Because of the Vow “If they should not be born there,”
When the moment of genuine entrusting has come
And people attain the one thought-moment of joy,
Their birth becomes completely settled.
Because of the Vow “If they should not be born there,” people attain the
one thought-moment of joy. “Joy” 乐 is pronounced as yao 要 here. It is pronounced as yue 月when referring to music. So there are different pronunciations.
When this word is pronounced as yao,
it means “aspirations,” “gladness.” When we pronounce it as le, it carries the opposite meaning to
suffering 苦, which is joy 乐. The meanings turn out to be different when the
pronunciations are different.
When joy 乐 is explained as aspiration or gladness, what sort of
aspiration does it refer to? It is the aspiration of “We are able to be born in
the Pure Land even after we die.” People who do not have such an aspiration are
rather pitiful. This is simply because, from the time of birth to death, human
beings are always at work, in agony. On top of that, the “pitch darkness” will come
upon them at the moment of death, together with the belief that one will just
perish like that, just as if one will disappear all alone from the earth.
When a man is going to die, he will have a lot to think about. “Will I just
die like that? Am I going to die? Nothing left after death; it is just like an
extinguished flame, isn’t it?” On the other hand, there are people who will
think on their own, “I have never committed any evil deeds, so why should I be
concerned about hell or Pure Land and its existence? I am not afraid. Speaking
of the Pure Land, no one has ever received a letter from there.” These are nihilists,
icchantikas or issendais, who are also very miserable beings.
While alive, human beings can be rather easygoing. Nonetheless, when
death approaches them, even the most easygoing person will feel desolate and
restless. Upon facing death, everyone will feel desolate and restless; the
destiny after death is “terrifying,” and there is a sense of unspeakable
horror. One just feels unbearably lonesome; this fearful feeling simply cannot
be described in words. All these assemble and manifest as “real pitch darkness.”
This bad egg, so-called “real pitch darkness,” is the revelation of the evil
karma that we ourselves have amassed since eons in the distant past. “Evil
karma, evil karma, evil karma…” We had let the 84,000 afflictions rise up long
ago, and thus the evil karma was created. This evil karma cannot be resolved by
our own power, and so we will surely be subjected to its torment.
Therefore, the real pitch darkness will appear at the moment of death. When
the real pitch darkness emerges, one will feel uneasy and terrified with a
sense of unspeakable horror. That human beings come to such an end is an
unalterable reality. But, for sentient beings whose conditions are not mature
and who disbelieve religion, even when death is at hand, they still refuse to
come to their senses while saying bombastically, “Where could hell or the Pure
Land possibly exist?” Though they phrase it in such a way, they are unable to
resolve the evil karma that has already been created. This problem simply
cannot be settled with knowledge. We are facing the evil karma which keeps
expanding and finally turns into the real pitch darkness. You will see where
the problem is when you inspect the real pitch darkness. How can there be hope
for such people? What have they? Just the real pitch darkness. There is no hope—hopeless,
to be accurate!
Hence, fear and terror come up. When the real pitch darkness looms, a
phenomenon called “获麟” will appear in which the dying man is clawing the
air. Although there is nothing in the air, they will claw the empty air
forcefully. This simply because their minds are restless, in horror; they feel
as if they were plummeting downward as deep as one or two thousand feet into
the real pitch darkness. Therefore, they grab at anything they could reach instinctively
for support, and thus you see their hands clawing the air aimlessly. Some
people may claw the air, some may grip their bed sheets. There was a school
teacher from Kobe. When his father was on deathbed, he did the same thing. He
gripped the bed sheet firmly and desperately, didn't want to let go. Then, no
one knew why his hands kept scratching. Until he breathed his last, his hands
were clawing the air. So, I had sensed, intuitively, that he was falling
downwards at that time. Be that as it may, people without faith still are not
interested in listening to the Buddha Dharma.
In ordinary days, even if the Dharma teacher says “Rely on Namo Amida Butsu
for birth!” no one actually take these words seriously. Well, with such a
mentality one will absolutely succumb to hell. No second words but be doomed to
hell; this is a matter of course! They do not know that the real pitch darkness
will come into view and man will become like that (clawing the air, etc.). At
that moment, even if virtuous thoughts arise at death’s door, even if you know in
theory (“Yes, I knew it, I knew it!”), still you will be unable to resolve this
problem.
What about Jodo Shinshu? It is because bombu just behaves like this that Amida Buddha offers to resolve
the problem for us. Humans die alone and therefore they will feel very uneasy
when dying; this is just animal instinct. Because of this reason, when we are
still alive, right now, presently, Amida Buddha has long resolved this problem
for us. What have we relied on to resolve this problem? The key is evil karma!
