AMIDA THE INFINITE
An Introduction to Shin Buddhism
Based on Shinran's Hymns on the Pure Land
By Zuio Hisao Inagaki
(First published in the Hongwanji Journal "Daijo" in the 90's)

Each of the following articles is primarily intended to be read independently, complete in itself as an exegesis of some aspect of Shin teaching, but contextually connected with others so that they form an organic whole.

Shinran, while faithfully following his predecessors, the Seven Masters of India, China and Japan, revealed the universal and transcendent principles of reality and truth underlying their teachings. This principle is 'the Other Power'. He found that what really exists in the universe is Amida, the Infinite, and his sphere of activity - the Pure Land, and what is at work in the ultimate sense is the Power which Amida embodies - the Other Power. What, then, is 'I' and what is 'mine'?

Shinran gives new dimensions of meaning to life and helps us to find the course we need to take. I hope that these articles will guide everyone.

1. Amida, the Dharma Body

Since Amida attained Buddhahood
Ten kalpas have passed;
The Light of his Dharma-Body
Illumines the darkness of the world. (Jodo Wasan 1)

When Gautama became a Buddha known as Shakyamuni, it was the power of the Dharma - not his human power - that brought him Enlightenment. At the moment of awakening to the Dharma, he became one with it and, thereby, acquired a Dharma-Body without losing his human body. Then he dedicated the remaining years of his life to explaining to his fellow-countrymen what the Dharma was and how they could realize it. In so doing he had recourse to spoken words in the conventional way but, more often and more importantly, he used a direct method of spiritual communication - samadhi. We Mahayanists believe in the transmission of the Dharma through samadhi and seek to attain emancipation through practices based on samadhi

According to the Larger Sutra, which Shakyamuni revealed through the Amida-Samadhi, Amida was formerly a Bodhisattva named Dharmakara, 'the Dharma-Treasury'; he made forty-eight Vows, performed acts of virtue and attained Buddhahood ten kalpas ago. 'Kalpa', an incredibly long period of time, is the word used to describe events in the transcendent realm. Upon attaining Buddhahood, Amida acquired a Dharma-Body in the same way as Shakyamuni. What distinguished him from Shakyamuni was that Amida chose to stay in the transcendent realm, while Shakyamuni chose to become a Buddha in the world of experience where we live.

The sphere over which Amida presides is called the 'Land of Utmost Bliss' - Sukhavati in Sanskrit. It is, however, not separate from his Dharma-Body. The Pure Land is itself Amida's Body, for in the transcendent realm there is no distinction between one's existence and one's environment. What actually exists in the Pure Land is boundless Light - the Light of Wisdom and Compassion. It is significant that in Shin terminology both Amida's Name and the name of the Pure Land have 'Light' as the essential part. Shinran declares: 'The Buddha (in Jodoshinshu) is the Buddha of Inconceivable Light, and the Land is the Land of Infinite Light.' (Kyogyoshinsho, Chapter on True Buddha and Land) The same transcendent Light manifests itself as Amida's majestic, illuminating body and also as the glorious splendors of the Pure Land fully described in the Three Pure Land Sutras.

Let us reflect on the nature of this world of experience. We are taught that this is the realm of Samsara where sentient beings are driven by blind passions to grasp at objects and commit various karmic transgressions and, consequently, to repeat cycles of birth and death without end. While repeating passion-ridden acts, we accumulate evil karma, which supplies energy to perpetuate the condition of birth-and-death. Reflecting on himself and his fellow-beings, Shinran deplores: 'From the beginningless past until now all the multitude of beings have been transmigrating in the sea of ignorance, drowning in the rounds of existence, bound to the cycle of suffering, and lacking in pure faith.' (Kyogyoshinsho, Chapter on True Faith)

To us who cannot escape from this realm of Samsara, the Pure Land offers a haven, for that transcendent realm is filled with the Light of Truth and there is no illusion and ignorance to drive us to evil karma.

The Light of the Dharma-Body which fills the Pure Land pervades everywhere in the realm of Samsara. Vasubandhu, the Second of the Seven Masters, succinctly calls Amida 'the Buddha of Unhindered Light Shining Throughout the Ten Quarters.' Although we look up to Amida and worship him as if he were residing somewhere beyond our knowledge and perception, from Amida's side there is no boundary that separates us from him. His Light always shines upon us wherever we are. Even though we are not able to see it, we can feel it and rejoice at being embraced by it at all times.

