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T2661 Tannishō Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi The Letters of Rennyo

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TANNISHŌ: PASSAGES DEPLORING DEVIATIONS OF FAITH and RENNYO SHŌNIN OFUMI: THE LETTERS OF RENNYO

Front Matters

BDK English Tripiṭaka Series TANNISHŌ: PASSAGES DEPLORING DEVIATIONS OF FAITH by

Yuienbō

Translated from the Japanese (Taishō Volume 83, Number 2661) by

Shōjun Bandō

in collaboration with Harold Stewart RENNYO SHŌNIN OFUMI: THE LETTERS OF RENNYO Translated from the Japanese (Taishō Volume 74, Number 2668) by

Ann T. Rogers and Minor L. Rogers BDK America, Inc. 1996

Copyright © 1996 by Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai and BDK America, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means —electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of the publisher. Second Printing, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-886439-03-0

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95073152 Published by

BDK America, Inc.

1675 School Street

Moraga, California 94553

Printed in the United States of America

A Message on the Publication of the

English Tripiṭaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha's basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed.

Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's eighty-four thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirty-nine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project. It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself to initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, this monumental project has finally gotten off the ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world.

NUMATA Yehan

Founder of the English

August 7, 1991 Tripiṭaka Project

Editorial Foreword

In January 1982, Dr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of translating the complete Taishō edition of the Chinese Tripiṭaka (Buddhist canon) into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April 1982. By July of the same year, the Translation Committee of the English Tripiṭaka was officially convened. The initial Committee consisted of the following members: HANAYAMA Shōyū (Chairperson), BANDŌ Shōjun, ISHIGAMI Zennō, KAMATA Shigeo, KANAOKA Shūyū, MAYEDA Sengaku, NARA Yasuaki, SAYEKI Shinkō, (late) SHIOIRI Ryōtatsu, TAMARU Noriyoshi, (late) TAMURA Kwansei, URYŪZU Ryūshin, and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi, WATA NABE Shōgo, Rolf Giebel of New Zealand, and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

After holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee selected one hundred and thirty-nine texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. The texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China and Japan. While the publication of the First Series proceeds, the texts for the Second Series will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published.

Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete Chinese and Japanese texts, for they consist of thousands of works. Nevertheless, as Dr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away.

It must be mentioned here that the final object of this project is not academic fulfillment but the transmission of the teaching of the Buddha to the whole world in order to create harmony and peace among humankind. Therefore, any notes, vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword

such as footnotes and endnotes, which might be indispensable for academic purposes, are not given in the English translations, since they might make the general reader lose interest in the Buddhist scriptures. Instead, a glossary is added at the end of each work, in accordance with the translator's wish. To my great regret, however, Dr. NUMATA passed away on May 5, 1994, at the age of ninety-seven, entrusting his son, Mr. NUMATA Toshihide, with the continuation and completion of the Translation Project. The Committee also lost its able and devoted Chairperson, Professor HANAYAMA Shōyū, on June 16, 1995, at the age of sixty-three. After these severe blows, the Committee elected me, Vice President of Musashino Women's College, to be the Chair in October 1995. The Committee has renewed its determination to carry out the noble intention of Dr. NUMATA, under the leadership of Mr. NUMATA Toshihide. The present members of the Committee are MAYEDA Sengaku (Chairperson), BANDŌ Shōjun, ISHIGAMI Zennō, ICHISHIMA Shōshin, KAMATA Shigeo, KANAOKA Shūyū, NARA Yasuaki, SAYEKI Shinkō, TAMARU Noriyoshi, URYŪZU Ryūshin, and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members are WATANABE Shōgo and MINOWA Kenryō.

The Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research was established in November 1984, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A., to assist in the publication of the BDK English Tripiṭaka First Series. In December 1991 the Publication Committee was organized at the Numata Center, with Professor Philip Yampolsky as the Chairperson. The Numata Center has thus far published seven volumes and has been distributing them. All of the remaining texts will be published under the supervision of this Committee, in close cooperation with the Translation Committee in Tokyo.

November 1, 1995 MAYEDA Sengaku

Chairperson

Translation Committee of

the BDK English Tripiṭaka

viii

Publisher's Foreword

In December 1991, at the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research in Berkeley, California, a publication committee was established for the purpose of seeing into print the translations of the Buddhist works in the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. This committee processes the translations forwarded by the Translation Committee in Tokyo. It performs the duties of copyediting, formatting, proofreading, indexing, consulting with the translators on questionable passages, and so on—the routine duties of any publishing house. No attempt is made to standardize the English translations of Buddhist technical terms; these are left to the discretion of the individual translator. Represented on the committee are specialists in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Japanese, who attempt to ensure that fidelity to the texts is maintained.

This Publication Committee is dedicated to the production of lucid and readable works that do justice to the vision of the late Dr. NUMATA Yehan, who wished to make available to Western readers the major works of the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist canon.

"Taishō" refers to the Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō(Newly Revised Tripiṭaka Inaugurated in the Taishō Era), which was published during the period from 1924 to 1934. This consists of one hundred volumes, in which as many as 3,360 scriptures in both Chinese and Japanese are included. This edition is acknowledged to be the most complete Tripiṭaka of the Northern tradition of Buddhism ever published in the Chinese and Japanese languages. As with all books in the BDK Series, the series number on the spine and title page of each work corresponds to the number ssigned to it by the Translation Committee of the BDK English Tripiṭaka in Tokyo. A list of the volume numbers is appended at the end of each volume. For the convenience of scholars who may wish to turn to the original texts, Taishō page and column numbers are provided in the margins of each volumes. Those participating in the work of this committee are Diane Ames, Brian Gallo way, Nobuo Haneda, Charles Niimi, and Rev. Kiyoshi S. Yamashita. Philip Yampolsky

Chairperson

July 1, 1996 Publication Committee

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripiṭaka NUMATAYehan v

Editorial Foreword MAYEDASengaku vii Publisher's Foreword Philip Yampolsky ix Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith Contents 3

Translators' Introduction 5 Text of Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith 7 Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo Contents 29

Translators' Introduction 33 Text of Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo 39 Glossary 137

Bibliography 155

Index 157

A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series) 173 xi

TANNISHŌ

PASSAGES DEPLORING DEVIATIONS OF FAITH

Contents Translators' Introduction Shōjun Bandō andHarold Stewart 5 Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith Foreword 9 I 9

II 9 III 10 IV 11 V 11 VI 12 VII 12 VIII 12 IX 13 X 13 Separate Foreword 13 XI 14 XII 14 XIII 16 XIV 18 XV 20 XVI 21 XVII 22 XVIII 22 Afterword 23 Appendix 25 Postscript 26 3

