[Fascicle One]
[Composed by Gutoku Shinran]
Through hearing the shinjin of the wise, the heart of myself, Gutoku (“foolish/stubble-haired”), becomes manifest:
The shinjin of the wise is such that they are inwardly wise, outwardly foolish.
The heart of Gutoku is such that I am inwardly foolish, outwardly wise.
Concerning the teachings of the Path of Sages and the Pure Land way, there are two types:
| 1. Mahayana teachings. | 2. Hinayana teachings |
Concerning the Mahayana teachings, there are two types:
- Teachings of sudden attainment.
- Teachings of gradual attainment.
Concerning the teachings of sudden attainment, there are further two types of teachings and two kinds of transcendence.
The two types of teachings are:
- Real teachings of the difficult practices, the Path of Sages. These are the teachings of the Busshin (Zen), Shingon, Hokke (Tendai), Kegon and other schools.
- The true and real teaching of the easy practice, the Primal Vow of the Pure Land way; this is the teaching of the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life and so on.
The two types of transcendence are:
- Transcending lengthwise. This refers to the realization termed “this body itself is Buddha,” “becoming Buddha with this very body,” and so on.
- Transcending crosswise. This refers to the selected Primal Vow; the true and real fulfilled land; immediate attainment of birth.
Concerning the teachings of gradual attainment, there are again two types of teachings and two kinds of departure.
The two types of teachings are:
- Accommodated teachings of the path of difficult practices, the Path of Sages; the teachings of performing practices for many kalpas, such as that of the Hosso school.
- The “essential” gate of the Pure Land way, the path of easy practice. This is the meaning of the Sutra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life: the teachings of meditative and nonmeditative good, the three types of meritorious conduct, and the good acts done by the nine grades of beings.
The two kinds of departure are:
- Departing lengthwise through the Path of Sages. This is the realization attained by performing practices for many kalpas.
- Departing crosswise through the Pure Land way. This is birth in the womb-palace, the borderland, or the realm of indolence and pride.
Concerning the Hinayana teachings, there are two types of teachings:
1. Teachings for pratyekabuddhas:
- Pratyekabuddhas who practice in solitary, like the single horn of a rhinoceros
- Pratyekabuddhas who practice in groups.
2. Teachings for sravakas
The eight classifications of sravakas are:
The person who has attained the first fruit;
the person advancing to [the fruit of] stream-enterer.
The person who has attained the second fruit;
the person advancing to [the fruit of] once-returner.
The person who has attained the third fruit;
the person advancing to [the fruit of] nonreturner.
The person who has attained the fourth fruit;
the person advancing to [the fruit of] arhat.
Know that all the teachings other than solely the selected Primal Vow of Amida Tathagata, whether Mahayana or Hinayana, accommodated or real, exoteric or esoteric, are the paths of difficult practice, the Path of Sages, or they are the path of easy practice, the Pure Land way, that is termed the directing of merit and aspiration for birth in the Pure Land path, the self-power, provisional gateway of expedience.
In the Larger Sutra, there are three kinds of selection.
Bodhisattva Dharmakara:
The selection of the Primal Vow.
The selection of the Pure Land.
The selection of grasping all beings.
The selection of the realization [in the Pure Land].Lokesvararaja Buddha:
The selection of the Primal Vow.
The selection of the Pure Land.
The selection of the praise.
The selection of the witness.Sakyamuni Tathagata:
The selection of the entrusting of the sutra to Maitreya.
In the Contemplation Sutra, there are two kinds of selection.
Sakyamuni Tathagata:
The selection of the virtues.
The selection of the grasping.
The selection of the praise.
The selection of the protection.
The selection of the entrusting of the sutra to Ananda.Queen Vaidehi:
The selection of the Pure Land.
The selection of the person suited for the Pure Land teaching.
In the Smaller Sutra, there are two kinds of encouragement to entrust oneself, two kinds of witness, two kinds of protection, two kinds of praise, and difficulty and ease [in acceptance].
The two kinds of encouragement to entrust oneself are:
- The encouragement of Sakyamuni. Concerning Sakyamuni, there are two passages.
- The encouragement of the Buddhas. Concerning the Buddhas, there are two passages.
The two kinds of witness are:
- The witness to the adornment of virtues.
- The witness to the attainment of birth.
The two kinds of protection are:
- The protection of those holding steadfast [to the Name]. This is the protection by Sakyamuni.
- The protection of those awakening aspiration. This is the protection by the Buddhas.
