CONTENTS
Foreword………………………….. 9
A Note to the Reader………….. 11
Abbreviations……………………. 15
Chronology………………………. 16
PART ONE
AN INTRODUCTION TO SHINRAN’S THOUGHT
CHAPTER one: Life and Works……………. 19
The Life of Shinran…………………….. 20
Characteristics of Shinran’s Writings…….. 42
Shinran’s Works………………………… 47
CHAPTER two: The Mahayana Mode of Thought……. 56
The Human Situation………………….. 57
Prajnaparamita or Nondiscriminative Wisdom.. 60
The Unfolding of Wisdom as Compassion……… 75
The Structure of Attainment………… 83
CHAPTER three: Emergence of the Pure Land Path…. 91
The Mahãyăna Movement…………… 91
The Emergence of the Pure Land Path……………. 103
The Nature of Amida Buddha………. 108
The Characteristics of Amida Buddha……………. 114
Amida’s Pure Land…………………….. 122
Practice in the Pure Land Tradition. 127
CHAPTER four: The Structure of Shinran’s Thought… 137
Shinran’s Reformulation of the Pure Land Path. 137
Shinran’s Concept of Practice……………………….. 143
The Structure of Shinjin or True Entrusting……. 150
The Realization of Shinjin…………………………….. 158
The Significance of Shinjin……………………………. 167
The Life of Shinjin………………………………………. 179
PART TWO
SELECTIONS FROM SHINRAN’S WRITINGS
Selections from the Letters and Commentaries…………. 185
The Primal Vow
Passage 1 Primal Vow……………………………………… 185
Passage 2 Realization of Shinjin 195
The Pure Land Path
Passage 3 The Pure Land Path…………………………… 203
Passage 4 Namu-Amida-Butsu………………………….. 213
Passage 5 Self-Power, Other Power……………………. 219
Passage 6 Shinjin and Nembutsu……………………….. 227
Transformation
Passage 7 Turnabout……………………………………….. 233
Passage 8 Evil into Good………………………………….. 237
Passage 9 Enlightenment of the Foolish
Passage 10 Great Benefit………………………………….. 243
Passage 11 Transcend Crosswise……………………….. 246
The Person of Shinjin
Passage 12 No Awaiting Death………………………….. 249
Passage 13 True Disciple of Buddha………………….. 252
Passage 14 Self-Awareness……………………………….. 255
Passage 15 Grasped and Protected…………………….. 257
Passage 16 Going and Returning……………………….. 261
Dynamic Reality
Passage 17 Nirvana…………………………………………. 264
Passage 18 One Vehicle……………………………………. 267
Passage 19 Ocean of Virtues……………………………… 270
Passage 20 Jinen……………………………………………… 272
Selections from Teaching, Practice and Realization…… 274
1 Preface……………………………………………. 274
2 Chapter on Teaching, 1-2………………….. 276
3 Chapter on Practice, Epigraph…………… 277
4 Chapter on Practice, 1………………………. 278
5 Chapter on Practice, 12…………………….. 278
6 Chapter on Practice, 15…………………….. 279
7 Chapter on Practice, 18…………………….. 280
8 Chapter on Practice, 19…………………….. 281
9 Chapter on Practice, 25…………………….. 281
10 Chapter on Practice, 30…………………… 282
11 Chapter on Practice, 34…………………… 282
12 Chapter on Practice, 68…………………… 283
13 Chapter on Practice, 71…………………… 283
14 Chapter on Practice, 73…………………… 284
15 Chapter on Practice, 78…………………… 284
16 Chapter on Practice, 84…………………… 285
17 Chapter on Practice, 91…………………… 286
18 Chapter on Shin jin, Preface…………….. 287
19 Chapter on Shinjin, Epigraph………….. 288
20 Chapter on Shinjin, 1……………………… 288
21 Chapter on Shinjin, 13……………………. 290
22 Chapter on Shinjin, 13……………………. 291
23 Chapter on Shinjin, 18……………………. 294
24 Chapter on Shinjin, 21……………………. 295
25 Chapter on Shinjin, 46……………………. 296
26 Chapter on Shinjin, 60……………………. 297
27 Chapter on Shinjin, 65……………………. 297
28 Chapter on Shinjin, 73……………………. 298
29 Chapter on Shinjin, 84……………………. 299
30 Chapter on Shinjin, 103………………….. 300
31 Chapter on Shinjin, 106………………….. 301
32 Chapter on Shinjin, 110………………….. 301
33 Chapter on Shinjin, 113………………….. 301
34 Chapter on Shinjin, 114………………….. 302
35 Chapter on Shinjin, 118………………….. 303
36 Chapter on Realization, 1………………… 303
37 Chapter on Realization, 7………………… 305
38 Chapter on Realization, 9………………… 306
39 Chapter on Realization, 13………………. 306
40 Chapter on Realization, 15………………. 307
41 Chapter on Realization, 16………………. 307
42 Chapter on Realization, 17………………. 308
Appendices
The Major Vows………………………………… 313
The Pure Land Sutras………………………….. 317
The Pure Land Masters……………………….. 320
Shinran’s Writings……………………………… 322
Suggestions for Further Reading…………… 325
Japanese Texts of the Selections Letters and Commentaries……….. 365
Teaching, Practice and Realization………… 342
Index to the Selections…………………………. 366
General Index…………………………………….. 370
FOREWORD
Together with many people throughout the world, we at the Hongwanji look forward to the twenty-first century as an age of religion: a time when the deepest insights and awareness of humankind will exert a decisive influence for peace and harmony in our closely interrelated lives.
Interaction and mutual exchange will provide opportunities for people of all traditions to further their religious understanding and aspirations.
It appears that the path to awakening established by Shinran Shõnin is not yet widely known outside of Japan.’ We hope, therefore, that this volume might serve as a stepping stone to the teachings of Shin Buddhism, and that readers approaching Shinran’s writings perhaps for the first time will find it of use in gaining an understanding of his works and thought.
Bishop Seiha Watanabe
Director General
Jõdo Shinshũ Hongwanji-ha