Shaku Shingan: “You may have heard of how
at O-higan in North America, it is often taught that we "must"
attain the six perfections (paramitas).”
My answer: I know that some link
Ohigan with the six paramitas (perfections). This is not good
because we are not a self-power school.
The word “Ohigan” means “the other shore”. We also celebrate
Ohigan at Amidaji but the meaning we attach to it is to remember
the importance of birth in the Pure Land. This is what “going to
the other shore” means.
The six paramitas were taught in the context of self-power
practices so we can simply ignore this term. However, if we wish to
use it then we must reinterpret it in the context of Other Power
faith.
On the path of self-power a bodhisattva
in aspiration aims by his practice to develop the six perfections
(paramitas), also called “the six types of practices by means of
which a bodhisattva attains Buddhahood”. These perfections
(paramitas) are:
1.Charity and generosity (dana) 2. discipline and proper
behaviour (sila) 3. perseverance (ksanti) 4. diligence 5.
meditation (dhyana) and 6. higher wisdom (prajna).
If you read (reinterpret) the six paramitas with the eyes of
faith in Amida Buddha you realize that a person of shinjin (faith)
naturaly has the six paramitas of Amida centered Power. This
is an expression that I myself invented, but what I am about to say
now is not wrong from the perspective of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist
teaching.
One who entrusts to Amida Buddha is naturally inclined to be
generous in sharing the Amida Dharma with other people. Even when
he is not actively participating in missionary activities he or she
is a living example of faith which can influence others and help
them create karmic connections with Amida. This is the first
paramita of Amida centered Power – charity/generosity
(dana)
One who entrusts to Amida Buddha is naturally observing
the eight precepts of faith as taught at Amidaji. He never denies
or encourages others to deny the existence of Amida Buddha and His
Pure Land, nor the authenticity of the Larger Sutra. He
knows the importance of the wish to be born in the Pure Land for
the attainment of Enlightenment and encourages all beings to have
this aspiration. He always considers himself to be a person of
karmic limitations and knows that the only way of salvation from
Samsara is through Amida’s Power. He never doubts or causes others
to doubt the Primal Vow and birth in the Pure Land. He never denies
or encourages others to deny that birth in the Pure Land takes
place after death. He never abandons the Nembutsu nor encourages
others to abandon it. He never mixes nor encourage others to mix
Nembutsu and devotion towards Amida Buddha with other faiths and
practices from inside or outside of the Buddha Dharma. This is
the second paramita of Amida centered Power -
discipline and proper behaviour (sila).
One who entrusts to Amida
Buddha has natural perseverance in the sense that he will never be
interrupted in his
faith[1]. He is
also diligent in the sense that he will naturally think to Amida
Buddha and say His Name in faith. Of course, being an ordinary
person of great karmic limitations he cannot think to
Amida every second of his life but he will never forget
Amida. No matter how much he is caught in everyday activities he
always knows that he is saved and assured of birth in the Pure Land
after death. Even if he is a lazy person or a busy
person he will still think to Amida Buddha and say His Name.
This are the 3rd (perseverance) and 4th (diligence) paramitas of
Amida centered-Power.
One who entrusts to Amida Buddha will naturally accomplish
all the meditation practices as all are included in the Name of
Amida. As Shinran and Master Ch’ing-wen said:
„The excellent Name, perfectly embodying all
practices, eliminates obstacles and dispels doubt. This is the
teaching and practice for our latter age; devote yourself solely to
it. It is eye and limb in this defiled world; do not fail to
endeavour in it. Accepting and living the supreme, universal Vow,
then, abandon the defiled and aspire for the
pure[2].
Reverently embracing the Tathagata’s teaching, respond in gratitude
to His benevolence and be thankful for His
compassion.”[3]
"The ultimate teachings of the One Vehicle all point to
the Land of Bliss as the last refuge. The Name of Amida’s
Buddhahood is most distinguished as the embodiment of the
perfectvirtues of myriad
practices."[4]
This
is the 5th paramita of Amida centered-Power
(meditation).
One who entrusts to Amida Buddha receives the wisdom of faith
(shinjin) which is the twofold profound
conviction:
1) to know that we are people of deep
karmic limitations, incapable of attaining Buddhahood through our
own power;
2) to know that only Amida Buddha can
save us through His Vow Power (Other Power), without asking
anything from us.
Shinran Shonin always equated shinjin (faith) with
wisdom:
"Entrust is a command to allow oneself to be carried by
the power of the Primal Vow. It further connotes wisdom. Wisdom
is to know that Amida brings one to ride on the power of the Vow.
It is to know that, being carried by the power of the Vow, one will
be born in the Pure Land of
bliss."[5]
"Shinjin is wisdom. This wisdom is the wisdom attained
because we are grasped by the Light of Other
Power".[6]
This is the 6th paramita of Amida centered Power
- higher wisdom (prajna).It is
the wisdom of knowing one’s limitation and of accepting Amida’s
helping hand.
So, you either reinterpret the six paramitas in this way, or
you simply abandon this concept.
[1]Faith
(shinjin) once received can never be lost.
[2]“Abandon
the defiled and aspire for the pure” means to decide to put an end
to samsaric existence by aspiring for birth in the Pure
Land.
[3]
Passages on the Pure Land Way - The Collected Works
of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo
Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.295
[4]
Shinran quotes Master Ch’ing-wen in Kyogyoshinsho,
chapter II. Kyogyoshinsho – On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and
Enlightenment, translated by Hisao Inagaki, Numata Center for
Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p. 51
[5]Notes
on the Inscription of Sacred Scrolls - The Collected
Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation
Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.506
[6]
Lamp for the Latter-Ages, letter 14 - The
Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation
Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.544
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