Adapted from ‘Saving Power of the Vow (lines 17-20)’
THE WAY OF NEMBUTSU-FAITH
~ A Commentary on THE SHOSHINGE with references to Wasan
by Zuio Hisao Inagaki
The Name promised in the Primal Vow is the Act of Right Assurance;
The Vow of Sincere Mind and Joyful Faith provides the cause of our Birth;
To attain the state next to the Buddha and realize Great Nirvana
Is due to the fulfillment of the Vow which assures our unfailing attainment of Nirvana.
Dharmakara's forty-eight Vows can be divided into three groups:
(1) those concerning his Buddhahood, namely, the Twelfth Vow which promised that his Light would be immeasurable, the Thirteenth Vow that his Life would be infinite, and the Seventeenth Vow that his Name would be praised by all Buddhas;
(2) those concerning his Land, namely, the Thirty-first Vow which promised that his Land would be pure and immaculate and the Thirty-second Vow that his Land would be full of magnificent splendors; and
(3) those concerning salvation of living beings, namely, the rest of the Forty-eight Vows.
In each Vow, Dharmakara expressed his firm resolution that unless it were fulfilled he would not become a Buddha. He actually fulfilled these Vows by doing many kinds of meritorious deeds and so became the Buddha of Infinite Life and Infinite Light -- namely, Amida. The Land of immeasurable Light, which on his attainment of Buddhahood came into existence beyond the realms of Samsara, is full of glorious adornments. This is the Land where he dwells everlastingly, welcoming beings from other worlds and enabling them to share the supreme joy of Enlightenment and Nirvana.
The third group of the Vows is further divided into two:
the Vows concerning our salvation and those concerning the beings in the Pure Land. The Vows in the second division include those which assure us of acquiring supernatural powers and attaining special samadhis in the Pure Land. The beings born there are completely emancipated from delusions and passions, and so, they are essentially the same as Amida Buddha. But they are described as Bodhisattvas who help him with the work of saving sentient beings.
Of the Vows which directly concern us, the Eighteenth is most important, for through this Vow our salvation is actualized. By working with the Seventeenth Vow, the Eighteenth makes us one with Amida through his Name, Namu Amida Butsu. In other words, Amida comes to us in the form of the Name, and his heart directly enters ours to establish in us the unshakable Faith. This Faith is the cause of Birth in the Pure Land and of subsequent attainment of Enlightenment. Shinran Shonin emphasized that the Faith given by Amida is the Bodhi-Mind containing the Buddha's Wisdom and Compassion. In the Eighteenth Vow this Faith is presented as three minds, namely, Sincere Mind, Joyful Faith, and Desire to be Born in the Pure Land, but they constitute the undivided One Mind, as Vasubandhu professed when he took refuge in Amida in his Discourse on the Pure Land.
The Nembutsu that we utter becomes the Act of Right Assurance if we entrust ourselves wholly to Amida's saving power and let the Name work through our hearts and mouths. Each Nembutsu is Amida's self-expression through us, and each act of worship is the manifestation of his saving activity.
The Eighteenth Vow is the point of our union with Amida. When we come to believe beyond any doubt that Amida is our true Parent, we find it natural that we should be born in his Land and see him face to face. What a joy it will be, as Shan-tao says in his Hymns on the Pratyutpanna Samadhi, to see Amida in his glorious manifestation, seated on the lotus-throne and surrounded by Bodhisattvas, such as Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta. (SSZ. I, 704)
Contrary to what many people believe, birth in the Pure Land is not the final objective in Shin Buddhism. Attainment of the same infinite life as Amida and enjoyment of the highest bliss and pleasures are one aspect of the whole fruition which is promised us. The other aspect is attainment of Nirvana, the state of the ultimate tranquility and the pure activity. The first aspect of our spiritual attainment is promised in the Eighteenth Vow, and the second aspect, in the Eleventh Vow.