2. Light of Wisdom and Truth

The Light of Wisdom radiates boundlessly.
Of all living beings with limited capacities,
There is none untouched by the Light.
Take refuge in the Illuminating Truth. (Jodo Wasan 4)

Amida is the Buddha of Light. Light signifies wisdom, as T'an-luan, the Third Master, says: 'The Buddha's Light is the manifested form of wisdom.' Since Amida's Light is boundless and immeasurable, he is also called 'the Buddha of Immeasurable Light.'

In our world of experience everything is finite. We are limited physically, mentally and spiritually, and our surrounding conditions are finite. However lofty the ideals or however profound the philosophies we may conceive, they are limited in scope and depth. Our spiritual capacities are limited, too. Our efforts to attain the highest Enlightenment are bound to fail as long as we are relying on our own limited resources. The perennial problem for us is that we are reluctant to admit that we are limited in every sense of the term. It is, however, undeniable that we have a strong aspiration for the infinite; we seek to attain eternal life, limitless pleasure and happiness, unrestricted movement, and so forth. Does Pure Land Buddhism respond to such desires?
The Pure Land is described in the sutras as the Land of Utmost Bliss, where those who have been born are free from suffering and can enjoy various pleasures. Their life-span is immeasurable and their physical glory is exquisite and beyond description. As such, the Pure Land appears to be little different from any utopia we may imagine. Indeed, many people are skeptical about the nature of the Pure Land, thinking, for instance, that the narrative of Amida Buddha is to give us hope and encourage us to do good deeds - even though he does not really exist.

The Three Pure Land Sutras and discourses by the Seven Masters and Shinran teach us that the Pure Land is an 'actually existing' realm firmly grounded in True Suchness, that our empirical existence is delusory and produced by the ignorance which lies in the depth of the mind, and that our desires and aspirations, however noble, are inevitably 'polluted' by ignorance and 'misguided' by 'inverted' notions.

Amida's Light of Wisdom constantly shines upon us, dispelling the darkness of ignorance in our hearts and illuminating the path we should follow.

A question may be asked: 'We cannot see Amida's Light. How can we perceive it?'

The answer is: 'Through hearing the Name.'

The Light and the Name equally represent the entire personality, power and virtue of Amida Buddha. If the Light is considered as the visible form of the Name, the Name is the audible or voiced form of the Light. These two work together to awaken us to Amida's all-pervasive and all-saving activity. 'Hearing the Name and receiving joyous faith' (Larger Sutra) is the only path open to us. 'Hearing' leads to contemplation and understanding of Amida's Wisdom and Compassion, and liberates us, once and for all, from our limited views of life and the world.

3. Light of Deliverance

The Light-Wheel of Deliverance shines boundlessly;
Those illumined by the Light, says the Buddha,
Are freed of 'existence' and 'non-existence'.
Let us take refuge in the Equal Enlightenment. (Jodo Wasan 5)

The Buddha is usually described in physical terms as having a glorious body with thirty-two marks of excellence. This shows that he is a superhuman being with transcendent powers. We also read in the scriptures that the Buddha is distinguished from other beings in that he has eighteen special qualities. From the Mahayana standpoint, the Buddha's essential characteristics are described in various terms. According to the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha has three virtues: Dharma-Body (dharmakaya), Transcendent Wisdom (prajna) and Deliverance (vimukti).

The Dharma-Body is the Buddha's essential body, which is everlastingly and universally present, immutable and resplendent with pure light. Ontologically, the Dharma-Body is the ultimate essence of all that exists. It transcends all phenomena and, at the same time, embraces them without leaving anything or any being outside. The Dharma-Body is, in other words, the totality of all existences, indivisible and complete in itself.

The second virtue prajna is the wisdom of knowing ultimate reality. Since ultimate reality is beyond the scope of knowledge based on subject-object differentiations, the true, intuitive wisdom in knowing ultimate reality is an objectless wisdom or insight penetrating to the root of existence in which there is no subject-object confrontation. "True wisdom," says T'an-luan, "is no-knowing; because it is no-knowing, it is omniscient." The first and second virtues are inseparable. The Dharma-Body is ultimate reality perceived intuitively only by prajna, and anyone who attains prajna realizes the Dharma-Body.

