3-4 The Great Sage, the World-honored One
When we carefully consider the transiency of human life, we realize that the living will certainly end in death and that the prosperous will eventually decline. This is how life is in the human world. Even so, we vainly live days and nights, spending months and years to no purpose. Indeed, we may lament about it, but I feel that we could never really comprehend the true extent of this pitifully sad situation.
How true it is that impermanence is difficult to escape for all, from the Great Sage, the World-honored One, at the highest level, to Devadatta, who committed evil acts and grave offenses, at the lowest.
Moreover, to receive life as a human being is indeed rare and difficult, and even more so is it the opportunity to encounter the Buddha Dharma, the way of emancipation from birth-and-death through practices of self-power is difficult to follow at the present time in the latter days. Therefore, our lives would be spent in vain unless we encountered the Primal Vow of Amida Tathagata.
Fortunately, however, we have now been able to meet this unique teaching of the universal Vow. So the only thing we should aspire to is the Pure Land of bliss; the only one we should rely on is Amida Tathagata. For this reason, we should settle our entrusting heart and say the nembutsu.
On the other hand, what people in the world generally conceive in their minds is that if only they recite “Namo Amida Butsu” aloud, they will be born in the land of bliss. But this idea is completely groundless.
What then is the meaning of the six-character Name, “Na-mo-a-mi-da-butsu”? We should understand that when we entrust ourselves unwaveringly to Amida Tathagata, the Buddha fully recognizes this and saves us; this is manifested as the six-character Name, “Na-mo-a-mi-da-butsu.”
How then should we entrust ourselves to Amida Tathagata in order to resolve the matter of the greatest importance of the afterlife? We should rely single-mindedly and unwaveringly on Amida Tathagata, entrusting ourselves to Amida without any qualms and discarding the inclination to perform various practices and miscellaneous acts of virtue. Amida recognizes this, sends forth rays of light and embraces with them the sentient beings who rely on the Buddha.
This is expressed as “receiving the benefit of Amida Tathagata’s embracing light.” It is also referred to as “receiving the benefit of the Vow that never forsakes us.”
Once we have thus been received within Amida Tathagata’s light, we will be born in the true fulfilled land immediately after our life comes to an end. There should not be any doubt about this.
Beyond this, what is the use of relying on other Buddhas or practicing other meritorious good acts? How deeply happy and grateful I feel for the benevolence of Amida Tathagata! How could we express our gratitude for Amida’s benevolence, which is like the vast sky and lofty mountains?
We should bear in mind that we simply say aloud “Namo Amida Butsu, …” to express our deep gratitude for Amida’s benevolence.
Humbly and respectfully.
18th day of the 8th month, 6th year of Bunmei [1474]
3-4 大聖世尊章
それ､ つらつら人間のあだなる体を案ずるに､ 生あるものはかならず死に帰し､ 盛んなるものはつひに衰ふるならひなり｡ さればただいたづらにあかし､ いたづらにくらして､ 年月を送るばかりなり｡ これまことになげきてもなほかなしむべし｡
このゆゑに､ 上は大聖世尊 (釈尊) よりはじめて､ 下は悪逆の提婆にいたるまで､ のがれがたきは無常なり｡
しかれば､ まれにも受けがたきは人身､ あひがたきは仏法なり｡ たまたま仏法にあふことを得たりといふとも､ 自力修行の門は､ 末代なれば､ 今の時は出離生死のみちはかなひがたきあひだ､ 弥陀如来の本願にあひたてまつらずはいたづらごとなり｡
しかるにいますでにわれら弘願の一法にあふことを得たり｡ このゆゑに､ ただねがふべきは極楽浄土､ ただたのむべきは弥陀如来､ これによりて信心決定して念仏申すべきなり｡
しかれば､ 世のなかにひとのあまねくこころえおきたるとほりは､ ただ声に出して南無阿弥陀仏とばかりとなふれば､ 極楽に往生すべきやうにおもひはんべり｡ それはおほきにおぼつかなきことなり｡
されば南無阿弥陀仏と申す六字の体はいかなるこころぞといふに､ 阿弥陀如来を一向にたのめば､ ほとけその衆生をよくしろしめして､ すくひたまへる御すがたを､ この南無阿弥陀仏の六字にあらはしたまふなりとおもふべきなり｡
しかれば､ この阿弥陀如来をばいかがして信じまゐらせて､ 後生の一大事をばたすかるべきぞなれば､ なにのわづらひもなく､ もろもろの雑行雑善をなげすてて､ 一心一向に弥陀如来をたのみまゐらせて､ ふたごころなく信じたてまつれば､ そのたのむ衆生を光明を放ちてそのひかりのなかに摂め入れおきたまふなり｡
これをすなはち弥陀如来の摂取の光益にあづかるとは申すなり｡ または*不捨の誓益ともこれをなづくるなり｡
かくのごとく阿弥陀如来の光明のうちに摂めおかれまゐらせてのうへには､ 一期のいのち尽きなばただちに真実の報土に往生すべきこと､ その疑あるべからず｡
このほかには別の仏をもたのみ､ また余の功徳善根を修してもなににかはせん｡ あら､ たふとや､ あら､ ありがたの阿弥陀如来や｡ かやうの雨山の御恩をばいかがして報じたてまつるべきぞや｡
ただ南無阿弥陀仏､ 南無阿弥陀仏と声にとなへて､ その恩徳をふかく報尽申すばかりなりとこころうべきものなり｡
あなかしこ､ あなかしこ｡
文明六年八月十八日
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