Speaking in ontological terms, the moment we encounter Amida through the Nembutsu-Faith of the Eighteenth Vow, we realize oneness with Amida, and thus we are immediately emancipated from bondage to Samsara. After the fruits of our past karma, that is, our bodies with all the defilements of blind passions, are relinquished at our bodily death, we will attain Nirvana. This process is shown in the Eleventh Vow -- the Vow assuring our unfailing attainment of Nirvana. This Vow reads:
If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and gods in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. (chap. 7)
We note that this Vow presents two stages of spiritual attainment which are of vital importance to Pure Land aspirants. One is 'dwelling in the Definitely Assured State' and the other, 'attaining Nirvana.' The Larger Sutra clarifies this point by stating:
The Buddha (Shakyamuni) said to Ananda,
THE WAY OF NEMBUTSU-FAITH
~ A Commentary on THE SHOSHINGE with references to Wasan
by Zuio Hisao Inagaki
The Name promised in the Primal Vow is the Act of Right Assurance;
The Vow of Sincere Mind and Joyful Faith provides the cause of our Birth;
To attain the state next to the Buddha and realize Great Nirvana
Is due to the fulfillment of the Vow which assures our unfailing attainment of Nirvana.
Dharmakara's forty-eight Vows can be divided into three groups:
(1) those concerning his Buddhahood, namely, the Twelfth Vow which promised that his Light would be immeasurable, the Thirteenth Vow that his Life would be infinite, and the Seventeenth Vow that his Name would be praised by all Buddhas;
(2) those concerning his Land, namely, the Thirty-first Vow which promised that his Land would be pure and immaculate and the Thirty-second Vow that his Land would be full of magnificent splendors; and
(3) those concerning salvation of living beings, namely, the rest of the Forty-eight Vows.
In each Vow, Dharmakara expressed his firm resolution that unless it were fulfilled he would not become a Buddha. He actually fulfilled these Vows by doing many kinds of meritorious deeds and so became the Buddha of Infinite Life and Infinite Light -- namely, Amida. The Land of immeasurable Light, which on his attainment of Buddhahood came into existence beyond the realms of Samsara, is full of glorious adornments. This is the Land where he dwells everlastingly, welcoming beings from other worlds and enabling them to share the supreme joy of Enlightenment and Nirvana.
The third group of the Vows is further divided into two:
the Vows concerning our salvation and those concerning the beings in the Pure Land. The Vows in the second division include those which assure us of acquiring supernatural powers and attaining special samadhis in the Pure Land. The beings born there are completely emancipated from delusions and passions, and so, they are essentially the same as Amida Buddha. But they are described as Bodhisattvas who help him with the work of saving sentient beings.
Of the Vows which directly concern us, the Eighteenth is most important, for through this Vow our salvation is actualized. By working with the Seventeenth Vow, the Eighteenth makes us one with Amida through his Name, Namu Amida Butsu. In other words, Amida comes to us in the form of the Name, and his heart directly enters ours to establish in us the unshakable Faith. This Faith is the cause of Birth in the Pure Land and of subsequent attainment of Enlightenment. Shinran Shonin emphasized that the Faith given by Amida is the Bodhi-Mind containing the Buddha's Wisdom and Compassion. In the Eighteenth Vow this Faith is presented as three minds, namely, Sincere Mind, Joyful Faith, and Desire to be Born in the Pure Land, but they constitute the undivided One Mind, as Vasubandhu professed when he took refuge in Amida in his Discourse on the Pure Land.
The Nembutsu that we utter becomes the Act of Right Assurance if we entrust ourselves wholly to Amida's saving power and let the Name work through our hearts and mouths. Each Nembutsu is Amida's self-expression through us, and each act of worship is the manifestation of his saving activity.
