by Rev. Prof. Toshikazu Arai
Because of Shinran 750th will memorial service in the Jodo Shinshu temples in Jodo Shinshu groups around the world held prayer, I want to think about what he contributes to our lives in the twenty-first century. Shinran died on 28 Day of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar in the second year of co ¬ cho era, which the 16th January 1263 is. In Japan, before this date, almost all the temples, a memorial service for Shinran Shonin. It is the most important event of the year in which one recites the Sutra Dharma talk and listen. It is known as "Ho-on-ko", which means coming together to recognize our duty to Shinran Shonin - the path of the Buddha, for the Ordinary is feasible to open.
As Shinran died was his daughter Kakushinni on his death bed, and three days later sent a letter to her mother Eshinni that was in Echigo, about 600 km from Kyoto. In it she informed them of the death of Shinran. This letter is lost to us, but Eshinni's response was then preserved in the Library of the Hongwanji. The letter begins by saying, "I read your letter of the first day of the 12th Month, a little after 20 . Of the same month "The sentence follows who says:" There is no doubt that your father's birth into the Pure Land acquired. It is not even necessary to mention it again. "Then she wrote to her daughter by some events from the early years Shinran to clarify why they think that his birth into the Pure Land is unquestionable.
told First Eshinni as Shinran Mount Hiei and left in the hexagonal pavilion ("Rokkakudo") go off to pray for its nightlife. Towards the end of the 95th Prince Shotoku day appeared in the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and gave some instructions Shinran. We do not know what instructions were there, but then immediately tried to Shinran honing and visited his Nembutsu hall every day for a hundred days at a time, whether it rained or the sun was shining. Then he decided that he is completely the teaching of the practice of exclusive Nembutsu entrust honing would and he would go wherever honing went, no matter what others said about honing teaching. Then Eshinni
told by a dream she had while with Shinran at a place called Shimotsuma in Hitachi province (northeast of Kyoto) was staying. Shinran was like in his forties at that time. In her dream she saw the gate of a shrine to Buddha hang two paintings. One of them had a face radiated the light and the other a normal face. When she wondered who the Buddha was, she heard a voice that told her that the lichtaussendendem the face was honing, in the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, the element of Amida Wisdom. The voice went on, the other in Shinran Buddha is the incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the element of Amida's compassion. The next day she told her husband only by the Buddha with the shining face. Shinran replied, "There are many types of dreams, but he told you the truth. I've heard that honing is an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta. Whatever the case, she told her husband not by the Buddha and other all their lives long kept for himself, but inwardly admired her husband as the incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. According to these reports continue
stories Eshinni Kakushinni her daughter, "That is the reason, whatever of how he died, there is no room for doubt that Shinran Shonin, the birth has acquired the Pure Land.
Judging from Eshinni's repeated assurance that Shinran Shonin had obtained the birth of the Pure Land, her daughter seemed Kakushinni a little doubt in it. In those days, people believed that if a virtuous priest died, rose-colored clouds were passing in the sky, celestial music was heard and the smell of sandalwood filled the room. This was, as it was believed that as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas died. Anyway, probably joined such extraordinary things by Shinran's death not. He died a normal death or the death of an ordinary man. Therefore Kakushinni was somewhat upset.
But this is the most important part for us in this story. If he had died as a Buddha would have died, he would have been very different from us. He was born as the son of a minor aristocratic family, entered with 9 years in a monastery on Mount Hiei, studied and practiced, while he kept his vow, twenty years and failed but with the attainment of Buddhahood in his life. After he met Honen, he was encouraged by the words of his teacher, to make life less difficult in which he said the Nembutsu and he decided to take a wife. As he deepened his understanding of Nembutsu doctrine had his family has a lived a normal life and died a normal death.
In this way he demonstrated his whole life, that the teaching of the basic functions of Nembutsu vow really exemplified by it myself.
Shinran has also proved that if a serious Nembutsu dies followers that this moment is the perfection of his Nembutsulebens and the attainment of birth in the Pure Land means. This is the moment of triumph over life and death and therefore a cause for celebration.
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