The Way of Jodo Shinshu

Jodo Wasan 70

More difficult than to believe in any of the Buddha's
    life-time teachings
Is to have Serene Faith of the Universal Vow.
'Most difficult of all difficulties', says a sutra;
'Nothing is more difficult than this', it states.

A Lesson from Trees

How joyous I am, my heart and mind being rooted in the buddha-ground of the universal Vow, and my thoughts and feelings flowing within the dharma-ocean, which is beyond comprehension! I am deeply aware of the Tathagata's immense compassion , and I sincerely revere the benevolent care behind the masters' teaching.¹

osmosis n. ... 2. Biology the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions.²

Difficult as it is to attain, Shinran nevertheless expresses serene faith (shingyo) as 'my heart and mind being rooted in the Buddha-ground of the universal Vow, and my thoughts and feelings flowing within the dharma-ocean...'. In other words he he has become steeped in the Vow, imbued with it. He says elsewhere that he has become acutely aware of his own complete inability actively to eradicate his bonno. In fact, the more steeped in the universal Vow he becomes the more aware he is of his own ignorance and incapacity. Hence, he is overcome by joy - the joy of serene faith!

A good metaphor for the path in the Pure Land tradition is 'osmosis'. By steeping ourselves in the dharma - the teaching of the nembutsu way - we can allow suchness to seep into our consciousness and overwhelm our evil karma, though 'defiling passions' (bonno Sk. klesha) remain until final release. So, part of nembutsu is 'hearing the dharma' (chomon - listening, listening). When one hears the dharma well, the entrusting heart arises and eventual liberation is assured. The reason that the process needs to be osmotic is that the entrusting heart is ineffable. Any attempt to construct and grasp an image or idea of it may fall short and could even be quite ruinous:

It is simply joyful faith (shingyo) that is is inconceivable, inexplicable, and indescribable.³

Listening is itself inexpressible because it is profound and not mere listening; active engagement in the form of attention to the teaching is essential. To this end we do well to make time to listen to - and reflect upon - the teachings as often as we can.

I have often spoken of the writings of T'an-luan, Honen, Shinran and Rennyo, for these are our main resources. But some people find easier resonances in the writings of other experienced Shinshu thinkers. Popular writers in English include Taitetsu Unno, Alfred Bloom, Toshikazu Arai and Takamaro Shigaraki. These distinguished thinkers all strive to address us in our contemporary context, as they see it. There are also monumental and enduring works, which reward repeated reading, for example

• The Three Pure Land Sutras, A Study and Translation (Hisao Inagaki)
• Shinran, An Introduction to His Thought (Yoshifumi Ueda and Dennis Hirota)
• Shout of Buddha: Writings of Haya Akegarasu

all of which I personally recommend.

A good idea is to select a single resource, like the wasan, become familiar with it and then gradually expand one's horizons - wherever this may lead - in the process of deepening one's appreciation of it. A lot of people use the Tanni Sho in this way and it is widely regarded as a safe and reliable standard of Shin understanding. One of the advantages of using the Tanni Sho as a primary resource is that there are quite a few good English translations and several reliable commentaries that are available and in print - and there are more in preparation.

Of course, there are the wasan. These pages are based on the Sanjo Wasan in three volumes published by the Ryukoku University. They are exquisitely presented on high quality, durable paper. They are obviously intended for repeated use.

Apart from the Collected Works of Shinran, and the three books of translations and studies of the Pure Land sutras and early dharma masters by Hisao Inagaki⁴, the Ryukoku University translations of Shinran's works are my most precious material possession (although I must admit that my iMac, bicycle, and garden do come close). Each page carries a single verse and includes the original text in hiragana and kanji as well as a romanji pronounciation guide and a translation in excellent English. At the bottom of each page there are copious footnotes. To sit and turn each page, enjoying the hiragana and kanji, breathing the original sounds and then reflecting on each verse, is a thing of joy.

It is hard to explain why the wasan are so sublime but it seems to me that they are absolutely suffused with prajna, the light and wisdom of suchness - pure compassion. When I read the wasan and then peruse my writing on these pages I feel a sense of utter inadequacy - even shame; but I am so enthusiastic about them that I cannot resist the impulse to share their joyful wonder with anyone who will listen.

Plants grow and become healthy by being saturated by light during the day and being firmly rooted in the soil from which they draw water and the right nutrients. Trees always stand as a metaphor to me of the Pure Land way. In the nembutsu we bathe in the light of Amida Buddha's wisdom and compassion; and in paying close attention to the dharma we absorb our spiritual nutrients and quench our thirst for truth.

At night, trees rest from growth and the nutrients they have absorbed become integrated into their structure.

- 28 August, 2002; revised 27 April 2009.

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1: CWS, p. 291.

2: The Macquarie Concise Dictionary, 2001.

3: CWS p. 107.

4: The books I mean are
- The Three Pure Land Sutras, A Study and Translation (already listed as a monumental work)
- Nagarjuna's Discourse on the Ten Stages, and
- T'an-luan's Commentary on Vasubandhu's Discourse on the Pure Land.
These three books actually provide the most thoroughgoing backgrounding for any student of Pure Land Buddhism and include introductory essays of inestimable value. It will be a tragedy if they are ever out of print.

Last month's full moon (July 2007).
Photograph by Graham Ranft.