Unit 15: A Baby Yet to Hear (the Buddha-Dharma)

Revised on the 13th, July 2015

‘There is no way I can save myself’—there are two sides to this realization.

When a person fails to see the Primal Vow-power and does not realize that he ‘counts on the Primal Vow-power for salvation’—he ‘counts on Namo Amida Butsu for birth which is beyond comprehension’—he proclaims, ‘There is no way I can save myself.’ This is the feeling of guilt before someone realizes faith. Someone in this situation is said to be ‘a person that is decidedly destined to hell.’

By contrast, someone who has found the Primal Vow-power gains great satisfaction. Such a person that proclaims ‘There is no way I can save myself’ is ‘the person that is assured of birth in the Pure Land’.

Question: I understand what Sensei was saying. However, when you relate ‘a baby yet to hear (the Buddha-Dharma)’ to the twofold deep mind, isn’t this no different than a plain bonbu (foolish person)?

Answer: That’s just meaningless speculation. Buddha-Dharma is not about kicking up a fuss!

Question: Were you saying that through repeated hearing we would return to the state of ‘a baby yet to hear (the Buddha-Dharma)’?

Answer: ‘A baby’—we should not fuss over it based on theories.

Question: Did you mean the consequence after hearing (of the Buddha-Dharma) is just like ‘before’?

Answer: ‘The consequence after hearing is just like before’—this is pure speculation. Those who play with ideas imply that they cling to their perceptions (ideas); this differs greatly from ‘a baby yet to hear (the Buddha-Dharma)’.

‘A baby yet to hear (the Buddha-Dharma)’ means to relinquish your own ‘designs’, ‘self-power’; it is to be ‘a simpleton who follows trustily the teaching’, ‘being naïve and truthful’. This is called ‘a baby yet to hear’. If you interpret ‘a baby yet to hear’ based on account of words you will have views like ‘plain bonbu’ and so on which are not worth discussing. ‘A baby yet to hear (the Buddha-Dharma)’ simply means ‘brought to understand (by the Tathāgata)’.

Question: Does it mean to become zero that is ‘absolutely empty’?

Answer: ‘Zero that’s absolutely empty’, such speculation is pointless. What matters is earnestly entrusting yourself to the teaching of the Buddha. Just respond spontaneously to the command of the Tathāgata of ‘saving you!’ and being grateful, and in that moment you are already a baby, ‘a baby yet to hear’.

Question: Does it mean that our ‘calculations’ are taken away by the Tathāgata?

Answer: It is to ‘trust in and abide by the words of the Tathāgata’. Concerning ‘calculations are taken away by the Tathāgata’, that’s still just a theory! The world of the Buddha is different from the world of theories. Concerning Faith (shinjin), if you discuss it based on sense-perceptions, you would only arrive at sense-perceptions.

Question: What would happen to the ‘plain bonbu’ after settling Faith (shinjin)?

　　

Answer: After settling Faith(shinjin), there will be no ‘plain bonbu’. You would not find the ‘plain bonbu’ in the world of the twofold deep mind. ‘Plain bonbu’ refers to those who do not hear the Buddha-Dharma. The persons who have settled their faith in the 18th Vow are called ‘the rightly-established group’.

Question: Speaking of ‘the rightly established group’, though, in real life our reality is such that we are not distinguishable from those who do not hear the Buddha-dharma. Having said that, how could we say the ‘plain bonbu’ have disappeared after they have heard the Buddha-dharma?

Answer: ‘Each of us, in outward bearing, makes a show of being wise, good, and dedicated; but our greed, anger, perversity, and deceit, are such that we are filled with all forms of malice and cunning.’

—Gutoku's Hymns of Lament and Reflection

In this wasan (Japanese hymn) the reality of the ‘plain bonbu’ has been projected.  There’s no way that we don’t project such a reality.

Question: That said, we can’t say that the plain bonbu ‘have disappeared’, become‘void’, can we?

Answer: ‘It is present but it is as good as absent (nullified).’ You must be baffled again by this statement! It is present in that moment but it is as good as absent. The Shoshinge (Hymn of True Faith) has touched on this:

‘If the single thought of Joy and Gratitude is awakened in us,

We shall realize Nirvana without severing our blind passions.’

If the blind passions (bonno)—namely the karma-hindrances—were not extinguished, we wouldn’t be able to be born in the Pure Land. We are creating evil karma day and night; and though we are constantly creating evil karma, they are extinguished (nullified). It is not right to say that since we are constantly creating evil karma, we are therefore labelled as the ‘plain bonbu’. We are creating evil karma, but we can still be born in the Pure Land.

From the viewpoint of Amida Buddha, the moment that the evil karma are created they are extinguished.

‘They are (one’s transgressions) as good as non-existent.’

—Rennyo Shōnin Goichidaiki-kikigaki, Volume 1, No. 35, ‘Transgressions Do Not Create a Hindrance to Birth’

Isn’t it inconceivable? Human brains simply cannot digest it. How could they?

‘The karma-hindrances of the three periods of past, future, and present, are instantly extinguished.’

—Gobunsho of RennyoShōnin, Fascicle Five, ‘On the Great Benefit Bestowed with (the Awakening of) One Thought-moment (of Faith)’

The above words of our Master (Rennyo) indicate that the karma-hindrances are extinguished. ‘Thanks to the inconceivable Vow-power,’ the karma-hindrances are extinguished. Without extinguishing the karma-hindrances, how can you be born in the Pure Land? [What would it be like if our karma-hindrances are extinguished?] Aspiration as much as anger will still arise in you. The married couples will still have quarrels as usual. The reality of bonbu does not change at all. We gain birth ‘as we are—with bonbu’s reality’. This is Jodo Shinshu. To transform into holy men for salvation is the Path of Sages. A person can be born in the Pure Land with the ‘status quo of bonbu—the reality of bonbu intact’. This is the inconceivable teaching of JodoShinshu.

When you hear that ‘Transgressions are as good as non-existent’, you should be able to rejoice in ‘Ah, relying on the inconceivable Primal Vow-power, our transgressions are extinguished. How compassionate these words are! This is inconceivable, truly inconceivable!’

Question: Speaking of the degree of joyfulness, I am extremely ashamed. . . .

　

Answer: Regarding the degree of joyfulness, you should not care too much. Everyone is ‘six and two threes’, ‘fifty steps laughing at one hundred’! The reality of bonbu that is projected, more or less, big or small, is not a problem.

‘Able to realize “I am an evil person”’ or ‘unable to realize it’, this is like ‘fifty steps laughing at hundred’, ‘six and two threes’! In the world of bonbu, there is no such thing as ‘I am capable of noticing this, so I’m done’ or‘You just notice a little, so you are not equipped.’ The world of bonbu is zero from beginning to end. It is futile to talk about 5 chi, 8 chi or 1 zhang in zeroes.

Zuiken Sensei