The two kinds of praise are:
- The praise by Sakyamuni, of which there are two kinds.
- The praise by the Buddhas, of which there are two kinds.
Concerning difficulty and ease [in acceptance]:
- The difficulty refers to doubt.
- The ease refers to shinjin.There are three kinds of people holding steadfast [to the Name]: those in the past, those in the present, and those in the future.
There are three kinds of people awakening aspiration: those in the past, those in the present, and those in the future.
In Hymns of the Nembutsu Liturgy, there are three kinds of birth:
- Birth that is inconceivable; this is the intent of the Larger Sutra.
- Birth attained beneath twin sala trees; this is the intent of the Contemplation Sutra.
- Birth that is noncomprehensible; this is the intent of the Amida Sutra.
It is stated in the Larger Sutra: “In the giving of witness to the Primal Vow, there are three [Buddha-] bodies.”
The witness of dharma-body. The [Larger] Sutra states:
From the sky [a voice] declared in praise, “You shall decidedly and without fail attain the supreme enlightenment!”The witness of fulfilled bodies; this refers to the Tathagatas of the ten quarters.
The witness of transformed bodies; this refers to Lokesvararaja Buddha.
Concerning Buddha-lands, there are two types:
- Buddhas [true and provisional]
- Lands [true and provisional]
Concerning Buddhas, there are four kinds:
| 1. Dharma-body. | 2. Fulfilled body |
| 3. Accommodated body. | 4. Transformed body. |
Concerning dharma-body, there are two kinds:
- Dharma-body as suchness.
- Dharma-body as compassionate means.
Concerning fulfilled bodies, there are three kinds.
| 1. Amida. | 2. Sakyamuni. |
| 3. Buddhas throughout the ten quarters. | |
Concerning accommodated and transformed bodies, there are three kinds:
| 1. Amida. | 2. Sakyamuni. |
| 3. Buddhas throughout the ten quarters. | |
Concerning lands, there are four kinds:
- The land of dharma-body.
- The lands of fulfilled bodies.
- The lands of accommodated bodies.
- The lands of transformed bodies.
Concerning fulfilled lands, there are three kinds:
| 1. That of Amida. | 2. That of Sakyamuni. |
| 3. Those of the Buddhas throughout the ten quarters. | |
Concerning the transformed lands of Amida, there are two kinds:
- The city of doubt or womb-palace.
- The realm of indolence and pride or borderland.
Know that because the One Vehicle of the Primal Vow is the ultimate sudden teaching, the teaching of sudden and instantaneous attainment, the perfectly fulfilled teaching, and the consummate teaching, it is the absolute and incomparable teaching, the path of true reality or suchness. It is the single within the single, the sudden within the sudden, the true within the true, the consummate within the consummate. The One Vehicle that is true reality is the ocean of the great Vow. It is the supreme, rare practice.
Know that the diamondlike true mind is the ocean of unhindered shinjin.
The Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra states:
I rely on the bodhisattva-pitaka,
The sudden teaching, the ocean of the One Vehicle.
The Hymns on the Samadhi of All Buddhas’ Presence states:
In the Ornament Sutra the gradual teaching is expounded;
Performing practices for a myriad kalpas, one attains the stage of nonretrogression.
What is taught in the Contemplation and Amida Sutras
Is the sudden teaching, the bodhisattva pitaka.
Concerning “consummate” and “sudden”; “consummate” means “perfectly fulfilled” and “consummate”. “Sudden” means “ultimate sudden” and “sudden and instantaneous.”
Contrasts of the two kinds of [Pure Land] teachings.
Know that the ocean of the One Vehicle of the Primal Vow is the ultimate sudden teaching, the teaching of sudden and instantaneous attainment, the perfectly fulfilled teaching, the consummate teaching.
Know that the “essential” gate of the Pure Land teaching is the teaching of the two kinds of good acts, meditative and nonmeditative, the provisional gate of expedient means, the teaching of the three types of meritorious conduct and the good acts done by the nine grades of beings.