The third virtue describes the state of complete freedom. It is the deliverance from all karmic bondage and the resultant painful states of existence in Samsara. It is the natural consequence of the attainment of prajna.

The first three hymns of the Jodo Wasan are relevant to these three virtues of Amida Buddha. After praising his Dharma-Body and Transcendent Wisdom in the first and second hymns, Shinran now glorifies Amida's virtue of Deliverance. It is worthy of special note that all the three virtues are presented in the symbol of Light, which has the power of destroying our illusions and awakening us to reality.

The Light of Deliverance is first perceived as revealing our deep-rooted attachment to 'existence'. We are unconsciously clinging to our own selves as if they really existed. From this attachment arise all sorts of wrong notions concerning self and things in general, which lead to deeper emotional involvement in them and to various karmic offenses. Nihilistic views, too, run counter to ultimate reality. They are as fallacious as 'views of existence,' because they are based on attachment to the negative form of existence.

'Equality is the essential nature of existing things,' says T'an-luan. By dissolving the dichotomous view of existence and non-existence, Amida's Light brings us to the realization of ultimate reality and leads us to a truly significant way of life.

4. Light of Non-obstruction

The all-pervasive Light is unhindered like space,
Free of all obstructions.
There is no one untouched by the Light;
Take refuge in the Inconceivable One. (Jodo Wasan 6)

We have already seen that Amida's Light represents his essential body of Dharma, transcendent wisdom and perfect freedom from all karmic bondage. While Amida, as a Sambhogakaya Buddha, everlastingly enjoys the supreme bliss attending the consummation of these three virtues, he enables all living beings to partake of the same bliss by embracing them in his Light.

This hymn praises the two qualities of the Light - pervasiveness and lack of hindrance. They are not two different qualities; because the Light is not obstructed by anything, it reaches everywhere. Vasubandhu the second Master appropriately described Amida - as the Buddha of Light having these qualities - as "the Buddha of Unhindered Light Shining Throughout the Ten  Quarters." In the Verses of Aspiration for Birth in the Pure Land, Vasubandhu uses this title for Amida, whom he perceived in the Samadhi of Visualizing Amida, to profess his devotion to Amida and glorify the Buddha's supreme virtue.

Shinran was particularly drawn to this title of adoration and found in it a deep soteriological meaning, so much so that he used it as a sacred name side by side with the traditional 'Namu Amida Butsu'. In the Notes on the Inscriptions on Sacred Scrolls, he explains that this Buddha is the Light shining throughout the ten  quarters, unobstructed by the blind passions and evil karma of living beings.

In our world of experience, there are all kinds of hindrances. The very fact that we have physical bodies means that we are constantly faced with impenetrable walls of obstruction when our desires prompt us to move towards higher levels. Speaking from the Buddhist viewpoint, real hindrances exist in us. Blind passions, such as greed and anger, become hindrances when we seek to attain true peace of mind in the state of Nirvana. However intelligent one may be, if the spiritual obscurity (called 'ignorance' (avidya) with a special Buddhist connotation) persistently keeps one's mind dark and turbid, this creates a main hindrance to the attainment of Enlightenment.

Amida's Light is unhindered in the sense that it reaches the core of our existence, however obstinately our passions and ignorance refuse to yield. Since the Light is the Power originating from the Vow, it shines on all beings and with irresistible power delivers them from delusion and suffering.

The amazing thing is that, in our actual experience, when Amida's Light reaches the core of our existence, the core itself vanishes. As it 'melts away,' in the Light of Compassion and Wisdom, our entire existence is absorbed in Amida. We rejoice at the union with the Infinite and joyfully call his Name, Namu Amida Butsu.

The activity of the Light is beyond human comprehension. It awakens us to its boundless and everlasting presence. We 'see' the Light by the Light, just as we see the sun by sunlight. Why should we not take refuge in the Inconceivable One?

5. The Pure Light

The Pure Light is incomparable;
Once the Light illumines us,
All our karmic defilements are removed.
Take refuge in the Ultimate Haven. (Jodo Wasan 7)

Amida's Light is here described as 'pure'. As for several other key words in the Shin teaching, the adjective 'pure' has profound significance. The Land we aspire to be born in is popularly known as the Pure Land, and Amida himself is often described as 'pure'. In one of the oldest Chinese translations of the Larger Sutra, his name appears as the 'Immeasurably Pure Buddha', and one of the names with which Nagarjuna, the First Master, addressed Amida is the 'Pure Person'. Not only are Amida and His Land pure, but his Name also contains pure merit, which is transferred to us through it and becomes the potent karmic energy to take us to the Pure Land. The state of mind that receives the Name and trusts Amida's saving power is likewise pure. Indeed the absolute faith (shinjin) is called 'pure mind', 'pure aspiration', and so on.

