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!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Zuiken’s saying and *George’s paraphrase


In a dharma sermon, by presuming that before you die in fact you have attained birth is considered as false shinjin or mi-anjin.

A person who says that he has been born in the Pure Land before dying is falsely settled. 

Nevertheless, if you feel 'now I am within the embrace of Amida’s light', and this is how you really feel, than it can make no difference from the reality that you have been dead and attained birth in the Pure Land. 

But if you know that you live within the embrace of the Buddha of Inconceivable Light then it is as though you are already in the Pure Land despite not having died. This is like attaining nirvana, although it is not so. This is what Shinran means in the Shoshinge when he says that on awakening shinjin we realise that birth-and-death is nirvana. 


Though it is not Nirvana but the resemblance of Nirvana and that is why it is written as 'birth-and-death is Nirvana'.

You must be able to conceive of this. It is not nirvana although it is like it. We realise nirvana only on being born in the Pure Land.



* Rev George Gatenby 

A relevant passage from Rennyo Shonin's Goichidaiki-kikigaki as follows:

(204) You will surely be saved:

Rennyo Shonin said, "It is wrong to say that when single-minded shinjin is settled, you
have been saved by Amida, because it would sound as if you have already been
enlightened. Although it is clear that you are saved at the moment you entrust yourself to
Amida, you should say that you will surely be saved. At the time of entrusting yourself to
Amida with singleness of mind, you dwell in the state of Non-retrogression. This is the
'unmanifested' benefit of the attainment of this state. We call this the 'partial realization of
Nirvana'."

[Note] In Rennyo's understanding, attainment of the state of Non-retrogression
remains 'unmanifested,' that is, it is not perceived with a clear consciousness.

Otherwise, it would mean that you have already attained enlightenment or Nirvana. 

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