Difficult to accept
Shin is called the “easy” path. Yet Shinran says shinjin (liberation, bodhicitta, etc.) is the most difficult of all difficulties.
Is this a contradiction? No. It’s explained by Shinran, or hinted at, in various ways. One of them is his inclusion of a quote by Master Yuan-chao:
“This must be called that which is ‘for all people of the world, most difficult to accept.’” (CWS p. 109)
This means “it is so simple that nobody believes it – that it is extremely difficult to accept it.” (Nobuo Haneda)
Comment: Liberation is our natural state. It’s prior to our thinking. Nothing is easier, or quicker, than “prior.” It is ineluctable, inescapable. We ignorantly and habitually make efforts to escape that which cannot be escaped by attaching, doubting, conceptualizing.
Shinjin is not the most difficult. It’s the easiest. But this fact is the most difficult thing for human beings to accept!
“…what all the Buddhas praise is not futile. They instruct sentient beings to hear and accept.” (Yuan-chao)
Not even a hair… (by Soga Ryojin)
Human beings fortunately have the faculty of association. This makes our thoughts plentiful, affords us space to move, and makes it easy to solve all difficult problems. When I want to solve a problem, I first forget logic and theory, and start associating in a desultory manner, turning my mind to things outside the problem. Interpretation lies in association, not in logic. When I can directly associate the Buddha and all things, there is salvation. As long as I insert ethics and scholarship in between, I am in the gate of self-power of the sages and not in true faith. Faith of absolute other-power can associate Buddha and common mortal so that not even a hair separates the two. This means that I directly step over from sin and evil to the great compassion of the Buddha, and return again from the Buddha’s great compassion to the common mortal of sin and evil.
All these complicated intermediary concepts are gradually skipped over, and finally only the two concepts of Buddha and common mortal remain. In this way, all conditions fall away from the concept of salvation, and unconditional salvation obtains.
From The Hymn of True Shinjin and the Nembutsu by Shinran:
The light of compassion that grasps us illumines and protects us always;
The darkness of our ignorance is already broken through;
Still the clouds and mists of greed and desire, anger and hatred,
Cover as always the sky of true and real shinjin.
But though the light of the sun is veiled by clouds and mists,
Beneath the clouds and mists there is brightness, not dark.
When one realizes shinjin, seeing and revering and attaining great joy,
One immediately leaps crosswise, closing off the five evil courses.
The Evil Person
Shuichi Maida, translated by Nobuo Haneda
"When we base our actions on the premise that we are 'evil persons'--beings deserving annihilation--there is nothing whatever to be accomplished. How terrible it is that people in this world honor 'getting something accomplished'! Do they consider it praiseworthy for an evil person to accomplish evil? It should rather be said that it is good that one does not accomplish a thing. People often say admiringly of a person, 'He is a man of strong will.' This is another terrible and unintrospective statement. Do they consider it praiseworthy to perpetrate evil with a strong will?
"There is nothing whatever to be accomplished by an evil person. An evil person deserves annihilation...Shinran said, 'For a foolish, ordinary person full of desire and suffering, all things in this ever-changing world--this burning house--are false, empty, and untrue.' ...
"The evil person might as well be annihilated. He is just like a leaf being blown by the dry wind of autumn. This light quality--being shallow, unattached, easily blown away, and exactly the opposite of 'wanting to get something accomplished'--characterizes the human being who bases his life on the premise that 'I am an evil person.'
"There is nothing serious in such a person. If the evil person were to become serious, his evil would become more and more serious. How terrible that would be! All those who wear serious facial expressions, without exception, are showing that they are making their evil more and more serious. It is a hell of a danger. Thunderbolts are about to descend."
The Recognition of Impermanence
Shuichi Maida, translated by Nobuo Haneda
“The recognition of impermanence liberates all. Liberation means becoming impermanence and working as impermanence itself. In that sense, all existing things are already liberated, just as they are, because they are already working as impermanence itself. Such things as plants, trees, fishes, and insects are already liberated. Only human beings experience (or awaken to) this liberation by recognizing impermanence. For an impermanent being to become aware of being an impermanent being is called recognition.
“Thus the crucial question in life can be solved through recognition, not through actions or practice but simply through recognition. That is why it is said that liberation is not a matter of practice, but a matter of understanding. It is not in the future; it is in the present moment. Action, or what should be done, has something to do with the future. But liberation is in the eternal now. That is why I say that it is a matter of recognition. It is recognition, nothing else, that immediately enables us to cognize eternal life and thereby know that we are living in the eternal now.
“When we go through the hundred-eighty degree turn in life because of recognition, a perfectly free life becomes possible. A perfectly free life is not a practice realized through our efforts; it is something that becomes possible because of recognition.”
Oh, Ignorence!
Haya Akegarasu, translated by Nobuo Haneda
"For a long time I wanted to know Shakyamuni's exact thought at the moment of his awakening. But I could not understand it. Initially I thought that Shakyamuni awakened to his Buddha-nature. This was probably so, but I could hardly understand that within the context of my own life.
