Gobunshō – 御文章 – Fascicle 5-18 – The Master of Our Tradition – 当流聖人章 –

5-18 The Master of Our Tradition

In attaining the settle mind recommended by Shinran, the Master of our tradition, we should simply disregard the fact that we are helpless beings of deep karmic evils, give up the inclination to perform various practices and miscellaneous acts, and deeply entrust ourselves to Amida Tathagata with singleness of thought and wholehearted assurance of our emancipation in the afterlife. Amida then saves us without exception, the out of ten and a hundred out of a hundred.

You should not have the slightest doubt about this. If you fully understand this, you are called practicers with the entrusting heart.

Beyond this, whenever you joyfully call to mind your emancipation in the afterlife, you should say “Namo Amida Butsu, Namo Amida Butsu, …” whether awake or asleep.

Humbly and respectfully.

Humbly and respectfully.

5-18　当流聖人章

当とう流りゅう聖しょう人にん (親鸞) のすすめまします安心あんじんといふは､ なにのやうもなく､ まづわが身みのあさましき罪つみのふかきことをばうちすてて､ もろもろの雑ぞう行ぎょう雑修ざっしゅのこころをさしおきて､ 一心いっしんに阿あ弥陀みだ如来にょらい後ご生しょうたすけたまへと､ 一念いちねんにふかくたのみたてまつらんものをば､ たとへば十じゅう人にんは十じゅう人にん百ひゃく人にんは百ひゃく人にんながら､ みなもらさずたすけたまふべし｡

これさらに疑うたがふべからざるものなり｡ かやうによくこころえたる人ひとを信心しんじんの行ぎょう者じゃといふなり｡

さてこのうへには､ なほわが身みの後ご生しょうのたすからんことのうれしさをおもひいださんときは､ ねてもさめても南無なも阿あ弥陀みだ仏ぶつ､ 南無なも阿あ弥陀みだ仏ぶつととなふべきものなり｡

あなかしこ､ あなかしこ｡

Index of individual letters:

Fascicle 1-2 – Renouncing the World and Awakening the Bodhi-mind – 出家発心章

Fascicle 1-3 – Hunting and Fishing – 猟すなどり章

Fascicle 1-5 – Journey in the Snow – 雪中章

Fascicle 1-6 – Drowsiness – 睡眠章

Fascicle 1-8 – Construction at Yoshizaki – 吉崎建立章

Fascicle 1-13 – A Wrong View Concerning “Ten Kalpas Ago” – 此方十劫邪義章

Fascicle 2-4 – Severing Crosswise the Five Evil Courses – 横截五悪趣章

Fascicle 2-5 – Juzu – 珠数章

Fascicle 2-7 – Going Is Easy, but No One Is Born There – 易往無人章

Fascicle 2-11 – The Fivefold Doctrine – 五重義章

Fascicle 3-4 – The Great Sage, the World-honored One – 大聖世尊章

Fascicle 3-6 – Solely Saying the Name Constantly – 唯能常称章

Fascicle 4-10 – This Present Age – 今の世章

Fascicle 4-11 – The Unity of Beings and the Dharma – 機法一体章

Fascicle 4-12 – The Meetings Twice Every Month – 毎月両度章

Fascicle 4-14 – The Settled Mind of Our Tradition – 一流安心章

Fascicle 4-15 – Construction at Ozaka – 大坂建立章

Fascicle 5-1 – Those Lacking Wisdom in the Latter Age – 末代無智章

Fascicle 5-2 – Eighty Thousand Dharma-teachings – 八万法蔵章

Fascicle 5-3 – Women Remaining in Lay Life – 在家尼入道章

Fascicle 5-4 – Whether Men or Women – 抑男子女人章

Fascicle 5-5 – Attaining the Entrusting Heart – 信心獲得章

Fascicle 5-6 – Singleness of Heart, Great Benefit – 一念大利章

Fascicle 5-9 – All the Sacred Scriptures – 一切聖教章

Fascicle 5-10 – The Tradition of Shinran Shonin -聖人一流章

Fascicle 5-11 – The Annual Memorial Observance for Shinran Shonin – 御正忌章

Fascicle 5-12 – Holding on to Amida’s Sleeves – 御袖章

Fascicle 5-13 – The Unsurpassed, Profound Virtues – 無上甚深章

Fascicle 5-16 – White Ashes -白骨章

Fascicle 5-17 – All Women – 一切女人章

Fascicle 5-18 – The Master of Our Tradition – 当流聖人章

Fascicle 5-21 – Clear Statements in the Scriptures – 経釈明文

Fascicle 5-22 – The Teaching of Our Tradition – 当流勧化章

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.

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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

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