Because there is evil karma, the pitch darkness will appear at the point of
death. Hence, in ordinary days, we must have the Buddha resolve the problem for
us or you will not succeed. Namo Amida Butsu is here to resolve this problem.
Other than Namo Amida Butsu, no one can resolve this problem. Just rely on one
Namo Amida Butsu, hence we say, “Just one Namo Amida Butsu!”
Speaking of Namo Amida Butsu, when we thoroughly examine it, it is
simply the “Buddha-power.” If it is not the Buddha’s power, we will not make
it. The Vow-power of the Buddha is the heart of compassion that “does not allow
you to fall into hell.” Thinking of the Buddha-power, it comprises “compassion”
and “wisdom.” So called, the “compassion-power” and “wisdom-power,” such powers
exist. Therefore, speaking of “Vow-power,” it has power too; speaking of “Vow-power,”
it is the “mind-power” of Buddha. Hence, it is the Buddha’s compassion-power,
wisdom-power and the addition of the mind-power of “How can I be letting you
fall into hell?” These powers condense into Namo Amida Butsu.
It is because of Namo Amida Butsu—whether hearing, entrusting or saying
it—that one can be born in the Pure Land. Whether hearing, saying or entrusting
to Namo Amida Butsu, it enables you to be born in the Pure Land.
However, on top of hearing, entrusting or saying Namo Amida Butsu, if
you add your own power to it, then you are doomed to hell. “Namo Amida Butsu,”
even if you just hear or say it once—just listen to it for one time—it will
cause you to be born in the Pure Land. Birth in the Pure Land (ojo) is certain.
Though birth is certain, regrettably bombu
will always add on their thinking, such as “So I say the nembutsu,” “so I
entrust to the Buddha,” “so I hear the Buddha Dharma.” If one is to exert one’s
power for support like that, this is precisely self-power. This is the
important point. One who exerts one’s power for support will have the thinking
of “So I…” Therefore, the mentality of “So I entrust nicely,” “so I say the nembutsu
truthfully” will be born.
In a Dharma talk, when it is said that “Namo Amida Butsu, whether
hearing, entrusting or saying it, one can be born in the Pure Land,” the
listeners will “so I say the nembutsu nicely,” “so I entrust to it.” This sort
of mentality is called self-power, isn’t this shocking?!
Therefore, sentient beings will try to discard “So I…” and thus “hearing
of it one can be born in the Pure Land,” “entrusting to it one can be born in
the Pure Land,” “saying it one can be born in the Pure Land.” For the person of
genuine entrusting, his frame of mind for accepting this will be, “Namo Amida
Butsu is very rare, I really do
not deserve your kindness, you are truly honorable, how thankful I am!” On
hearing the teaching of “whether hearing, entrusting or saying Namo Amida Butsu,
one can be born in the Pure Land,” the feeling of “Namo Amida Butsu, boundless
are your virtues and merits” will arise.
Pay attention to the merits and
virtue. We are relying on the virtue and merit-power of Namo Amida Butsu. Namo
Amida Butsu is the superstar; when we hear this, such a thought arises in our
mind, “Awesome, awesome! Never heard of this before!”
From the time we pick up Buddhism until
now, we keep exerting our power to support “our own thought” that “so I say the
nembutsu nicely,” “so I entrust,” “so I listen.” For decades we listen to the
Buddha Dharma in the temples with such a frame of mind, don’t we? Therefore,
when we come up against the problems of “no matter what I do I just cannot
acquire shinjin,” “I am not able to
say the nembutsu,” you will not want to go to the temple to learn the Buddha
Dharma anymore. At this moment, please remember that “Namo Amida Butsu is the superstar,
do not try to exert your power for support.”
This is the power of Namo Amida
Butsu; it is because the Name has the virtue and merits and thus is honorable.
Because of the honorability of the Name—because the Name has virtue and merits—whether
hearing, entrusting, or saying it, one can be born in the Pure Land. Therefore,
it is this “one Namo Amida Butsu” that is working on us. “Namo Amida Butsu is
the superstar.” Listen to it just for once; eventually these rogues who are
hurrying around blindly for 30 to 50 years, will give rise to the thought of
“How awesome! Never heard of this from eons of the distant past.” Therefore,
you will naturally give rise to the thought of “Namo Amida Butsu is the
superstar, how awesome, how awesome!” This is only the right mentality; with
this we go to the Pure Land.