In the Discourse on the Pure Land, Vasubandhu distinguishes seventeen glorious aspects of the Pure Land, of which the first is purity. T'an-luan explains that purity is the general aspect of this Land and that the nature of purity is unalterable and cannot be tainted by anything in the world. He further distinguishes two kinds of merit, true and untrue. 'Untrue Merit' is that which is acquired by morally good deeds and brings about a happy state of existence. It is not, however, in agreement with the ultimate reality and truth; hence it is described as 'inverted' and 'false'. 'True merit' is produced from a Bodhisattva's wisdom and pure karma and is eventually manifested as a Buddha's glorious body and a Buddha land. Such merit is perfectly in agreement with ultimate reality and is characterized by purity. It is not inverted because it agrees with the two levels of truth, relative and absolute; nor is it false, because it is capable of leading sentient beings to the realm of purity.

Elsewhere T'an-luan explains that the reason why Amida's Land is pure is that it has arisen from the pure karma of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara who realized insight into the non-arising of all things. In other words, he realized the emptiness of all existences.

In the Mahayana usage of the term, 'pure' has two implications: firstly, it is devoid of evil passions and attachments and is free of karmic defilements originating from ignorance, and secondly, it is capable of purifying those passions and the defiling elements of other beings.

The former is the ontological meaning and the latter is the soteriological. All this indicates that the Pure Land is not simply pure in its essential nature, but, more importantly, it has the power to purify both sentient and non-sentient existences.

When we encounter Amida's Pure Light, all our karmic bonds and impurities are removed, leaving in us pure and  serene entrusting hearts. Thus, with the darkness of ignorance dissipated once and for all, we find ourselves completely reborn as spiritually awakened ones. Amida as the Pure Person possessed of the boundless power of purifying beings is assuredly our Ultimate Refuge to whom we should dedicate our sincere devotion.

6. Who is Amida?

The Buddha's Light shines most brilliantly;
He is called the 'King of Flaming Light Buddha'.
He rends the darkness of the three evil realms.
Take refuge in the Great Arhat. (Jodo Wasan 8)

We speak as if Amida were really existent and his Light is actually shining on us, but... "Who is Amida?"

This is the perennial question for everybody. It is asked by all who come to Shin Buddhism for the first time, by scholars of religious studies, those who practice other Buddhist paths and even by devout followers of the Pure Land Path.

The simplest questions are always the most difficult to answer. Although we have ready-made answers to this question within the framework of traditional doctrine, we never cease asking ourselves this question. Even after we have found what appears to be the correct answer which explains all about Amida in theoretical and philosophical terms, we still ask this question, until we are convinced that it is Amida who is putting this question to us so as to awaken us to his everlasting existence and universal activity. The fact is that this question further leads to another, which is vitally concerned with our own existence, "Who am I?"

The question "Who is Amida?" was put to Shakyamuni Buddha more than two thousand years ago, and the answer he gave formed the foundation of the Larger Sutra. This sutra tells us, in terms of cause and effect, how Amida as a Bodhisattva made Vows and became a Buddha. A greater emphasis is placed upon the description of Amida as the Buddha of Infinite Light, Amitabha, than upon Amida as the Buddha of Infinite Life, Amitayus. He is given twelve epithets relating to his Light (nineteen in the extant Sanskrit text), and the glory of his Light is praised in detail. The states:

"If sentient beings encounter his Light, their three defilements are removed; they feel tenderness, joy and pleasure; and good thoughts arise. If sentient beings in the three realms of suffering see his light, they will all be relieved and freed from affliction. At the end of their lives, they all reach emancipation." (Chapter 11)

The three evil realms are hell, the realm of hungry spirits and that of animals. They represent the lowest karmic tendencies latent in our minds, which it is all but impossible to cancel out with our limited meritorious acts. Amida's Light shines through them and changes the course of our karma in the direction of Enlightenment.

Amida as such is the Great Arhat, the Holy One who deserves our sincere devotion and offerings.

