5-6 [ Singleness of Heart, Great Benefit ]
To the practicers who entrust themselves to Amida with singleness of heart, Amida bestows the virtues for attaining the unsurpassed, great benefit. Concerning this, Shinran Shonin says in a hymn:
When sentient beings of this evil world of the five defilements
Entrust themselves to the selected Primal Vow,
Virtues indescribable, inexplicable, and inconceivable
Fill those practicers.
The meaning of this hymn is as follows: “sentient beings of this evil world of the five defilements” refers to all evil beings like us, both men and women.
Even though we are such helpless, foolish beings, committing evil all our lives, Amida Tathagata never fails to save us if we entrust ourselves single-mindedly and unwaveringly to Amida for our emancipation in the afterlife. There should not be any doubt about this.
To those who thus rely on Amida, the indescribable, inexplicable, and inconceivable great virtues are bestowed. “Virtues indescribable, inexplicable, and inconceivable” means infinite, great virtues.
Since such great virtues are directed to us who entrust ourselves to Amida with singleness of heart, all our karmic hindrances and evils committed in the three periods － will be eliminated at once, and thus we dwell in the stage of the truly settled, or the stage equal to perfect enlightenment.
This is also described in a hymn as:
Entrust yourself to Amida’s Primal Vow;
Through the benefit of being grasped, never to be abandoned,
All who entrust themselves to the Primal Vow
Attain the supreme enlightenment.
“Being grasped, never to be abandoned” means that the sentient beings who entrust themselves to Amida with singleness of thought are embraced in Amida’s light and, since their entrusting heart does not change, they will not be abandoned.
Although there are other aspects of the teaching in Jodo Shinshu, there should never be any doubt that those who entrust themselves to Amida with singleness of thought will all attain birth in the fulfilled land.
Humbly and respectfully.
5-6 一念大利章
一念に弥陀をたのみたてまつる行者には､ 無上大利の功徳をあたへたまふこころを､ ¬和讃¼ (正像末和讃) に聖人 (親鸞) のいはく､ ｢五濁悪世の有情の 選択本願信ずれば 不可称不可説不可思議の 功徳は行者の身にみてり｣｡
この和讃の心は､ ｢五濁悪世の衆生｣ といふは一切われら女人・悪人のことなり｡
さればかかるあさましき一生造悪の凡夫なれども､ 弥陀如来を一心一向にたのみまゐらせて､ 後生たすけたまへと申さんものをば､ かならずすくひましますべきこと､ さらに疑ふべからず｡
かやうに弥陀をたのみまうすものには､ 不可称不可説不可思議の大功徳をあたへましますなり｡ ｢不可称不可説不可思議の功徳｣ といふことは､ かずかぎりもなき大功徳のことなり｡
この大功徳を､ 一念に弥陀をたのみまうすわれら衆生に回向しましますゆゑに､ 過去・未来・現在の三世の業障一時に罪消えて､ 正定聚の位､ また*等正覚の位なんどに定まるものなり｡
このこころをまた ¬和讃¼ (正像末和讃・意) にいはく､ ｢弥陀の本願信ずべし 本願信ずるひとはみな 摂取不捨の利益ゆゑ 等正覚にいたるなり｣ といへり｡
｢摂取不捨｣ といふは､ これも､ 一念に弥陀をたのみたてまつる衆生を光明のなかにをさめとりて､ 信ずるこころだにもかはらねば､ すてたまはずといふこころなり｡
このほかにいろいろの法門どもありといへども､ ただ一念に弥陀をたのむ衆生はみなことごとく報土に往生すべきこと､ ゆめゆめ疑ふこころあるべからざるものなり｡
あなかしこ､ あなかしこ｡
Index of individual letters:
Other Resources:
Letters of Rennyo: The Essence of Shin Buddhism (essay/talk by Rev. Daien T. Haseo)
Letters of Rennyo – On Youtube (presented by Rev. Sugahara Yuki)
Complete Letters of Rennyo translation by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai follow this link to their website to download a copy.
To purchase the book ‘Letters of Rennyo’ , Translated by as part of the Hongwanji Shin Buddhism Translation Series, this is the publication information & link:
- Title ：Letters of Rennyo
- ¥1,100
- Author ：Shin Buddhism Translation Series
- Language ：English
- ISBN ：4-938490-20-X
- pages ：164
Buy from Hongwanji International Center: https://international.hongwanji.or.jp/html/c3b1p1.html
If you would like a digital copy containing more translated letters than listed above (albeit not translated by Hongwanji), you can download a PDF from the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK – Amercia) website here: Link: https://bdkamerica.org/product/tannisho-passages-deploring-deviations-of-faith-and-rennyo-shonin-ofumi-the-letters-of-rennyo/
Credits: The text for the Letters of Rennyo as presented on this and subsequent pages was originally shared on the following site : http://www.yamadera.info/seiten/seiten_index.htm
Please report any broken links here