Easy, in contrast to difficult;
Crosswise, in contrast to lengthwise;
Sudden, in contrast to gradual;
Leaping across, in contrast to fording;
True, in contrast to provisional;
Accordant, in contrast to opposing;
Pure, in contrast to mixed;
Right, in contrast to wrong;
Superior, in contrast to inferior;
Intimate, in contrast to remote;
Great, in contrast to small;
Many, in contrast to few;
Momentous, in contrast to trivial;
Special, in contrast to general;
Direct, in contrast to roundabout;
Quick, in contrast to slow;
Vast, in contrast to narrow;
Close, in contrast to distant;
Fully expressed teaching, in contrast to that not fully expressed;
Greatly beneficial, in contrast to meagerly beneficial;
Unsurpassed, in contrast to surpassed;
Not-directing merit, in contrast to directing merit;
Buddha’s exposition, in contrast to those of others;
Embodying the Vow, in contrast to not embodying the Vow
Promised, in contrast to not promised;
Selected, in contrast to unselected;
Praised, in contrast to unpraised;
Witnessed, in contrast to unwitnessed;
Protected, in contrast to unprotected;
Straightforward exposition, in contrast to incidental explanation;
Exhaustive of truth, in contrast to not exhaustive of truth;
Uninterrupted, in contrast to interrupted;
Continuous, in contrast to noncontinuous;
Nonretrogressive, in contrast to retrogressive;
Unceasing, in contrast to ceasing;
Resultant virtue, in contrast to causal practice;
Unperished dharma, in contrast to perishing;
Other Power, in contrast to self-power;
Practicer grasped, in contrast to not grasped;
Practicer entering the stage of the truly settled, in contrast to not entering;
Inconceivable, in contrast to conceivable;
Fulfilled land, in contrast to transformed land.
Know that the above forty-two contrasts are applied with respect to the teaching.
True and real, pure shinjin is the inner cause. Being grasped, never to be abandoned is the outer cause.
Concerning the entrusting of oneself to the Primal Vow, [to borrow the words of Shan-tao,] “in the preceding moment, life ends…”
This means that “one immediately enters the group of the truly settled” [T’an-luan].
Concerning immediately attaining birth, [to borrow the words of Shan-tao,] “in the next moment, you are immediately born.”
This means that “one immediately enters the stage of
The definitely settled” [Nagarjuna].
Further, “One is termed a definitely-settled bodhisattva.”
Know that it is the diamondlike mind that is Other Power.
Know, in other words, that one is the same as Bodhisattva Maitreya, who has attained the diamondlike mind of self-power.
It is stated in the Larger Sutra, “Next [to enlightenment], like Maitreya.”
Contrast of the two kind of practicers.
The practicer of the One Vehicle, of perfect fulfillment, is one of Other Power.
The practicer of the teaching of gradual attainment, of conversion [from other teachings], is one of self-power.
Entrusting, in contrast to doubt;
Wise, in contrast to foolish;
Good, in contrast to evil;
Right, in contrast to wrong;
Suitable, in contrast to unsuitable;
Real, in contrast to empty;
True, in contrast to false;
Pure, in contrast to defiled;
Comely, in contrast to ugly;
Subtle, in contrast to coarse;
Intelligent, in contrast to dull;
Quick, in contrast to slow;
Rare, in contrast to common;
Strong, in contrast to weak;
Highest of the high, in contrast to lowest of the low;
Superior, in contrast to inferior;
Directly entering, in contrast to entering by conversion;
Bright, in contrast to dark.
Know that the above eighteen contrasts apply to practicers.
Further, concerning the two kinds of practicers, there are also two kinds of natures.
The two kinds of practicers are:
| 1 Good practicers. | 2 Evil practicers. |
The two natures are:
| 1 Goodness | 2 Evil |
Further, there are two kinds of good practicer.
(There are also the contingent and the proper.)
- Practicers of meditative good acts.
- Practicers of nonmeditative good acts.It is stated in the Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, “The capacities of all sentient beings are of two kinds: meditative and nonmeditative.”
Concerning the contingent and the proper:
- Bodhisattvas (Mahayana and Hinayana).
- Pratyekabuddhas.
- Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas (contingent practicers of the Pure Land path).
- Devas.
- Human beings (proper practicers of the Pure Land path).
Further, there are five kinds of goodness.
| 1. Goodness | 2. Rightness. |
| 3. Sincerity. | 4. Rectitude. |
| 5. Truthfulness. |
Further, there are seven kinds of evil practicer.
- Those who commit the ten transgressions.
- Those who commit the four heavy evils.
- Those who destroy right views.
- Those who break precepts.
- Those who commit the five grave offenses.
- Those who slander the dharma.
- Those lacking the seed of Buddhahood (icchantika).
Further, there are five kinds of evil.
| 1. Evil | 2. Wrongness |
| 3. Deceit | 4. Badness |
| 5. Falsity |
The Master of Kuang-ming temple states:
People of the present, both monk and lay,
Seek to awaken the supreme mind,
But it is extremely difficult to abhor birth-and-death,
And difficult to aspire to the Buddha-dharma.