7. Karmic defilements

Amida's Light of Awakening is the most brilliant of all;
We call him the 'Buddha of Pure Light'.
Once his Light illumines us, we attain deliverance, with all our karmic defilements removed. (Jodo Wasan 9)

In Shin Buddhism, we are taught that Faith (shinjin) has two aspects: awareness of one's karmic evils and deep faith in Amida's saving power. Shan-tao, the Fifth Master, in explaining the second of the three aspects of faith mentioned in the Contemplation Sutra, states:

"'Deep mind' is the mind of deep faith. It has two aspects. Firstly, one deeply and decidedly realizes that one is actually an ordinary being full of karmic evils and bound to cycles of birth and death, continually sinking and transmigrating in Samsara from innumerable kalpas ago without any hope of deliverance. Secondly, one deeply and decidedly realizes that the Forty-eight Vows of Amida Buddha embrace sentient beings and enable those who trust the Power of his Vow without doubt and apprehension to be born unfailingly in the Pure Land."

These reflections upon human nature and human destiny offer the vital key to our understanding of our own selves. Shan-tao gives us a true picture of what we really are in the continual current of karma. All of us have our own historical existence as a continuum of karmic cause and effect. The current of karma which no one but ourselves has created carries us on and on without an end and without hope of salvation.
Shan-tao's explanation of the reality of human existence and that of Amida's saving power has been shared by other Pure Land masters, and has served as the standard of faith in Pure Land Buddhism. In Shinran, however, any implication of self-power, which may be suspected in the mental attitude of 'faith' or 'belief' on the side of the aspirant, is completely negated. He does not teach us to 'believe' or 'trust' in the ordinary sense of these words, but urges us to give up our faith and belief, which are inevitably rooted in our self-centeredness and evil passions, and even urges us to give up our entire selves! By giving ourselves up to Amida, we find ourselves in the Light of his Wisdom and Compassion.

Amida's Light of Pure Wisdom is bound to penetrate to the depths of our existence and dissolve our tenacious karmic bonds. With our impure karma cancelled by Amida's Pure Karma, we enjoy participation in his Pure Activity, expressing our gratitude by the Nembutsu.

8. The Joy of the Dharma

Far-reaching is the Light of Compassion;
Wherever the Light reaches,
It gives one joy in the Dharma, so says the Buddha.
Take refuge in the Great Consoler. (Jodo Wasan 8)

We all try to avoid pain and seek pleasure. The civilization of mankind and the development of the sciences would not have been achieved without the 'pleasure principle'. The meaning of pleasure, however, differs with each person; for many people, gratification of the sensuous desires comes first, but some derive greater pleasure from aesthetic or intellectual pursuits and accomplishments.

In other religions particular moral or ascetic practices are usually required of followers as the condition for salvation, which means everlasting pleasure and happiness in the future. But the Buddhist ideal of Nirvana is different. Since, from the Buddhist perspective, existence in Samsara is itself suffering, the pleasure we enjoy in this life is, after all, suffering in disguise. What then is the true pleasure?

T'an-luan distinguishes three levels of pleasure. The first is 'external pleasure', which is the sensuous pleasure experienced through one of the five sense-organs. The second is 'inner pleasure', which is the pleasure that accompanies meditation. The third is 'the pleasure of the Dharma', which is produced from wisdom which arises from deep appreciation of the Buddha's merit and virtue. T'an-luan places the pleasure of meditation above sensuous pleasure, and the Dharma-pleasure  above the pleasure of meditation. He explains that the Dharma-pleasure is free from self-attachment, self-centeredness and self-glorification and that this pleasure accomplishes 'the wonderful, blissful, supreme and truthful mind,' a free gift from Amida, which causes the aspirant to be born in the Pure Land.

We generally think and act according to the pleasure principle, but since we are born with basic ignorance (avidya) that hinders realization of ultimate reality, we are vainly chasing after visions of false pleasures and happiness. True happiness must arise from true wisdom, which in turn arises from spiritual contact with the Buddha.

Although we are reluctant to approach the Buddha, he, out of Great Compassion, approaches us and enters into our minds. Amida's Light has this power, awakening us to reality - the reality of our existence - and giving us true joy and happiness. Amida as such is the Great Consoler of those who are lost in the forest of miseries and suffering. He removes our doubt and anxiety, and establishes in our minds Faith that is pure, joyful and resolute.

