5-11 The Annual Memorial Observance for Shinran Shonin
Among those of you who have come during the annual memorial observance for Shinran Shonin to attend and pay reverence to him with sincere wishes to express your appreciation for his benevolence, some have already attained the entrusting heart while others have not. This is a matter of the greatest importance.
For, if you have not attained the entrusting heart, your birth in the fulfilled land after this life is uncertain. So those of you who lack the entrusting heart should strive to settle your mind quickly.
The human world is a realm of uncertainty, while the land of bliss is the realm of eternity. Hence, you should aspire for the eternal land of bliss instead of desiring to continue to inhabit this human world of uncertainty. If you do not know why, in our tradition, the entrusting heart is placed before anything else, all is in vain. In quickly attaining the settled mind, you should aspire for birth in the Pure Land.
The popular belief held by the people of the world is that if they simply recite the nembutsu, they will be born in the land of bliss. But this idea is completely groundless.
Attaining the entrusting heart of Other Power is nothing other than understanding fully the significance of the six-character Name, “Na-mo-a-mi-da-butsu.” This is what is meant by attaining the entrusting heart.
As to the essentials of the entrusting heart, the [Larger] Sutra states, “Hearing the Name, one attains the entrusting and joyful heart.”
Shan-tao says, “‘Namo’ means to take refuge. It further signifies aspiring and directing virtue. ‘Amida Butsu’ implies the practice.”
The first two characters, “na-mo,” signify the mind to abandon various practices and entrust oneself single-mindedly and unwaveringly to Amida Buddha.
Next, the implication of the four characters, “a-mi-da-butsu,” is that Amida readily saves those sentient beings who entrust themselves to him with singleness of heart. This is what “a-mi-da-butsu” means.
Understanding “Namo Amida Butsu” in this way is what I mean by attaining the entrusting heart. Those who have this understanding are the nembutsu practicers who have truly realized the entrusting heart of Other Power.
Humbly and respectfully.
5-11 御正忌章
そもそも､ この御正忌のうちに参詣をいたし､ こころざしをはこび､ 報恩謝徳をなさんとおもひて､ 聖人の御まへにまゐらんひとのなかにおいて､ 信心を獲得せしめたるひともあるべし､ また不信心のともがらもあるべし｡ もつてのほかの大事なり｡
そのゆゑは､ 信心を決定せずは今度の報土の往生は不定なり｡ されば不信のひともすみやかに決定のこころをとるべし｡
人間は不定のさかひなり｡ 極楽は常住の国なり｡ されば不定の人間にあらんよりも､ 常住の極楽をねがふべきものなり｡ されば当流には信心のかたをもつて先とせられたるそのゆゑをよくしらずは､ いたづらごとなり｡ いそぎて安心決定して､ 浄土の往生をねがふべきなり｡
それ人間に流布してみな人のこころえたるとほりは､ なにの分別もなく口にただ称名ばかりをとなへたらば､ 極楽に往生すべきやうにおもへり｡ それはおほきにおぼつかなき次第なり｡
他力の信心をとるといふも､ 別のことにはあらず｡ 南無阿弥陀仏の六つの字のこころをよくしりたるをもつて､ 信心決定すとはいふなり｡
そもそも､ 信心の体といふは､ ¬経¼ (大経・下) にいはく､ ｢聞其名号信心歓喜｣ といへり｡
善導のいはく､ ｢南無º といふは帰命､ またこれ発願回向の義なり｡ ª阿弥陀仏º といふはすなはちその行｣ (玄義分) といへり｡
｢南無｣ といふ二字のこころは､ もろもろの雑行をすてて､ 疑なく一心一向に阿弥陀仏をたのみたてまつるこころなり｡
さて ｢阿弥陀仏｣ といふ四つの字のこころは､ 一心に弥陀を帰命する衆生を､ やうもなくたすけたまへるいはれが､ すなはち阿弥陀仏の四つの字のこころなり｡
されば南無阿弥陀仏の体をかくのごとくこころえわけたるを､ 信心をとるとはいふなり｡ これすなはち他力の信心をよくこころえたる念仏の行者とは申すなり｡
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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