Forced entry into the Pure Land?

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Huseng
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Forced entry into the Pure Land?

Post by Huseng »

This 12th century picture from Heian period Japan suggests some monks have to be pulled into the Pure Land...

Image

See the full image here:

http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/201211/08/42 ... 415033.jpg
plwk
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Re: Forced entry into the Pure Land?

Post by plwk »

If that were me, I wouldn't mind... :jumping:
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明安 Myoan
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Re: Forced entry into the Pure Land?

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Bold added by me:
Honen wrote:It is lamentable to hear one say, “I believe in the essential vow of Amida Buddha and long for birth in the Pure Land, yet even knowing that unshakable faith in Amida Buddha through nembutsu leads to the certain attainment of Amida Buddha, a deep aspiration for birth in the Pure Land does not arise morning and evening in my heart.”
One who has heard of the teaching of the Pure Land but acts like one who has not heard is one who has escaped from the three lower realms and received life as a human being but is still ensnared by unwholesome karma. This is also taught in the Sutra of Universal Enlightenment.
One who does not aspire for birth in the Pure Land has scant desire to forsake this world of suffering. To illustrate, it is as if someone kindly offers a boat to a person who has no intention of going down to the western provinces from the capital. Although the person does not think the boat unseaworthy, he feels no special gratitude for the offer simply because he has no need of the boat. On the contrary, if a person who has been bound in his enemy’s castle barely escapes and flees down the road, only to find a wide river or ocean standing in his way, his heart will be unable to contain his great joy if his parents have prepared a boat in order to save him.
Similarly, we have been firmly fettered by the enemy of worldly passions such as greed and anger and have transmigrated in the cage of the delusive three realms. Upon seeing this, Amida Buddha, with deep sympathy like a compassionate mother, cuts our ties of transmigration with the sharp sword of his name, sets the cherished boat of the essential vow afloat on the waves of the ocean of anguish and leads us to the shore of the Pure Land.
Upon reflection of this, our joy becomes too much for words; we can wring the tears of joy out of our sleeves, and our heart is overwhelmed in adoration of Amida Buddha. If I speak of this, one should feel so grateful that one’s hair stands on end, but it is the case that some may instead ignore this without consideration. This is what people are like. People naturally known how to commit a karmic wrong without having been taught. This is because they have transmigrated in the six delusive worlds from beginningless time to the present. In each instance, their appearances have changed but their nature remains unchanged. They have performed various nonvirtuous actions repeatedly and are now easily accustomed to committing karmic defilements. They have heard of the teaching of birth in the Pure Land through nembutsu for the very first time in this life; therefore, it may be natural that they cannot believe in the teaching of nembutsu in such a short period of time.
Moreover, hearts may be categorized into two types: the heart for the instantaneous realization of enlightenment and the heart for the gradual realization of enlightenment. The former attains deliverance quickly after listening to the Dharma, and the latter, slowly. For instance, when visiting a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple, one who is fleet of foot arrives there in a few hours while another who trudges slowly may take more than a day. In any event, those who have the intention to visit will reach there eventually. In the same manner, if one aspires to birth in the Pure Land, faith in one’s birth in the Pure Land through nembutsu will deepen with the passage of time.
Some may recognize their own helplessness to overcome aversion and doubt and thus take refuge in Amida, yet seemingly paradoxically say the nembutsu while feeling like the monk in that drawing. Shinran writes of this as well.
Shinran, Tannisho wrote:When I reflect deeply on it, by the very fact that I do not rejoice at what should fill me with such joy that I dance in the air and dance on the earth, I realize all the more that my birth is completely settled. What suppresses the heart that should rejoice and keeps one from rejoicing is the action of blind passions. Nevertheless, the Buddha, knowing this beforehand, called us 'foolish beings possessed of blind passions'; thus, becoming aware that the compassionate Vow of Other Power is indeed for the sake of ourselves, who are such beings, we find it all the more trustworthy.

Further, having no thought of wanting to go to the Pure Land quickly, we think forlornly that we may die even when we become slightly ill; this is the action of blind passions. It is hard for us to abandon this old home of pain, where we have been transmigrating for innumerable kalpas down to the present, and we feel no longing for the Pure Land of peace, where we have yet to be born. Truly, how powerful our blind passions are! But though we feel reluctant to part from this world, at the moment our karmic bonds to this saha world run out and helplessly we die, we shall go to that land. Amida pities especially the person who has no thought of wanting to go to the Pure Land quickly. Reflecting on this, we feel the great Vow of great compassion to be all the more trustworthy and realize that our birth is settled.
I personally wrestle with this kind of ingrate's nembutsu now and then, and I suspect those who earnestly delve into practice do as well, simply because we're ordinary beings with doubting minds. It's bound to show up sooner or later, dressed as whatever activity one devotes a lot of time to.
The important thing is that the nembutsu has been the only practice for me that's withstood this play of doubt/faith, certainty/uncertainty. I feel I'm learning to entrust the waning time of this life to Amida, no matter my particular mood or limited evaluations of practice.
Namu Amida Butsu
steveb1
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Re: Forced entry into the Pure Land?

Post by steveb1 »

I personally wrestle with this kind of ingrate's nembutsu now and then, and I suspect those who earnestly delve into practice do as well, simply because we're ordinary beings with doubting minds. It's bound to show up sooner or later, dressed as whatever activity one devotes a lot of time to.
The important thing is that the nembutsu has been the only practice for me that's withstood this play of doubt/faith, certainty/uncertainty. I feel I'm learning to entrust the waning time of this life to Amida, no matter my particular mood or limited evaluations of practice.


As always, thanks for your insights. Yes, the bombu mind is the doubting, blind, deluded mind...but then again through Amida's sheer grace, Shinjin is the activation of Buddha Nature in us, which causes true entrusting in the Buddha, "no matter my particular mood ro limited evaluations of practice".
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cj39
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Re: Forced entry into the Pure Land?

Post by cj39 »

I have been looking for this image for years! Saw it on a visit to the Shin group in Las Vegas. Thank you.
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