Archive for February, 2005
Friday, February 25th, 2005
Though I know Jessie has entered a state of complete transcendence, this kind of news (below) is hard for me to read - harder than reading about natural disaster, as terrible as the recent Tsunami, and the more recent earthquake, are to hear about.
Why? Because here in THIS news is the human condition of selfishness - of greed - of dishonesty - writ large. (more…)
Posted in Blind Passion, True Entrusting | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005
The Shin Ugly Blog now has readers from around the world.
I ask a favor of each and all of you: (more…)
Posted in Talking One-to-One, Blind Passion | No Comments »
Monday, February 21st, 2005
In his letter “The Ease Of Rebirth, But The Scarcity Of Those Reborn”, Rennyo explains, in plainest language, Part 3 of the Easy Path to Buddhahood. (more…)
Posted in For Shin Newbies, Dharma for Dummies, The Easy Path | No Comments »
Saturday, February 19th, 2005
To complete the three part discussion on The Easy Path to Buddhahood (see the menu for links to parts one and two), there are so many passages that I could quote from.
I’ve decided to choose a passage from an authentic Shin teacher from the 15th century named Rennyo. His writings have a lot to say to the Shin Buddhist community today. (more…)
Posted in Lamenting Divergences, True Teaching and True Teachers | No Comments »
Saturday, February 19th, 2005
Life flies by and breaks our heart.
Our friends die. Things fall apart.
We run from what the mirror shows.
We act in ways we do not know. (more…)
Posted in General, For Shin Newbies, True Entrusting | No Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2005
The Shin Ugly Blog is meant to serve anyone who wants to hear the plain teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciple Shinran about suffering, and the end of suffering.
I recognize that not everyone is familiar with a blog (short for weblog) format. So here’s a brief navigation guide. (more…)
Posted in Blog Basics | No Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2005
I am grateful to Ananda, beyond any words I can say - for seeing clearly - for listening deeply - and for asking ONE question of his cousin and teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, one day on a hill called Vulture Peak.
Because of his question - and Shakyamuni’s answer - and Shinran’s true teaching - my beloved Jessie has ended her countless births into lives of endless suffering at last. She lives now as a True Buddha - and soon enough I will too.
Shakyamuni Buddha invites you each and all to join us - whether you’re old or young, smart or dumb, Buddhist or non-Buddhist. None of it matters in the least.
Here’s the backstory: (more…)
Posted in Blind Passion, True Entrusting, Amida Buddha | No Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2005
I’ve been having a wonderful dharma dialogue with a Shin Buddhist friend named John.
It didn’t start out so wonderfully. In fact, it was almost an abortion right from the start. (more…)
Posted in General, For Shin Newbies, True Teaching and True Teachers, Dharma for Dummies | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 16th, 2005
The Larger Pure Land Sutra tells us that after Buddha Shakyamuni taught the crowd at Vulture Peak about Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, his cousin and disciple Ananda made a request. (more…)
Posted in Amida Buddha, The Pure Land | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 15th, 2005
Shoren: Thank you Paul.
I’ve wanted someone to simply explain who Amida is and not use terms like mythological, or archetype.
I choose to believe he is real and present in my life.
Deepest Gassho to you for this. (more…)
Posted in Amida Buddha, Lamenting Divergences, True Teaching and True Teachers, Dharma for Dummies | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 15th, 2005
In his great work, True Teaching, Practice and Realization of the Pure Land Way, Shinran answered critics within Buddhism - particularly scholars - who thought his teaching of no practice except simple faith in Amida was not Buddhism at all.
Those scholars were experts on the Path of the Sages. For them, the teachings of Nagarjuna on emptiness (sunyata) were critical as they sought to end their own suffering and become Buddhas at last. (more…)
Posted in General, Amida Buddha, True Teaching and True Teachers, The Pure Land | No Comments »
Monday, February 14th, 2005
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: (more…)
Posted in For Shin Newbies, True Teaching and True Teachers | No Comments »
Sunday, February 13th, 2005
Part 1 of the Easy Path to Buddhahood is all about awakening our aspiration to end our suffering once and for all and become enlightened beings – True Buddhas - at last.
With that primal aspiration alive in me, I became ready to listen to Shakyamuni Buddha not only as a great teacher, but as the “World Turner” – the last TRUE Buddha of this world. As part of that listening, I was ready to hear how Shakyamuni Buddha manifested an energetic field unlike that of any other being.
As I listened, I was moved by the stories of countless men and women who encountered him.
I read how the energetic power of his Buddha-field multipled their sincere efforts, and enabled them to come to liberation, at last.
I read how scholars and sages, serial killers and mentally retarded people, and many plain people from all walks of life were able to use the many and various practices Buddha taught to move from the near shore of utter sleep to the far shore of full awakening. (more…)
Posted in For Shin Newbies, Amida Buddha | No Comments »
Friday, February 11th, 2005
Rennyo is called “The Restorer” because he blew away the dust that had obscured Shinran’s SHIN UGLY teaching after several hundred years.
Here’s a Q&A he did with a sincere inquirer. (more…)
Posted in General, For Shin Newbies, True Entrusting, True Teaching and True Teachers, The Pure Land, Dharma for Dummies | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2005
I promised you I would get to your earlier question/comment, and I just did, below. (more…)
Posted in General, The Pure Land | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2005
fogueira: What is the difference between Shinran’s teaching and “die on the cushion”?
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The long answer to your question is coming up in Part 3 of “The Easy Path To Buddhahood”, my friend. Bear with me as I write and then proof it. It might take a couple of days.