Translators’ Introduction

Translators' Introduction

Of the three canonical scriptures of the Pure Land schools, the Larger Sutrais the first mentioned in Japanese historical documents. Early references to this sutra appear in the writings of Shōtoku Taishi (574-622), and lectures on it were delivered at the Imperial court in 640 and 652 by the Japanese monk Eon. The remaining two Pure Land scriptures, the Contemplation Sutraand the Smaller Sutra,first appear in the records of the Shōsōin dating from the Nara period (710-793). The calling of the nenbutsu, the sacred Name of Amida Buddha (Amitābha), was introduced into Japan by Ennin (Jikaku Daishi, 794-864) after his return from study in China, but it was still combined with other meditational and ritual practices of the Tendai school. Later, during the Heian period (794-1185), Kūya Shōnin (903-972) popularized the nenbutsu among the common people of Kyoto, while Genshin (Eshin, 942-1017), by compiling the Ōjōyōshū(Essentials of Rebirth), was responsible for widening its influence throughout the country. At the beginning of the Kamakura period (1192-1333), Hōnen Shōnin (Genkū, 1133-1212) founded a separate Pure Land sect, the Jōdoshū, and preached sole reliance on the calling of Amida's Name. Finally, Shinran Shōnin (1173-1262), by placing the emphasis on faith transferred by Amida to the devotee, brought the development of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan to its consummation. Although he refused to recognize any disciples, Shinran had, in fact, many ardent followers, including Yuienbō, the author of the Tannishō.Yuienbō was born at some date unknown to us and lived in Kawada, northeast of present-day Tokyo. He died in 1289, twenty-seven years after the death of Shinran. The Tannishōwas probably written about 1280. Yuienbō's reason for writing the tract is given in the text itself: to refute deviations from the true faith that had arisen among Shin followers after Shinran's death.

The Tannishōhas continued to exert a profound influence on Japanese life and thought ever since it was written. In the Muromachi period (1333-1573), Rennyo Shōnin (1415-1499), the eighth patriarch of the Honganji, who is 5

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

regarded as the renewer of the Shinshū, added the following postscript to the Tannishō:

This sacred scripture is one of the most valuable texts of our school. Those insufficiently matured in faith should not be allowed indiscriminately to read it.

In the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), Myō-on-in Ryōshō (1788-1842) made a special study of it, while in the Meiji period (1868-1912) it was a source of inspiration to Kiyozawa Manshi (1863-1903), a Shin Buddhist thinker. Since then its influence has spread to other Buddhist schools, including Zen. The famous philosopher Nishida Kitarō (1870-1945) said that if only two books were left in the world "it would be enough for me if I had only Shinran's Tannishō and the Records of Rinzai.

" (He called it "Shinran's Tannishō" because so much

of the work are direct quotes from Shinran.)

The book is organized into two parts, each preceded by a Foreword; an Afterword completes the text. The Afterword comprises three sections in which Yuienbō again quotes from Shinran, Hōnen, and Shandao (Zendō; 613-681), and to this was later added the postscript by Rennyo Shōnin quoted above. The first part of the book, from the opening to the tenth passage, consists of Yuienbō's personal recollections of the words of Shinran himself, as received directly from the Master. The second part, from the eleventh to eighteenth passages, gives Yuienbō's own refutation of the deviations of faith that had arisen after Shinran's death, quoting in support of his argument further sayings of the Master. Following the Afterword but before the Postscript is an Appendix that gives details of the wrongful punishment and exile of Hōnen, Shinran, and other followers. As it is of great historical and biographical interest and importance, this section has also been translated here.

TANNISHŌ:

PASSAGES DEPLORING DEVIATIONS OF FAITH

Foreword

When I reflect with deep humility upon the past and the present, I cannot help but deplore the prevalence of various deviations from the true faith transmitted by word of mouth from our late Master. So I feel concerned about possible doubts that may arise in the minds of future inheritors of the faith. Unless guided by a karmically related teacher, how could anyone expect to enter the gate of easy practice? Nobody should defile the doctrine of the other-power by his own arbitrary interpretations. Therefore I have recorded here the gist of what the late Shinran Shōnin told me, while it still reverberates in my ears. This has been written solely to clear away in advance any uncertainties that might arise among fellow devotees. So much by way of foreword. I

"At the very moment when we are moved to utter the nenbutsu by a firm faith that our rebirth in the Pure Land is attained solely by virtue of the unfathomable working of Amida's Original Vow, we are enabled to share in its benefits that embrace all and forsake none. We should realize that Amida's Original Vow never discriminates between the old and the young, the good and the evil, and that what matters most is the heart of faith alone; for the vow was originally made for the purpose of delivering sentient beings sorely defiled by their vices and passions. Therefore once faith in the Original Vow is steadfast, no other good is needed, for there is no good superior to the nenbutsu. No evil should be feared, for there is no evil powerful enough to obstruct Amida's Original Vow.

728a

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"Your earnest aim in coming all the way here to see me, crossing more than ten provinces at the risk of your lives, is solely to enquire of me the way to rebirth in the Land of Utmost Bliss. Nevertheless, should you honor me by supposing that I am withholding any esoteric way for rebirth in the Pure Land or that I know of scriptural sources other than the nenbutsu, you go seriously astray. Should you harbor such ideas, then there are a number of authoritative scholars in Nara, the Southern Capital, as well as on Mount Hiei, the Northern 9

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Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

Peak, whom you should visit and ask to your heart's content about the essentials for rebirth in the Pure Land. "For me, Shinran, there is no alternative but to accept and trust in the teaching of my master Hōnen: that simply by uttering the nenbutsu I shall be given deliverance by Amida. Is the nenbutsu really the seed of rebirth in the Pure Land, or is it a karmic cause of falling into the lowest hell? Of such questions I know absolutely nothing. Even if I had been deceived by my master, Hōnen Shōnin, and were to fall into hellish torment, I would have no regrets at all! The reason is that, had I been one who was certain to attain buddhahood by striving at some other spiritual discipline and yet fell into an infernal state (i.e., hell) through uttering the nenbutsu, I might well be justified in regretting that I had been deceived. But as I find myself totally incapable of any kind of meritorious deed, the lowest hell would in any event be my destined abode.

"If Amida's Original Vow is unfailing, then Śākyamuni's teaching cannot be false. If Śākyamuni's teaching is true, then Shandao's sacred commentaries cannot be unfounded. If Shandao's commentaries are well founded, how can Hōnen Shōnin's sayings be in error? If Hōnen Shōnin's sayings are trustworthy, how then can what I, Shinran, am telling you be in vain? Summing up, such are the humble convictions of my ignorant self. Beyond this, it depends entirely on each of you as to whether you adopt and trust in the nenbutsu or cast it aside. "

III

"'Even a virtuous person can attain rebirth in the Pure Land, how much more easily a wicked person!' But ordinary people usually say: 'Even a wicked person can attain rebirth in the Pure Land, how much more easily a virtuous person.

' At first sight, this view may appear more reasonable, but it really is quite contrary to the intention of the other-power of the Original Vow. The reason is that since a person who does deeds of merit by his own effort lacks total reliance on other-power, he is self-excluded from Amida's Original Vow. But as soon as his attitude of self-effort is redirected and he dedicates himself exclusively to the other-power, his rebirth in the true Land of Reward is at once assured.

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

"It was solely to enable the wicked to attain buddhahood that Amida took his vows, out of compassion for those like us who, defiled to the core, have no hope of liberating ourselves from the cycle of birth and death through any other discipline. And so an evil person who dedicates himself to the other-power is above all endowed with the right cause for rebirth. Hence Shinran's saying: 'Even a virtuous person can attain rebirth in the Pure Land, how much more easily a wicked person!'"

