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

5-22 The Teaching of Our Tradition

If you wish to know thoroughly the essentials of the teaching recommended in our tradition and attain birth in the land of bliss, you should, first of all, know about the entrusting heart of Other Power.

What is the entrusting heart of Other Power for? It is the provision by which helpless beings like us can easily be born in the Pure Land.

How is it to have the entrusting heart of Other Power? It is simply to awaken a single thought of entrusting with single-minded and unwavering reliance on Amida Tathagata without any qualms; then the Buddha unfailingly sends forth the embracing light and keeps you within it while you are in this Sahā world. This is precisely how your birth is settled.

Thus, “Namo Amida Butsu” itself is how the entrusting heart of Other Power has been established in you. You should understand that this entrusting heart reveals how “Namo Amida Butsu” has been fulfilled. So you should not have even a trace of doubt that only by attaining this entrusting heart of Other Power, you are to be easily born in the land of bliss.

How wonderful is Amida’s Primal Vow! How could you express your deep gratitude for Amida’s benevolence? You should express your gratitude for the benevolence of Amida Tathagata by simply reciting “Namo Amida Butsu” always, whether awake or asleep.

What should be your motivation for saying “Namo Amida Butsu”? Remember that it is to express your joyful gratitude and appreciation to the benevolence of Amida Tathagata for saving you.

Humbly and respectfully.

5-22 当流勧化章

そもそも、 とうりゅうかんのおもむきをくはしくしりて、 極楽ごくらくおうじょうせんとおもはんひとは、 まづりき信心しんじんといふことをぞんすべきなり。

それ、 りき信心しんじんといふはなにのようぞといへば、 かかるあさましきわれらごときのぼんが、 たやすくじょうへまゐるべきようなり。

そのりき信心しんじんのすがたといふはいかなることぞといへば、 なにのやうもなく、 ただひとすぢに弥陀みだ如来にょらい一心いっしん一向いっこうにたのみたてまつりて、 たすけたまへとおもふこころの一念いちねんおこるとき、 かならず弥陀みだ如来にょらい摂取せっしゅこうみょうはなちて、 そのしゃにあらんほどは、 このこうみょうのなかにおさめおきましますなり。 これすなはちわれらがおうじょうさだまりたるすがたなり。

されば南無なも弥陀みだぶつもうたいは、 われらがりき信心しんじんをえたるすがたなり。 この信心しんじんといふは、 この南無なも弥陀みだぶつのいはれをあらはせるすがたなりとこころうべきなり。 さればわれらがいまのりき信心しんじんひとつをとるによりて、 極楽ごくらくにやすくおうじょうすべきことの、 さらになにのうたがいもなし。

あら、 しゅしょう弥陀みだ如来にょらい本願ほんがんや。 このありがたさの弥陀みだおんをば、 いかがしてほうじたてまつるべきぞなれば、 ただねてもおきても南無なも弥陀みだぶつととなへて、 かの弥陀みだ如来にょらい仏恩ぶっとんほうずべきなり。

されば弥陀みだぶつととなふるこころはいかんぞなれば、 弥陀みだ如来にょらいおんたすけありつるありがたさたふとさよとおもひて、 それをよろこびまうすこころなりとおもふべきものなり。

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.


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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