Jodo-Shinshu and fatalism

[Wannabuddha]

The Buddha rejected fatalism as wrong view, but now that I think about it, I'm having a hard time explaining to myself why Jodo-Shinshu is not an optimistic form of fatalism. As I understand it, fatalism is the idea that we are headed inexorably toward a certain outcome, and our actions make no difference in whether we reach that outcome. The teaching in Jodo-Shinshu is that we are currently stuck in samsara, and will be stuck in samsara until the inconceivable working of Amida brings each of us to shinjin, and our actions and choices play no role in either causing or preventing this, since it is taught that we do not collaborate with Amida in bringing about our salvation. How is this not a form of fatalism, albeit an optimistic fatalism?

[Konchog Thogme Jampa]

Just dynamic working of ones individual karma with the working of Amida

So not fatalism

It's just a path the white path to be exact

Just say the name to be born in the Pure Land

[PadmaVonSamba]

All beings are destined to, eventually, be free of samsara. Why? Because the perfectly clear mind of the Buddha is the true nature of the mind of all sentient beings. Our confused, grasping mindset is simply a cloud or a distortion caused by conditions. When those conditions no longer exist, then the true mind reveals itself.

The path of Amitabha is a short-cut to that true state. But it is really beyond the dualism of fate/no-fate, because “fate” can really apply only to the illusory existence of beings in samsara.

It’s sort of like asking, if you take off your clothes, is it your fate to be naked. Since your original state is, in fact, naked, and that original state is merely hidden by fabric, you can’t say it’s your fate or destiny, because it’s already your true state.