"There is a divergence between the compassion of the path of sages and that of the path of the Pure Land. The compassion of the path of sages commiserates with and cares for sentient beings, and yet it is least likely to succeed in liberating them as completely as could be wished. But the true compassion of the Pure Land path consists in calling the nenbutsu, thereby quickly attaining buddhahood, and then benefiting all sentient beings with the heart of great compassion and kindness as fully as possible. Because, as you know, no matter how much sympathy and pity we may feel for others in this life it is difficult to save them, as we would wish; our compassion is not thorough going. And so the calling of the nenbutsu is the only all-embracing expression of the heart of great compassion.

"I, Shinran, have never called the nenbutsu, not even once, out of filial piety for my deceased parents. The reason is that through karmic relations during numberless rebirths, all sentient beings are or have been my parents or kinsmen. So we should attain buddhahood in the next life and then we shall be able to bring deliverance to all other beings.

"If the nenbutsu were a deed of merit that could be done by our own efforts, we could deliver our parents by transferring that merit to them. But this being impossible, only if we abandon our self-efforts and straightaway attain enlightenment in the Pure Land will Amida Buddha's superhuman powers and skillful means enable us to deliver first of all those with whom we are closely related by karmic ties, but who find themselves afflicted by suffering in any of the six realms of existence and the four modes of birth. "

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Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

"It is unbelievable that any dispute should have arisen among those who devote themselves to the exclusive practice of the nenbutsu as to who are my disciples and who are the disciples of others. I, Shinran, do not have a single disciple of my own. The reason is that if I could induce others to call the nenbutsu through my own influence, then they might well be called my disciples. But it is utterly absurd to call them my disciples when they repeat the nenbutsu through the influence of Amida Buddha.

"When karmic conditions are favorable, master and disciple must meet: when adverse, they must part. Despite this, there are those who disconcert the faithful by saying that if they desert their present master and repeat the nenbutsu while following some other master, their rebirth in the Pure Land can never be attained. At this, words fail me. Do they mean that they wish to revoke the faith called forth by Amida Buddha, as though it were their own? I reiterate that this view must never be allowed to prevail. Once we are in harmony with the spontaneous power of the Vow, we naturally come to realize our indebtedness to Amida Buddha and feel gratitude toward our teachers. "

VII

"The nenbutsu is the one unobstructed path. This is because the gods of heaven and earth bow down in reverence before the devotee of the true faith, but he can never be hindered by the realm of demons or by adherents to hetero dox views. No evil deed can bring upon him the retribution of karma, nor can any good deed that he might do surpass the nenbutsu. Hence I call this the one unobstructed path.

VIII

"For the devotee the calling of the nenbutsu is neither religious observance nor moral worthiness. It is not a religious observance because it is not done by his own design. It is not a moral deed since it is none of his own doing. As it springs wholly from the other-power and surpasses all self-effort, I say that for the devotee the calling of the nenbutsu is neither religious observance nor moral worthiness.

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

"Even when I call the nenbutsu, I rarely feel like dancing for joy, nor do I have any fervent longing to be reborn in the Pure Land. Why is this so?" I asked. "There was once a time when I, Shinran, also had doubts on this question. Now, Yuienbō, I find you sharing the same doubts. But when I reflect on this more deeply, I realize that our rebirth in the Pure Land is all the more assured because we cannot feel like dancing for joy as we would wish. That is how you should think of this problem. It is defilement by evil passions that oppresses our hearts and prevents us from rejoicing. But since Amida Buddha, knowing this already, has called us 'common beings defiled by ignorance, '

I realize that the compassionate vow of the other-power was made for the benefit of just such defiled beings as ourselves, and so I feel it all the more worthy of trust.

"Moreover, when we have no longing to be reborn instantly in the Pure Land, if we fall even slightly ill, we feel helpless with the fear of death. This is likewise because of our evil passions. How strong indeed must they be when we find it so hard to leave our native land of suffering, where we have been wandering through birth and death for numberless kalpas, and when we can feel no longing for Amida's Pure Land, where we have yet to be reborn! We are reborn into that land when we have exhausted, even though reluctantly, our karmic relations to this world of suffering and end our lives helplessly. So Amida pities above all those who feel no urgent longing to go to the Pure Land. Reflecting on this, we realize all the more how trustworthy is Amida's great compassionate vow and how firmly our rebirth is assured. If, on the contrary, our hearts were to rejoice with an eager aspiration for rebirth in the Pure Land, we might believe that we had no evil passions at all.

"The meaning of the nenbutsu lies in its freedom from contrivance, because it is imponderable, indescribable, and inconceivable,

" the Master said.

Separate Foreword

Now years ago, when the Master was still alive, those sharing the one faith and aspiring to the Land of Reward to come, who with a common aim under-13 729c

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Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

went the hardships of travelling to Kyoto the distant capital, all had the privilege of hearing the teachings from him at the same time. And yet it is rumored of late that among the numberless converts, both young and old, who recite the nenbutsu under the guidance of those direct disciples, there are not a few who expound doctrines contrary to the Master's intention. The following are some of those groundless doctrines.

730b

On meeting with illiterate callers of the nenbutsu, such persons dismay them by asking: "Do you utter the nenbutsu with faith in the wonder of the Original Vow or with faith in the wonder of the Name?" but without clearly distinguishing between the two. This distinction should be looked into carefully. Since through the wonder of his Original Vow Amida realized the Name, which is easy to hold in mind and to call, and promised that he would receive those who did so, we utter the nenbutsu in the faith that through the working of Amida's will we shall be delivered from the cycle of birth and death by the wonder of Amida's great compassionate vow. Understanding it in this way, we shall be perfectly in accord with his Original Vow and shall be reborn into the true Land of Reward with no room for self-will at all. In this sense, if we have faith in the wonder of the Vow, it embodies the wonder of the Name, and so the wonder of the Vow and the wonder of the Name are one and not two. Again, if some think that good deeds are a help and bad deeds a hindrance to rebirth, then by this distinction they are not trusting in the wonder of the Vow, but are calling the nenbutsu by their own efforts. Such followers lack real faith in the wonder of the Name. And yet, even though wanting in faith, they may still be reborn in the borderland of the Western Paradise (also called the realm of sloth and pride, the castle of doubt, or the matrix palace) and will at last attain rebirth in the Land of Reward by virtue of the vow of ultimate deliverance. All this is accomplished by the wonder of the Name, which is no different from the wonder of the Vow, for they are one. XII

Some hold the view that those who do not read or study the sutras and commentaries will not be assured of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land. This view is not worth taking seriously. Various scriptures that make clear the truth of 14

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

the other-power stress that we are certain to attain buddhahood only when we have faith in the Original Vow and recall the Name. So for rebirth in the Pure Land what else do we need to study?

