Hello all,
I recently dove into the Tannisho, and I have a question regarding Shinran's view of Karma. In the work, there is a story in which Shinran explains Karma by example. In it, he asks his disciple Yuien-bo, on the basis of his trust in Shinran's teachings, to kill 1000 people to attain birth in the Pure Land. Yuien-bo refuses, saying that it isn't within his power to kill even one person. Shinran then explains that this shows that people commit actions based on the fruition of Karma, rather than any inherent good or evil in their hearts. The rest of this section basically explains how, through the Primal Vow, one can be saved by Amida regardless of good or evil actions, and how the views of licensed evil and also of admonishing those who commit evil for presuming upon the Vow, are wrong views.
I get a lot of peace from this teaching because I feel like it encompasses morality in a realistic way. While we should not feel free to go about committing evil willy-nilly because we are saved by Amida, this passage indicates that Shinran acknowledges that perfect good is unattainable because the good we do is not the selfless good associated with Buddhas, but it is born of transmigrating karma, which is fickle to say the least. In other words, when I read this passage, what I hear is "you can try to do good, and that is good, but you're bound to do evil, because you're only human. And that's okay, Amida grasps you anyway."
But I don't see how this view is not deterministic. It seems to me that there are no variables here that would account for it being anything but deterministic. And while the exact workings of Karma are inconceivable, I know that the general teaching states that it is neither totally deterministic nor totally random. What am I misunderstanding in this passage that gives rise to this apparent contradiction between Shinran's thought and the broader teaching of Buddhism?
Question on Tannisho 13
Re: Question on Tannisho 13
Shin Buddhism is a little deterministic, I think. Our ability to meet a zenchishiki, encounter Amitabha's vow, and acquire faith have karmic conditions, which Rennyo is fairly clear about:
I think the first could be understood as collective karma or common recompense, which Tanluan associated with land and climate. The second would be "differential recompense", which is associated with the nature of beings. Meeting zenchishiki and encountering the dharma would fall under issues of collective karma, and acquiring faith is an issue of personal karma. However, once faith is received, through the "transfer of merit" from Amitabha (Buddha's karma), the eons of evil from our collective and personal karma cease to hinder our ability to gain a favorable rebirth in the pure land and enlightenment. One of the characteristics of the pure land is "fulfillment of all that is sought" meaning one is fully autonomous and unaffected by past karma.
Another pertinent point is that, even within a deterministic framework, the typical Buddhist view of karma is short-circuited and flipped by the great vow. Part of mappo theory is that virtuous acts no longer have positive karmic results--in the Jodo-Ron-Chu Tanluan lists five reasons why the sagely path is difficult in this age, with good resulting from wrong views, people destroying others' virtues, and sravakas obstructing the work of compassion. Since Pure land buddhists see Amitabha's vow as tailored to the age of mappo, people with unfavorable rebirths to other buddhist sects--commoners, sinners, hunters, prostitutes, and others on the margin of society--become the main target of the vow (akunin-shoki). Everyone else (Bodhisattvas and saints) is included too, but only secondarily. Thus, in the age of mappo, individuals seen as possessing bad karma--personal or collective--become the primary targets of the only effective vehicle to enlightenment.
Thus, the only conditions pertinent to enlightenment are encountering the vow, and being able to intensively listen to the dharma. If you're reading Shinran's works and talking to Pure Land Buddhists, you probably have both.
There is some wiggle room, since Rennyo notes that actions in this lifetime also are causal conditions for developing faith (even if the actions in this lifetime themselves have a basis in past conditions):In other traditions conditional relations were attributed to favorable contact in this life-time with the dharma. In our tradition good conditions of the past result in faith. For us shinjin is essential. The teaching of Amida excludes no one, and is characterized as "Expansive Instruction."
Ken Tanaka says that there are three categories of cause and effect: 1) objective conditions, 2) personal karma, and 3) Buddha’s karma"The time has arrived," is a declaration following a considered matter that has finally taken place. We cannot say, "The time has arrived," if we have experienced no prior consideration. We can speak of having or not having past related conditions, and accordingly by listening to the dharma, shinjin is finally acquired.
If faith is at a distance intensive listening to the buddhadharma ends in faith by compassionate activity.
I think the first could be understood as collective karma or common recompense, which Tanluan associated with land and climate. The second would be "differential recompense", which is associated with the nature of beings. Meeting zenchishiki and encountering the dharma would fall under issues of collective karma, and acquiring faith is an issue of personal karma. However, once faith is received, through the "transfer of merit" from Amitabha (Buddha's karma), the eons of evil from our collective and personal karma cease to hinder our ability to gain a favorable rebirth in the pure land and enlightenment. One of the characteristics of the pure land is "fulfillment of all that is sought" meaning one is fully autonomous and unaffected by past karma.
