Zuiken's Horai Dharma Pada
             
Translated by Zuio H. Inagaki

Ref. Horai Magazine since January 2003

 Pada 3 (101-150)

101  Amida's Mind-Power and Vow-Power -
    Their working is inconceivable!
    Following it, I go to the Pure Land.


102  Because you cannot believe in Amida's great wisdom and great compassion,
    you cannot entrust yourself to his Primal Vow.

103  Because you do not understand the depth
      and sublimity of Sakyamuni Tathagata's Enlightenment,
    you cannot entrust yourself to Amida Tathagata's
      Primal Vow-Power of Great Compassion.

104  "What should I do in order to accept the inconceivable Primal Vow as inconceivable?"
    "You should bear the following thought in mind - 'Since I am incapable of any practice whatsoever,
     hell is definitely my dwelling place in any event'
                                (Tannisho)."

105  Riding on the wings of Great Compassion,
       I shall sport throughout the universe (to save beings).
     How pleasant this will be!
 
106   Even if you tell me, "Leave me alone,"
      I cannot leave you alone - irresistibly with my parental love.
     I beg you to let me help you.

107   Ah, this is the end of my life of delusion;
     How enjoyable the rest of this life is!

108   Limitless is the heaven of inconceivable Buddha Wisdom.
     What a joy it is to keep looking at the limitless heaven
       with limitless admiration!

109   "I feel I will fall into hell."
     "If so, I will go there with you."

110   "As far as your salvation is concerned,
      I will see that it will not go amiss."
      This is the Power of Amida's Primal Vow.

111    There is a limit to the wisdom of humans;
      Just think of how inconceivable the Power of the Primal Vow is.

112    People in the world are deceiving each other
         like foxes and badgers.

113    Between rock-bases and pine roots
        the valley-river flows on -
      freely and naturally.

114    If you are devoted to the Buddha-Dharma,
        you are miraculously blessed with good health
      and your lifespan will be prolonged;
        Also you will not suffer shortage in clothing,         food, or accommodation.
      The fact, however, is that very few have this conviction.

115   "Without severing evil passions, one will realize Nirvana"
                                 (Shoshinge):-
      Isn't this the most wonderful thing in the world?
        This phrase makes us savor the wonder
      of the Power of the Primal Vow
        deep in our heart.

116    Having encountered the Power of the Primal Vow,
        the ignorant as well as the wise
      lose their existential base.

117    Those who entrust themselves to the Primal Vow
         are generally ignorant of the law of causality;
      Those who believe in the law of causality
         are liable to be ignorant of the Primal Vow.

118    How wonderful! Amida established
         the Vow of Namo amida butsu
      that never misleads or fails me.

119    "Amida established the highest, supreme Vow;
       He made the rare, great Universal Vow." (Shoshinge)
       How admirable and grateful!
         Amida made the Vow of saving us as we stand.

120    My teacher, Master Riken, used to say:
         "Throughout the Dharma-realm there is only
       the effulgence of the Unhindered Light."

121     As the Nembutsu sounds out from the empty mind,
       It echoes in the mountain - cool and refreshing.

122     The Buddha-Dharma is inexplicably trustworthy;
       There is nothing I can do but
         adore the Power of the Primal Vow.

123     Those who have become your friends with selfish desires
         will part from you through selfish desires;
       Those who have become your friends
         through the Buddhist Way
       will not part from you forever.

124     Lust and greed are like a tempest,
         sweeping over trees and destroying them;
       They exterminate everything, leaving nothing to survive.

125     Forget both good and evil, wishful thinking; even faith.
       Look up adoringly! There you find the serene moon.

126     If you control your desires, try to be kind to others,
         deeply contemplate impermanence,
       And live by the axiom of "realize shinjin in yourself
         and teach others shinjin,"
       Your life will become more enjoyable.

127     If you let your suffering stay as it is,
         it will cease to trouble you;
       While resigned to persistent suffering,
         and letting your mind dwell in the Pure Land,
       You will learn to live in unspeakable happiness.

128     To follow the Buddha-Dharma diligently,
         seeking to attain shinjin,
       Is the highest good.

129    The primary duty to you is
         to save yourself.

130    The path to the Land of Utmost Bliss is straight ahead -
         Namo Amida Butsu;
       Don't look round with calculative thoughts. (Daiei)

131     From the Buddha's non-discriminative wisdom
         arises the Great Compassion;
       From the Great Compassion comes the Primal Vow.

132    Shinjin is the Tathagata Amida's
         Mind of Great Compassion.

133    The Buddha has non-discriminative Wisdom;
         he is our Parent of Great Compassion.
       Bombu has only discriminative wisdom
         and lacks compassion.

134    Namo Amida Butsu
         - the Tathagata's Mind of Great Compassion -
       when reflected in our minds
          Becomes shinjin.
       When shinjin appears in our mouths,
          it is nembutsu.

135    The Buddha-Dharma does not belong exclusively
         in the hands of priests;
       Approach lay-believers, too; hear the Dharma from them.


136    If you engage in Buddhist studies,
        while deeply contemplating impermanence,
      Your studies will advance remarkably
        and bring benefit to you.

137   To study Buddhism is to study the Tathagata's Mind of
        Great Compassion.

138   Nembutsu is praising and acknowledging the benevolence.
       It is the manifestation of the mind to praise the Tathagata
      and rejoice in the happiness given to us.

139   If you hear the Buddha-Dharma - hear it thoroughly,
        You will realize that there is no need to hear it.
     And then you will find that the Power of the Primal Vow
        is all the more trustworthy.
     Moreover, you cannot help hearing more and more of
        the Buddha-Dharma
     At the same time, you cannot stop expounding it to others.

140   The Buddha-Dharma is difficult to follow,
       because the Primal Vow Power is difficult to understand;
     The Buddha-Dharma is easy to follow,
       because the Parent is with us.

141   In a family where the Buddha-Dharma is alive,
       there is surprising good fortune;
     In a family where the Buddha-Dharma is dead,
       there is unexpected ill-fortune.

142   The reason why we go to the Pure Land is to become            Buddhas
     and promulgate the teaching of the Tathagata's
       Great Compassion endlessly.

143   If you move forward strongly and with determination
       "to establish Faith in myself and teach others Faith,"
     Your suffering in your life will be reduced to a hundredth
        and you will come to enjoy life in the world.

144   The objective of studying Buddhism is to know that
        birth in the Pure Land is easy
      because of the Power of the Primal Vow .

145    Wherein lies the true intention of Shinran Shonin?
       Study the Buddha-Dharma while deeply contemplating
         the Shonin's mind.

146    Man can do only one thing in his life;
        To acquire shinjin is the most he can do.

147    It does not stand to reason that evil men or women
        can commit evil
       since the Primal Vow saves them after all.
      "Don't take poison even though there is an antidote."

147    If someone asks, "What sort of person is Zuiken?"
      Just answer,
       "He only looks up and adores the Primal Vow Power."

148    When the Tathagata's Great Compassion is reflected
        in your mind and penetrates it,
       it forms the Great Shinjin.
       If you fail to realize the Compassion,
          what is the use of your life?

149    Apart from the Tathagata's Great Wisdom Power,
      Great Compassion Power, and Great Primal Vow Power,
      My birth in the Pure Land would be impossible.
      Apart from Namo Amida Butsu, there is no shinjin;
      apart from shinjin, there is no Namo Amida Butsu.

150   In the ocean of the Vow, nobody hears or trusts the Vow;
     Only the voice of Amida's call sounds and resounds everywhere.


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