To be sure, those who are uncertain of this truth ought to study hard if they wish to grasp the purport of the Original Vow. But how pitiful indeed if, after all their reading and study of the sutras and commentaries, they still fail to grasp the real meaning! Because the Name can easily be repeated by those who are unlettered and ignorant of what the sutras and commentaries mean, it is called the easy path; whereas the path of sages, being founded upon learning, is called the difficult path. There is, moreover, a passage in Shinran Shōnin's letters testifying to this problem:

I am doubtful of the immediate rebirth in the Pure Land of anyone who engages in scholarly pursuits while mistakenly attached to thoughts of wealth and fame.

At present, followers of the exclusive practice of the Name and adherents of the path of sages are engaged in disputes about doctrine, each holding that his own is superior and that of his opponent inferior. Thus adversaries of the teaching arise and calumny against the Dharma is committed. Does not this amount to reviling one's own teaching?

Supposing that followers of other schools ridicule us by saying that the Name is meant for those of low intelligence and that this teaching is shallow and inferior, we should avoid any dispute and reply: "As we are convinced that the ignorant who are poorly gifted and illiterate like ourselves will be delivered by faith, for us this is the supreme doctrine, even though it may seem contemptible to those of higher ability. Although other teachings may be superior, we cannot practice them because they are beyond our powers. Since the original intention of all the buddhas is to free everyone from birth and death, we request those of other views not to interfere with us. " If we

treat them without malice, who then will harm us?

Besides,

"Where there are disputes, all kinds of evil passions are aroused. "

The wise person should stay as far away as possible from controversy, as this passage in the Scripture of the Accumulation of Jewelstestifies. The late Master said:

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Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

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As the Buddha foretold, some would trust in this teaching, while others would revile it. Since I already have faith in it, whereas others find fault with it, I know that what the Buddha said is true. Because of this, we should feel confident that our rebirth is all the more certain. If, by chance, no one happened to speak ill of the teaching, we might wonder why, when there are those with faith, there are no fault-finders. I do not wish to say that the doctrine must necessarily be reviled, but simply that the Buddha, foreseeing that there would be scoffers as well as faithful, warned his followers not to harbor doubts.

Nowadays some appear to study only in preparation to engage in disputes and controversies and to counter the calumny of others. But the more one studies the more one should realize the true intention of the Buddha and become aware of the infinitude of his compassionate vow as well. Only he is worthy of the name of scholar who explains to those in doubt that, as poorly gifted people, they can attain rebirth, and that the Original Vow makes no distinction between good and evil, pure and impure. Anyone who asserts that study is necessary, intimidating even those in whom the Name is called selflessly in accord with the Vow, is a diabolical obstruction to the Dharma and an adversary of the Buddha. Not only does such a person lack faith in the other-power, but he is also sure to lead others into error. We should be particularly cautious about acting against the intentions of our late Master. At the same time such opponents are to be pitied for not being in accord with Amida's Original Vow. XIII

It is said that those who are unafraid of evil because of Amida's Original Vow presume too much on its miraculous power, and so fail to attain rebirth. Those who speak thus betray their doubt of the Original Vow and their ignorance of good and evil deeds in past and present lives. The arising of good thoughts is caused by past good, while evil thoughts arise because of the working of past evil.

The late Master said:

Even a defilement as minute as a speck of dust on the tip of one hair of rabbit's fur or sheep's wool could not come about without karmic causes in the past.

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith On another occasion the Master asked me: "Yuienbō, do you have complete trust in whatever I say to you?" "Yes, I have,

" I answered.

"If so, will you obey me in whatever I ask you to do?" To this I respectfully gave my assent. "For example,

" the Master continued,

"Will you kill one thousand people? If so, you will be assured of rebirth. "

"With all due respect to your words, " I replied,

"I do not feel capable at

present of killing even one person. "

"If so,

" Shinran asked,

"Why did you just now promise that you would not disobey me?" and then continued: "From this you should learn that, if you could do anything you wished, then should you be told to kill a thousand people so as to attain rebirth, you could commit murder. But since there is no karmic cause within you to murder even one person, you simply cannot kill; it is not because you have good intentions. Even though you had no intention to kill others, it could come about that you might murder a hundred or even a thousand people. This teaches us that, because we falsely assume that we gain rebirth when our intentions are good but do not when they are bad, we fail to realize that we are delivered solely by the miraculous power of the Original Vow.

There was once a man who had become attached to a false idea. He taught that because of the all-embracing vow to deliver evildoers, one should deliberately commit evil deeds as a means of attaining rebirth. When news of his various misdemeanors reached the ears of Shinran Shōnin, he admonished his followers in a letter with these words: "Just because you possess the antidote, do not become addicted to the poison. " With this saying he meant to put an end to such perverse attachments; he did not at all mean that evil deeds could obstruct rebirth.

"If we could trust in the Original Vow only by observing the moral precepts and by obeying the many rules of the Order, " he said,

"how could we ever

deliver ourselves from birth and death? Faithless as we are, it is only when we encounter the Original Vow that we can wholly rely upon it. None theless, we can never commit evil unless it is karmically caused. "

Again the Master said:

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This holds true for those who gain their livelihood by casting nets in the sea or fishing by the river, those who hunt birds and beasts in the mountains and fields, and those who trade or till the soil. Shinran Shōnin remarked that "When karmic conditions are opportune, we are capable of committing any evil!" and yet at present there are some who assume a pious air of seeking the afterlife, as though only good people were entitled to call the Name; and they post up notices in halls of worship prohibiting admission to those who have transgressed. Are not such people only pretending outwardly to be wise and zealous, while inwardly remaining false and deceitful?

Even those evil deeds committed because of overconfidence in the Vow are caused by past karma. That being so, if we leave all deeds, good and bad alike, to karma and place our sole reliance on the Original Vow, we are really in conformity with the other-power. Bear in mind that the Tract on Faith Alonewarns us: "How can we consider ourselves too debased to be reclaimed, when we cannot measure the magnitude of Amida's power?" Our faith in the other-power is confirmed all the more because our hearts feel overconfident in their reliance on the Original Vow. It might possibly be better for us if we could have faith in the Original Vow after we have rid ourselves of evil karma and defilements, because then we would not need to have any overreliance on it. But if we were able to rid ourselves of all defilements, we would already be buddhas, for whom the Vow fulfilled by five kalpas of contemplation would not be needed. Those who admonish others not to be overreliant on the Original Vow nonetheless themselves appear to be filled with defilements and impurities. Are they not also placing too much reliance on the Vow? Just what kinds of evil are meant by "having too much reliance on the Vow" and "not having too much reliance on it"? After all, is not this a shallow argument?

XIV

There are some who insist that one should believe that the heavy burden of evil karma accumulated during eight thousand million kalpas is wiped out by a single calling of the Name.

