A number of people have mentioned that they’d like to have hardcopy versions of Eiken Kobai Sensei’s two books, Understanding Jodo Shinshu and Misunderstandings of Master Rennyo.
I’ve created PDF versions of them both, which you can either read onscreen, or print off on a printer.
You’ll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available at www.adobe.com.
Here are the links:
Understanding Jodo Shinshu is in 3 parts.
Modern people make the same mistake that people made in Shinran Shonin’s day, when it comes to the Dharma concerning Amida Buddha’s Vow to save all beings.
They approach it from an intellectual point of view first - which simply does not work. Period.
No - in order to gain the inconceivable benefit of SHINJIN - the faith-mind of Amida Buddha which is freely given to any and all who listen deeply to this dharma, and entrust their karmic destiny ENTIRELY to Amida Buddha - we cannot simply listen with the HEAD.
We must listen with the HEART.
The karmic preparation of the human heart for the dharma is twofold - and simple to explain. First, a deep and abiding desire arises for authentic enlightenment - the end of suffering - the end of delusion and obscuration - the end of the three poisons of greed, anger and fear - the deepest yearning of the human heart…the yearning for BUDDHAHOOD.
If that desire - that aspiration to Buddhahood - is still dormant, you can have all the understanding of all the scholars who ever studied the sutras - and it will mean NOTHING.