Sailing in samsara at night on a dark turbulent sea
The Good Dharma Teacher is a beacon of light
And hope in an ocean of foggy mediocrity
Where false teachers instead of teaching right Amida Dharma spread misleading lies
That were never proclaimed by the wise
And compassionate Amida Dharma Masters
Throughout all time
This is indeed a great crime
As it can mislead genuine seekers
To believing in false preachers
Instead of trusting in true teachers
Tragically turning away from the true teaching
And following bad teachers’ misunderstanding
Of the true path to Amida’s Pure Land
And Amida’s wise and compassionate Helping Hand
As well as the great gift of Amida’s Primal Vow
So do not delay but begin nowTo think and say
Each and every day
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Thank you Amida Buddha
Homage to Amida Buddha
I take refuge in Amida Buddha
-GANSEN JOHN WELCH
The above verses were inspired by the following passages from pages 150 to 153 of Reverend Josho Adrian Cirlea’s excellent book “The Meaning of Faith and Nembutsu in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism”
“The way to faith – listening deeply to Amida Dharma
What can we do in order to receive faith (shinjin)?
We should listen deeply to the teaching about Amida’s
non-discriminatory salvation until we understand it and accept it
with our mind and heart.
Master Rennyo said:
"Regardless of our doubts, if we listen intently with our entire being, we will be given shinjin because of Great Compassion.
The Buddhist teaching begins and ends in hearing."
So, in our tradition, listening to the teaching is the most important practice. You have to listen again and again, and one day you will become open enough so as to entrust completely to Amida Buddha. The words "we will be given shinjin because of Great Compassion" shows that shinjin comes from Amida, as I explained in the previous chapter, but the first part "if we listen intently with our entire being" shows what we have to do, if we wish to receive the gift of faith from Amida. There is a good poem on this:
"Uncover your cup
To receive the Dharma rain,
Then faith, and the Nembutsu,
Will naturally arise.”
-Jason Ranek, an American Pure Land follower.
If one does not listen deeply to the teaching, but is filled with ideas of self power or keeps oneself under the influence of various non-Buddhist religions, he cannot receive shinjin nor say the genuine nembutsu which is the natural manifestation of shinjin. Faith and nembutsu are not forcibly imposed in our hearts by Amida Buddha, so if somebody does not show interest in the Buddhist teaching and especially in the teaching about the Primal Vow of Amida, he cannot receive shinjin.
Here are some examples of listening deeply to Amida Dharma:
Think that solving the matter of repeated births and deaths is the most important thing in your life.
Put aside all other Buddhist or non-Buddhist teachings, philosophies, and opinions and listen (reading is also listening) only to Amida Dharma.
Put aside what you think you know and listen to what Amida Dharma has to say. Empty your cup (mind) of your so called, personal "wisdom", and stay open to receive the nectar of Dharma. Consider that you know nothing and that Amida Dharma knows everything.
Read the most simple and essential texts of our school- Listen with a devotional mind and heart
Listen again and again (constantly) in the manner described above
Ask questions if you have doubts or if there is something you don't understand. Study the answers carefully and without hurry, and ask again if you need to.
Engage in a Dharma dialogue (not debates!) with people who are already established in faith and who do not embrace wrong views.
Think on the testimony of Shakyamuni Buddha himself, and of so many wonderful Masters like Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Shan-tao, Honen, Shinran, Rennyo, etc, who accepted the existence of Amida Buddha and the reality of His salvation.
Always ask Amida Buddha for guidance. Bow to Him, and say His Name even if you are not yet established in faith. No matter how many doubts you have, or how awkward it might be at the beginning, find some time to sit with Amida Buddha and ask Him for guidance. Give a chance to the idea that He and His salvation are real.
You really have nothing to lose if you accept Amida's salvation. On the contrary, you gain everything! You will be born in the Pure Land at the end of this life and become a Buddha! Your suffering in the repeated births and deaths will be over and you will be capable of truly helping others, especially your dear ones.
Please also meditate on what you have to lose if you do not accept the existence of Amida Buddha and the reality of His salvation. The chance you now have to be in a human body and listen to Amida Dharma might not be met in thousands and thousands of lives!
So, just give it a try and do the above things for some time.”
Another source of inspiration for the above verses was the following passage from page 9 of Reverend Josho Adrian Cirlea’s wonderful book “The Path of Acceptance: Commentary on Tannisho”
“Commentary on the Preface of Tannisho – the duty of the Teacher
The intention of Tannisho is to prevent Shinran’s disciples (that means us) from twisting the teaching with their own views (i.e. understanding based on personal views). In fact, the title, Tannisho, means “lamenting the divergences.”
Yuien-bo, the author of Tannisho, emphasized this by saying: “Let there be not the slightest distortion of the teaching....”
So, even the slightest distortion of the teaching is dangerous. In his intention of preventing us from distorting the teaching, he uses only the words spoken by Shinran Shonin, and not somebody else’s words. He looks to Shinran Shonin as the ultimate teacher in matters related to our birth in the Pure Land:
“For how is entrance into the single gate of easy practice possible unless we happily come to rely on a true teacher whom conditions bring us to encounter?”
Gansen John Welch is a myōkōnin and member of Amidaji temple.
He is also the narrator of Reverend Josho's books.
Already available are the audio versions of: