snksblog

However,  about the phase in spiritual world is not mentioned there. Then there are those who believe that nirvana-satisfaction and leaping to nothingness is the purpose of nembutsu, therefore, the purpose of life.

This point can be reached either by nembutsu or by practicing the Sacred Way, so those who say that any path will lead them to the same place do not know what lies ahead. The sutra says, "The Buddhas of the three realms will attain perfect enlightenment through samadhi (samadhi)," meaning that there are realms that can only be attained through samadhi (samadhi). If you experience it, you will soon realize that it is not the final ideal state (of Buddhahood).

Even though the original sutras were followed by the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, which taught the realms of the Huiyan, Dharma Eye, and Buddha Eye, there were limits to what could be taught, and there were areas that remained unexplained. The realm of the Buddha's eye is classified according to its depth, and this is the realm of "entering" out of the three categories of "opening," "showing," "understanding," and "entering. It was not until Ben-ei Shōnin attained the state of "entering" that the Mahayana scriptures, including the Lotus Sutra, the Yogya Treatise, the Settlement Mahayana Treatise, and the Three Pure Land Sutras, were all based on the state of "enlightenment," and at the same time, the Buddha's entire samadhi was revealed.

 Letters of mercy from Bennei Shonin to followers

                                                                                      upper volume OJJ

    1                                                                                                                                     OJJ1

 Fortunately we were born to be mankind and met Buddhism. I pray that you develop spirituality as a child of Nyorai hidden deep in  your heart and gain the eternal life from the present. When you develop spirituality , you will be unified with  immeasurable  and absolute spirituality Nyorai. Then you will realize that Nyorai is your true father and Gokuraku is your primary home. Buddhism to the way how to reach there.

 There are many ways in Buddhism but most important way is the  Nenbutsu- samadhi. There are many ways in Nenbutsu-samadhi but if you repeat the name of Amida out loud and contemplate the Amida’s face of mercy on mind with unceasing love, you should  be able to see the Amida’s face of mercy in your mind. Contemplating the Amida’s face of mercy unceasingly with love regardless of your daily  works will surely lead you to the accomplishment of the purpose.

    2                                                                                                                                OJJ2

 Matured yellow and red colored persimmons taste very good. They grew big and well matured because they did’t leave branches. Their belief keep the inseparable intimate relation with grace of Omioya. In Nenbutsu-samadhi  one can meet Amida Buddha not separating from Amida. Being nourished by Mida’s light of mercy, their spirituality  also could mature.

    3                                                                                                                                OJJ3

 Glorious fantasy of loving and spiritual phase can be seen in shining morning sun. The very glorious face is the objective manifestation of Mida’s spiritual love. Thinking of his glorious face of mercy,  my mind and body is melting.

 Zendo Daishi said ” Imagine  luminous circle and the golden incomparable and beautiful Amida’s face of mercy.”

 The shining sunlight  has most favor and power for our body. The sun is the source of our life. Nyorai is shinning eternally in spiritual wold and  is the sun of our spiritual life.

 Nyorai solemnly exists in our spiritual mind. Our spiritual mind is by nature the alter ego of the grate spirituality. 

    4                                                                                                                                OJJ4

   Target of devotion in mind means that we lay that  inseparable in mind. We should lay Mida-Sesson in the center of our mind and be illuminated by Mida’s light of of mercy and dignity. Then we can abandon the evil and bad, and be led to  right and goodness. Amida in front of us is the absolute personality and when we are illuminated by Amida’s light our wretched mind will naturally purified and mind of thankful will springs up.

    5                                                                                                                                OJJ6

 It’s foolish that one feel lost in the darkness of mind  and withering life day after day in vain in the eternal light of Amida. Grass of rice plant is withering day after day but grain s of rice is growing day after day. We are rushing to death day by day but grains of our spiritual  mind will be growing under the grace of great spiritual light.

   6                                                                                                                              OJJ 12

 The founder Honen-shonin depended on not Doshaku but Zendo when he found the Jodo-shu  because Zendo was the man of Nenbutsu-Samadhi. If he depended on Sutras, there is no difference between Doushaku and Zendo. But Zendo not depending on Sutras but experienced the truth of Mida. So founder Honen depended on Zendo. Honen also experienced the truth of Mida.

    7                                                                                                                            OJJ 26

 Is the face of mercy as close resemblance flicking before your eyes?  Without doubt Nyorai permanently pours the merciful gaze to you day and night.  Is there in your family the fragrance of the flower of your family as the fragrant Ume blossom ? 

    8                                                                                                                            OJJ 32

 Philosopher Spinoza also says that the true satisfaction of religious requirement will  be gained only by fulfilling the love for God. The cognition of God is the only way to fulfill the love for God. Since long ago, the great masters of philosopher and religionist have much strong love for God in their religious belief.

