With reverence, I remain I have written this on the 11th day, 1st month, 6th year of Bunmei (1474CE: Kinoe-Uma).
Amida Tathágata’s incomparable Primal Vow is so called because it is the unsurpassed Vow promulgated for the sake of common mortals of this defiled world of the Closing Third Era such as we that forever commit evils and who are without virtue. However, it is not clear to me how to accept this Vow and in what manner one should believe in Amida and be reborn in the Pure Land. Please explain this in detail. In answer, I reply: To those sentient beings of this present Closing Third Era (regardless of how deeply engrossed in evil they may be) who place reliance in Amida Tathágata, He vowed to deliver them through His Great Compassion. Even though they do not place faith equally in each of the many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, He will emit His Great Light and encompass them within this Light, never to cast them away. This thought is preached in the Sutra as, ". . . His Light shines throughout the worlds of the Ten Quarters; sentient beings of the Nembutsu are encompassed in His Light and not forsaken...." Therefore, whereas the causal conditions would lead us inevitably on the path of the evil worlds of the Five and Six Realms, this inevitability is blocked through the inconceivable power of the Primal Vow of Amida Tathágata. This thought is preached again in the Sutra as, "...The causes leading to the Five Evil Worlds are severed crosswise; the gate to the Evil Realms are spontaneously blocked...." For this reason, when we believe in Tathágata’s Primal Vow and have no doubts, not even for a moment and no matter how convinced we may be that we are destined to fall into Hell; we are embraced in the all-encompassing Light of Amida Tathágata and we will not fall into Hell through our own efforts, but are to be reborn in the Land of Bliss. Thus, since we are recipients (day and night, morning and evening) of Tathágata’s Great Mercy (that is countless as raindrops and higher than mountains and for which we feel a great sense of gratitude), just keep the Sacred Name on your lips at all times and repeat the Nembutsu for the purpose of expressing this gratitude for the Grace of Amida Buddha. In other words, this is what is meant when we say, "the state of having obtained True Faith."
With reverence, I remain Night, 15th day, 2nd month, 6th year of Bunmei (1474CE) Recalling the past when Shakyamuni Buddha entered Nirvana, and rubbing these eyes that have dimmed with age, I have just finished dipping this brush while seated in the flickering light. Sixty years of age, personal seal (affixed)
After a careful and extended observation of the customs and conventions followed by the priests of the Nembutsu Path of this temple during the past three or four years, I truly see nothing which would indicate that they have received that Faith of the Other-Power. I say this because none of them even carry a strand of juzu. What they have shown by their conduct is a gross breach of etiquette towards Amida Buddha. Shinran Shonin is never known to have said to throw away the juzu when observing the gassho. However, even without carrying the juzu, the singular cause for rebirth in the Pure Land exists solely in the Faith of the Other-Power. Regarding this, there is no problem. Thus, there is nothing amiss in priests wearing the kesa and carrying a strand of juzu on their person. Relative to this, when a person receives True Faith, this condition is evidenced without fail in his speech and in his general personal conduct. Judging from what I have seen here, particularly during the past three or four years, it would be most exceptional for any of the priests to have completely received True Faith. I conclude this because they do not realize the sacredness of the Primal Vow of Amida Tathágata (having been so established, especially) as the most suitable way for them and themselves alone; and because in their constant arrogance filled with this conceit, it appears to me that they have only gone through the motions of listening during discussions pertaining to Faith. Where such priests are concerned, I think that their status for rebirth into the Land of Bliss is in jeopardy. It goes without saying that such priests cannot preach the True Dharma to the fellow lay-followers of the Faith. With the confirmed conceit harbored as mentioned above, they shall never be able to realize the rebirth into the Land of Recompense that is to come. Oh, what a woefully painful situation this is! They must seriously view this with a totally tranquil mind. Man's life is dependent upon breathing where the out-going breath must await the incoming breath. Enshrine the Dharma in your hearts and obtain Faith with deliberate concern and without laxity.
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