Namu Amida Butsu

This work is especially dedicated to Zuiken Saizo Inagaki, who sheds light on the pristine and original teachings of Jodo Shinshu (Shin Buddhism) for many people, including myself. I regard him as my soul teacher and I am very much influenced by his words and thoughts, which are deeply imbued with the Wisdom of Compassion of Amida Buddha. I read most of his writings available in Chinese language and I wish to share some of his golden words in this blog in English. Rev. George Gatenby and Mr. Gabriel Schlaefer have been kindly and untiringly assisting me to edit the translated essays so that they are readable and true to the intent of Sensei. May all partake of the wisdom of Shinshu teaching and be overpowered by the light of Amida Buddha.

Namu Amida Butsu!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Unit 6: The Primal Vow-Power is So Great

The power of the Vow is without limit;
Thus, even our karmic evil, deep and heavy, is not oppressive.
The Buddha's wisdom is without bounds;
Thus, even those of distracted minds and self-indulgence are not abandoned.
(Hymns of the Dharma-Ages)

It is a great torch in the long night of ignorance;
Do not sorrow that your eyes of wisdom are dark.
It is a ship on the vast ocean of birth-and-death;
Do not grieve that your obstructions of karmic evil are heavy.
(Hymns of the Dharma-Ages)

The Name of the Tathagata of unhindered light
And the light that is the embodiment of wisdom
Dispel the darkness of the long night of ignorance
And fulfill the aspirations of sentient beings.
(Hymns of the Pure Land Masters)

Look at it from the Buddha’s perspective and be thorough about it! Do not examine whether you have received shinjin just from the human point of view. Do not view it in such a way. When you examine the Buddha’s work, make sure you view it thoroughly! Look! Look! Look! When you see it through and through, your mind will be put at ease (anjin). You will understand naturally, "Ah, the Buddha is so compassionate!" Accordingly, through introspection you will realize that “I myself am superficial and ignorant.” Thus, one must first see it from the Buddha’s perspective.

Before seeing it from the Buddha’s perspective, if you first seek to "get shinjin," you will never know of the Buddha’s shinjin even after a hundred millions of years. Be thorough about seeing it from the Buddha’s side. No matter under what circumstances, you have to make up your mind to solely "rely on the power of the Primal Vow for salvation."

When fellow practicer Ichihara was near death, she held out her thin, weak hand and said, "I have become like this, and my destiny is really pitch black. What am I to do?"

It was so pitiful to see her like that. Watching her like this, what could you say? If you were me, how would you answer her? She was a patient of stomach cancer who had become thin and bony after undergoing constant surgery. When I paid her a visit in the hospital, she stretched out her small, thin hand to show me and said, "I have become like this and will die very soon, but my next life is pitch black. What am I to do now?"

I replied to her unknowingly

"Night is dark, and the road is not seen.
At that moment, Amida offers His hand to guide me.
How great the Vow-Power is!"

After listening to that, she returned me a winsome smile.

Yesterday, her elder sister fellow-practicer Akyou told me, "Sensei, the moment when my elder sister heard you saying that she smiled joyfully." At the point of death, nothing can be trusted but the Primal Vow.

Night is dark, and the road is not seen.
At that moment, Amida offers His hand to guide me.
How great the Vow-Power is!

"My destiny is really pitch-black. How shall I get over it?" If you were me how would you comfort her with the Dharma? Would you teach her to "obtain shinjin at once"? Or remind her to "not forget about saying the Nembutsu"? But before you could finish speaking, she might be gone.

Can you imagine someone, who went to the temple to listen to the Dharma for 30 or 50 years without realizing shinjin, expecting a dying patient "to obtain shinjin"? How can you imagine someone who does not say Nembutsu much asking a dying person "to not forget about saying the Nembutsu"? How could you say such a thing? Among all the religions in this wide world, only Shinshu is capable of saving helpless beings like that.

Night is dark, and the road is not seen.
At that moment, Amida offers his hand to guide me.
How great the Vow-Power is!

It is the Primal Vow that is great; relying on it like that we are saved! When you have this conviction, you will not seek it any more. Therefore we say ‘don’t seek, don’t calculate’, in this manner you will gain birth straight away.

~ Talks on the wasan (Japanese hymns) given at Hikonemyoujou Temple

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