This we call “one thought moment of
joy.” Speaking of “one thought moment of joy,” the initial mentality of “So I
say the nembutsu,” “so I entrust to the Buddha” will make a turn of 180o
or 360o. Originally, the mentality of us focusing on this side or “ours,”
will all of a sudden pay attention to the Buddha’s direction, Namo Amida Butsu.
And there we begin to realize that the compassion and wisdom of Namo Amida
Butsu, which enable us to hear Namo Amida Butsu, is inconceivable. The power of
the Buddha is beyond conception, and it leaves us nothing but “This is inconceivable!
This is inconceivable, but, even so, I go to the Pure Land.”
Therefore, the persons who would say
“Namo Amida Butsu, how honorable, how honorable!” are precious. Such persons
will let the thought of “I have entrusted, I have heard, I have said the
nembutsu” all drift by on the current. If you ask him, “Have you heard the
Buddha Dharma?” he will answer, “I have not heard anything.” If you ask, “Have
you entrusted to the Buddha?” he will reply, “Do I or do I not entrust to the
Buddha?” If you ask, “What to be done? What to be done with your afterlife?” he
will answer, “How honorable, how precious is Namo Amida Butsu! How honorable,
how precious is Namo Amida Butsu! I owe it all to the Buddha.”
The persons who would say, “I owe it
all to the Buddha, I owe it all to the Buddha” are those who will go to the
Pure Land and are worth celebrating for. Even though I have mentioned something
like this before, no one has noticed this point. Once you have noticed this
point, you will naturally give rise to the thought of “Namo Amida Butsu, how
honorable, how honorable! How honorable, how precious! And I owe it all to the
Buddha! Namo Amida Butsu, how honorable, how honorable! Only the power of the
compassionate Parent is strong enough!” This is known as “one thought-moment of
joy.” This is the characteristic of “one thought-moment of joy.”
Some people commented that “the
joyful feeling does not come about.” How likely is it that you could feel
joyful? While some other people commented that “I cannot feel anything.” Though
you cannot feel a thing, when it comes to birth (ojo) you will naturally give rise to the thought of “Namo Amida
Butsu, how honorable the compassionate Parent is!” Namo Amida Butsu has become
the promise of the Buddha, the promise of “I will not let you fall,” which is
true and real. The promise of the Buddha is called the Buddha-power; when
thinking of the compassion-power, wisdom-power, it is “true and real (shinjitsu),” it is “the promise that is
true and real (shinjitsu).” Amida
Buddha is the promise that is shinjitsu;
this promise is shinjitsu, undeniable.
As the promise is shinjitshu, you
will realize that Amida Buddha is “true and real (shinjitsu),” and that His mind is true and real (shinjitsu).
This true and real mind, we call “the
sincere mind.” “The sincere mind” solidifies as “when the moment of genuine
entrusting has come,” which is referred to as the “shinjitsu” of the Tathagata. Realization of “shinjitsu,” the true and real mind, is called “joyful faith or shingyo,” which is born from shinjitsu. Shinjitsu and shingyo are
thus related and connected; shingyo
is referring to shinjin, and the
basis of shinjin is the “shinjitsu” of the Tathagata. The “shinjitsu” of the Tathagata, the crystal
of “shinjitsu,” is Namo Amida Butsu.
When asked what Namo Amida Butsu is
made up of, the answer is the “shinjitsu”
of the Buddha. What kind of “shinjitsu”?
It is the “shinjitsu” of “not
forsaking sentient beings.” It is the “shinjitsu”
of “If you end up in hell, I will not look on helplessly from my lotus pedestal.
Should you go to hell, I would go together with you. But, if I become a Buddha,
you will absolutely be born in the Pure Land!” This is the “shinjitsu” of “Should you not be born
there,” “If I become a Buddha, you will definitely become Buddha; it would not
make sense if I cannot cause you to become a Buddha.” Therefore, speaking of “should
you not be born there,” this refers to “Should you not be born there, may I not
attain perfect enlightenment.” This is “shinjitsu.”
Speaking of “should not be born there,” this has already been considered as
“Vow-power or seigan.” This is the
promise.
Speaking of “should you not be born
there,” it indicates “If you cannot be born in the Pure Land, I will not become
a Buddha!” This is a promise. The promise is contained in the Vow-power. It is
because of the shinjitsu of the Tathagata
that He could make such a promise for us. This “true and real mind,” “shinjitsu,” is thus “Primal Vow (Hongan)”. The Hongan of Amida Buddha is the “shinjitsu”
of “Should you not be born there, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.”
