Along the path of personal power, repentance is a very
important method of destroying the negative karma. However,
true repentance is not just a simple confession of mistakes, but a
deep awareness which penetrates one's body and mind. Thus, Master
Shan-tao explained that there are three types of genuine
repentance:
"The high grade of repentance is to shed blood from the
pores of one’s body and also to shed blood from one’s
eyes.
The middle grade of repentance is to shed hot sweat from
the pores of one’s whole body and also to shed blood from one’s
eyes.
The low grade of repentance is to feel feverish all over
the body and also to shed tears from one’s
eyes".[1]
Answering the question whether repentance is necessary in Pure
Land Buddhism, Master Shan-tao says in the same book (Liturgy
for Birth), which was quoted by Shinran in his
Kyogyoshinsho, that if the follower has faith in the
salvation offered by Amida Buddha he reaches the same result as in
the case of repentance:
"Even though one is unable to shed tears and blood, one
will get the same result described above if one thoroughly attains
the true faith
(shinjin)".[2]
Shinran also said in the Hymns of the Pure Land
Masters:
"Persons who have thoroughly realized the true mind [of
shinjin],
Because it is the diamondlike mind,
Are equal to those who accomplish
The three grades of repentance; thus Shan-tao teaches."[3]
Because it is the diamondlike mind,
Are equal to those who accomplish
The three grades of repentance; thus Shan-tao teaches."[3]
and in Notes on the Inscription of Sacred
Scrolls:
"To say Namo Amida Butsu is to repent all the karmic evil
one has committed since the beginningless
past."[4]
In chapter III of his KyogyoshinshoShinran presents a
very important dialogue[5].
Somebody asked how can the evil karma of the five grave offenses
and the ten evil acts, which would cause one to be born into the
lower realms for many kalpas, is annihilated by the nembutsu of
faith, thus making one to be reborn in the Pure Land? How this
situation can be explained "in the light of the law of karma
according to which a heavier karma pulls one down? Furthermore,
from the beginningless past, sentient beings have been given to
acts of various defilements, and so they are tied to the three
worlds. If, as you say, they can attain liberation from the three
worlds by mere mindfulness of Amida Buddha with ten repetitions of
His Name, what will become of the bondage of
karma?".[6]
The answer is wonderful:
"Suppose there is a room that has been dark for a
thousand years. If a light is cast into the room even for only a
short while, the room will instantly become bright. How could the
darkness refuse to leave because it has been there for a thousand
years?"
Darkness may seem deep and strong when we live surrounded by
it for many kalpas, but it disapears as if it never existed when it
meets the Light of Amida Buddha. We can compare the various evils
and blind passions among each other and say that some are heavier
or darker than others, but with what can we compare the
Enlightenment and Light of Amida Buddha?
Also, if we speak in terms of weak vs strong, some beings are
more powerful than others, but who in this world is more powerful
than a Buddha? Even the most superior gods who live for eons cannot
compare themselves with a Buddha in wisdom, powers, purity and the
capacity to save all beings.
In order to escape the black hole of samsaric existence, we
need the infinitely powerful energy of Amida Buddha. Only that can
pull us out from the repeated births and deaths. We cannot build
anything equally powerful through our own actions. Our
repentance is simply not enough to eliminate the evil karma of
innumerable eons in which we piled mountain after mountain of
greed, anger and ignorance.
The karma which binds us to samsara is too strong for people
like us, filled with delusion and blind passions, but for somebody
who is already free from samsara, like Amida Buddha, nothing which
belongs to samsara has any power over Him or the salvation He
offers:
"The ten repetitions of the Name are stronger than the
five grave offenses or the ten evil acts and so this 'stronger'
karma prevails, enabling the evildoer to escape from the three
painful states of existence."
Only a few repetitions of the Name of Amida Buddha, and even
one saying which is done by relying on Amida Buddha's Power to save
(the Nembutsu of faith), is able to destroy the roots of all our
evil karma since the beginingless past. And is not just because
we say it, but because the Name we say is the Name of
Amida Buddha in which He manifested all His enlightened karmic
energy and virtues:
"The repetitions of the Name arise from the unsurpassed
faith by taking as object the Name of Amida Tathagata of a glorious
body of skillful means that comprises immeasurable merits that are
true and
pure".[7]
Thus, if one entrusts oneself to Amida Buddha and says His
Name in faith, it is like putting a sumo wrestler on the same scale
with a feather :) Which one is heavier and pulls the other one
down?
Trully, the whole of samsara with all its worlds and
universes, and realms of various beings, from the hell dwellers up
to the most powerful gods, weights less than a feather in
comparison with the Name of Amida Buddha.
[1] Quoted by
Shinran in his Kyogyoshinsho – On Teaching, Practice,
Faith, and Enlightenment, translated by Hisao Inagaki,
NumataCenterfor Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.
247
[2] Kyogyoshinsho –
On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment, translated by
Hisao Inagaki, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research,
Kyoto, 2003, p. 247
[3] The Collected
Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo
Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.380
[4] Idem,
p.504
[5] This dialogue
was taken by Shinran from Commentary on Vasubandhu's Discourse
on the Pure Land by Master T'an-luan.
[6] Kyogyoshinsho –
On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment, translated by
Hisao Inagaki, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research,
Kyoto, 2003, p. 162
[7] Idem.
163
.jpeg)