Here’s a short answer - a dharma snack to tide you over until the full meal is served: (more…)
Posted in General, For Shin Newbies, Dharma for Dummies | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2005
I’ve looked at a lot of what’s available on the net, and given the name “Shin Buddhism” or “Jodo Shinshu”.
The very best resource I have found is a Professor in Japan named Eiken Kobai. You can access his teaching from the link in the “resources” section of links.
Here’s his brief bio from his website: (more…)
Posted in True Teaching and True Teachers | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2005
Here is more of Professor Eiken Kobai’s accurate transmission of Shinran’s teaching, in detail, with lots of references. As you read it, you’ll see that for Shinran, it’s all about becoming a person of SHINJIN - TRUE ENTRUSTING.
For an uneducated person like me, it is a great gift to have access to Kobai’s work, as I attempt to explain this most powerful and effective path to the END of suffering to others.
Shinran Shonin stated that the salvation of “being embraced, never to be forsaken” (sesshu fusha) comes from being in the “rightly-established state” (shojoju). (more…)
Posted in General, True Entrusting, True Teaching and True Teachers | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2005
Sometimes, I have found, people step forward to engage in a profound dharma dialogue - though intially they don’t actually KNOW they are stepping forward, but rather often think they are stepping backward - away from authentic engagement and deep listening.
In such a state, I’ve observed and experienced how people can throw a series of intellectual punches - whether from inside the Buddha-dharma, or from some other metaphysical perspective: pow, pow, bam, bam, BAM. (more…)
Posted in General, True Entrusting | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2005
Clara comments (in part):
I understand your position. Ending suffering the way you have found practical: Shinran’s doctrine, Shin.
What I question is how you can touch your audience, your readers, unless they are already Buddists and -like you were once - tired of not getting liberation from walking the self-power paths.
How can a non Buddhist (reader) can relate to your words…even a happy Zennist or Vajrayanist or Theravadin, who is still far from giving up?.
You may say that these are not relevant questions because karma rules who is to approach Shin and who is not. But I say that karma does not operate in the void, but through all events, like asking and answering such kind of questions.
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Hi Clara -
The key to your question above is in your asking how someone who is far from giving up on their path (buddhist or not), and happy in what they are doing, will relate to Shinran’s plain talk.
Often enough Buddha would answer the endless questions of inquirers with what is described as “Noble Silence”. Understanding WHY he did so will answer YOUR questions, I believe, better than anything I could say. (more…)
Posted in Dharma for Dummies | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2005
Clara: it is important to teach Shin from an interreligious perspective, or people, even Buddhists, will easily skip this Dharma gate.
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I accept that this is your belief, Clara. I decided to start this blog because I have a different belief… (more…)
Posted in General | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2005
Two Rivers and a White Path is Shan-tao’s parable of the path of birth into the Pure Land. It is set forth in his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra as part of his exposition of the sutra passage: (more…)
Posted in Blind Passion, True Entrusting, Amida Buddha | No Comments »
Monday, February 7th, 2005
Both before and after I entrusted myself to Amida’s Primal Vow, I spent a lot of time looking on the net for instruction that was in accord with Shinran’s Teaching.
In all my looking (and I did a bunch) I found precious little that lined up with the plain sense of what I had read in Shinran’s Collected Works, and a lot of teachings that were supposed to be Shin Buddhism, but were in fact something else. (more…)
Posted in Lamenting Divergences, True Teaching and True Teachers | No Comments »
Sunday, February 6th, 2005
I’ve noticed, over several years, how easily other Buddhists dismiss out of hand this most simple, most precious teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha, with it’s promise of an EASY, guaranteed path to Buddhahood - the end of suffering at last.
Such easy dismissal is an easy mistake to make. (more…)
Posted in For Shin Newbies, Blind Passion, Aspiration | No Comments »
Friday, February 4th, 2005
This is teaching from Professor Eiken Kobai - a Japanese Shin Scholar of the highest rank.
His writing confirms what I came to understand by my own layman’s reading of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciple Shinran in translation - and now share as SHIN UGLY - Shinran’s plain teaching in plain language for plain people about how Amida Buddha’s great compassion works to end our suffering once and for all. (more…)
Posted in General, For Shin Newbies, True Entrusting | No Comments »
Thursday, February 3rd, 2005
Paul, I wanted to encourage you about this blog. The way you have put the teaching into “plain talk” is amazing.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. It is sometimes very hard for westerners (such as me) to understand the Teachings of Buddha, given our standard “westernized” upbringing. (more…)
Posted in Talking One-to-One | No Comments »
Thursday, February 3rd, 2005
To aspire to become a True Buddha – a being who is totally free of suffering – totally enlightened – may seem like an absurdly impossible goal, especially if you have never heard Buddha’s teaching before.
You can lay aside your worries here, if you have them. (more…)
Posted in The Easy Path | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2005
fogueria: Just clarifying (sorry :)) once again –
you are still suffering, correct, at this point in time?
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If you are talking about my personal sense of grief and anguish over Jessie’s death (more…)
Posted in For Shin Newbies, Talking One-to-One | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 1st, 2005
Paul: Is there any way for you, Clara, to end your endless cycle of births and deaths and become a TRUE BUDDHA - and ENTIRELY FREE BEING at last - by any practice whatsoever, in any religion at all, including Buddhism?
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Clara: No. The way is not for “me”, “Clara”. The way *is*, and “Clara” is an event within it. I am not theorizing. This is a plain statement. The way is not for any “me”. Any “me” belongs to the way. Only the way is. That is to say, the Universal. [Amida.] [You-Name-It.] All taken care. One Power only. Not two.
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Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Clara. Here’s my honest response to it (more…)
Posted in For Shin Newbies, Talking One-to-One | No Comments »