Even The Evil Person Shall Attain Rebirth

But the people of the world constantly say, even the evil person attains birth, how much more so the good person. Although this appears to be sound at first glance, it goes against the intention of the Primal Vow of Other Power. The reason is that since the person of selfpower, being conscious of doing good, lacks the thought of entrusting the self completely to Other Power, he or she is not the focus of the Primal Vow of Amida. But when self-power is turned over and entrusting to Other Power occurs, the person attains birth in the land of True Fulfillment.

The Primal Vow was established out of deep compassion for us who cannot become freed from the bondage of birth-and-death through any religious practice, due to the abundance of blind passion. Since its basic intention is to effect the enlightenment of such an evil one, the evil person who is led to true entrusting by Other Power is the person who attains birth in the Pure Land. Thus, even the good person attains birth, how much more so the evil person!

-- Tannisho, Chapter III

All that the evil person needs to do is to turn about and cross over to the bodhisattva path, repenting of his evil ways.

Within context of Jodo Shinshu, evil refers to a person's motivation to do good with thought of fame and reward. Such moral calculations usually end up as one's stumbling block since such high expectations lead one to be dissatisfied the results of one's good actions.

For no good deed goes unpunished! :p

Yet those evil people who repent of their evil and follow the Buddhadharma are praised for changing their ways.

Even so, no one in this life can say for certain if a person will be reborn in the Pure Land. All one can do is have faith that one will be reborn in the Pure Land.

---

Reference:

Tannishp chapters I to X: http://www.livingdharma.org/Tannisho/TannishoChaptersI-X.html
Primal Vow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primal_Vow

An Unconventional View of Shinjin

"If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma." - the 18th Vow of bodhisattva Dharmakara

Of the 48 Vows that Amida Buddha fulfilled, the 18th Vow is most precious to Pure Land followers.

In Shin Buddhism it is known as the Primal Vow.

Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu, the Japanese Buddhist school which evolved into the post-modern form of Shin Buddhism, advocated that birth in the Pure Land is settled in the midst of life.

As a Shin Buddhist, my birth in the Pure Land is settled in my lifetime. When I entrust myself to Amida Buddha, birth there is settled at that moment.

In my present life, my spiritual journey consists of Shinjin, which is faith, belief, devotion and godliness. The Shin Buddhist concept of Shinjin in English may be limited by the devotee's understanding of the definitions for the term:

1. Faith
2. Belief
3. Devotion
4. Clear heartmind

By saying the Nembutsu out of sincere gratitude, I place my faith in Amida's Primal Vow. For belief in both Amida Buddha and my rebirth in the Pure Land of Bliss is based on that Vow. Thus am I devoted to the Buddha.

For the essence of the first three definitions for Shinjin is expressed succinctly in the Name-that-calls.

Within the context of the Buddhist concept of no-self, clear heartmind refers to humility. Hence the concept of the Name-that-calls, which consists of saying the Nembutsu out of sincere gratitude with the belief that it is Amida Buddha calling. This is known as Buddha Remembrance.

Since Amida is the Buddha of the Pure Land, clear heartmind refers to the pure mind that promotes calm insight to perceive the spiritual essence of Buddha Nature.

With calm insight, one is able to see Amida Buddha and the Pure Land as spiritual concepts symbolizing the bodhisattva way, and out of devotion, purify the heartmind through mindful practice with the intent to awaken all sentient beings to Sakyamuni Buddha and his Buddhadharma.

For the devout Shin Buddhist, shinjin as clear heartmind implies one takes faith in Amida Buddha's Primal Vow, believes in Amida Buddha and his birth in the Pure Land, and is devoted to saying the Name-that-calls with sincere gratitude. Yet this clear heartmind is not derived from the concept of man as god but from faith in Amida's Primal Vow that the devotee will be born in the Pure Land.

Due to the Buddhist concept of no-self, clear heartmind is derived from the non-practice of Buddha-Remembrance. By saying the Name-that-calls with sincere gratitude, one calls out to Amida Buddha with the belief that Amida calling to them.

In Buddhist psychology, clear heartmind refers to spiritual qualities of the mind associated with a bodhisattva. With respect to shinjin, clear heartmind is associated with faith, devotion and belief.

Indeed, shinjin as clear heartmind consists of belief in Amida, devotion to Amida and faith in Amida's Primal Vow that one's birth in the Pure Land is fulfilled.

Great Joy

“When one realizes Shinjin, seeing and revering and attaining great joy,
One immediately leaps crosswise, closing off the five evil destinies.” - Shoshinge Ta'i 35-36, Rennyo

Great joy seen, revered, and attained
this foolish one has leaped across,
leaving behind all thought of
animals, hungry ghosts, humans,
jealous gods and even heaven and hell itself.

Thus has Amida Nyorai been the source of unconditional love in my life.

Namu Amida Butsu!

Yugyoji - the Dancing Nembutsu

Yugyoji -the Dancing Nembutsu

Ippen's Dream 7/24/96rtf

Harold Stewart on Ippen

Ippen Shonin promoted Dancing Nembutsu, which combines elements of Shinto dance with the main element of Pure Land Buddhism, the Nembutsu, the mantra consisting of the phrase "Namu Amida Butsu" (pronounced 'nah-moo uh-mee-dah boots'). In English, the Nembutsu is translated as "Homage to Amida Buddha".

Nembutsu

This term has several meanings in the history of Buddhism, based on the various connotations of nen (meditating, thinking, pronouncing): meditating on the special features of the Buddha image, holding to the thought of the Buddha, and pronouncing the name of a Buddha. In Pure Land Buddhism from Shan-tao on, nembutsu has been considered to mean the saying of the Name. Honen emphasizes nembutsu as utterance of the Name to be the core of the Pure Land way. Thus nembutsu signifies the Name (myogo) as the manifestation of great compassion and the saying of this Name, Namu-amida-butsu. Shinran further teaches that the saying of the Name is none other than the Name (the call of Amida) working in persons and awakening shinjin in them. When they realize shinjin, it is expressed spontaneously as the nembutsu. Thus,

The practice of the nembutsu is to say it perhaps once, perhaps ten times, on hearing and realizing that birth into the Pure Land is attained by saying the Name fulfilled in the Primal Vow... There is no shinjin separate from nembutsu... There can be no nembutsu separate from shinjin. (Lamp for the Latter Ages)



"Saying the nembutsu" (shomyo) has in the past been rendered reciting, pronouncing, or uttering the nembutsu. "Saying the nembutsu," however, sounds most natural and ordinary, and thus is suited to the religious life of a Shin Buddhist. While there is nothing extraordinary about saying the nembutsu, the realization attached to it, involving one's whole being, evokes an entirely new universe of meaning.