Shinran's Gospel of Pure Grace

Author(s): Alfred Bloom

Source: Journal of Bible and Religion, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Oct., 1964), pp. 305-316
Published by: Oxford University Press
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Shinran'sGospel of Pure Grace

BLOOM
ALFRED
HINRAN (1173-1262)is widelyknownas the founderof the "TrueSectof the

Pure Land" (Jodo-Shinshu)

school of Buddhismin Japan.Becausehe was also a
the
of
more
widely known H6nen who gave the Pure Land school of
disciple
Buddhisman independentfoundationat the beginningof the Kamakuraperiod
(1185), his teachingshave not been investigatedin greatdetail. He has simplybeen consideredas anotherversionof the teachingof his moreillustriousteacher,H6nen.However,
in recent years his thoughthas attractedmore attention,particularlyamongoutstanding
Japanesescholarswho are interestedin revitalizingthe spiritualtraditionsof Japanfollowing the recentwar. Amongthese scholarswe find suchpersonsas IenagaSabur6,Hattori
Shis6, KasawaraKazuo,KarasawaTomitar6,AkamatsuShunshuand others.Not only is
Shinranbecomingmore significantin Japanitself, but his strikingthoughthas come to the
attentionof the ChristiantheologianKarl Barthwho devotes a long note in his famous
to bothH6nenandShinran:
Dogmatics
It is only the "JapaneseProtestantism"of Genku and Shinranwhich calls for serious consideration.
When I said that its existence is a providentialdisposition,I meantthat we ought not to be startledeven
momentarilyby the strikingparallelismof it to the truthof Christianity,but that we shouldbe gratefulfor
the lesson which it so abundantlyand evidentlyteaches. The lesson is this: that in its historicalform, as a
modeof doctrine,life and order,the Christianreligioncannotbe the one to which the truthbelongs,per senot even if that form be the Reformed.1

Barth'sstatementis not an admissionthat Pure Land faith in either Honen's form or

Shinran'sis of equal truthwith Christianity,since Barthgoes on to indicatethe reasons
that it falls short of Christianityin presentingtruth to men. While Barthis eventually
able to dismissthis expressionof religiousinsight,it is clearthat the challengeit presents
to ProtestantChristianityremainsunsolved.
In view of the factthata greatpartof the reasonthatBarthandotherscannotadequately
solve the problemof the relationof Christianfaith to that representedby Shinranlies in
the fact that Western theologianslack a detailedunderstanding
of Shinran'sthought,it is
the intentionof the presentwriterto outlinethat thoughtin the hopethat it will contribute
to a greaterdegreeof understanding
betweenpeopleof differingfaiths.
ALFRED BLOOM is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Oregon. He holds the
B.D. and S.T.M. degrees from Andover-Newton Theological Seminary, and the Ph.D. from Harvard.
He has spent two years in Japanwith a FulbrightGrant studyingJapaneseBuddhismfor his dissertation,
"Shinran:His Life andThought."He has translatedShokoWatanabe'sJapanese
Buddhism(Tokyo: Kokusai
Shinko Bunk6kai).
Karl Barth, ChurchDogmatics,trans. G. T. Thomson, Harold Knight (Edinburgh:T & T Clark),
1-2, p. 342.

