over "Shinjin is the true cause of birth in the Pure Land; saying the Name is the response of gratitude for Amida 's benevolence."

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