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Copyright@ Adrian Gheorghe Cirlea (Josho Adrian Cirlea)
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Scroll down to watch the video teaching on this topic
I heard many times the idea that we need to make a vow to be born in the Pure Land. This is said under the influence of various Chinese Pure Land groups that place a lot of emphasis on self-power, a view which is totally rejected in our school.
I will state it clearly and I ask all of you to please listen deeply:
We do not need to make a personal vow to be born in the Pure Land because birth in the Pure Land does NOT depend on our personal power, but on Amida's Power.
This is extremely important - you can be born in the Pure Land by the Power of Amida Buddha, and NOT by your self power! The vows you make have ZERO importance. What matters is that you give up any idea of self power and entrust completely to Amida Buddha.
In His Primal Vow (18th Vow) Amida mentioned three conditions to be born in His Pure Land : "say my Name, entrust to me and wish to be born in my land". He did not mention that you must make any vows or transfer any merits! To wish to be born is not the same as a vow which can easily make one think that he goes to the Pure Land through his own act of will. So, if we do the above three simple things in the Primal Vow, we become karmically connected to Amida's Power and we are assured of birth in the Pure Land.
Our Jodo Shinshu is the school of the Primal Vow, of total and exclusive reliance on Amida Buddha. Nothing inside our unenlightened minds can bring us closer to the Pure Land. Only Amida's Power and His Primal Vow (His Main Promise) are reliable. We will reach His Pure Land because He vowed that He will bring us there if we entrust to Him and say His Name in faith, and NOT because we make any personal vows or we transfer our pitiful "merits" to birth there.
The promises and vows made by unreliable and unenlightened minds mean nothing, while the Promise and Vow of Amida is everything.
Namo Amida Bu
Kosho Arana is scheduled to receive monk (priest) ordination soon, together with Daigan from Uruguay. He already finished all the examinations with me but we continue this public presentation so that people find how we do things at Amidaji, and what a candidate for ordination needs to know.
May all beings create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land.
Kosho Arana is scheduled to receive monk (priest) ordination soon, together with Daigan from Uruguay. He already finished all the examinations with me but we continue this public presentation so that people find how we do things at Amidaji, and what a candidate for ordination needs to know.
At THIS LINK you can also find the original detailed explanation (video) of the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha as it appears in my books mentioned above. HERE is the same content on Amidaji website.
May all beings create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land.
This is a very interesting video discussion between some members of Amidaji. It shows how we do things, how we teach Amida Dharma, how we distinguish between true and false, how we accept or refuse membership, etc.
When somebody enters or re-enters our Sangha he or she must
be able to explain in his own words the essentials of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism as
we teach it at Amidaji. This is exactly what Kosho Sebastian Arana does in this
video while also sharing his experience in other schools and the reasons he
chose to return to Amidaji. This discussion was followed by an online kieshiki
(refuge ceremony) for Kosho.
Question: I saw somewhere the
saying that Jodo Shinshu is the teaching of non-ego. What does it mean?
My answer: Master Rennyo
said: “The teaching of Buddha Dharma is
the teaching of non-ego”.
In
Buddhism, the teaching of non-ego is often linked with the image of
Bodhisattvas who never think of themselves but are always dedicated to the
salvation of all beings. This is true, but it is only one aspect of it. How can
we, ignorant people, understand the teaching of non-ego? In what form do we
find it emphasized in Jodo Shinshu? To
follow the teaching of non-ego also means to abandon once and for all any
thought of merit or non-merit, for it means not to include any personal
calculation in matters that concern our birth in the Pure Land.
I
wrote these words today to a Dharma friend who was sad that he is not able to
teach or help those who live far from him. I hope you guys will also find it
useful:
Being
an example of faith is teaching without words. If you are established in faith
others will be helped just by being in your presence because they make a karmic
connection with a future Buddha. It is the same with the people you met and you
could not help. Even those you didn’t meet but you think of them, will receive
your help after you become a Buddha in the Pure Land. This is because you
create a karmic connection with them by keeping them in your mind.
If
you have faith (shinjin) you automatically help visible and invisible beings
even without teaching them directly. Invisible beings are helped just by
knowing your thoughts of devotion towards Amida and by hearing you saying His
Name. Also human beings are helped just by hearing your Nembutsu or by just
looking at you. As a person of faith you are imbued with the infinite merits of
Amida Buddha. Although you are a grave sinner you shine in the light of Amida
and this helps others without their knowing. You have a limited unenlightened
mind and you cannot deeply understand what I am saying here but it is true
nevertheless.
I explained more on this topic in the following video:
The editorial policy of this website is to present only the orthodox teachings of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Before I link to any other website, I investigate that website to make sure that they share the same attitude. I reject any website that presents false or divergent teachings, or that links to other websites that present false or divergent teachings.