Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

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Mr. G
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Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

Post by Mr. G »

Is Shin Buddhism -- a version of this ancient faith practised in Japan -- a good religion for Canadians? Jeff Wilson thinks it is.

Wilson, a Shin Buddhist convert and author of the book Buddhism of the Heart: Reflections on Shin Buddhism and Inner Togetherness, believes it's a good fit for people wanting a flexible, non-judgmental and accepting form of spirituality.

"Most religions ask you to be something other than who and what you are," he says. "They want you to become holy or pure or good enough to qualify to enter heaven or whatever ultimate goal it is that they hold out in front of the believer."

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  • How foolish you are,
    grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
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Astus
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Re: Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

Post by Astus »

I don't really see yet how Shin Buddhism could become even the most popular among Buddhist schools, not to mention in a whole country. That's because of three reasons: 1. requires faith not just in rebirth but in external buddhas too, 2. has no meditation practices that are so popular today and promises no immediate results, 3. reminds many people of Christianity.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
Huseng
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Re: Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

Post by Huseng »

Astus wrote:I don't really see yet how Shin Buddhism could become even the most popular among Buddhist schools, not to mention in a whole country. That's because of three reasons: 1. requires faith not just in rebirth but in external buddhas too, 2. has no meditation practices that are so popular today and promises no immediate results, 3. reminds many people of Christianity.
I also doubt whether the majority of Shin Buddhist priests in Japan nowadays actually believe in a post-mortem Pure Land (as in they think it is realistic that it both actually exists and that they will be reborn there).

I've heard of other interpretations that are easier for modern Japanese people, the majority of whom are biased towards materialist world-views with no view of an afterlife, where the Pure Land is something you cultivate in yourself in the here and now rather than being a place you strive to be reborn into after death.
Huseng
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Re: Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

Post by Huseng »

Incidentally, there is a Shin Buddhist temple already several generations old in Winnipeg, MB (my hometown). It was originally a Japanese temple for Japanese Canadians, but they made a decision to transition from being an ethnic temple to a community temple:

http://www.manitobabuddhistchurch.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
DGA
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Re: Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

Post by DGA »

It seems as though the Shin temples that have some vitality and longevity are the ones that meet the needs of the community they're in. Hence, there's less emphasis on maintaining Japanese cultural continuity, and more emphasis on... practice for the sake of practice (self-power?).
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Astus
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Re: Shin Buddhism a 'spiritual path for busy people'

Post by Astus »

I believe Shin Buddhism has a profound message, however, it is to be understood strictly within the Mahayana context and no other way. Unlike most of the other Buddhist school, Shin Buddhism doesn't have a practice to offer to non-believers. It is also interesting to note how Shinran and his followers were against non-Buddhist practices like worshipping gods.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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