Volition and other-power

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Wannabuddha
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Volition and other-power

Post by Wannabuddha »

I have read some stuff about volition and "free will" from a Buddhist perspective, but only through a Vajrayana and Theravada lens. My takeaway was that absolute free will is not considered to exist, but neither is absolute determinism. I am curious whether there has been any specifically Jodo-Shinshu writing on volition and personal agency, and in particular on the relationship between an individual's choices and the other-power of Amida. I am thinking about this because of something my teacher told me: "Once we receive shinjin, we realize that we thought we were making efforts to listen to the teaching, but it was actually the working of Amida Buddha to nurture us to receive shinjin." This makes me wonder about the relationship between my own choices/efforts and the working of Amida.
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Zhen Li
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Re: Volition and other-power

Post by Zhen Li »

I would say it is compatibilist in the sense of John Stuart Mill's understanding: when we speak of a free choice by an individual in ordinary speech, we don't mean completley uncaused and indetermined action, but rather unconstrainted choice. We have our choices and that creates our karma, and others have their choices and that creates their karma. There are still choices, even though there are causes and conditions for them to arise. They are determined, and yet we may not necessarily be constrained—we have to keep this in mind because "free will" is not actually a concept explicitly discussed in Buddhism.
Wannabuddha wrote: Wed Nov 02, 2022 4:48 pm Once we receive shinjin, we realize that we thought we were making efforts to listen to the teaching, but it was actually the working of Amida Buddha to nurture us to receive shinjin.
Yes, this is the implication of the doctrine of Sangan Tennyu. Transferrence from reliance on the 20th vow to the 18th vow happens by jinen honi (natural working) without our doing it, but we only realsie it retroactively. This is discussed in the following article:
松尾哲成 (Tetsunari Matsuo), “三願転入の研究 (Sangan Tennyū No Kenkyū),” 信宗学 (Shinshū Gaku) 73 (January 25, 1986): 79–95.

As for all of the good deeds that make up reliance on the 19th and 20th vows, they too can be seen as the working of Amida. I searched for a long time to find the passage that is in the back of my mind, but I can't find it. I think it is by Rennyō and I thought Eiken Kobai discussed it in one of his books, but I can't find it. It might even be by Honen or Shandao (who suggests that any good deeds done out of self power are "poisoned good deeds")... but sorry I can't find the source.

It is something like:
On reflection, I realise if I have done any modicum of good, it has been entirely the working of Amida Tathāgata.
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laic
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Re: Volition and other-power

Post by laic »

I see a few words of Taitetsu Unno in his book on Shin as relevant:-

...it is a necessary stage on the path where self-power is also appreciated, in reflection, as the working of Other Power

The theistic perception:-

"By God's grace alone is God to be grasped. All else is false, all else is vanity." (Guru Nanak of the Sikh Faith)

"They who have known God have known also this one certainty; that it was God's grace that led them to it, and framed them in readiness for it, and prepared their heart and mind for it; and it was God alone who lifted them to that embrace." (Swami Abhayananda of the Hindu faith)

Back to the Pure Land...... :smile:

Saichi:-

O Saichi, will you tell us of Other Power (Tariki)
Yes, but there is neither self power nor Other Power
What is, is the Graceful Acceptance only.


Rennyo:-

"Faith (shinjin) does not arise
Within oneself
The entrusting heart is itself
Given by the Other Power"

.....and so on....and so on
Protecting oneself one protects others
Protecting others one protects oneself
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