"This year I have come to understand that Shakyamuni's exact thought at the moment of his awakening was expressed in his shout 'Oh, ignorance!' 'Oh ignorance!' means 'Oh, darkness!' When Shakyamuni said this, the devil that he saw face-to-face was not actually a devil in front of him, but was his own self. Thus his conquering the devil meant his becoming the devil. In this sense, Shakyamuni's exact thought at the moment of his awakening was his realization that 'I am the devil.' When he had this great awakening, a tremendous sphere of oneness--in which he became completely one with all things--opened up for him."
From "Gutoku's Notes, second fascicle":
Concerning the contrast of “within” and “without”:
Within, nonbuddhist teachings; without, Buddhist teachings.
Within, the Path of Sages; without, the Pure Land way.
Within, doubt; without, trust.
Within, evil nature; without, good nature.
Within, wrong; without, right.
Within, deceit; without, sincerity.
Within, incorrect; without, correct.
Within, falsity; without, truth.
Within, admixture; without, singleness.
Within, foolish; without, wise.
Within, provisional; without, true.
Within, hesitation; without, advance.
Within, remote; without, familiar.
Within, distant; without, near.
Within, roundabout; without, direct.
Within, difference; without, accord.
Within, conflict; without, conformity.
Within, disregard; without, reverence.
Within, shallow; without, deep.
Within, pain; without, joy.
Within, poison; without, medicine.
Within, timidity; without, strength.
Within, indolence; without, courage.
Within, interruption; without, constancy.
Within, self-power; without, Other Power.
("Gutoku," meaning something like "bald-headed fool," was Shinran's nickname for himself.)
From Haya Akegarasu's "Miscellaneous Notes":
If a person understands things as they really are, then whatever he does is all right. If he does not understand things as they are, then whatever he does, regardless, is worthless. A thief who has a straightforward mind is more worthy of respect than a person who simply copies the deeds of the clever. Because I can spit on the artificial wise man, I want to shake hands with the thief who is himself.
. . .
In this world, the most pitiful creatures are monks, ministers, and teachers. They cannot even sing a song in a loud voice. They cannot even feel the glow of the drink when they take a glass of wine.
In this world, monks, ministers and teachers are the most hateful. Not only do they delude society and people: they delude even themselves. I long to meet a monk who is not like monks, a minister who is not like ministers, a teacher who is not like teachers.
. . .
It’s so ridiculous and pathetic. Society is very easy to cheat, isn’t it? A man is termed a “wise man” by society even when he is cheating it.
. . .
One of these people said to me: “When I recite the Nembutsu, I really get a load off my chest.” I replied, “I really get a load off my chest when I make wind.”
(“Shout of Buddha,” p. 201-203)
*
Shin is called the “easy” path. Yet Shinran says shinjin (liberation, bodhicitta, etc.) is the most difficult of all difficulties.
Is this a contradiction? No. It’s explained by Shinran, or hinted at, in various ways. One of them is his inclusion of a quote by Master Yuan-chao:
“This must be called that which is ‘for all people of the world, most difficult to accept.’” (CWS p. 109)
This means “it is so simple that nobody believes it – that it is extremely difficult to accept it.” (Nobuo Haneda)
Comment: Liberation is our natural state. It’s prior to our thinking. Nothing is easier, or quicker, than “prior.” It is ineluctable, inescapable. We ignorantly and habitually make efforts to escape that which cannot be escaped by attaching, doubting, conceptualizing.
Shinjin is not the most difficult. It’s the easiest. But this fact is the most difficult thing for human beings to accept!
“…what all the Buddhas praise is not futile. They instruct sentient beings to hear and accept.” (Yuan-chao)
Not even a hair… (by Soga Ryojin)
Human beings fortunately have the faculty of association. This makes our thoughts plentiful, affords us space to move, and makes it easy to solve all difficult problems. When I want to solve a problem, I first forget logic and theory, and start associating in a desultory manner, turning my mind to things outside the problem. Interpretation lies in association, not in logic. When I can directly associate the Buddha and all things, there is salvation. As long as I insert ethics and scholarship in between, I am in the gate of self-power of the sages and not in true faith. Faith of absolute other-power can associate Buddha and common mortal so that not even a hair separates the two. This means that I directly step over from sin and evil to the great compassion of the Buddha, and return again from the Buddha’s great compassion to the common mortal of sin and evil.
All these complicated intermediary concepts are gradually skipped over, and finally only the two concepts of Buddha and common mortal remain. In this way, all conditions fall away from the concept of salvation, and unconditional salvation obtains.
From The Hymn of True Shinjin and the Nembutsu by Shinran:
The light of compassion that grasps us illumines and protects us always;
The darkness of our ignorance is already broken through;
Still the clouds and mists of greed and desire, anger and hatred,
Cover as always the sky of true and real shinjin.
But though the light of the sun is veiled by clouds and mists,
Beneath the clouds and mists there is brightness, not dark.
When one realizes shinjin, seeing and revering and attaining great joy,
One immediately leaps crosswise, closing off the five evil courses.
