Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

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truthb
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Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by truthb »

This is something I have wondered?

Is this part of what Shinran taught?
Based on The Lotus Sutra, it is my conviction that each person who is reading this will INEVITABLY become a Fully Realized Buddha.
GrapeLover
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by GrapeLover »

No, in that the "intrinsic" efficacy of other forms of Dharma isn't denied; yes, in that it's held to be incredibly unlikely that anybody in this day and age has the capacity to make other forms of practice work.

This is from Essentials of Faith Alone by Seikaku, Shinran's contemporary:
When persons aspire to free themselves from birth-and-death and attain enlightenment, there are two routes open to them: the gate of the Path of Sages and the gate of the Pure Land. The Path of Sages consists of performing practices and accumulating merit while living in this Saha world, striving to attain enlightenment in this present life. People who practice the Shingon teaching aspire to rise to the stage of great enlightenment with their present bodies, all followers who endeavor in the Tendai school seek to attain the enlightenment known as “the stage of purifying the six sense organs” in this life. Although such indeed is the final objective of the teaching of the Path of Sages, since the world has reached the age of the corrupt dharma and entered the period of defilement, not even a single person among millions can attain enlightenment in this present life.

...

Second is the gate of the Pure Land, in which, directing the merit of practice in the present life, one aspires to be born in the next life in the Pure Land to fulfill the bodhisattva practices and become a Buddha. This gate meets the needs of people of these latter days; it is truly a marvelous path.

...

The difficult path is the gate of the Path of Sages; the easy path is the gate of the Pure Land.
This is basically the view.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Having read through this book, my impression is that Shinran categorically rejects all other methods as foolish ‘self-power’.
So, I would say that the answer your question is yes.
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LastLegend
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by LastLegend »

truthb wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 6:01 pm This is something I have wondered?

Is this part of what Shinran taught?
That depends the the practitioners...how diligent they practice and they would need a desire to attain enlightenment.
It’s eye blinking.
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Konchog Thogme Jampa
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by Konchog Thogme Jampa »

truthb wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 6:01 pm This is something I have wondered?

Is this part of what Shinran taught?
Shinran teaches 18th Vow
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Budai
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by Budai »

AJP wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:31 am Shinran teaches 18th Vow
If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and recite my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma.

-Amida Buddha’s 18th Vow.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.

Namu Amida Butsu!

See you in the Pure Land!
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Ayu
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by Ayu »

Off topic discussion removed.
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Zhen Li
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by Zhen Li »

There are a few layers to Shinran's thought, but to put it into terms that other sects would understand, Shinran emphasised that Amida's path is the "One Vehicle," in the terms of the Lotus Sutra. Other approaches are provisional. In other places and times, yes, different practices will manifest themselves, but at the end of the day all Buddhas rely upon the same True Pure Land approach to attain full Buddhahood.
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Konchog Thogme Jampa
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by Konchog Thogme Jampa »

Könchok Chödrak wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:22 am
AJP wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:31 am Shinran teaches 18th Vow
If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and recite my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma.

-Amida Buddha’s 18th Vow.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Amida Butsu.

Namu Amida Butsu!

See you in the Pure Land!
Jōdo Wasan 87

Amida, full of compassion for those lost in
the great night of ignorance -
The wheel of light of dharma-body being boundless -
Took the form of the Buddha of Unhindered Light,
And appeared in the land of peace.
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FiveSkandhas
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Shinran Shonin was one of the 163 disciples of Honen Shonin who signed the Shichikajo-kishomon declaration, along with Master Honen, in the year 1204.

It should be noted that Master Shinran considered himself to be a loyal disciple of Master Honen throughout his whole life. The doctrinal differences between the Jodo-Shu and the Jodo-Shinshu are, from the perspective of the latter sect, due to the fact that Master Shinran "carried forward" the teachings of Master Honen, rather than contradicted them.

The Shichikajo-kishomon, of which Master Shinran was a signatory under his then-name Shakku (which had been given to him by Master Honen), includes (inter alia) promises to do the following:

"Refrain from denigrating other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and from attacking Shingon and Tendai...refrain from indulging in disputes with men of wisdom or when encountering people with other [Buddhist] practices...Toward people of other [Buddhist] persuasions or practices, refrain from saying, with your mind ignorant and biased, that they should abandon their practice..."

It would thus appear that Master Shinran formally accepted the validity of other non-Nembutsu-based Dharma Doors, and was thus not "exclusivist," even if he believed that his version of Nembutsu-centered practice was most suitable for the current age.

And after all, stating that a given practice is the "most suitable" is not precisely the same as stating that it is the "ONLY suitable" practice.

南無阿弥陀仏。
"One should cultivate contemplation in one’s foibles. The foibles are like fish, and contemplation is like fishing hooks. If there are no fish, then the fishing hooks have no use. The bigger the fish is, the better the result we will get. As long as the fishing hooks keep at it, all foibles will eventually be contained and controlled at will." -Zhiyi

"Just be kind." -Atisha
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

FiveSkandhas wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:13 pm "Refrain from denigrating other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and from attacking Shingon and Tendai...refrain from indulging in disputes with men of wisdom or when encountering people with other [Buddhist] practices...Toward people of other [Buddhist] persuasions or practices, refrain from saying, with your mind ignorant and biased, that they should abandon their practice..."

It would thus appear that Master Shinran formally accepted the validity of other non-Nembutsu-based Dharma Doors, and was thus not "exclusivist," even if he believed that his version of Nembutsu-centered practice was most suitable for the current age.

And after all, stating that a given practice is the "most suitable" is not precisely the same as stating that it is the "ONLY suitable" practice.

南無阿弥陀仏。
Or, he regarded such engagements with members of other schools as being entanglements relying on ‘self-power’ ultimately. In other words, winning philosophical debates and so forth are really just expressions of self-grasping. Conversely, there is simply no need to prove anything at all, if one truly relies on the ‘other-power’ of Buddha Amitabha.
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Zhen Li
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Re: Does Shinran teach that Amida is the ONLY way to salvation?

Post by Zhen Li »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:56 pm Or, he regarded such engagements with members of other schools as being entanglements relying on ‘self-power’ ultimately. In other words, winning philosophical debates and so forth are really just expressions of self-grasping. Conversely, there is simply no need to prove anything at all, if one truly relies on the ‘other-power’ of Buddha Amitabha.
Going through Shinran's letters, you can see that he only bothers to spend time replying and talking to people who thinks can give rise to faith. The Tannisho, on face value a tract criticising other views on the Pure Land, is in fact a record of comments he made just for his closest disciples. So, Shinran Shonin, who also said that his followers should not engage in any academic disputes or debates, certainly disagreed with others sects' approaches, but would not debate them or confront them—this is an important distinction. This is because, as Rennyo noted, people are drawn to the Pure Land path due to their karmic roots. If we dispute with those who don't have the sufficient karma, it doesn't matter what we say, they won't be convinced and may even develop wrong views towards the Pure Land path.

It is in this light that to their followers Honen and Shinran in fact repeated urged people to abandon the sundry practices and rely on the true practice.
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