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

This assertion seems to refer to one who has committed the ten evils or the five grave offenses, and has never called the Name during his lifetime but who, when faced with death, for the first time meets with a good teacher of the Way. This teacher then instructs him that with one calling of the Name the evils of eight thousand million kalpas will be wiped out, and that with ten callings of the Name the grave karmic burden of ten times eight thousand million kalpas will be expunged, and so rebirth attained. This passage in the Contemplation Sutraconcerning one calling and ten callings was perhaps referred to in order to make us realize the gravity of the ten evils and the five grave offenses. It points out the benefit of the extinction of evils, but it still falls short of our faith. This is because at the instant when the single thought of faith arises in the heart by Amida's light shining on it, one is endowed with the diamond[like] faith, and the rightly established state has already been reached. When one's lifetime is over, all defilements and hindrances are transformed into the realization that there is no birth and no death. How can such debased evildoers as we are be delivered from birth and death without his compassionate vow? Bear this thought in mind and regard all the callings of the nenbutsu throughout your life solely as an expression of your indebtedness to Amida's great compassionate heart and of your gratitude for his favor. Those who are convinced that each calling of the Name can erase the effects of their evil karma are really trying to wipe them out so as to attain rebirth by their own efforts. If this were true, since every thought that we have during our lives binds us to birth and death, rebirth would only be possible by calling the Name without cease up to the very moment of death. But meanwhile, because the effects of past karma have their own limit, we might die without right mindfulness through meeting with an unexpected accident or through being afflicted by the agony of disease, and in the event the Name would be difficult to call. How then could we wipe out the effects of evil committed during that interval? Do such people [of evil karma] insist that, unless the effects of evil karma be effaced, our rebirth is unattainable? Even though, because of unforeseen events, we may do wrong and die without calling the Name, if we place our trust in the vow that embraces all and forsakes none, we shall immediately gain rebirth. Moreover, even if we 19

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are able to call the Name during our last moments, we shall still only be expressing our gratitude to Amida, placing our reliance all the more on him as the moment of our enlightenment draws nearer. The desire to wipe out the effects of past offenses is still self-power, and this is the intention of one who prays to maintain equanimity during his last moments. This shows that he lacks the faith of the other-power.

There are those who claim that we have already gained enlightenment, even while our bodies are still defiled by the passions. This view is quite unacceptable to us. To attain buddhahood while still in this body is the essence of the secret teachings of Shingon [school] and is the result of the three esoteric practices. The purification of the six senses is taught by the One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra,and this is attained by practicing the four peaceful observances. But these are all stages along the difficult path, which can be followed only by those specially endowed and belong to the enlightenment attainable only by meditational methods. The basic principle of the otherpower teachings of the Pure Land school is to gain enlightenment in the next life, since it follows the path of the assurance of faith. Besides, it is the easy path that can be followed by those of poor ability and is a teaching that does not discriminate between good and evil adherents.

Because, moreover, it is almost impossible to eliminate defilements and hindrances during this lifetime, even the holy monks who practice Shingon and Tendai methods still look forward to reaching enlightenment in the next life. How much truer is this of those of us who lack discipline and wisdom! Yet even we can cross over the painful ocean of birth and death on board the ship of Amida's Vow. As soon as we have reached the shore of the Pure Land, the dark clouds of the defilements will instantly be cleared away and the enlightening moon of buddhahood will at once appear. We can only claim to be enlightened when we are at one with the light that shines unobstructed in the ten directions to benefit all sentient beings.

Do those who claim that they have already attained enlightenment while in their earthly bodies freely expound the Dharma to benefit all beings by manifesting in various bodily transformations possessing the thirty-two major 20

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

and eighty minor marks of physical perfection, as Śākyamuni did? For these form the paradigm of enlightenment attained in this life. A hymn in Japanese says:

In that instant when faith as hard as diamond is established, the light of Amida's heart enfolds us in its protection and we are forever separated from birth and death.

The meaning of this hymn is that, because at the moment when faith is established we are embraced once and for all and never after forsaken, we shall never again wander through the six realms of existence. This is why we are said to be "separated forever from birth and death. " Why should this

be misunderstood as "attaining enlightenment"? How regrettable! Shinran Shōnin said: "I learned from my master that in the Pure Land teaching one has faith in the Original Vow during this life and that one attains enlightenment in the Pure Land.

XVI

Some insist that the devotee of the nenbutsu should repent whenever he chances to lose his temper, to do wrong, or to quarrel with his fellows. This view savors of eliminating evil and practicing good.

For the devotee of singleminded and exclusive practice of the nenbutsu this change of heart happens only once, when he who has hitherto been ignorant of the true teachings of the other-power of the Original Vow now realizes through Amida's wisdom that he will not attain rebirth in the Pure Land with his habitual moral outlook, and so abandons his former views and henceforth relies solely upon the Original Vow. This is the true meaning of conversion. If it were necessary to repent all errors, morning and evening, in order to gain rebirth, the vow that embraces all and forsakes none would have been made in vain, since before a person could repent and dwell in tender forbearance, his life might first end between one breath and the next. Such people give lip service to the power of the Vow, but in their hearts they still secretly harbor the thought that, although the Vow is said to have been meant for all people, in truth it will only be good people who are saved. It is to be deplored that, by so thinking, those who doubt the effectiveness 21

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of the Vow and are wanting in trust in the other-power will be born in the border land of the Western Paradise.

Once faith has been firmly established, rebirth is gained by the favor of Amida, and therefore not through one's own efforts. The more we rely on the power of the Vow as we realize our evil karma, the more will tender forbearance spontaneously arise in us. In all that concerns rebirth we should always gratefully bear in mind, without any pretension to wisdom, our deep indebtedness to Amida's favor. The natural outcome is that the nenbutsu is called. Lack of artfulness on our part is called "naturalness,

" which in truth is the working of the other-power.

In spite of this I have heard of those who knowingly say that there is some other kind of "naturalness.

" How regrettable this is!

XVII

There are others who claim that he who gains rebirth in the borderland of the Western Paradise will ultimately fall into hell. In what scriptural source is this view to be found? It is deplorable that such an assertion should have been made by those with pretensions to scholarship. How do they dare to interpret the sacred scriptures and commentaries?

I heard from my master that devotees who lack faith will be reborn in the borderland of the Western Paradise because of their doubt in the Original Vow, but that when the karma of their doubt is exhausted, they will attain enlightenment in the true Land of Reward. Since devotees of the true faith are few in number, most followers are recommended to seek rebirth in the transformed Pure Land. And so to assert that all their aspirations will ultimately prove to be in vain would amount to accusing the Buddha of having led them astray!

XVIII

Again there are still others who say that, depending on the amount offered to the Buddhist Order, one will become a greater or smaller buddha. How utterly nonsensical this is! Such a view is ludicrous. First, one ought not to try to delimit the size of the Buddha, for when the stature of the supreme teacher of the Pure Land is described in the scriptures, this is an expedient form referring to his spiritual body.

