Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for everyone
By Rev. Ken Yamada
Jodo Shinshu uses words such as “salvation” and “save” which make me uneasy. They give Pure Land Buddhism the appearance of a Christian-like religion with Amida Buddha as savior.
Yet, Jodo Shinshu’s founder Shinran Shonin used these terms. In the Tannisho, he says:
As for me, I simply accept and entrust myself to what my revered teacher told me, “Just say the nembutsu and be saved by Amida”; nothing else is involved.
By Rev. Ken Yamada
When temple visitors ask, “Where’s the Pure Land,” I usually say, it’s in “a state of mind.” Is that correct? Many people thought differently, and some were persecuted for their views.
Even today, some Jodo Shinshu followers think when they die, they’ll go to the Pure Land, comforted by the thought of reuniting with deceased loved ones. For hundreds of years in Japan, such beliefs were common.
Nowadays it’s absurd to think the Pure Land exists as a real place. There’s no proof and it’s never been scientifically verified. But just 150 years ago, a debate erupted over the Pure Land’s actual existence. Continue reading “Where exactly is the Pure Land?”
What exactly is Jodo Shinshu’s path to spiritual awakening? What are we supposed to do? The answer isn’t always clear.
Responses typically include “Just listen to the teachings” or “Accept Amida Buddha’s compassion.” Is that enough? Another makes sense: “Jodo Shinshu is about self-reflection and introspection.” Yet this last answer proved controversial.
By Rev. Ken Yamada
Today, government mandates clash with personal rights; an unprecedented rise in wealth clashes with unrelenting poverty; political upheaval, military expansionism, and redefined social mores and identity abound. In these changing times, we must ask, “Is Jodo Shinshu Buddhism relevant?”
These challenges confront us now, but they also confronted a small group of innovative Buddhist thinkers a century ago, spurring them to redefine, modernize and find meaning in Jodo Shinshu, which for the previous two centuries had stagnated and grown moribund. For their contributions, they were persecuted, some even excommunicated by their own denomination. Their writings continue to be studied, debated, and valued in understanding Shinshu today. Continue reading “Seishinshugi: Shinshu’s Clash with the Modern World”
By Daiei Kaneko
Jodo Shinshu Buddhism can seem mystifying and irrelevant with abstract jargon and symbolism. Imagine explaining to a group English speaking diplomats, scholars and clergy. Continue reading “eBOOK: When We Entrust to the Long Held Wish”
Rev. Ryoko Osa
Often in movies, when people are dying, they say to family members, “I love you… Thank you for everything… Please take care of yourselves.” However according to medical professionals, such last words are rare at life’s end. Continue reading “Dying last words”