Pure Land Buddhism

One of the "founding fathers" of Shin Buddhism, Shinran, in effect turned history upside down. He understood all reality as the expression of the "Vow mind", as the manifestation of "suchness", as everlasting activities of salvation, Upaya. From this viewpoint, the historical Buddha - and his own teachings - become just one expression within time of the "primal will" that all sentient beings come to realize enlightenment/salvation. Pure Land teachings may or may not be deemed to be derived from him (the historical Buddha) - for, to a certain extent, from such a perspective, this becomes irrelevant. I'd like to add that I am not particularly arguing for Shinran's point of view, merely attempting to explain it. Yet reflecting upon it, the perspective of Shinran can be understood as some sort of guard against fundamentalism, in as much as any expression of spirituality can be understood as being within the orbit of the "divine will" that all be "saved"..........or so it seems to me....

This is all in keeping with many Buddhist sutta's/sutra's:-

[i]The Lord speaks with but one voice, but all beings, each according to their kind, gain understanding, each thinking that the Lord speaks their own language. This is a special quality of the Buddha. The Lord speaks with but one voice, but all beings, each according to their own ability, act upon it, and each derives the appropriate benefit. This is a special quality of the Buddha.[/i]

(Vimalakirti Sutra)



[i]Just as the nature of the earth is one
While beings each live separately,
And the earth has no thought of oneness or difference,
So is the truth of all Buddhas.

Just as the ocean is one
With millions of different waves,
Yet the water is no different:
So is the truth of all Buddhas.

Just as the element earth, while one,
Can produce various sprouts,
Yet it's not that the earth is diverse:
So is the truth of all Buddhas.[/i]

(Hua-Yen Sutra)



[i]I bring fullness and satisfaction to the world,
like rain that spreads its moisture everywhere.
Eminent and lowly, superior and inferior,
observers of precepts, violators of precepts,
those fully endowed with proper demeanor,
those not fully endowed,
those of correct views, of erroneous views,
of keen capacity, of dull capacity -
I cause the Dharma rain to rain on all equally,
never lax or neglectful.
When all the various living beings
hear my Law,
they receive it according to their power,
dwelling in their different environments.....
....The Law of the Buddhas
is constantly of a single flavour,
causing the many worlds
to attain full satisfaction everywhere;
by practicing gradually and stage by stage,
all beings can gain the fruits of the way.[/i]

(The Lotus Sutra, Parable of the Dharma Rain)


Certainly, as I see it, to posit the idea that the Divine - however conceived - has "written" just one book as a prime means of communication, with just one intended meaning, is ultimately incoherent and indefensible.

I will continue to believe (and even continue to observe) that, for those who have the faith that ultimately the Cosmos we live in is benign and means us no harm, for such, the truth of this can be found in all places, at all times.....if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

All this relates - at least for me - with a "beautiful paradox" that I have spoken of before, drawn from the words of Thomas Merton. It comes from a letter written to E.D.Andrews, an expert on the life and beliefs of the Shakers (or the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing). Andrews had sent Merton a copy of his book, Shaker Furniture, and Merton was responding to the gift. Merton wrote:-

[i]This wordless simplicity, in which the works of quiet and holy people speak humbly for themselves. How important that is in our day, when we are flooded with a tidal wave of meaningless words: and worse still when in the void of those words the sinister power of hatred and destruction is at work. The Shakers remain as witnesses to the fact that only humility keeps man in communion with truth, and first of all with his own inner truth. [b]This one must know without knowing it, as they did. For as soon as a man becomes aware of "his truth" he lets go of it and embraces an illusion.[/i][/b]

From Rennyo, a Pure Land devotee (15th century Japan) :-

[i]Faith does not arise

Within oneself.

The Entrusting Heart is itself

Given by the Other Power.[/i]

And of "Other Power" (Japanese [i]tariki[/i]) here is a short extract from the book "Tariki: Embracing Despair, Discovering Peace." by Hiroyuki Itsuki. Mr Itsuki knew terrible suffering in his life, very early on, as a child, a refugee, his whole family in fear of their lives. His words are not born of good fortune.

