Shozomatsu Wasan 68
People who, doubting the inconceivable Buddha-wisdom,
Rely on their practice of the root of good and the
root of virtue
Are born in the borderland or the realm of indolence
and pride;
Hence, they fail to realise great love and great compassion.
Love and Compassion
Although it does not sound like it, 'relying on their practice of the root of good' refers to one's own attempt to leverage, for oneself, birth in the Pure Land. Shinran Shonin's use of the word tanomu, suggests a reference to the 'faith and practice of the twentieth Vow'. Here he stresses the tragic failure to encounter the very thing that is real and true: the mercy and compassion of Infinite Light. This tragedy occurs because, by rejecting the shinjin of the Primal Vow, we also reject great mercy and great compassion (daiji daihi). Shinran, once again, draws upon ideas from the sutras and the commentarial tradition of the Pure Land way, which suggest that our birth in the Pure Land will only be partial and provisional if we pursue it by means of our own efforts.
The interesting thing is that we would not seek mercy and compassion unless we felt that we were actually in need of it. As we have seen, shinjin consists of the 'twofold deep mind' (nishu jinshin):
One truly knows oneself to be a foolish being full of blind passions, with scant roots of good, transmigrating in the three realms and unable to emerge from this burning house. And further, one truly knows now, without so much as a single thought of doubt, that Amida's universal Primal Vow decisively enables all to attain birth, including those who say the Name even down to ten times, or even but hear it.1
The twofold deep mind is at once the recognition that we are in need of mercy and compassion; and that mercy and compassion grasps us. It is Amida Buddha's shinjin, Other Power, which awakens us to our need, and it is Amida Buddha's shinjin, which brings the realisation that our need has been met. People of shinjin respond to love and compassion because love and compassion has made their need evident. The person of self-power nembutsu ('the fundamental good and virtue') believes that he is adequate to the task. He does not recognise his need. He has not 'heard' the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha in the depths of his being and in association with his inner reality, so he does not trust it.
In the scheme of things, the person who does not recognise his shortcomings considers himself to be the repository of sufficient virtue to attain objectives that represent higher states of spiritual awakening. This is the normal way for us to see ourselves. There are actually only very few people who understand what it is to be desperately in need of mercy and compassion. Yet, such a recognition, which is accompanied by the acceptance of Amida Buddha's Name, represents an awakening that is utterly liberating and joyful; bringing about a new perspective on life; opening up a bright new way of seeing things and a way to traverse this saha world, this world of endurance.
It seems to me, however, that, in fact, those who continue to follow the way of self-power are simply unaware of essential things. As we have already seen, we need to explore our own genuine capacity in the face of the task at hand. The objective of the Mahayana, at any rate, is nothing short of becoming a Buddha. We need to listen closely to the Larger Sutra and discern the precise nature of a Buddha's character and virtue. The Bodhisattva Dharmakara is our role model and bench mark; he is the standard that we are to attain if we are to truly benefit both ourselves and others. If we fall short at any point, it is because our very existence is redolent with existential infirmity. Shinran quotes the relevant passage from the Larger Sutra in The True Teaching, Practice and Realisation:
No thought of greed, anger, or harmfulness arose in his mind; he cherished no impulse of greed, anger, or harmfulness. He did not cling to objects of perception - color, sound, smell, taste. Abounding in perseverance, he gave no thought to the suffering to be endured. He was content with few desires, and without greed, anger, or folly. Always tranquil in a state of samadhi, he possessed wisdom that knew no impediment. He was free of all thoughts of falsity or deception. Gentle in countenance and loving in speech, he perceived people's thoughts and was attentive to them. He was full of courage and vigor, and being resolute in his acts, knew no fatigue. Seeking solely that which was pure and undefiled, he brought benefit to all beings. He revered the three treasures and served his teachers and elders. He fulfilled all the various kinds of practices, embellishing himself with great adornments, and brought all sentient beings to the attainment of virtues.2
Amida Buddha's light is the wisdom of this virtue that is empty of self and overwhelms the evil karma of others. It is the embrace of great love and it is great compassion. Why, then, resist its embrace? This is a profound mystery, that is, perhaps explained by the way that we feel a sense of pride and accomplishment at creating something for ourselves: like building a nice piece of furniture or growing a beautiful garden. It becomes a mystery, however, when it is forgotten that nothing is ever actually our achievement. We could do nothing without the wood for the furniture, the food to sustain our lives, the light to see by, the shelter to work in, the tools to do the job - even the appreciation of our friends. There could be nothing without the input from almost everything that is not us! Even the energy we use to think about and prepare the plans, and to do the work, does not originate in us!
Self-power itself is a great delusion. If we resort to it for our ultimate destiny we will end only with a greater, more glorious illusion.
The virtue of great love and great compassion embraces us as we accept the Name and the entrusting heart. We are inherently so limited and deluded that it is hard to see how anything at all can be done without it.
Namu-amida-butsu
1. CWS, p. 92
2. CWS, p. 92