9. Knowledge and Wisdom

Amida dispels the darkness of ignorance;
Hence, we call him the 'Buddha of the Light of Wisdom.'
All Buddhas and sages of the Three Vehicles
Together praise him. (Jodo Wasan 9)

Knowledge and wisdom have different meanings in Buddhism as in ordinary usage. A knowledgeable person is not always wise, and a person of little knowledge can be quicker in understanding Buddhism than one who has much learning and a higher intelligence. Knowledge is useful when directed by wisdom, but mere accumulation of knowledge does more harm than good in Shin Buddhism as it often does in secular matters.

The whole range of the Buddhist endeavor can be graded according to different stages of the development of wisdom. Although wisdom is, by and large, an innate quality, it can be cultivated to a higher level of development - until one becomes a Buddha. The Eightfold Noble Path and the Six Paramitas are the systems of practice designed for the cultivation of wisdom leading to Buddhahood.

The first group of sages are called shravakas, they practice according to the Buddha's teaching, seeking to relinquish their hold on their own selves and attain the wisdom of non-self. The second, pratyekabuddhas, represent a higher stage of wisdom, for they are able to practice without a teacher. These two groups of sages are called 'the two vehicles' - 'vehicle' signifying 'teaching'. The third, bodhisattvas, have already removed self-attachment; having been awakened to the reality of 'universal inter-relatedness', they feel boundless compassion towards all living beings. Their wisdom, even at the outset of their career as a 'bodhi-being', is incomparably deep and subtle.
As compared with these sages, we, bombu, have but little wisdom. Though we may be intelligent and knowledgeable, we still have deep-seated inverted views and ignorance, and so our judgements and decisions never bring us nearer to the Buddha's Wisdom.

All Buddhas have the same transcendent wisdom surpassing that of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas, but each Buddha has a different method of approach to enlighten other beings as indicated by his vows. Amida's Wisdom being the most efficacious and thorough in delivering us from the delusions and sufferings of Samsara, other Buddhas praise it and exhort us to take refuge in him.

Although totally lacking in wisdom to save ourselves, we are led to partake of Amida's supreme wisdom through being awakened by his Light of Wisdom. The moment we see our real selves - the stark reality of our being full of blind passions and inverted views - at that moment our basic ignorance is gone forever. The Light of Wisdom brings us the realization that Amida's Infinite Life embraces our lives, however defiled.

10. Continuous Mindfulness

Amida's Light shines without ceasing.
Hence, he is called the 'Buddha of Unceasing Light'.
By relying on the Power of his Light,
We attain birth with uninterrupted mindfulness. (Jodo Wasan 10)

In the Buddhist practice for attaining Enlightenment, mindfulness is one of the most important factors. Without the correct mindfulness, one cannot successfully follow the methods. In the Eightfold Noble Path (i.e., right views, right thoughts, right speech, right acts, right living, right effort, right mindfulness and right meditation), as well as in other systems of practice, mindfulness is mentioned as an indispensable factor of Enlightenment.

Mindfulness draws one's attention to focus on a Buddha or a principle of reality, inducing a state of deep concentration, through which a higher level of spirituality can be achieved.

From the beginning of Buddhism in India, mindfulness of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha has been particularly emphasized for all Buddhists. One becomes a Buddhist by taking refuge in these Three Treasures, and then continually remembers them all through life. Similarly, one becomes a Shin Buddhist by taking refuge in Amida Buddha, in the Dharma that he represents, and in the Bodhisattvas and other sages who follow his Dharma and help him with the rescue of suffering beings like us.

Our taking refuge in Amida Buddha is accompanied by an act of worship with palms together and the calling of his Name, and, more importantly, by continual mindfulness of him with sincere hearts. These are an inseparable whole, constituting the way of devotion in Shin Buddhism, through which we can receive Amida's saving power and be sure of attaining birth in the Pure Land.

In his commentary on the Discourse on the Pure Land, T'an-luan, the Third Master, stresses the importance of the mental state of devotion. He distinguishes three aspects of faith: sincere heart, singleness of heart, and continual mindfulness. He further clarifies how these three are related to each other; if one of them is lacking, the other two cannot exist. If one's devotion is sincere and single-hearted, it is bound to continue without interruption.