Let us all together awaken the diamondlike aspiration
And, transcending crosswise, cut off the four currents.
Contemplating the realm of Amida,
Let us take refuge, place our hands together, and worship.
According [with the Vow] in one thought-moment
We become persons who consequently attain nirvana.
The Treatise on the Pure Land states:
O World-honored one, with the mind that is single
I take refuge in the Tathagata of unhindered light
Filling the ten quarters
And aspire to be born in the land of happiness.Relying on the sutras
In which the manifestation of true and real virtues is taught,
I compose a gatha of aspiration, a condensation,
That accords with the Buddha’s teaching.
The Sutra of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life states:
(Translated by Tripitaka-master Samghavarman)
“Do not give rise to doubt after my parinirvana. In the future, when the time of the extinction of the sutras comes, out of compassion and pity I will cause this sutra in particular to survive and remain for one hundred years. Sentient beings who encounter this sutra will all, in accord with their aspiration, attain the other shore.”
The Buddha said to Maitreya, “It is difficult to encounter a time when a Tathagata has appeared in the world and to meet one. It is difficult to meet with and difficult to hear the teaching of the Buddhas. It is difficult to hear of the excellent dharma of bodhisattvas, the paramitas. It is also difficult to meet a true teacher, hear the dharma, and put it into practice. But the most difficult of all difficulties is to hear this sutra and accept it in shinjin; nothing surpasses this difficulty.”
“Therefore, I have presented the dharma thus, preached it thus, and taught it thus; accept it in trust and practice in accord with it.”
The Sutra of the Tathagata of Immeasurable Life states:
(Translated by Tripitaka-master Bodhiruci)
The words taught through the supreme wisdom of the Tathagata that pervades all space
Are understood only by Buddhas.
For this reason, hearing widely of the Land of all-knowing wisdom,
You should entrust yourselves to my teaching, the words in accord with reality.
The Sutra of the Immeasurable Pure Enlightenment of Equality states:
(Translated by Tripitaka-master Po-yen)
Swiftly and rapidly transcending [birth-and-death], at once
We attain that world, the land of happiness;
On reaching that land of immeasurable light,
Let us make offerings to the countless Buddhas.
The Sutra of Salvation through the Perfect Enlightenment of Amida, Supreme among Buddhas states:
(Translated by Tripitaka-master Chih-chi’en)
After I have attained my parinirvana and departed, the sutras will remain for one thousand years. After one thousand years, they will vanish. Out of pity, I will cause this sutra in particular to survive and remain for one hundred years. After one hundred years, it will disappear. All who aspire in their hearts will attain enlightenment.
The Commentary on the Amida Sutra by Yüan-chao, master of the Vinaya school (Master Tai-chih), states:
The “Chapter of Mahasthamaprapta” [of the Sutra of the Samadhi of Heroic Advance] states: “The Tathagatas of the ten quarters think compassionately on sentient beings just as a mother thinks of her child.” The Commentary on the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra states: “For example, if the mother fish did not think of her eggs, the eggs would soon fall into ruin and decay.”
Anuttara is translated “unexcelled.” Samyak means “right,” and sambodhi means “perfect enlightenment.” This is a term for the fruit of Buddhahood.
Foolish beings of the lowest level, fettered by their karmic acts and blind passions, are transmigrating in the five evil courses for a hundred thousand myriads of kalpas. But suddenly hearing of the Pure Land, they awaken aspiration and seek to be born there. Saying the Name for one day, they transcend and reach that land. All the Buddhas protect them, and enable them to advance directly toward enlightenment.
Know that such and encounter is rare, even in a myriad kalpas. In a thousand lifetimes, a person might encounter the Vow but once. From this day to the very end of time, wherever you are, give praise to the Vow, and wherever you may go, encourage others to hear it. Whatever body and land you may be born into as your recompense, whatever the conditions for teaching others, your work is the same as Amida Buddha’s, without any difference. This aspiration is boundless; may the Buddha recognize and know this.
For this reason, after this passage we are encouraged three times to entrust ourselves to the Buddha’s teaching. To “accept my words” is to entrust ourselves to the teaching. For people not to entrust themselves to “the witness to me of the Buddhas of the ten quarters” would be to take the Buddha’s words as false and empty.
Written in Kencho 7 [1255] wood/hare
Eighth month, 27th day
Gutoku Shinran
Age 83