The Way of Jodo Shinshu

Koso Wasan 26

The Emperor of Gi asked him to reside,
At Daigan-ji monastery in Hei-shu.
In later years, his end approachng,
He moved to Fun-shu.

A Short Life

In later years, his end approaching...

There is a tradition within the Pure Land stream, which asserts that the 'Nembutsu brings a long life'. Two learned and respected teachers who have given voice to this view in recent times are the late Zuiken Saizo Inagaki and Taitetsu Unno. But one wonders why the Nembutsu - by means of which Amida Buddha contrives to awaken us to the shinjin that presages ultimate transcendence - would serve to extend our bondage to samsara a day longer than the course already determined by our previous karma.

We already know that it was the quest for longevity which inspired the search that eventually brought T'an-luan to the Pure Land Way. Yet, T'an-luan was the Pure Land Dharma Master who - among those whose exact dates we know - died at the youngest age. T'an-luan lived to only 67, while Tao-ch'o, Genshin and Honen had considerably longer lives. Shinran lived to 90 and Zuiken to 96. Rennyo Shonin, despite all of the extraordinary deprivations that he endured, including poverty so galling that he and his family were sometimes close to starvation - also lived to a ripe old age.

That T'an-luan, whose quest was so closely linked to the desire for longevity, had the shortest life is an extraordinary irony. Yet it was his encounter with Bodhiruchi - and Bodhiruchi's interpretation of venerable Pure Land texts - that set the association of the Nembutsu with longevity in train. In regard to this, the Chinese tradition concerning the life of T'an-luan is keenly aware of a sense that, in fact, Bodhiruchi's perspective was ironic. He was, of course, speaking about the oneness of Tathata upon birth in the Pure Land and about transcendence itself. Clearly, any idea that the Nembutsu brings us a long and healthy life is a corruption of the reality of its purpose in our lives.

Indeed, if longevity lies at the heart of our motivation in seeking the Nembutsu Way - in other words, that our motivation is to postpone birth in the Pure Land for as long as possible - it is hard to see how it would be fulfilling Amida Buddha's will for us.

In the well-known dialogue between Shinran and Yuien-bo that is recounted in the Tanni Sho, we discover that Yuien balks at the idea of death and is troubled by this - thinking that it signals some kind of betrayal of his shinjin. Yet Shinran admits to having similar misgivings. In all this, however, there is no hint that seeking actual, mundane longevity is in any way a genuine basis for seeking the Nembutsu Way.

The Nembutsu has no impact on the length of our life. It did not allow the great Nembutsu Master T'an-luan to extend his days beyond his allotted 67 years. It will not result in a longer life for us either; the Nembutsu will not bring us wealth, health or a life that is longer than the myriad factors which will lead to our death: a combination of genetic inheritance, general levels of health, fortuitous preventive measures and the avoidance of accidents.

Certainly, as we have already seen in the Jodo Wasan, the life of Nembutsu may bring with it a measure of exhilaration and inner centring that may afford us a sense of confidence and spiritual poise - and these things may bring certain happy side-effects - but Nembutsu based upon the hope of such outcomes will result in neither mundane nor ultimate advantage.

After a long illness, T'an-lua's most fragile life came to an end. We are told that the time of his death was surrounded by a number of auspicious signs, as though the world itself paid homage to this great man. His disciples were awed by the manner of his death - his profound and serene trust (shingyo, Sk. prasada) in the Buddha and his luminous Nembutsu and comfortable demeanour.

Of course, T'an-luan attained long life in his birth in the Pure Land and realisation of Nirvana. And every time we hear the words of Shinran Shonin we discover T'an-luan lives, still, in them. T'an-luan's quest for longevity in the mundane world - for, still he lives in his immortal words - is far beyond anything he could have imagined. But we can be sure that when he took up namu-amida-butsu, the burden of his hope for a long life in this world flew away.

June 3, 2003.

Winter Sky.
A late afternoon in winter at Digger's Beach near Coff's Harbour, NSW, June 2, 2003.