Continual mindfulness of the Buddha, which is not liable to be distracted by other thoughts or defiled by blind passions, can only be attained through the Buddha's Power. As Amida's Power is manifested as his Light, those who perceive the Light, whether directly through visualization or through hearing of it, feel Amida's irresistible saving Power and spontaneously give themselves up to it with whole-hearted devotion.

The sincere and unceasing mindfulness of Amida is not a one-way act directed to him from us, but is a two-way channel through which Amida's heart and our hearts respond to each other.

Amida's heart and my heart made into one heart - Namu Amida Butsu

11. The Law of Salvation

The Light of Amida Buddha is boundless;
Hence, we call him the 'Buddha of Inconceivable Light'.
Marvelling at our attainment of Pure Land birth,
All Buddhas praise and glorify Amida's virtue. (Jodo Wasan 11)

We Buddhists believe in the law of karma, which we are taught lies behind our psycho-physical existence and the external world, regulating the relationships between our acts, both mental and physical, and the resultant states, which they produce. According to this law, one reaps what one has sown; one is the result of what one has done, and what one will be is the result of what one does now.

The law of karma, however, is not so simple as we think. Since each individual's course of action intricately crosses and re-crosses that of others, influencing them, it is difficult to tell how much of one's present state of existence is attributable to one's voluntary acts in the past and how much of it, to the 'collective acts' of a group to which one belongs. Here we find a point of contact between the law of karma and the law of dependent origination (pratityasamutpada). They work together, constituting the framework of the Dharma to which we turn for refuge and guidance.

In the endless cycle of wrongdoing and its results, we are helplessly at the mercy of the law of karma, undergoing untold misery in Samsara. Most of us misunderstand the law of karma as a theory of predestination, because it seems that there is practically nothing we can do to change its course. Ignorant of this law, we foolishly repeat a vicious circle of delusion, karma and suffering.

Shakyamuni is the first in history to discover the law of karma in the true sense of the term, with all its subtleties, depths and boundless scope of operation. As with the discovery of laws in the physical world, knowledge of the law of karma leads to its utilization for useful purposes. The law of karma, which is ruthlessly binding on ordinary, unenlightened persons, can be used profitably for one's spiritual progress and final attainment of Enlightenment.

When Amida was a Bodhisattva, he realized the law of karma to its fullest extent, and further contemplated it until he discovered the only possible way of salvation for ignorant and passion-ridden beings like us - salvation through his Name. It was perfectly in accord with the law of karma that he made his Vows, followed the Bodhisattva Way, became a Buddha, established his Pure Land, and began endless acts of salvation for suffering beings. It is also in complete harmony with this law that he transfers his merit through the Name and thereby enables us to attain birth in the Pure Land - the sphere of nirvana, which is truth, beauty and bliss. For this reason, other Buddhas praise Amida's wonderful accomplishments and glorify his virtue.

12. Amida, the Infinite

The majestic Light of Amida, which is above all forms and concepts, is beyond description;
Hence, we call him the 'Buddha of Ineffable Light'.
The Light of the one who became a Buddha through the Vow of Infinite Light
Is praised by all the Buddhas. (Jodo Wasan 12)

The most important terms in Buddhism are undoubtedly 'Buddha' and 'Dharma'. As Buddhism developed over a long time, these terms have acquired new dimensions of meaning. Thus 'Buddha' is interpreted in various ways in different sects and schools, although, when it is used in ordinary parlance, the term refers to an historical Buddha, particularly Shakyamuni the founder of Buddhism. In Zen, 'Buddha' is none other than the ultimate reality, which transcends all verbal expressions and concepts, and is only intuitively known through intensive meditation. In the Mahayana in general, three Buddha-bodies are distinguished: (1) Dharma-body (dharmakaya), Buddha as ultimate reality; (2) Reward-body (sambhogakaya), Buddha as the embodiment of perfect merit and virtue; and (3) Transformed body (nirmanakaya), Buddha as incarnated in the form of a man, god, etc., or as apparitional bodies.

According to the Larger Sutra, Amida became a Buddha ten kalpas ago, and is possessed of perfect merit from the Bodhisattva practices that he had performed for an immeasurably long time. Therefore, Amida is a Reward-body Buddha, as Shan-tao confirmed. As such Amida manifests a glorious, luminous body of cosmic dimensions, which sends forth innumerable rays of light to illumine and save suffering beings in Samsara. He is also possessed of supernal powers, capable of endowing us with merit and power and of perceiving and responding to our feelings and acts, all in accordance with the Vows, which he made when he was a Bodhisattva.