? 1964,by AmericanAcademyof Religion

306

ALFREDBLOOM

Shinran'slife spannedthe great upheavalin Japanesesociety in the transitionfrom

Heian to Kamakura.His life and thoughtwas profoundlyinfluencedby the new trends
and spirit moving throughthat age. Like other individualsof his time, Shinransuffered
within himself spiritualanxietyin face of the breakdownin the validityor acceptanceof
traditionalreligious values and institutions.Shinran'sthought is an aspect of the New
Buddhismof Kamakurarepresentedalso in H6nen,Dogen of the Zen school,andNichiren,
exponentof the religionof the LotusSutra.In generalthese leaders,sometimescalledremore
formers,conceivedtheir ideals in a more transcendentfashionand correspondingly
the
On
both
level
of
of
and
that
individualistically.
theology
religiouspractice,they helped
to emancipatethe individualfrom the dominationof the ecclesiasticalinstitutionwith its
complicatedclergy and ritual. Almost all forms of the New Buddhismshow a reduction
in superstitiouspractices,rejectionof ecclesiasticismand ceremony,more dependenceon
very simple acts of devotionsuch as the recitationof a phraseand affirmationscomprehensibleto the commonman, as well as appealsto inner experienceas the ultimatetest
of truth.These changesin religionin this periodwere broadlypopularand appealing,but
also basedon subtletheologyor philosophy.
In order to indicateShinran'scontributionto the area of religiousthoughtwe shall
call attention to five major points of his teaching in which his own originality and creative

insightcanbe illustrated.These areasare (1) the Evil Conditionof SentientBeings,(2) His

Conceptof Faith, (3) the Statusof the Believerin the PresentLife, (4) the Conceptof
ReligiousDevotion,and (5) the Final Destiny of Believers.
I.

THE EVILCONDITION
OF SENTIENTBEINGS

The upheavalswhich Shinranconfrontedduring his lifetime, as he witnessed the

brutalityand violence within both the secularand the religiousorders of society, undoubtedlystimulatedhis reflectionon the characterof humanexistence. As a follower
of Pure Land teaching,he saw his age as the concretemanifestationof the Last Age in
the declineof the Buddhistteaching(Mappo).In such an age the world was dominatedby
evil personsand passionsran rampant.It was in this context that Shinranencountered
himself and became acutely aware of his own ineradicabledepravity.He employedall
the traditionaltermsof Buddhistthoughtto expresshis conceptof the humanpredicament.
He saw himself,andmen in general,as chainedby lusts, hatreds,anddelusions.Life is an
existencewithin a burninghouse,a figurefoundin the LotusSutraand a commondescription in Buddhismfor the nature of sentient existence.2

The traditionalBuddhistanalysis of existence as passion-riddenand immersedin

ignorancewas intensifiedby the idea of the degenerateage (Mappo)in which in the final
stage it was impossiblefor beingsto attainthe high idealsof Buddhistdoctrine.Beingsare
so evil that they requirethe aid of a Buddhaor Bodhisattvato enablethem to escape the

repetition of births and deaths.

Within the Pure Landtraditionwhich Shinransharedwe can note a very interesting

developmentin the conceptof man. In earlierBuddhismthe analysisof the passion-ridden
natureof manwas calculatedto stir a desirein individualsto transcendthatevil andattain
to discipline,to the
enlightenmentas Buddhahimselfhad done. It was an encouragement
2 The Saddharma-Pundarika,
trans. H. Kern, SacredBooksof the East, F. Max Muller, (ed.), Oxford:
ClarendonPress, 1884, XXI, 72-79.

SHINRAN'SGOSPELOF PURE GRACE

307

purificationof the mindandspirit.In the PureLandtradition,the conceptof manreversed

itself, and,basedon the conceptof the DegenerateAge (Mappo),it was heldthatdisciplines
of meditationand purificationwere futile becauseindividualsare evil and ignorant.Since
no disciplinecouldavailto removethis evil condition,men mustrely on the way provided
by AmidaBuddha.
Shinran,as a Pure Landconvert,acceptedthese basic positionsinto his own thought.
His own years of fruitlesseffortsto attainenlightenment
duringhis twenty years stay on
Hiei
intensified
his
sense
of
the
and
Mount
depravity incapacityof man to attainhis own
salvation.Throughouthis writings we find abundantevidencesof his awarenessof his
personalinvolvementin passionandlust.His personalconfessionswhichexposehis depravity
havegivenhis writingsa depthandattractiveness,becausehe has indicatedclearlyhis own
identificationwith the humansituation,and his teachingsare a testimonyto his faith that
he had discoveredthe solutionto man's eternalproblem.Thus we find him lamenting
sorrowfullyin a poem:
EventhoughI take refugein the JodoShinshu
It is difficultto havea mindof truth.
I am false anduntrue,
And withoutthe least purityof mind.
We men in our outwardforms
Displaywisdom,goodnessandpurity.
Sincegreed,anger,evil anddeceitare frequent,
We are filledwith naughtbut flattery.
With our evil natureshardto subdue,
Ourmindsare like aspsandscorpions.
As the practiceof virtueis mixedpoison,
We call it false, vainpractice.3
In the midstof his theologicalwritinghe confesseshis temptationin beingregardeda teacher,
and that even as a leaderurgingmen to desire birthin the Pure Land,he himselfis still
attachedto passionsanddoes not reallyyearnto go therehimself:
I know truly how sad it is that I, Gutoku Shinran,am drownedin the broad sea of lust and wander
confusedlyin the great mountainof fame. I do not rejoice that I have entered the companyof the truly
assured; I do not enjoy (the fact) that I am approachingthe realizationof the true attainment.0 how
shameful,pitiful!4