There are various types of “shinjitsu.”
Human beings (bombu) do not have “shinjitsu.” A man may have a kind of
human shinjitsu, but not the genuine
“shinjitsu.” Even though I may suffer
from my head being cut off or bankruptcy, you can hardly find such a person on
earth who “will do anything for you at all costs.” Not even wives and husbands,
children and parents can make such a sacrifice. “I must cure your illness no
matter how hard, even to toil like beasts of burden.” “If you must die, I will
die for you.” Though they may claim to do so, no one will actually do it.
This “should not be born there”
means: “If you go to hell, I will follow you to hell; I will not leave you
alone. Should you go to hell, I would not become a Buddha, and I would cut out
my stomach for you!”
This kind of “shinjitsu” can only be sought after in the Buddha. In this world, you
may find friendly people around and some who can be very helpful to you. Nonetheless,
when the time comes that we have to die, the evil karma we have piled up since
eons in the distant past will turn into the real pitch darkness. When the time
comes, we have to stagger all alone to Hades across the river Styx. Regardless
of your parents or children, not a single man on earth can save you. Isn’t it
phrased clearly in the Dharma books that “wives and wealth, none will go along
with you”?
 |
| The celestial maiden |
Hence, we have no choice but to die
alone. At that time, the “power” that we can trust and rely on is “the shinjitsu of the Hongan,” “the shinjitsu
of Namo Amida Butsu,” and “the crystal of shinjitsu
of Namo Amida Butsu.” Men are unreliable, the Tathagata is not; therefore we
say “the compassionate Parent who has great compassion and shinjitsu.” When we read the Japanese Noh play Hagoromo or The Feather
Mantle [1], it tells of a celestial maiden or tennin who descended to the world, and arrived at the place of a
fisherman, Hakuryo. The maiden hung her hagoromo
or celestial feather robe on a pine branch and strolled around. Later, the
fisherman came and saw the precious celestial robe. He took it off the bough
and decided to take it home. However, the maiden discovered this. The maiden
begged, “That is my robe, without it I cannot return to the heavenly realm.
Please return it to me.” The fisherman pleaded, “It is alright to return you
the robe but you must promise one thing, which is to show me the celestial
dance.” The maiden said, “I can dance only with the celestial robe, please
return my robe.”
Then, the fisherman argued, “What if
you don’t dance as promised but fly off with your robe?” The maiden replied, “That
is the feeling of deep mistrust of humans. The celestial beings would not tell
a lie. Mistrust only exists in the waking world; in the heavenly realm there is
no insincerity.”
Upon hearing this, the fisherman felt
so ashamed. Humans are just too suspicious, but the celestial beings are not,
so they will not be doubtful; they will trust faithfully every word you say.
Therefore, the fisherman felt so shameful, and therefore he returned the robe
to the maiden. Donning the celestial robe, after the maiden performed the
heavenly dance, she returned to heaven.
“Mistrust only exists in the waking
world; in heaven there is no insincerity.” What a good saying! Not even the
celestial beings tell a lie, let alone Amida Buddha.
Speaking of the seven masters, all
these are great beings. Honen Shonin is ranked the last of these masters.
Before Honen Shonin is Master Genshin, preceded by Master Shan-tao. And before
him are Master Tan-luan, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu and Bodhisattva Nargajuna. Despite
ten thousand people, one hundred thousand people or even one million thousand
people, up to a few hundred millions of people have read the Larger Sutra on Amitayus, yet no one
actually knows what “shinjitsu” is.
The Buddhist scriptures are
difficult. It is Bodhisattva Nagarjuna and Bodhisattva Vasubandhu who disclosed
to us the essence of the Larger Sutra on
Amitayus. Because the Tathagata is “shinjitsu,”
therefore when we hear of the Hongan
of “If they should not be born there, I will not attain the perfect
enlightenment,” the one thought-moment of joy will come: “Ah, how precious is the
shinjitsu of the Tathagata! “It is
relying on the shinjitsu for birth.”
When this one thought-moment of joy has arrived, “our birth becomes completely
settled.” Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu and the rest of the
seven masters propounded this teaching with one accord.
Shinran Shonin had also discovered
this teaching. Therefore, Shinran Shonin is not the first person to deliver the
Shinshu teaching. In the Larger Sutra on Amitayus,
the words of the 18th Vow reads “[If those who] sincerely and
joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my
Name even ten times should not be born there, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.” This is precisely the 18th Vow.
The Talk on Wasans, Myoshoji, Hikone City
南無阿彌陀佛
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