[i]The Other Power (Tariki) derives from the true and full acceptance of the reality that is within us and surrounds us. It is not a philosophy of passivity or iresponsibility, but one of radical spiritual activity, of personal, existential revolution. Its essence is the spontaneous wondrous force that gives us the will to act, to "do what man can do and then wait for heaven's will." Importantly, Other Power is a power that flows from the fundamental realization that, in the lives we live, we are already enlightened. This enlightenment does not come easily. It is born of the unwelcome understanding that, despite our protestations, we are insignificant, imperfect beings, born to a hell of suffering that defines human existence. But in this hell, we sometimes excounter small joys, friendship, the kind acts of strangers, and the miracle of love. We experience moments when we are filled with courage, when the world sparkles with hopes and dreams. There are even times when we are deeply grateful to have been born. These moments are paradise. But paradise is not another realm; it is here, in the very midst of the hell of this world. Other Power, a power that transcends theological distinctions, avails us of these moments. In the endless uncertainties of contemporary life, Other Power confers upon us a flexibility of spirit, an energy to feel joy, and the respite of peace.[/i]

One thing in this book that has always stayed with me was a passage where the author spoke of his father. Of how he had often come in at night and removed his shoes as he sat on the bed - this with a deep sigh. His father had always sought to "improve" himself, to "get on" in life. But the sigh.........

Hiroyuki Itsuki wrote that though he had read many deep books of philosophy, it was his father's sigh that had taught him so much more.

I think that we are learning all the time, surrendering to Grace.

If anyone should be interested in hearing a testimony of faith from someone of a faith other than their own, there is "My Faith" by Kiyozawa Manshi. His testimony along with his essay "The Great Path of Absolute Other Power" are very well known in Japan, not only among the Pure Land (Shin) community.

Here is a small excerpt, given after a more detailed exposition:-

[i]The above is a general outline as to the nature of my faith. From the first point of view, the Tathāgata is for me infinite compassion. From the second, the Tathāgata is for me infinite wisdom. From the third, the Tathāgata is for me infinite potentiality. Thus my faith consists in believing in the reality of infinite compassion, wisdom, and potentiality.[/i]

NOTE:- The "Tathagata"......[i]they who have thus come[/i]. How in fact does anything at all truly come into our lives, awakening us? [i][b]Thus[/b][/i]


As far as the fundamental Reality, Amida, D.T.Suzuki writes in his usual endearing style:-

.[i]...we believe in Amida Buddha as our Oya-sama, or Oya-san, as it is sometimes called. It is the term used to express love and compassion. Oya means parent, but not either parent, rather both mother and father; not separate personalities, but both fatherly and motherly qualities united in one personality. The honorific san is the familiar form of sama. The latter, Oya-sama,is the standard form. In Christianity, God is addressed as the Father - "Our father who art in Heaven" - but Oya-sama is not in Heaven, nor is Oya-sama Father. It is incorrect to say "he" or "she," for no gender distinction is found. I don't like to say "it," so I don't know what to say. Oya-sama is a unique word, deeply endearing and at the same time rich with religious significance and warmth.
[/i]

That's All For Now Folks!

From "A Glossary of Pure Land Terms"

Birth-and-death [shoji]

[i]The Sino-Japanese translation of samsara, which means “the stream of time from birth to death and death to birth,” referring to the unenlightened state. All unenlightened beings repeat the empty, meaningless cycle in countless lives, driven only by the agitations of greed, anger, and folly. The purpose of Buddhism is to attain liberation from such a hollow existence by becoming a being of wisdom and compassion, filled with that which is true, real, and sincere. Further, in Mahayana thought, nirvana is not a transcendent state apart from birth-and-death, but the very foundation of all existence, so that to attain enlightenment is to return to the world of birth-and-death.[/i]

As I often say, to my mind much Religion is simply a betrayal of [i]this[/i] world for some imagined "other". This notwithstanding seeking to do acts of good towards this world, while anticipating the "next". It is only in Mahayana thought that the distinction between [i]this[/i] world and [i]any[/i] other is truly abraded. The present moment will therefore embrace all "befores" and "afters", this rather than a life of anticipations and epitaphs.

"The only extension to the present is intensity". The journey is home.

Further:-

[i]Shinran’s reinterpretation of the meaning of nembutsu.......which is the true cause of deliverance, brought about a transformation in self-understanding and the meaning of religion. It is neither self-serving nor ego-aggrandizing, but gratitude and dedication. [b]Nen[/b] (thought), viewed as trust in the vow, is inspired and awakened in the devotee through the working of Amida Buddha in our heart-minds. It is also seen as the fulfillment of Buddha nature, as the essence of our reality, and focused on the welfare of all beings. There are social implications embodied in the teaching which only now have begun to work themselves out in the context of social and political freedom in Japan and the West.[/i]

One advantage of the Pure Land way - at least as I see it - is that it is [i]obviously[/i] mythological, not reliant upon any beliefs in events of time and space.

Some would argue that a Faith embedded in actual history has more reality and substance. However, when investigated, the "events" relied upon evaporate under any genuine and intelligent and informed scrutiny.