The Eighteenth Vow is the point of our union with Amida. When we come to believe beyond any doubt that Amida is our true Parent, we find it natural that we should be born in his Land and see him face to face. What a joy it will be, as Shan-tao says in his Hymns on the Pratyutpanna Samadhi, to see Amida in his glorious manifestation, seated on the lotus-throne and surrounded by Bodhisattvas, such as Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta. (SSZ. I, 704)
Contrary to what many people believe, birth in the Pure Land is not the final objective in Shin Buddhism. Attainment of the same infinite life as Amida and enjoyment of the highest bliss and pleasures are one aspect of the whole fruition which is promised us. The other aspect is attainment of Nirvana, the state of the ultimate tranquility and the pure activity. The first aspect of our spiritual attainment is promised in the Eighteenth Vow, and the second aspect, in the Eleventh Vow.
Speaking in ontological terms, the moment we encounter Amida through the Nembutsu-Faith of the Eighteenth Vow, we realize oneness with Amida, and thus we are immediately emancipated from bondage to Samsara. After the fruits of our past karma, that is, our bodies with all the defilements of blind passions, are relinquished at our bodily death, we will attain Nirvana. This process is shown in the Eleventh Vow -- the Vow assuring our unfailing attainment of Nirvana. This Vow reads:
If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and gods in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. (chap. 7)
We note that this Vow presents two stages of spiritual attainment which are of vital importance to Pure Land aspirants. One is 'dwelling in the Definitely Assured State' and the other, 'attaining Nirvana.' The Larger Sutra clarifies this point by stating:
The Buddha (Shakyamuni) said to Ananda,
"Sentient beings who are born in that Buddha-land all reside among those assured of Nirvana. The reason is that in that land there are neither beings who are destined to adverse conditions nor those whose destinies are uncertain." (chap. 22)
If, as the Larger Sutra says, the Pure Land is inhabited only by those who are sure to reach Nirvana, it is reasonable to think that those who will be born there should also be in the Definitely Assured State while in this life of Samsara. This point was emphasized by Shinran Shonin, who says in his Ichinen tanen mon'i (One Thought and Many Callings):
Those who will be born in that land all dwell in the Definitely Assured State, because in that Buddha-land there are neither those destined to the lower realms nor those whose destinies are uncertain. As I understand the teaching of the two Buddhas (i.e. Amida and Shakyamuni), 'immediately (assured of) birth' means abiding in the Definitely Assured State; this further means attaining in the state of Non-retrogression. Since those who dwell in this state unfailingly reach the unsurpassed great Nirvana, they are said to attain the 'state next to the Buddha' or to attain the 'state of Non-retrogression'. (SSZ. II, 606-7)
Besides those terms in the above quotation, there is one more in Shinran Shonin's thought, where he compares such aspirants to the future Buddha by saying that they are 'equal to Maitreya.' Since he is in the highest bodhisattva stage, they are the same because they will become Buddhas in the next life.
What a joy it is to be firmly established in the state of Non-retrogression! Amida has made this possible by transferring all his merit and power through the Name: Namu Amida Butsu.
If, as the Larger Sutra says, the Pure Land is inhabited only by those who are sure to reach Nirvana, it is reasonable to think that those who will be born there should also be in the Definitely Assured State while in this life of Samsara. This point was emphasized by Shinran Shonin, who says in his Ichinen tanen mon'i (One Thought and Many Callings):
Those who will be born in that land all dwell in the Definitely Assured State, because in that Buddha-land there are neither those destined to the lower realms nor those whose destinies are uncertain. As I understand the teaching of the two Buddhas (i.e. Amida and Shakyamuni), 'immediately (assured of) birth' means abiding in the Definitely Assured State; this further means attaining in the state of Non-retrogression. Since those who dwell in this state unfailingly reach the unsurpassed great Nirvana, they are said to attain the 'state next to the Buddha' or to attain the 'state of Non-retrogression'. (SSZ. II, 606-7)
Besides those terms in the above quotation, there is one more in Shinran Shonin's thought, where he compares such aspirants to the future Buddha by saying that they are 'equal to Maitreya.' Since he is in the highest bodhisattva stage, they are the same because they will become Buddhas in the next life.
What a joy it is to be firmly established in the state of Non-retrogression! Amida has made this possible by transferring all his merit and power through the Name: Namu Amida Butsu.
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