A Clear Statement about how Shinjin is itself Buddha Nature

Post Reply
User avatar
Zhen Li
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:15 am
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

A Clear Statement about how Shinjin is itself Buddha Nature

Post by Zhen Li »

I came across this while going through KGSS (Chapter 3, 67–9). Shandao writes,
Those who wish to be born in the Pure Land of Peace and Bliss should awaken the aspiration for the highest Bodhi. ...

[Fire (Amida's mind) and wood (our minds)]
That mind itself produces Buddhas' [in the Contemplation Sutra] means that the mind [i.e., Faith] becomes Buddha. 'That mind is itself the Buddha' means that there is no Buddha apart from the mind. It is just as fire comes from wood but is not separate from the wood. Because it is not separate from the wood, it burns the wood. The wood becomes fire, which burns the wood and turns it, too, into fire. ...

This mind becomes Buddha. This mind is itself Buddha. There is no Buddha apart from this mind.
As we know, Buddha Nature is always there as the "true Self" of all beings, which is identical to the Buddha. This is different from the mind of delusion and saṃsāra, the self with which we identify in this world and cling to—the self about which the Buddha declared "there is no self." So, we cannot say as some do that in some way this saṃsāric mind is the same as the Buddha's mind or Shinjin—even though it is always present.

The ability for the "wood" to burn is always there, as is the "fire," but we don't place it into the fire until we attain Shinjin. This begins the process which results in our birth in the Pure Land and attainment of Buddhahood. To place the wood in the fire means to simply entrust, know without doubt that you are saved, and say the Nembutsu in gratitude:
Yung-ch'in of the Vinaya School in the "Notes in the commentary to the Amida Sutra" wrote:To transform ordinary people into sages through this Dharma is actually as easy as turning one's palms—so easy that many people with shallow wisdom are skeptical about this.
User avatar
PadmaVonSamba
Posts: 9441
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:41 am

Re: A Clear Statement about how Shinjin is itself Buddha Nature

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Another way to look at this is that the true nature of the mind is infinite.
The name ‘Amitabha’ means infinite light.
Ordinarily, beings cling to a very limited, samsaric mind. Pure land practice immediately opens the way to infinite mind.

The practice of pure land Buddhism is to realize the mind’s infinite nature rather than to cling to limited projections and appearance (this includes the over-thinking of ‘self-power’) and instead is
accomplished simply through recitation of the name of Amitabha Buddha (in whatever language) and by letting go of that limited mind, just trusting that if you get go of your tight grip on samsara, that everything will be okay. This kind of trust, you can’t think it through. You just have to do it.

Be careful with using the term, ‘true self’ as it can be misleading and instead lead one onto a self-power practice, still clinging to limited mind, without realizing it. Buddha-nature (tathagatagharba) is the mind’s true nature, synonymous with the infinite mind of Amitabha but it is not really a ‘self’.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
User avatar
Zhen Li
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:15 am
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

Re: A Clear Statement about how Shinjin is itself Buddha Nature

Post by Zhen Li »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:54 pm Another way to look at this is that the true nature of the mind is infinite.
The name ‘Amitabha’ means infinite light.
Ordinarily, beings cling to a very limited, samsaric mind. Pure land practice immediately opens the way to infinite mind.

The practice of pure land Buddhism is to realize the mind’s infinite nature rather than to cling to limited projections and appearance (this includes the over-thinking of ‘self-power’) and instead is
accomplished simply through recitation of the name of Amitabha Buddha (in whatever language) and by letting go of that limited mind, just trusting that if you get go of your tight grip on samsara, that everything will be okay. This kind of trust, you can’t think it through. You just have to do it.

Be careful with using the term, ‘true self’ as it can be misleading and instead lead one onto a self-power practice, still clinging to limited mind, without realizing it. Buddha-nature (tathagatagharba) is the mind’s true nature, synonymous with the infinite mind of Amitabha but it is not really a ‘self’.
Self is one of the "four inversions" in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. Self-power is to rely on a projection, on a self which is not the true self of the four inversions. True self is just a synonym of Buddha nature, as is infinite, unbounded, permanent, nirvāṇa, diamond-like, etc. Essentially, all the things that we have to negate about saṃsāra in order to attain awakening, are qualities which are not possible to negate in Buddha Nature. For instance, if a fire is extinguished, the state of its extinction is permanent—but the fire and its fuel was impermanent. To identify that extinction (literally nirvāṇa) with the previous fire (our self) is incorrect, they are not the same thing. So, the Buddha is not teaching us to re-attach to the self in teaching about the True Self. It is more of a heuristic, it is a skilful means for those who are learning about Buddha nature.

Otherwise, I agree that this is the same as saying we are becoming open to an infinite mind, unbounded mind, fundamentally compassionate mind, mind free from all conceptualisations.

I don't think, however, that this involves a "realization" on our part. It is, rather, a partaking in an aspect of Buddha Nature, even though we, ourselves, are incapable of fully understanding the nature of Buddhahood. This is why the analogy works so well. We are still the wood. The Buddha is still the fire. They are connected, and yet we are still saṃsāric. That's why Shinjin is a gift of other power. Our imperfect and "bombu" self experiences "nothing special," but we have no doubt that we are saved. If we could have some kind of transformation or realisation on our part, that would mean our false "self" is in some way capable of functioning as Buddha Nature, which it is not—this is why, in the end, all beings (all bodhisattvas) need to rely upon the Shinjin of Other Power in order to attain Buddhahood. Even the "grip on saṃsāra," unfortunately it remains after Shinjin—but we know it is something we dislike, we want to be rid of it, but know we are incapable in this life. This is why we only entrust single-heartedly.
User avatar
Konchog Thogme Jampa
Posts: 1175
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:48 am
Location: Saha World/Hard to Take

Re: A Clear Statement about how Shinjin is itself Buddha Nature

Post by Konchog Thogme Jampa »

Of course no calculations required on our side :ugeek:
Post Reply

Return to “Jodo Shin Shu”