The Disease of Wanting to Acquire Birth/Shinjin

What mind is this? It is full of afflictions and how then can I acquire birth in the Pure Land?

Do not listen (pay attention) to the Buddha Dharma but keep thinking of acquiring birth quickly, don't you suffer from "the disease of wanting to acquire birth?" Or else, you must be infected with the "disease of wanting to acquire shinjin." Please be prepared to fail. Please try to fall to a stage where you cannot fall anymore. 

'When its energy is spent,

the frog is fished out,

croaking aloud!'

Look up to the Power of the Tathagata

Do I have shinjin? Is my shinjin real? Is that fine? 

Stop pretending! Why are you complaining about shinjin being real or fake? Are there real and fake ones? Speaking of "save you" it means "save you" certainly! Why are you beating about the bush and entertaining (the idea of) "real" and "fake" shinjin? Please, look up to the Power of the Tathagata. 


Zuiken

Correspond with the Primal Vow

Kasha/ Hi no kuruma/ Fire chariots 火の車

Be it religions or philosophies, after having spent 50 years reading, I discovered that there is no other way (not even one or two) aside from the Primal Vow-power of the Tathagata for a bombu to gain salvation. Forget it, forget it, if we have been duped, so be it; please follow after Master Shinran! By showing off your smartness of a monkey, you wouldn’t be able to put an end to the fire chariot of evil karma! The problem of our afterlife, like gold ingots falling from heaven, “just as you are,” truly it is “just as you are”. The sound of the Call of coming right away single-mindedly－it’s superfluous to say “just as you are.” When you have naturally become “just as you are,” that’s called “correspond with the Primal Vow.” If you are working hard towards becoming “just as you are” you will go to places unthought of. The Buddha Dharma is about not-self; not-self is to become an idiot, to be a simpleton. It’s such that despite being alive our calculation perishes. It’s such that we discover the fact that no matter how it’s just impossible by using our own power.

Zuiken

Passage from the essay “All-pervasive illumination of Buddha-Wisdom”

The hand-held nenju does not fall owing to the power of the hand

A member of the Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara holds a nenju
(Photo credited to the owner of the blog at http://tedmills.com//) 

All of you are holding nenju, right? If this nenju is let go of, it falls, right? 

“The hand-held nenju does not fall owing to the power of the hand.” 

Because the nenju is “held (in the hand)”, the same way we are grasped or held by Amida Buddha － “embraced and not forsaken” －stopping me from falling, this falling good-for-nothing can only be safe from falling. That’s how it happens! However, this nenju (bombu) insists on “having to acquire shinjin for birth!” Nenju (bombu) apparently do not have limbs but think of holding on to Amida firmly for birth. As these good-for-nothing (nenju) take out their limbs, they head to hell! 

“The hand-held nenju does not fall owing to the power of the hand!” 

Therefore, we can “attain birth in the Pure Land” whether or not we hear the Dharma, do good work (charity), say the Nembutsu, as the nenju’s nature (weight) of falling does not change! “This me who is falling,” “cannot fall because I am relying on Amida’s Primal Vow-power that holds me firmly!” “Try to fall and see if you will. You won’t, will you?” “I can’t fall!” when “I have been defeated by your power." You have just mounted the Primal Vow-power; this means that shinjin is determined. 

If it is just the nenju alone, it will fall! Even though it will fall, it’s firmly held by Amida Buddha － “embraced and not forsaken”－ and when asked to “try to fall and see if you will,” however, you are unable to fall anymore. Unable to fall, no matter if you like it or not, you have no way to get away from being born there. Because Amida Buddha's power is so immense, you have been defeated by Him at last; isn’t this shinjin? During the struggling period, you have no shinjin.  When being held by Amida, you won’t be worrying unnecessarily “Would I not fall? Would I not fall?” Similarly, when being held by Amida, you won’t be saying “have to acquire shinjin for birth.” This is not acceptable.

Zuiken 

At any time we are completely naked before the Parent of compassion

“Apart from the Buddha saving me, ask no shinjin of your own.” Therefore, you don’t have to forcefully boast, “I have entrusted myself.” Hence, “I have heard it,” ”I have entrusted myself,” such minds of “entrusting” and “hearing” should leave no residual trace. This is what is meant by “at any time we are completely naked before the Parent of compassion.”

“The mind that hears,

Remembers

Are both carried away by Amida Buddha.

Completely naked, completely naked we are,

At any time

Before the Parent of compassion.”

In this way, we are able to be born in the Pure Land, aren’t we?

“For the Buddha-dharma, no matter how much that we hear 

Always we are babes before hearing.”

Don't bring out human wisdom!

Without having Buddha's wisdom, you won't be going to the realm of wisdom of Buddha. What do you use to enter the realm of wisdom of Buddha? The Pure Land is the realm of wisdom of Amida Buddha! Also, it is the realm of compassion of Amida Buddha! You may think of going to the realm of wisdom of Buddha, but you won't without humbly accepting the Buddha's wisdom. This must be pondered well, otherwise self-power will emerge imperceptibly.

Speaking of shinjin, it's accepting humbly the Buddha's wisdom! Human wisdom does not work. Human wisdom is in any case termed "calculation"! It puts you in self-power and doubt! Don't bring out* human wisdom!

"I hear that..," "I assume that..," "I think that...," "because I say the Nembutsu I can be born there," "because I feel joyful I can be born there," these are human wisdom and human thinking! Such thoughts are useless, and you mustn't do without discarding all of them.

Zuiken (An extract from "Talk on the Hymns of the Pure Land Masters."

Note: *Don't bring out means not to exert, not to make a show of. 

Not trusting in people while thinking of humbly accepting shinjin is a mistake!

 “I trust in Shinran Shonin, and therefore trust in the Infinite Life Sutra” 

  --- Hirokku Eishun sensei (岗英俊师) 

The Name of the Primal Vow propounded by the Infinite Life Sutra is not something that bombu can possibly trust in. Touching the Infinite Life Sutra, it is simply the Name of the Primal Vow! “Relying on the Name of the Primal Vow, just by this single honorable power we are taken to be born in the Pure Land,” while discarding everything else! Eishun Sensei said bombu would not be able to trust in the Infinite Life Sutra, which he referred to as the Name of the Primal Vow, but “(he) trusts in Shinran Shonin, and therefore trusts in the Infinite Life Sutra.” Please keep these words in mind. 

Not trusting in people while thinking of humbly accepting shinjin is a mistake! It does not matter how much great Dharma teaching you have listened to, books you have read, difficult words you have remembered -- these have nothing to do with shinjin! Without trusting in people, it is impossible to humbly accept shinjin.

Zuiken
(An extract from Talk on Hymns of the Pure Land Masters)

Shinran Shonin