Shin Ugly Blog

You might ask: Is an accurate teacher important to the transmission of SHINJIN - the state of TRUE ENTRUSTING that leads to the end of suffering at last?

No, it’s CRITICAL.

That was the opinion of Rennyo, called “The Restorer”, because he restored Shinran’s SHIN UGLY teaching to a Shin Buddhist community that had lost it’s way.

Let’s listen to what he said:

Pertaining to the conditions existent towards the realization of rebirth, I (Rennyo) shall establish the Five Conditional Steps here:

1. The culmination of related past conditions and circumstances leading one to the Dharma.
2. A “Good Teacher of the Dharma.”
3. The Light of Amida Buddha.
4. Faith - ‘Shinjin’.
5. Amida’s Name.

It appears to me that without the presence of all the conditions in these five steps, one will never obtain rebirth.

Therefore, a “Good Teacher of the Dharma’ is a bearer of the message, “Place your reliance on Amida Buddha!

If conditions materialize where there is a culmination of related past conditions and circumstances without the meeting of a “Good Teacher of the Dharma,” rebirth will not be realized.

So- if you’re SERIOUS about Shin Buddhism, don’t be naive about ANY teacher or teaching just because it’s LABELLED as Shin Buddhism. Line it up against what Shakyamuni and Shinran say in THEIR teaching.

Why? Because in Shin Buddhism, there is no practice except for listening deeply. Therefore the CONTENT of what is being taught is critical, in order for rebirth to be realized, just as Rennyo says.

Rebirth means rebirth in your next life - rebirth in Amida Buddha’s Pure Land - where you too can end your suffering once and for all - and become a True Buddha at last.

NamuAmidaButsu -

Paul

PS - that “check it out” advice goes just as much for anything published here, on the Shin Ugly Blog.

If you read ANYTHING on this blog that doesn’t line up accurately with Shakyamuni’s Teaching in the Larger Pure Land Sutra, or Shinran’s Expositions, Letters, etc., I’d be grateful (not angry, not embarrassed) if you’d point it out to me.

I’ll gladly - and publicly - acknowledge any mistakes I’ve made in sharing Shinran’s teaching. Why? Because MY thoughts and opinions about the end of suffering at last - about becoming a True Buddha at last - are worth NOTHING.

Shakyamuni’s and Shinran’s are worth EVERYTHING.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 14th, 2005 at 8:57 pm and is filed under For Shin Newbies, True Teaching and True Teachers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.