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

Since Amida embodies the realization of ultimate truth, surpassing all forms, long or short, square or round, and also all colors, blue, yellow, red, white, and black, how then can his stature be determined as large or small? When it is said in the scriptures that by calling the nenbutsu one will receive a vision of an apparitional buddha, this seems to have given rise to the popular belief that by calling the Name in a loud voice, the devotee will see a large buddha, and in a soft voice, a small one. The misinterpretation mentioned at the beginning must have derived from some such popular belief. Offerings to the Order should be regarded as the practice of the perfection of generosity. But if faith is lacking, no matter what precious offering one may make to the Buddha or to one's master, it will prove to no avail. Yet although one does not offer even a single sheet of paper or the smallest amount of money but in his heart is devoted to the other-power with deep faith, his attitude will be in accord with the true intention of the Original Vow. In all these deviations from the true faith by those who would intimidate their fellows under the pretense of upholding the Dharma, are they not themselves motivated by worldly greed? Afterword

Such misinterpretations as these have definitely arisen through deviations of faith. There is a story told by our late Master Shinran that while Hōnen was alive he had many disciples among whom few were of the same faith. A dispute once arose between Shinran (then called Zenshin) and his fellow disciples because he had stated that his faith and that of Hōnen were the same. Such disciples as Seikanbō and Nenbutsubō opposed him in forceful words, saying: "How can your faith, Zenshin, possibly be the same as that of our master Hōnen?" Shinran's reply was:

It would be absurd if I were to claim that I was Hōnen's equal in wisdom and learning, for his are vast; but regarding our faith in rebirth, there is no difference at all, for his faith and mine are one and the same. As they were still in doubt, there was nothing left but to submit the question to Master Hōnen for his decision. When the matter was explained to him, Hōnen said:

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My faith was conferred by the Buddha and so was Zenshin's; therefore they are one. Those who hold a separate faith are the least likely to be reborn in the same Pure Land as I, Genkū.

From this I deduce that even now among followers who seem singleheartedly and exclusively devoted to the nenbutsu, there are some whose faith is not at one with Shinran's.

All I have said is only needless repetition, but still I have written it down so that, whenever I hear the doubts of my fellow devotees, I shall be able to convey to them as long as I continue to live, like a dewdrop on a withered leaf, what I learned from my master; and also because I fear that after my death further confusions may arise. Should followers who put forth such false views attempt to mislead you, you ought to read carefully those scriptures favored and followed by the late Master which were in accord with his deepest convictions.

From our viewpoint, in all the scriptures the true and actual teachings are intermingled with the provisional and expedient. The Master's real intention was that you should discard the provisional and keep to the actual, put aside the expedient and abide by the true. You should take great care not to misunderstand the scriptures. As a standard of the true faith, I have chosen certain important passages, which I have appended to this book. The Master used to say:

When I reflect deeply on the Vow that Amida fulfilled after five kalpas of contemplation, I find that it was for me, Shinran, alone! How compassionate, therefore, is the Original Vow of Amida, who was moved to free me from so many karmic defilements!

Reflecting again on the Master's words, I find them little different from Shandao's golden saying:

We should realize that in truth we are ordinary unenlightened beings involved in birth and death, who from the remotest past up to the present time have been forever floundering in samsara (birth and death), and that we have no way of freeing ourselves.

And so, by giving himself as an example, the Master's words were meant to awaken us to our twofold ignorance: we are deluded as to the depth of our 24

Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

transgressions and unaware of the breadth of Amida's beneficence. For others as well as myself speak only of good and evil without heeding the benefi cence of Amida. As Shinran said: I am completely ignorant of good and evil. If I could know what good was as totally as Amida does, then I could claim to know good; and if I knew evil as totally as Amida does, then I could claim to know evil. But I must confess that we are all ordinary beings beset by defiling passions and that everything in our world is as transient as a burning house. All things are illusory and delusive and have no truth in them. The nenbutsu alone is true. Indeed, I myself as well as others speak only of idle things, of which the most regrettable is that when we discuss among ourselves or explain to others the meaning of faith, some impute to the Master words that he did not utter, merely to silence their opponents and put an end to the discussion. This is most deplorable, and we should be careful to discriminate in this regard. All these are not my own words and yet they may sound strange, because I am not well versed in the scriptures and commentaries nor have I grasped the depths of the doctrine. But I have remembered and set down here only a hundredth part of what the late Master Shinran taught. What a pity if one fortunate enough to call the Name should not be reborn directly into the Land of Reward but should stop short at its borders!

So that there may be no divergences of faith among followers of our school, I have taken up my brush in tears and have written this down. It should be called the Tannishō or Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith, and ought not to be indiscriminately made public.

Appendix

During the reign of retired Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239), Hōnen Shōnin (1133-1212) spread the nenbutsu teaching of the other-power based on Amida's Original Vow. Thereupon the monks of Kōfukuji in Nara petitioned the Imperial Household, indicting Hōnen on charges that some of his disciples committed a misdemeanor.

The following were the accused, who were found guilty on the groundless evidence of hearsay: Hōnen and seven of his disciples were exiled, and four of his disciples suffered capital punishment.

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Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith

Hōnen Shōnin was sentenced to exile in the county of Hata in Tosa province (present-day Kōchi prefecture) and as a criminal was given the name of "Fujii Motohiko, male, aged seventy-six" and so on. Shinran [Shōnin] was sentenced to exile in Echigo province (present-day Niigata prefecture) under the criminal's name of "Fujii Yoshizane, aged thirty-five. " Jōenbō was

exiled to Bingo province (present-day Hiroshima prefecture); Chōsai Zenkōbō to Hōki province (present-day Tottori prefecture); Kōkabubō to Izu peninsula (present-day Shizuoka prefecture); and Gyōkū Hōhonbō to Sado Island (part of present-day Niigata prefecture).

Although Kōsai Jōgakubō and Zennebō [Shōkū] were also sentenced to banishment elsewhere, the ex-Daisōjō, Jien (1155-1225) of Mudōji [on Mount Hiei] offered to keep them under his custody. Thus eight people in all were sentenced to exile. The four who suffered capital punishment were Saii Zenshakubō, Shōganbō, Jūrenbō, and Anrakubō. These sentences were passed by the Hōin (a high monastic title) Sonchō, who held the second court rank.

Now that Shinran had been defrocked and given a secular name, he was neither a monk nor a layman. He therefore adopted the character Toku ("baldheaded") for his family name, and this was subsequently given official approval. The judicial document is said to be kept even now in the registration office. After his exile, Shinran always signed his name: "Shinran the Bald-headed. "

Postscript

This sacred scripture is one of the most valuable texts of our school. Those insufficiently matured in faith should not be allowed indiscriminately to read it.