Another pertinent point is that, even within a deterministic framework, the typical Buddhist view of karma is short-circuited and flipped by the great vow. Part of mappo theory is that virtuous acts no longer have positive karmic results--in the Jodo-Ron-Chu Tanluan lists five reasons why the sagely path is difficult in this age, with good resulting from wrong views, people destroying others' virtues, and sravakas obstructing the work of compassion. Since Pure land buddhists see Amitabha's vow as tailored to the age of mappo, people with unfavorable rebirths to other buddhist sects--commoners, sinners, hunters, prostitutes, and others on the margin of society--become the main target of the vow (akunin-shoki). Everyone else (Bodhisattvas and saints) is included too, but only secondarily. Thus, in the age of mappo, individuals seen as possessing bad karma--personal or collective--become the primary targets of the only effective vehicle to enlightenment.
Thus, the only conditions pertinent to enlightenment are encountering the vow, and being able to intensively listen to the dharma. If you're reading Shinran's works and talking to Pure Land Buddhists, you probably have both.
Re: Question on Tannisho 13
This makes sense, and maps somewhat with my experience with other-power Pure Land (as distinguished from self-power Pure Land practiced outside of the teachings of those like the Masters Honen, Shinran, and Ippen).
If I may ask a followup question: The encountering of the Vow and the road to Shinjin described by Shinran happens in 3 phases, corresponding to the 3 Vows that result in Birth (directly in the case of the 18th) in the Pure Land. At first one engages in self-power practice for Birth (the 19th Vow), and finds that their capacities are not suitable for this. Then, they engage purely in the Nembutsu, but with an attitude of self-power attached to it. Even if the merits accorded with the Nembutsu are from Amida, it is still I who chooses to call the name. This may also come with efforts on the part of the practicer to concentrate on the Name while reciting. This corresponds to the 20th Vow. Finally one finds that even this is futile in their current state, and instead turns to Birth via the 18th Vow, which is the Nembutsu of other-power, also called the Nembutsu of gratitude.
My question is, do these 3 stages have to occur in a single lifetime, or can one go through these phases over multiple lifetimes? I ask because I felt drawn to Pure Land very early on (I've only been practicing Buddhism at all for about 10 months!), and I just want to make sense of my experience with it in the framework drawn up by Shinran.
Many thanks for your answer previously. Namu Amida Butsu
If I may ask a followup question: The encountering of the Vow and the road to Shinjin described by Shinran happens in 3 phases, corresponding to the 3 Vows that result in Birth (directly in the case of the 18th) in the Pure Land. At first one engages in self-power practice for Birth (the 19th Vow), and finds that their capacities are not suitable for this. Then, they engage purely in the Nembutsu, but with an attitude of self-power attached to it. Even if the merits accorded with the Nembutsu are from Amida, it is still I who chooses to call the name. This may also come with efforts on the part of the practicer to concentrate on the Name while reciting. This corresponds to the 20th Vow. Finally one finds that even this is futile in their current state, and instead turns to Birth via the 18th Vow, which is the Nembutsu of other-power, also called the Nembutsu of gratitude.
My question is, do these 3 stages have to occur in a single lifetime, or can one go through these phases over multiple lifetimes? I ask because I felt drawn to Pure Land very early on (I've only been practicing Buddhism at all for about 10 months!), and I just want to make sense of my experience with it in the framework drawn up by Shinran.
Many thanks for your answer previously. Namu Amida Butsu
Re: Question on Tannisho 13
Here's the passage of the Kyogyoshinsho that the idea of "turning through three vows" comes from:
This is from Inogaki's translation here: http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/horai/kgss-g.htm#topNow, I, Gutoku Shinran, disciple of Shakyamuni, having respectfully accepted the exposition of the master of discourse [Vasubandhu] and the exhortation of the master of this school [Shan-tao], left forever the temporary gate of the thousands of practices and various good acts and departed from the teaching for the Birth beneath the Twin Shala Trees [Self Power Practice=19th vow]. Having converted to the True Gate of cultivating the roots of good and the roots of virtue [Self power Nembutsu=20th vow], I whole-heartedly awakened the aspiration for Incomprehensible Birth. However, I have now finally left the provisional True Gate and turned into the sea of the Best-selected Vow. Having abandoned at once the aspiration for the Incomprehensible Birth, I am now assured of attaining the Inconceivable Birth. How significant is the Vow of accomplishing the ultimate salvation [the Twentieth Vow]!
It is usually interpreted as occurring in a single lifetime. Also, since this is a description of Shinran's own religious path, it doesn't necessarily have to occur for everyone.
There are other readings of this, and in Melissa Curley's book "Pure Land, Real World", the philosopher Miki Kiyoshi is described as interpreting the "turning" as a single moment of dialectical synthesis, and on a historical scale with the 19, 20, and 18th vows corresponding to the age of the true, counterfeit, and final dharma respectively.
Re: Question on Tannisho 13
Ah I see, that's fair. I suppose it is good that Shinran delineated his own journey for others to map onto if they find similarities there, but it is good to know that I am not deviating from the path by jumping into the 18th Vow early. Many thanks.
Namu Amida Butsu
Namu Amida Butsu
Re: Question on Tannisho 13
In Shin it is generally understood that one can certainly jump to the 18th vow because we can read the path outlined by Shinran—he went through that process, so we don't have to. However, if we come to be settled in the Primal Vow in this life, it may very well be because we had gone through the 19th and 20th stages in past lives. Everyone is able to entrust in the Primal Vow, but this doesn't mean it will happen randomly without any causes and conditions.