Waking or sleeping, if you never forget the thanks for Nyorai about every thing, the affection for Nyorai as parent -child relationship will develop I think.

    9                                                                                                                             OJJ 34

 You should trust  everything to Amida as Omioya, and think of him every time. He with the face of mercy like your mother is always in front of you and never leaves from you. When you devotedly think of that every time, gradually your mind become concentrated on that. Then your mind  transfers in Mida’s the face of mercy and the face of mercy transfers  in your mind. According to the deep transference, your mind disappears and only merciful Nyorai remains. In this way you will be the one in the  light of Amida, so I ‘ll advice you to never forget that while waking or sleeping.

 The life in this world Saha is limited even if you live to be 100 years old. You should live in the immeasurable Life, otherwise the life is in vain. Treasure covering all over the world is less valuable than the spiritual bead in your mind polished by the light of Amida. So never forget that the merciful Amida  in front of you  always looks you with a merciful gaze. Trust everything to Amida as Omioya.

    10                                                                                                                           OJJ 36

 Mida-Samadhi means that one throw away in the light of Amida everything without the mind for Mida. It is the idea or concept that the universe is filled with the light of Nyorai  and everything vanishes in the universe or everything is hold and under control in the light. 

   11                                                                                                                           OJJ 48

 No one knows the deep reason why and what for  we are born in this world. Therefore Shakuson appeared in this world and taught us the presence of Amida-Nyori as Omioya.

He told that one was born to get the qualification to return to the breast  of  Amida.

    12                                                                                                                           OJJ 49

 I will tell you about the religious faith. Religion is based on the the intimate relationship between the spiritual core of oneself and the spiritual core of universe. It is formed by the devotion of oneself to the core of universe. Our body is made alive by the sun and the other facilities which Nyorai prepared for us.

    13                                                                                                                           OJJ 50

 Zendo-Daishi says in “Raisan Mujou ge(礼賛無常偈)” Ordinary people aren’t aware that time  and life are passing  away while they are busy doing daily works.  They are not reliable as the lamplight in a storm. Not knowing where to go, not knowing how to get out of the sea of sorrow and suffering, why and how you stay in peace. Listen to me! Ask for the way to the eternal and permanent residence while you are heathy  and powerful.

    14                                                                                                                          OJJ 52  

 There is an original grate road in universe. This road is named Anokutara sannmyoku sannbodai.   It means the road is the supreme road. Shakuson discovered this road to the ultimate goodness and called it the way to Buddha.

    15                                                                                                                          OJJ 60    

  Life is like the drama in the theater arranged by the universe that create everything. It seems strange that people are generally fond of the tragedy of others but on the other hand  they are reluctant to step the stage of their own tragedy.      

 I hear that people cannot understand the  human secrets  without playing the role of cast in tragedy or comedy in Saha.     Regardless one is young or old, rich or poor, noble or mean ,  all  that being  born in this world are casted each  role in this stage of life by Omioya.  Every one who does best to play one’s role, the reward should be given necessarily by Omioya. 

    16                                                                                                                           OJJ 62

 As a wise man named Fudai-shi says,”sleeping in with Buddha every night and getting up with Buddha every morning”  I am also unable to sleep without Buddha in my mind. And I wake up with Amida thinking of Amida from the bottom of my heart uttering the name of Amida. In fact, not embracing Amida but I am embraced by Amida. When  I am in grieve , Amida comforts me. And when I am in anger, Amida calms me down. Amida gets close to me at all  times as if he is my  shadow.

    17                                                                                                                           OJJ 74

 Articles to  comply from now

Ⅰ     Time is life and you should not waste the precious time in vain.

Ⅱ    Be apart from the vanity the weak point of women. Wishes not accompanied by     

        ability will be the obstacle  for self improvement.              

Ⅲ   Keep truth firmly. False is the cause of losing virtue, so avoid  false surely.

Ⅳ   It is no use talking about anything without anything about Buddha. Useless chatting 

         is the foolish waste of time. 

Ⅴ     Don’t blame the person.  Not searching for people’s weakness but search for good 

          points. Reflect on yourself more when others criticize you.

Ⅵ      Don’t use others for your own affairs.

Ⅶ     Don’t get angry with others. Man of wisdom will not get angry. Goethe says that 

          anger is the toxic gas  that dwells in the bosom of the foolish.

Ⅷ     Never forget that your body is for self-discipline.

Ⅸ       Set up the firm purpose and never lose the desire to achieve that. First of all, get the 

          Amida’s light of mind. Never abandon the Nenbutsu-samadi  and meditation to get

         that. Seek for the virtuous mentor and hear about the Dharma.