Notwithstanding the fact that Amida is a Buddha having a distinct Person, he shares the supreme essence with other Buddhas in the Dharma-body. From the perspective of the Dharma-body, all Buddhas are one and the same, and identical with the ultimate reality. It follows then that the terms used in the Mahayana to describe the ultimate state of things, such as 'Thusness', 'True Thusness', 'Suchness', and 'Dharma-nature', are synonyms of 'the Dharma-body Buddha'.

Shinran accepted the traditional interpretation of Amida as a Sambhogakaya Buddha but, at the same time, conceived of him as an undivided totality of the three bodies, as he says in the Kyogyoshinsho, Chapter on Enlightenment:

"Arising from Suchness, Amida Buddha manifests the various Recompensed, Accommodated and Transformed bodies."

The essential body of Amida is transcendent and indefinable, but it naturally finds innumerable expressions in accordance with the needs of those to be saved and enlightened. Thus the Nameless Amida came to assume a unique name and form with special attributes. The vital agent in this self-manifestation is the Vow, especially the Twelfth Vow in which Dharmakara proclaimed that he would become a Buddha of Infinite Light. Hence, Shinran says in the Notes on Essentials of Faith Alone:

'Amida appeared from Suchness in the form of an Expedient Dharma-Body, called Dharmakara, and made the inconceivable, great Vows, by which he manifested himself as what Vasubandhu called "the Buddha of Unhindered Light Shining Throughout the Ten Quarters".'

It is significant that 'Amida' literally means 'infinite'; his infinite Wisdom, Compassion and Power extend to the farthest limits of existence, embracing all beings. One who awakens to Amida's everlasting presence and his Light of Wisdom finds in him the Ultimate Refuge where true peace resides.

13. Amida's Twelve Lights

Amida's Light surpasses the sun and moon;
Hence, he is called the 'Buddha of Light Outshining the Sun and Moon'. Even Shakyamuni was not able to praise him fully.
Take refuge in the Peerless One. (Jodo Wasan 13)

We have seen in the foregoing hymns various aspects of the Light of Amida Buddha. The first hymn is the general description of Amida as a Dharma-body Buddha, whose presence throughout the universe is recognized as the essential basis of all beings. From the second to the twelfth hymns the specific qualities and functions of the Light are praised. In concluding the above, this hymn shows in general terms the supremacy of the Light by comparing it with the sun and the moon, which to us are the most brilliant and important of all the heavenly bodies.
In the Three Pure Land Sutras we find Amida's Light described in various ways. The Amida Sutra, the shortest of all, simply states that Amida's Light is immeasurable, illuminating all the worlds of the ten  quarters without hindrance. The Contemplation Sutra presents Amida in full effulgence and describes his physical dimensions in astronomical figures. For example, it is stated in the ninth contemplation:

"Amida possesses eighty-four thousand physical characteristics, each having eighty-four thousand secondary marks of excellence. Each secondary mark emits eighty-four thousand rays of light; each light shines universally upon the lands of the ten  quarters, embracing, and not forsaking, those who are mindful of the Buddha." (17)

As compared with the Contemplation Sutra which presents Amida as the central object to be visualized, the Larger Sutra is more detailed in explaining the essential characteristics and functions of his Light, based on which the twelve different names are given to Amida. The twelve names are the following: Infinite Light, Boundless Light, Unhindered Light, Incomparable Light, Light of the King of Flames, Pure Light, Light of Joy, Light of Wisdom, Unceasing Light, Inconceivable Light, Ineffable Light, the Light Outshining the Sun and Moon. But these are not all that describe Amida.

According to the Larger Sutra if sentient beings have heard of the majestic virtue of Amida's Light and glorify it day and night with uninterrupted sincerity of heart, they will be able to attain birth in his Land. Because his Light is incomparably glorious and most effective in bringing living beings to emancipation, Shakyamuni said that he would not be able to explain its virtue exhaustively, even if he continued speaking for one kalpa.

How fortunate we are to have been led to take refuge in Amida's Light of Wisdom and Compassion through the guidance of Shinran and other Pure Land masters! The Light gives a new meaning to life by removing our delusions and fallacies, guides us safely to the Other Shore, and constantly supplies us with the pure energy emanating from the Infinite Life that is Amida.

Namu Amida Butsu

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