(signed)

Shaku Rennyo

RENNYO SHŌNIN OFUMI THE LETTERS OF RENNYO

Contents Translators' Introduction Ann T. Rogers and Minor L. Rogers 33 Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo Fascicle I 1. On Followers and Disciples 2. On Becoming a Priest in the Aspiration for Buddhahood 3. On Hunting and Fishing 4. Some Questions and Answers 5. On Pilgrimage in the Snow 6. On Drowsiness 47 7. A Discussion about Yoshizaki 8. On Building at Yoshizaki 9. On Avoiding Certain Things 10. On the Wives of the Priests in Charge of Lodgings at Yoshizaki 11. On Lightning and Morning Dew 12. The Chōshōji's Past 54 13. On the False "Ten Kalpas" Teachings in This Region 14. An Admonition against Slander 15. On the Designation of Our Tradition 41 42 44 44 46 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 Fascicle II 1. On Clearing the Channels of Faith 2. On the Point of Departure 3. On Three Items, [Including] KamiManifestations 4. On Severing Crosswise the Five Evil Courses 5. On Devotional Beads 65 6. On Norms of Conduct 7. "Going Is Easy, Yet No One Is [Born] There" 8. On the Original Teacher and the Original Buddha 9. On "The Loyal Retainer and the Faithful Wife" 59 61 62 64 66 67 68 69 29

Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo 10. On the Oneness of the Buddha's Mind and the Mind of Ordinary Beings 70 11. On the Fivefold Teaching 12. On the Fifty Years of Human Life 13. On the Reputation of Our School 14. On "Secret Teachings" 75 15. On Kubon and Chōrakuji 72 73

Fascicle III 1. On People Who Are Only Listed by Name 2. On Practicing as Prescribed 3. On the Followers of [the Priest] Shōkō 4. On the Great Sage, the World-honored One 5. On the Compassionate Vows of Other Buddhas 6. On Saying the Tathāgata's Name Only, at All Times 7. On the Three Acts of the Buddha and of Sentient Beings 8. On the False "Ten Kalpas" Teachings in This Province and Others 9. On the Anniversary of Master Shinran's Death 10. On Six Items, Including "KamiManifestations" 11. On the Services Held Every Year without Exception 12. On the Presence or Absence of Good from the Past 13. On Followers of Our Tradition 79 80

Fascicle IV

1. On Shinshū Nenbutsu Practitioners 99 2. On the Allotted Span of Life 100 3. On the Present Plight of the World 102 4. On a Hymn in Three Verses 103 5. From the Middle Period until the Present 105 6. On Three Items 107 7. On Six Items 108 8. On Eight Items 110 9. On an Epidemic 113 10. On the Present Age 114 11. On the Oneness of the Person [to Be Saved] and the Dharma [That Saves] 114 12. On Semimonthly Meetings 115 13. Reflections in Early Summer 14. On Our School's Settled Mind 116 117

Contents 15. On Building [the Priest's Quarters] at Ōsaka 118 Fascicle V 1. On Laymen and Laywomen Lacking Wisdom in the Last [Dharma] Age 121 2. On the Eighty Thousand Teachings 121 3. On Women Who Have Renounced the World while Remaining in Lay Life and on Ordinary Women 4. On Men and Women 122 122 5. On Realizing Faith 123 6. On the Great Benefit Bestowed with [the Awakening of] the One Thought-moment [of Faith] 123 7. On the Five Obstacles and the Three Submissions 8. On the Meditation for Five Kalpas 9. On All the Holy Texts 10. On Faith as Fundamental 11. On the Anniversary [of Master Shinran's Death] 12. On the Sleeve [of Amida] 13. On the Unsurpassed, Most Profound Virtues and Benefits 14. On [Women of] Noble and Humble Birth 15. On the Primal Vow of Amida Tathāgata 16. On White Bones 131 17. On All Women 132 18. On the Master [Shinran] of Our Tradition 19. On Evildoers of the Last [Dharma] Age 20. On Women Attaining Buddhahood 21. On Passages in the [Larger] Sutraand in [Tanluan's] Commentary 22. On the Import of Our Tradition's Teaching 125 125 126 127 127 128 129 130 131 133 133 133 134 135 31

Translators’ Introduction

Translators' Introduction

Rennyo (1415-1499) was the eighth head priest of the Honganji branch of the Jōdo Shin sect, which recognizes Shinran (1173-1262) as its founder. Within the Honganji, Rennyo is revered as the restorer of Shinran's teaching; under Rennyo's leadership the movement emerged as one of the most widespread and powerful religious movements in medieval Japan. He is best known for his hundreds of pastoral letters, Ofumior Gobunshō,written in colloquial Japanese for the instruction of participants in the Shin tradition. Eighty of these letters are given here under the title of Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi(Letters of Rennyo). The immediacy of Rennyo's letters derives from the stark uncertainty of the world in which he lived and from the widely accepted view that Japan had entered mappō,the last Dharma age, when, according to Shinran's teaching, the only way to be born in the Pure Land was to entrust oneself singleheartedly to the other-power of Amida Buddha. Rennyo's particular contribution to his tradition was to clarify that process of entrusting; this is the focus of many of his letters. In addition, we find within the letters identification and repudiation of heterodox teachings and practices, an interpretation of the nenbutsu patterned on that of Shandao (613-681) (Jp. Zendō), and an emphatic message that salvation is open to all—that "when . . . other-power faith is decisively settled, no distinction at all is made between male and female, old and young" (Letter I:2). Collections of Rennyo's letters began to appear during the tenure of his son, Jitsunyo (1458-1525), the ninth head priest of the Honganji. The letters were hand-copied, a few at a time, and authorized for circulation under Jitsu nyo's official seal. A memoir by another son Jitsugo (1492-1584), attests to the profound reverence accorded them: "The letters are to be regarded as the Tathāgata's teaching. . . . When you hear the words, you are listening directly to Amida" [Goichidaiki kikigaki,T.83:818b]. Gradually a plan evolved for a standardized collection: eighty letters, the Gojō ofumi,were selected out of the several hundred available. Five additional letters (not translated here) were included, four of which are designated as Natsu ofumi,letters of summer; the fifth is the Gozokushō, 33 33

Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo

Shinran's genealogy. The person generally recognized as responsible for the compilation is Jitsunyo's son Ennyo (1491-1521).

It was during the tenure of Shōnyo (1516-1554), the tenth head priest of the Honganji, that the collection took printed form (his seal is affixed to the Taishō edition text); since that time it has been widely distributed within the Shin community. These eighty-five letters are included in the third volume of the Shinshū shōgyō zensho(Kyoto: Ōyagi Kōbundō, 1969-70) and also in various editions of the Shinshū seiten.The major collection of extant letters is Inaba Masamaru's Rennyo Shōnin ibun(Kyoto: Hōzōkan, 1948; reprinted 1983), composed of two hundred and twenty-one letters held to be authentic and, insofar as possible, listed chronologically.

The Gojō ofumiis divided into five fascicles, of which the first four are arranged chronologically. Fascicle I contains fifteen letters written between Bunmei 3 (1471), 7.15, and Bunmei 5 (1473), 9.22, from Yoshizaki in the Hokuriku. The fifteen letters in fascicle II are also from Yoshizaki; they were written between Bunmei 5 (1473), 12.8, and Bunmei 6 (1474), 7.9. Fascicle III contains thirteen letters written between Bunmei 6 (1474), 7.14, and Bunmei 8 (1476), 7.18; ten of these were written from Yoshizaki, two from Deguchi. The fifteen letters in Fascicle IV were written between Bunmei 9 (1477), 1.8, and Meiō 7 (1498), 11.21, the year before Rennyo's death. The twenty-two letters in Fascicle V are undated; certain ones, however, are identical to passages in dated letters. Letter titles do not appear in the Taishō edition; those provided in this translation are translations of titles (based on first lines of the text) found in Junjō Ōe and Shōjitsu Ōhara, eds., Shinshū seiten(Shinshū Scriptures) (Kyoto: Nagata Bunshōdō, 1956, 1969, reprint), pp. 660-802. Titles also appear, in slightly different form, in Yūsen Kashiwabara, ed., Shinshū seiten(Shinshū Scriptures) (1935) (Kyoto: Hōzōkan, 1969, reprint), pp. 785-865.