    18                                                                                                                           OJJ 75

　Nyorai is deeply merciful and affectionate for us at any time. It’s very thankful that there is the presence of Nyorai in my contemplation. This is the Nenbutsu-samadi. If one think of Amida constantly and treat Amida like a mother, he can see Amida near future.

    19                                                                                                                           OJJ 76

  A Doei Traditional poem of Eshin-sozu “ Under asleep in dream and  awake in real , Mida’s appearance is unforgettable for me even for the moment. ” is very  useful I think.

In your daily life, it’s desirable to think of only Amida not to do the bad. Look back your mind  many times in a day whether you are thinking of Nyorai or not. Not only repeating the name of Amida but thinking of Mida’s face of mercy is important.

    20                                                                                                                         OJJ 104

 According  to the deepening of religious faith, one will be able to appreciate the delicate taste of Nenbutsu. When your religious faith is firmed, you will be able to think of Amida all the time. The best way to do so is to make Amida’s face of mercy target and rely on Amida.

 My road to the revived religious faith 　　笹本戒浄上人「私の信仰が復活するまで」より

                                                                                                          　　　　　　　　　　　  told by Sasamoto Kaijo

1 Time of infancy

    When I was 8 years old, I was adopted to the temple and  get my hair shaved in 11 years old. But my faith of Nenbutsu  then based on the traditional futurism. 

 Around  18 years old, I was in Daibutsu Den (Great Buddha Hall)in Kamakura, and I was very interested in the  book named 『Seishin Keiibi』(enlightening of  spirit) written by Dr. Kure Shuuzou.  Based on experimental study results, the book says  that spirit is nothing  but cerebral cortex.  If the related part  in the brain is broken, for example one cannot hear and lose  all the memory gained by ear. One cannot see and lose all the memory gained by eye. So immortal soul which has long been said is not fact and spirit will disappear  when the body disappear. I was very pleased to read this book but  my religious beliefs was upset after that. That  is rather natural because it means the purpose of Nenbutsu loses the  ground. Though I barely found a glimmer of hope in Sutras above all the Three Pure Land Sutras, Dr.Anezaki’s Mahayana non-Buddhist theory destroyed my hope. So I became unable to do Nennbutsu.  I spent the day of anguish in the darkness.

2  Time of  my  faith  in the darkness

 The more I studied in school, the more my religious faith was destroyed.  The state of mind Samadhi  rather seemed to be mental disorder.  Sutras  are obviously lacking integrity, I think.  It seems impossible to keep religious belief by modern studies on Sutras. To begin with, I doubted the founder Honen Shonin ’s base of religious belief. What was the base of his religious belief when he founded Jodo-Shu 800 years ago?  I have suffered from that question for a long time.

3  Close inquiry of True Self

When my religious belief was destroyed, strong desire arose from the bottom of my heart.  The desire was like this. ’’ I would like to find out the immortal part in my mind.” Even when I was asleep or awake,  I thought about that. One day just in the 11th year, I suddenly became aware that the eternal Self exist in the place where the noise of the screech of my

pen sounds, in the place where I squeeze my finger. I became aware that our mind existed there. Then I became aware of  my misunderstanding about the mind. I have dealt with the mind merely as a concept  not catching the mind as a very fact before. After that when  I  passed through Suda-chou at Kanda on train,  I was very glad to feel that all the things before me in the scenery within my mind. 

 This was the very special  and big experience that I  glimpsed the one face of the Truth after the long struggle. And strangely  I could believe in the Kannon Bodhisattva even under this struggle. I think this is because my mother’s daily worship to Kannon Bodhisattva. Repeating the name of Amida, I’ve  prayed to Kannon Bodhisattva only to show the actual existence of Amida Buddha.  

 And at the time when I glimpsed the one faee of the Truth, I realized that the real self is the Hosshinn of Amida buddha,  and immortal grate self .

Since then I matched this experience to the statements of 『　Yuga -ron』concerning Real-self.  I was very surprised that the statements pointed out the truth very briefly and  worshipped the writer Miroku many times in a day. In this way, I  took back the belief of the exist of Amida and  the small light shines in the darkness. However, at that time my realization stayed partially and I could’t know the whole universe.  I mistook the truth and thought that the condition I got was our ideal and most certain. So I began to do Nenbutsu in a Zen- Shu style.

4  Restoration to the faith of Jodo

After that I studied psychology at the Tokyo Imperial University. I listened  the lecture of Dr. Anezaki who was the unique member in Japan  of the spiritual research association. I was very interested in the lecture , so I repeated the experiment of clairvoyance and hypnosis in the laboratory. And I got the result that the hypnosis  is certainly on of the samadhi and under this situation one can see and hear the things of far away. I made it certain that the mind in samadhi  has the ability of seeing the things clearly and that is not necessarily the mental illness.

