5-21 Clear Statements in the Scriptures
In attaining the settled mind recommended in our tradition, we should simply cast aside the inclination to perform various practices and miscellaneous acts and leave our evil karma to the Buddha, however deep it may be; if we deeply and solely rely on Amida Tathagata with a single thought of entrusting and wholehearted assurance of emancipation, we will all be saved, ten out of ten and a hundred out of a hundred. There should not be the slightest doubt about this, not even as small as a dew-drop.
We call those who entrust themselves in this way “people who have firmly attained the settled mind.” In the scriptures there are clear statements about this: “with the awakening of a single thought of entrusting, we join those who are in the stage of the truly settled” and “the practicers who have settle the cause for birth in everyday life.”
We should, therefore, bear in mind that the essential point is solely to rely deeply on Amida Buddha with a single thought of entrusting. Apart from this, remembering that we are profoundly indebted to Amida Tathagata for readily saving us, we should say the nembutsu always, whether waling, standing, sitting, or lying down.
Humbly and respectfully.
5-21 経釈明文
当流の安心といふは､ なにのやうもなく､ もろもろの雑行雑修のこころをすてて､ わが身はいかなる罪業ふかくとも､ それをば仏にまかせまゐらせて､ ただ一心に阿弥陀如来を一念にふかくたのみまゐらせて､ 御たすけ候へと申さん衆生をば､ 十人は十人百人は百人ながら､ ことごとくたすけたまふべし｡ これさらに疑ふこころつゆほどもあるべからず｡
かやうに信ずる機を安心をよく決定せしめたる人とはいふなり｡ このこころをこそ経釈の明文には､ ｢一念発起住正定聚｣ とも ｢平生業成の行人｣ ともいふなり｡
さればただ弥陀仏を一念にふかくたのみたてまつること肝要なりとこころうべし｡ このほかには､ 弥陀如来のわれらをやすくたすけまします御恩のふかきことをおもひて､ 行住坐臥につねに念仏を申すべきものなり｡
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
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