What did those responsible for the compilation of the Gojō ofumiwish to convey through their selection? Although the letters of the first four fascicles are arranged chronologically, few indicate the passage of time. The reader is barely aware that the eighty letters cover a period of twenty-seven years. They tell very little of Rennyo's activities or of his personal life. At a time when the Honganji was gaining extraordinary power, the intention appears to have been to present those letters that were meaningful apart from particular historical circumstances, that clarified points essential to the tradition, and that established its distinctive marks. 34

Translators' Introduction

Major issues in the translation of Rennyo's letters into English focus on the terms shinjin, anjin,and tasuke tamae.How should the first two, concepts of deep significance for the tradition, be translated, and should the third be translated in as direct a manner as it appears to be written?

In sixty-three of the eighty letters, the term shinjinoccurs a total of two hundred seventy-four times in various contexts, including quotations; the negative fushinjinoccurs twice. In thirty-two of the letters, the term anjinoccurs a total of forty-seven times and the negative mianjinoccurs three times. In addition, the first character shinof the compound shinjinserves as a noun on ten occasions and the negative fushinon five.

Until recently, translators of Shinran's writings, including Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki, have rendered shinjininto English as "faith.

" Translators in the Ryūkoku

Translation Center in Kyoto continue to do so, clarifying their choices of these and other terms with rich annotation. Previous translations of Rennyo's letters, recognizing that in many instances the meaning of anjinis indistinguishable from that of shinjin,have translated both terms as "faith. "

On the other hand, we have noted the precedent set by the translators of the Shin Buddhism Translation Series (Kyoto: Honganji International Center, 1978-). In their task of translating the entire corpus of Shinran's works, they have chosen to introduce the term "shinjin" (without italics) into the English text. They argue eloquently that most of the possible connotations of the English word "faith" are entirely inappropriate for their tradition and cannot convey the nuances of shinjinwithout misleading preconceptions. It is possible that Rennyo's core concept anjinmight be treated similarly and introduced without italics, with the prospect of both terms becoming part of our English vocabulary. The Shin Buddhism Translation Series approach has much to commend it and will continue to contribute an essential perspective to the ongoing translation of the Shin Buddhist sense of the oneness of the human heart and mind and the Buddha's.

Here, however, we have chosen to translate shinjinas "faith" and anjinas "settled mind" or "faith,

" depending on context (see, for example, Letter V:13).

To clarify which Japanese term, other than shinjin,is being translated as "faith, "

we have inserted the corresponding Japanese term into the text following each occurrence of the nouns shin, fushin, fushinjin, anjin, mianjin,or shingyō(when they mean "faith" or the lack of it). While the Shin Buddhism Translation Series 35

Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo

approach preserves what is unique to Shin Buddhist tradition, we have found that the particular meaning of these terms in the tradition does in fact draw out and underscore the deepest meanings of "faith" and "settled mind" as general religious terms. As Rennyo clearly explains, shinjinhas two aspects in dynamic interrelationship: one of these is the entrusting mind of sentient beings who turn to Amida to save them; the other is the mind of the Buddha, which is itself the entrusting mind given to sentient beings, bringing them to buddhahood in the afterlife. Shinjinis a concept perhaps best translated consistently by the word "faith"

—a faith that is salvific truth empowered and given by that which is entirely beyond human effort and calculative thinking. Granted that the term "faith" tends to focus on the mind of the person to be saved, what other English term could at the same time hint at the other pole of the paradox—in this instance, the salvific mind of Amida Buddha?

Anjin,

"settled mind,

" suggests the mind in which "the peace that passes all understanding" is settled once and for all, beyond all shadow of doubt. Since anjinis translated literally as "easily [attained] mind" (Letter II:7), it might seem that the resulting "serene mind" or "serenity,

" rather than the compound

"settled mind,

" would be the choice more closely parallel to "faith.

" "Serenity,

however, fails to suggest the paradox implicit in anjin,in that it emphasizes the quality of mind of the person saved at the expense of the underlying decisiveness—the diamondlike quality—of the mind of Amida. This is evident in translating the term anjin ketsujō:it seems quite possible to speak of a person in whom "the settled mind is established" (Letter I:3) but somewhat awkward to refer to one in whom "serenity is established.

" Since it is the fact of definite

establishment that leads to serenity,

"settled mind,

" despite the lack of parallelism,

may be an acceptable choice.

A final point: of the fifty occurrences of anjinand mianjinin the text, the term "faith" has been the translation preferable to "settled mind" on at least nineteen occasions. Thus "faith" appears to be able to serve in many instances for both shinjinand anjin—each of which lends a particular emotional overtone to their shared meaning.

"Faith" seems appropriate in this context as well, for

it has the capacity to convey a sense of fundamental wholeness suggested by few other English terms.

In considering the issue of tasuke tamae,it is apparent from the thrust of Rennyo's writings that the phrase should not be literally interpreted as a request 36

Translators' Introduction

to Amida,

"Please save me.

" The practice of reciting the nenbutsu as a plea for

salvation was common among participants in other strands of the Pure Land tradition. Rennyo, in contrast, stated in his earliest extant letter (not included among the eighty) that Honganji followers were not even to think, "Buddha,

please save me" in saying the nenbutsu, but to understand it solely as an expression of gratitude. For this reason, we have translated the phrase indirectly, with slight variations according to context. For example, Letter I:7 reads: For when there arises the one thought-moment [of faith] in which we entrust ourselves to Amida without any double-mindedness and realize that[Amida] saves us.. . . (italics added)

Letter III:2 reads:

Na-mumeans . . . entrusting ourselves without double-mindedness [to Amida] to save us,[bringing us to buddhahood] in the afterlife. " (italics

added)

Our position is that Rennyo adopted a phrase that was familiar to many of those attracted to his leadership of the Honganji Shin sect in the Hokuriku, bringing to it an other-power interpretation that was radically different from the customary understanding of the idea in the Pure Land tradition as a whole. For over half a millennium, Rennyo's letters have served as holy texts for participants in the Shin sect. In traditional households, reading the letters and hearing them read daily has, along with the recitation of the Shōshinge,steadily nurtured and shaped Shin piety. Only the Tannishō,a text "rediscovered" in the past century, is of comparable significance in presenting Shinran's core teachings in popular form.

Among the many reference works consulted in the course of translating the Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi,two volumes were ever at hand: the first, a line-by-line commentary by the late Shin scholar Shirō Sugi, Gobunshō kōwa(Kyoto: Nagata Bunshōdō, 1933; 1979 reprint); the second, an annotated text and commentary by the specialist in Japanese literature Osamu Izumoji, Ofumi,Tōyō Bunko, No. 345 (Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1978). In drawing on traditional sectarian studies as well as on modern literary scholarship, our goal has been to present Rennyo's words clearly and accurately and to find the English equivalents most appropriate for a consistent rendering of technical terms. Readers are encouraged to refer 37

Nguồn: BDK America — English Tripiṭaka (bdkamerica.org).