  I carefully read the important writings of Honen-Shonin and find out that his belief did not depend on the sutras but  on solely  Zendo- Daishi. We can see that he said in the end of his main writings  『Zendo is the man who achieved Samadhi,  he showed the evidence in his behavior, so I depend on him.』I thought it very noble and precious. The second successor Chinzei- Kokushi  wrote in his writings thoroughly that “  Nenbutsu -Samadhi is most important for the one who does Nenbutsu.  You should practice this. Never do Nenbutsu without thinking this. The purpose of Nenbutsu believer is the gain of Nenbutsu Samadhi. ”  When I read this again, I found that this was the true intention of founders.  In this way I came to bow Honen the founder at last.

 Here I would like to emphasis that mere Sutras cannot be the evidence, and not enough. Modern studies of Sutras reveal this. We can read Honen’s real mind from his Japanese poems of thirty-one syllables. These and rather his other writings can be the evidence. Nenbutsu Samadhi is the purpose of us Nenbutsu believers and its gain is possible not in the  life after death but in this life. I got back the reliance  for the founder Honen in this way at last.

5  Two big benefactors of my revived religious faith

I have two benefactor of my religious belief. Miyamoto Kaizen Shonin encouraged me several times and prevented my from secularization. Bennei Shonin who is the man of achieved deepest  Samadhi showed me the only way to become Buddha .

    ◎ Miyamoto Kaizen  the senior priest             

Miyamoto Kaizen shonin was almost uneducated and illiterate. He  looked ordinary priest  but did Nenbutsu very much. He became seriously ill  in the summer of Meiji 16.  He desperately did Nenbutsu at that time to be born the Pure Land.  He became almost dead and doctor judged  his death but during his funeral process his finger slightly moved and revived. He did Nenbutsu further and further  until his death in January Taisho 8.

  I did not know his achievement of Nenbutsu but one day of Meiji 44 , when at the meeting I was speaking about “ Real Self”  as a lecturer , he was in the audience dancing around in front row. Other  audience seemed to be getting bored as usual. After the meeting I visited him and asked the reason why he was so pleased. I did hearing of details from him and I made sure that he achieved the very deep or high enlightenment comparable with that of highest Zen priest. He kept on Nenbutsu practice further , he  achieved  Kegon-Samadhi one

kind of Butsugen the highest enlightenment. One day he said “ One rice grain is the whole universe but it is not that one rice grain get bigger or the universe get smaller.” He did not know about that but this is Kegon-Samadhi without doubt.

  When I received a postcard from my mother informing her injury, I worried about her very much. But he knew that my mother’s bone was not broken and  he knew her condition  after a week and after a month also. His sayings were quite accurate so I experienced how Nenbutsu-Samadhi was great and precious. Before his death he recommend me to follow Bennei Shonin after his death. 

 So I  unexpectedly  faced the second dawning of my religious life.

     ◎ Yamasaki Bennei Shonin(Seija)

I first met Bennei Shonin at the early in the Taisho period just after my senior priest Miyamoto shonin'death. When I first met Benei Shonin , I said ”  I devote myself to Hosshinn” .

But Bennei Shonin said “No. You must devote your self to Houshinn”.  Then I returned home and investigated many books of Ryuju ,Tenshin, Donran , Zendo etc.. I found that they all praised Houshin and devoted them to the light of mercy. So I abandoned the Nenbutsu in  Zen style and began to do Nenbutsu in front of the statue of Amida which Bennei Shonin painted for me.  But to my surprise,  every time I began to do Nenbutsu “ Good-for-nothing! ”  these words came out from my mouth against my will.  I repented from the bottom of my heart  and after a long time, I came to return to the breast of Amida Buddha.

  About once  in a month I asked Bennei Shonin to come to and stay at  my temple and I was intimately taught many important things from  him.

 Bennei Shonin never said “I am Buddha. ”But his ability for Shujo(sentient beings) liberation is same as that of Buddha which we can see in the biographical story in Sutras. Therefore we believe that he is Buddha in modern times.

 Bennei shonin attained the most profound enlightenment Dai-en-kyou-chi (skt. sa-ji ): the wisdom of boundless spherical mirror, and this wisdom can see directly all in the universe not through words or color and shapes.  I’m not obedient but he showed his ability  enough .

So I bowed at him and came to follow him and receive his teachings.

Conclusion

 I told about my road to the revived religious faith. I came to know Nenbutsu is the best way to get the luminous life of Amida Buddha. The best purpose of our life shown by Shakuson are the Nehan(Nirvana) and Bodai(bodhi) they are the eternal life and eternal peace of mind , the complete  of spirituality. The evidence shown by  Zendo-Daishi Honen-Shonin and Bennei -Shonin led me this convince.          
                                                                                                Gassho- Junen