Thought I'd take this opportunity to share Rev Kosen Ishikawa's videos on Honen's One-Sheet Document...
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6:
Part 7:
Part 8:
Honen's One-Sheet Document
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
Porkchop,
A job well done. I hope others in the Pureland Forum came come to know Honen's teachings from a great teacher (Ishikawa Sensei). Namu Amida Butsu.
-Gary
A job well done. I hope others in the Pureland Forum came come to know Honen's teachings from a great teacher (Ishikawa Sensei). Namu Amida Butsu.
-Gary
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
Posting these was long over-due, but then I've got a bit of a backlog. I still owe him some cleaned up English for the subtitles of that video (like I promised on the Google Group), but every time I sit down to do it something comes up. I'll try to be a bit more proactive.Gary wrote:Porkchop,
A job well done. I hope others in the Pureland Forum came come to know Honen's teachings from a great teacher (Ishikawa Sensei). Namu Amida Butsu.
-Gary
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
I have watched the first five videos just out of curiosity. They don't make me want to practice Jodo Shu, but they have given me a better understanding of this tradition and of Japanese language and culture. Rev. Ishikawa seems like a very kind and joyful person. If anybody thinks that Buddhism is only about misery and suffering, they should take a look at Rev. Ishikawa!
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
Luke wrote:I have watched the first five videos just out of curiosity. They don't make me want to practice Jodo Shu, but they have given me a better understanding of this tradition and of Japanese language and culture. Rev. Ishikawa seems like a very kind and joyful person. If anybody thinks that Buddhism is only about misery and suffering, they should take a look at Rev. Ishikawa!
Buddhism is only about escaping misery suffering; but if someone thinks there is even a microgram of happiness in samsara, they are pretty deluded. However, people on the path have good reason to be happy.
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
Your comment was very timely because in Part 6, Rev. Ishikawa speaks a bit about the suffering of samsara at the beginning of the video. I guess it's a topic which any authentic Buddhist teacher gets around to sooner or later.Malcolm wrote:Buddhism is only about escaping misery suffering; but if someone thinks there is even a microgram of happiness in samsara, they are pretty deluded. However, people on the path have good reason to be happy.
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
In Part 7, Rev. Ishikawa talks a bit about the views of some of Honen's main students, such as Bencho. He also mentions that he feels that there is very little information about Pure Land Buddhism available in English (this is part of his motivation for making these videos). Perhaps more Pure Land texts will be translated into English in the future...
One thing these videos have given me is just the opportunity to see how a Pure Land Buddhist priest thinks and acts. Rev. Ishikawa is very knowledgeable and rational, so this is what impresses me the most. He doesn't have any overdone "Praise Amitabha! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters!" type of attitude that I had always expected Pure Land priests to have.
One thing these videos have given me is just the opportunity to see how a Pure Land Buddhist priest thinks and acts. Rev. Ishikawa is very knowledgeable and rational, so this is what impresses me the most. He doesn't have any overdone "Praise Amitabha! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters!" type of attitude that I had always expected Pure Land priests to have.
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
Ippen is an interesting character.Luke wrote:In Part 7, Rev. Ishikawa talks a bit about the views of some of Honen's main students, such as Bencho. He also mentions that he feels that there is very little information about Pure Land Buddhism available in English (this is part of his motivation for making these videos). Perhaps more Pure Land texts will be translated into English in the future...
One thing these videos have given me is just the opportunity to see how a Pure Land Buddhist priest thinks and acts. Rev. Ishikawa is very knowledgeable and rational, so this is what impresses me the most. He doesn't have any overdone "Praise Amitabha! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters!" type of attitude that I had always expected Pure Land priests to have.
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
Yes, Honen maintained that it was important to have a healthy level of disgust for the world of suffering.Luke wrote:In Part 7, Rev. Ishikawa talks a bit about the views of some of Honen's main students, such as Bencho. He also mentions that he feels that there is very little information about Pure Land Buddhism available in English (this is part of his motivation for making these videos). Perhaps more Pure Land texts will be translated into English in the future...
I would just like to take a moment and say "thank you" for that observation. That initial assumption seems to show up a lot in people who criticize the Pure Land schools.Luke wrote:One thing these videos have given me is just the opportunity to see how a Pure Land Buddhist priest thinks and acts. Rev. Ishikawa is very knowledgeable and rational, so this is what impresses me the most. He doesn't have any overdone "Praise Amitabha! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters!" type of attitude that I had always expected Pure Land priests to have.
Yeah I've found a lot of value in his writings. If most of his disciples hadn't committed suicide (by boat) I think he'd be much more influential these days. That being said, a lot of his teachings on non-dualism show up in his predecessor Shinran. His example as a nembutsu hijiri (wandering nembutsu ascetic) is also apparent in predecessors such as Kuya. Ippen's explanation of the Buddha names at the end of the Amitabha Sutra that appears in Thomas Cleary's "Zen in the Pure Land" is perhaps the best commentary on the topic that I've ever seen.Malcolm wrote:Ippen is an interesting character.
Re: Honen's One-Sheet Document
I just watched the last video. In video 8, Rev. Ishikawa compares both Jodo and Shin Buddhism in a general way and then talks about the 5 right methods of Pure Land practice (starting at around 30:40).
Anyway, at least now I have some idea what Jodoshu Buddhism is all about. And beyond any religious doctrines, Rev. Ishikawa just seems like a really nice guy.
Anyway, at least now I have some idea what Jodoshu Buddhism is all about. And beyond any religious doctrines, Rev. Ishikawa just seems like a really nice guy.