The SHINRAN Manifesto
Here it is - starkly and simply - a clarion call to Shin Buddhist clerics, scholars and laypeople alike:
RETURN TO THE TRUE TEACHING OF SHINRAN, OUR TRUE TEACHER
Why do I say RETURN? Because the Shin Buddhist community has drifted far away, and is lost in self-powered calculating thought.
Why do I say the TRUE TEACHING? Because the thoughts, ideas and opinions of Shin Buddhist clerics, scholars and laypeople MUST be measured against the plumbline of Shinran’s thoughts, ideas and opinions. That is the only way to know whether or not they are true teaching, or false teaching.
Why do I say SHINRAN? Because the man we know as Shinran - who calls himself the foolish bald-headed guy - IS the plumbline against which all other teaching that purports to be Shin Buddhist teaching must be measured.
Why do I say OUR TRUE TEACHER? Because, in fact, that’s who Shinran IS - whether anyone approves of him or his teaching, or not.
It doesn’t get more plain - more blunt - more Shin Ugly - than that.
So I’ll say it one more time - in this blog post, and many more times, in many more posts.
The SHINRAN Manifesto needs to be proclaimed to the Shin Buddhist clerics, scholars and laypeople in OUR day, just like Yuien and Rennyo proclaimed in theirs:
RETURN TO THE TRUE TEACHING OF SHINRAN, OUR TRUE TEACHER.
I will do my best to flesh all this out with SPECIFICS in the Shin Ugly Blog in the coming days and weeks. I will do my best to make the distinction between TRUE teaching and false teaching utterly clear. I will do my best to help dispel the many clouds of confusion that hide the light of Amida Buddha from the Shin Buddhist sangha (community) - and indeed, from the world - today.
Anyone of like-mind is more than welcome to join me as I do.
And anyone - I mean ANYONE - who is looking for a personal answer to our common problem of suffering is invited to ask any sincere questions he or she has. I will do my best to answer each and every one, with Shinran’s TRUE teaching, and not with mine, for the benefit of all.
Namu-Amida-Butsu.
I take refuge in Amida Buddha, entrusting myself to His Vow, and His work, to bring me to the Pure Land and True Buddhahood at the end of this life.
Paul R.