The Evil Person
Shuichi Maida, translated by Nobuo Haneda
"When we base our actions on the premise that we are 'evil persons'--beings deserving annihilation--there is nothing whatever to be accomplished. How terrible it is that people in this world honor 'getting something accomplished'! Do they consider it praiseworthy for an evil person to accomplish evil? It should rather be said that it is good that one does not accomplish a thing. People often say admiringly of a person, 'He is a man of strong will.' This is another terrible and unintrospective statement. Do they consider it praiseworthy to perpetrate evil with a strong will?
"There is nothing whatever to be accomplished by an evil person. An evil person deserves annihilation...Shinran said, 'For a foolish, ordinary person full of desire and suffering, all things in this ever-changing world--this burning house--are false, empty, and untrue.' ...
"The evil person might as well be annihilated. He is just like a leaf being blown by the dry wind of autumn. This light quality--being shallow, unattached, easily blown away, and exactly the opposite of 'wanting to get something accomplished'--characterizes the human being who bases his life on the premise that 'I am an evil person.'
"There is nothing serious in such a person. If the evil person were to become serious, his evil would become more and more serious. How terrible that would be! All those who wear serious facial expressions, without exception, are showing that they are making their evil more and more serious. It is a hell of a danger. Thunderbolts are about to descend."
The Recognition of Impermanence
Shuichi Maida, translated by Nobuo Haneda
“The recognition of impermanence liberates all. Liberation means becoming impermanence and working as impermanence itself. In that sense, all existing things are already liberated, just as they are, because they are already working as impermanence itself. Such things as plants, trees, fishes, and insects are already liberated. Only human beings experience (or awaken to) this liberation by recognizing impermanence. For an impermanent being to become aware of being an impermanent being is called recognition.
“Thus the crucial question in life can be solved through recognition, not through actions or practice but simply through recognition. That is why it is said that liberation is not a matter of practice, but a matter of understanding. It is not in the future; it is in the present moment. Action, or what should be done, has something to do with the future. But liberation is in the eternal now. That is why I say that it is a matter of recognition. It is recognition, nothing else, that immediately enables us to cognize eternal life and thereby know that we are living in the eternal now.
“When we go through the hundred-eighty degree turn in life because of recognition, a perfectly free life becomes possible. A perfectly free life is not a practice realized through our efforts; it is something that becomes possible because of recognition.”
Oh, Ignorence!
Haya Akegarasu, translated by Nobuo Haneda
"For a long time I wanted to know Shakyamuni's exact thought at the moment of his awakening. But I could not understand it. Initially I thought that Shakyamuni awakened to his Buddha-nature. This was probably so, but I could hardly understand that within the context of my own life.
"This year I have come to understand that Shakyamuni's exact thought at the moment of his awakening was expressed in his shout 'Oh, ignorance!' 'Oh ignorance!' means 'Oh, darkness!' When Shakyamuni said this, the devil that he saw face-to-face was not actually a devil in front of him, but was his own self. Thus his conquering the devil meant his becoming the devil. In this sense, Shakyamuni's exact thought at the moment of his awakening was his realization that 'I am the devil.' When he had this great awakening, a tremendous sphere of oneness--in which he became completely one with all things--opened up for him."
From "Gutoku's Notes, second fascicle":
Concerning the contrast of “within” and “without”:
Within, nonbuddhist teachings; without, Buddhist teachings.
Within, the Path of Sages; without, the Pure Land way.
Within, doubt; without, trust.
Within, evil nature; without, good nature.
Within, wrong; without, right.
Within, deceit; without, sincerity.
Within, incorrect; without, correct.
Within, falsity; without, truth.
Within, admixture; without, singleness.
Within, foolish; without, wise.
Within, provisional; without, true.
Within, hesitation; without, advance.
Within, remote; without, familiar.
Within, distant; without, near.
Within, roundabout; without, direct.
Within, difference; without, accord.
Within, conflict; without, conformity.
Within, disregard; without, reverence.
Within, shallow; without, deep.
Within, pain; without, joy.
Within, poison; without, medicine.
Within, timidity; without, strength.
Within, indolence; without, courage.
Within, interruption; without, constancy.
Within, self-power; without, Other Power.
("Gutoku," meaning something like "bald-headed fool," was Shinran's nickname for himself.)
From Haya Akegarasu's "Miscellaneous Notes":
If a person understands things as they really are, then whatever he does is all right. If he does not understand things as they are, then whatever he does, regardless, is worthless. A thief who has a straightforward mind is more worthy of respect than a person who simply copies the deeds of the clever. Because I can spit on the artificial wise man, I want to shake hands with the thief who is himself.
. . .
In this world, the most pitiful creatures are monks, ministers, and teachers. They cannot even sing a song in a loud voice. They cannot even feel the glow of the drink when they take a glass of wine.
In this world, monks, ministers and teachers are the most hateful. Not only do they delude society and people: they delude even themselves. I long to meet a monk who is not like monks, a minister who is not like ministers, a teacher who is not like teachers.
. . .
It’s so ridiculous and pathetic. Society is very easy to cheat, isn’t it? A man is termed a “wise man” by society even when he is cheating it.
. . .
One of these people said to me: “When I recite the Nembutsu, I really get a load off my chest.” I replied, “I really get a load off my chest when I make wind.”
(“Shout of Buddha,” p. 201-203)
*