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White Lotus Flowers
Next Meeting
Shin Buddhism: An Interview with Rev. Taitetsu Unno
English-Japanese Service Book Available
Reflection and gratitude
Information

White Lotus Flowers

"Whether good or evil, if ordinary folk
hear and trust the Buddha's Universal Vow,
'Great and highest is their understanding,' He said:
'White Lotus Flowers' they are called." --Shinran Shonin

Shinran Shonin did not distinguish between priest or layperson; he did not apply such a distinction to himself, prefering to call himself  "neither priest nor layperson." It is, as the above gatha from his Shoshinge says, our hearing and trusting the Original Vow of Amida Buddha which constitutes the greatest and highest understanding of all. That is a powerful statement! It sweeps aside all academic degrees and religious titles. Through the gatha, Shinran Shonin reminds us that the Nembutsu is the go-honzon or singular object of reverence. The Nembutsu is the Name of the Buddha -- Amida -- preceded by "Namo", which signifies our hearing and trusting Amida Buddha's Universal Vow by which he saves us from our karmic evil. It canít get any simpler than that!

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Friday, August 13, at North Prospect Church in Porter Square, Cambridge, at 7:30 pm (1st floor parlor, enter by the side entrance). Located half a block from the Porter Square subway station. All are invited to attend.

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INTRODUCTION

Shin Buddhism is the ultimate extension of "Transferenceof Merit" from a Buddha to the struggling and suffering beings. In the Mahayana as well as the Theravada traditions, one does good things to gain merit. But the problem is, one invariably does bad things too, sometimes far worse than the good things one does. This results in an account of "demerit" ever increasing while our merit diminishes. Given this tendency, most beings would slide into a permanent black hole of ever-deepening karmic evil and delusion, hopelessly lost and beyond the reach of any saving doctrine, be it Mahayana or Theravada. The Original Vow of Amida Buddha is directed at such 'losing' individuals. The only medicine for beings truly lost to evil karma is transference of merit from a Buddha, Amida Buddha in particular, whose vows exceed all the power of our most intractable evil karma. This is the merit of what is called "Amida Buddha" -- greater than which there is no power, not even the greatest evil.

As author of a popular book on Shin Buddhism, River of Fire, River of Water and translator/commentator on Shinran'sTannisho, Rev. Taitetsu Unno has demonstrated over many years his ability to articulate issues such as these, making the wonderful Dharma of Amida Buddha accessible to people who otherwise would miss out due to cultural miscommunication or silence. We are grateful that he has consented to the following interview for Boston Shinshu News, which interview is an outgrowth of his advice to me in preparation for a presentation which I gave at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Buddhist Association last winter.     --the editor.

Boston Shinshu News:  Rev. Unno, thank you for taking time to answer these difficult questions on the 'basics' of Shin Buddhism. First off, why is the focus in Jodo-Shinshu on Amida Buddha and not some other Buddha, like Shakyamuni, the actual historical Buddha?

Rev. Taitetsu Unno:  There are many Buddhas in Mahayana Buddhism, each having perfected a vow, but is is only Amida Buddha who contains the hopelessly lost within the accomplished enlightenment, i.e., the Primal or Eighteenth Vow found in the Larger Sutra on Eternal Life --which includes the "exclusion clause" (..."excluded are those who commit the five transgressions and slander the Dharma."). This clause is a warning against such evil but also underscores those who will be saved.

BSN: But say, for example, I am a decent person, I have never murdered a parent, I have never spilled the blood of a Buddha, or committed the other grave transgressions. How does the exclusion clause apply to someone like that, who is basically what we would call "a good person"?

TU: As Shinran says, "Who among us has not talked back to our parents [an example of one of the five transgressions] and have not criticized our teachers [an example of slandering the Dharma]."

BSN: So, then, the five transgression are interpreted by Shinran not only literally but in more practical terms of how one conducts onself in relating to others, such as parents and teachers. But that still doesn't answer why one should turn to Amida Buddha instead of Shakyamuni Buddha (the "historical" Buddha of our age).

TU: Historically, Shakyamuni Buddha died 2500 years ago, so we cannot turn to him. As he himself said, "rely on the Dharma" after his death. This Dharma is alive today in the form of the boundless compassion of Amida Buddha.

BSN: All that having been said, honestly isn't Shin Buddhism the same as Christianity but with a different 'God' (Amida) dispensing salvation?

TU: The starting point of Christianity is God. The starting point of Jodo-Shinshu is not Amida but Dharmakara Bodhisattva, who identifies with our pain and suffering. Vowing to find a means of overcoming self-delusion and its consequences, pain and suffering, Dharmakara (literally, "repository of Dharma") underwent countless aeons of spiritual discipline to cultivate wisdom and compassion, fulfilling the 48 Vows, which also fulfills the aspirations of every human being. Having perfected the 48 Vows, Dharmakara becomes Amida.

BSN: But don't all bodhisattvas undergo the same process? What makes Dharmakara, or Amida Buddha, special?

TU: The goal of all bodhisattvas, including Dharmakara, is to fulfill the twin goals of "self-benefit" and "benefitting others." Amida exemplifies to the nth degree the activity of benefitting others, identifying completely with each person. There is no duality here: this is nonduality in action, boundless compassion manifested in the life of each person.

BSN: How can we become enlightened by what westerners would call "faith", i.e. by having trust or confidence in Amida Buddha to lift us up out of our evil karma?

TU: True faith does not originate from the dualism created by the ego-self, e.g., "I have faith," "I believe in Christ," and so forth. Such a faith is ultimately rooted in self-delusion wherein the "I" is unreliable, constantly changing, empty and hollow. The working of great compassion directed to us enables us to let go of reliance on the ego-self and entrust oneself to reality-as-it-is, whatever it may be. This entrusting transforms evil into good, negative into positive, "bits of rubble are turned into gold."

BSN: So, "faith" or shinjin in Jodo-Shinshu Buddhism is more a process instead of an act or declaration of intent?

TU: Yes, it is a dynamic process transforming evil into good, originating from the realm of truth, the heart and mind of Amida Buddha, and given to the being of delusion, ultimately transforming such a being into a being of enlightenment. Thus, the original term for faith in Shin Buddhism, called 'shinjin,' is "true and real mind of the Buddha" which is given over to a person.When a person receives this shinjin as one's own, true entrusting results naturally and effortlessly.

BSN: Thank you, Rev. Unno, for helping us to understand these difficult basic tenets of our Shin tradition.

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English-Japanese Service Book Available

The core of the Shin Buddhist service consisting of Shinran's Shoshinge, Nembutsu-wasan, and the Eko in sheet-music style is now available. The booklet is laid out in simple and clear western music notation, with parallel Japanese (romanized) text. Price $15, includes booklet, demo tape, and shipping. (Canada and Mexico, add $2, other Overseas please add $5). Write to the Editor at the address below, and please make checks payable to Richard St. Clair.

Richard St. Clair


781 Somerville Avenue, no. 2
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

Reflection & gratitude
 

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Last modified: August 10, 1999