BecauseShinranwas so deeplyawareof his own spiritualconditionas a passion-ridden

creature,he was very sympatheticwith his disciplesand otherswho foundit difficultto
arouseenthusiasmfor a distantlandof bliss, or to desireto leave the realmof the tangible
andthe known.5
ShinshuShogyoZens, II, 527.
4 Ibid., 80.
p.
6 Ibid., pp. 777-778.

308

ALFRED BLOOM

The awareness of his own spiritual condition led Shinranto realize that there was nothing he could do to purify his spirit sufficiently to gain the insight and assurance of enlightenment prescribed in traditional Buddhist schools. He drew the conclusion that no
practice whatsoever could assure him of salvation.6It is true that he first accepted H6nen's
solution that the verbal recitation of the name of Amida Buddha was the easy way given
to evil beings in order to attain salvation, and he claimed he would stake his life on Honen's
teaching.7 However, in the course of his religious development he had occasion to reflect
on the process of the acquisition of merit which undergirds all Buddhist disciplines, even
that of reciting the name. What attracted him was the attitude of the devotees engaged in
the performance of religious exercises. To him it seemed that these individuals believed
that somehow they were doing a good act and that this good act was the basis of their
salvation. He maintained that such persons were in error from two points of view. On
the one hand they failed to take seriously the depravity of beings, and on the other hand,
they did not recognize the true meaning of the need for Buddha's assistance in attaining
salvation.
According to Shinran, it is impossible to do a truly good deed, because all deeds are
done with a calculation in mind and are designed to bring some benefit to the doer. Thus
all good deeds were seen as essentially self-centered and involved in the web of passion.
From the standpoint of Amida Buddha, good deeds were regarded impossible since
Amida Buddha was the basis of comparison. This Buddha had practiced the disciplines
through long aeons of time without the slightest tinge of selfishness or insincerity in order
to make it possible for men to be reborn in the Pure Land. He was absolute, incomparable
goodness and purity. Amida Buddha, in Shinran's thought, ceased to be a pattern which
one might imitate, and he became the inimitable absolute, the source of salvation.
Shinran's rejection of all Buddhist practices which were motivated by a desire to accomplish some good effect was so categorical that he even rejected the time-honored and
traditional ways of filial piety, which he set aside on the basis that common mortals have
no virtue within them to benefit the beloved departed.8
On the point of the Buddha'sassistance in gaining salvation, Shinranwas very clear in
shifting attentionaway from performanceof practicesto the attitudesgoverning such efforts.He
noted that all practices were really based on self-seeking. Shinran went beyond the traditional Pure Land doctrine, which had concentrated attention on the practice of recitation
based on the EighteenthVow of Amida Buddha,called the Nembutsu-Ojo-Gan,"the Vow of
birth through Nembutsu." According to traditional theory, the practice was easy for
simple people, and the name of Amida within the phrase guaranteedits effectiveness. The
name acted to cleanse from sin and karma, making it possible to attain enlightenment.
There was considerable talk of faith in Amida's Vow, but basically the faith was directed
toward the practice itself. The practice, not the faith, brought salvation. Thus Honen stated
his position as Nembutsuihon, "Nembutsu is the cause (foundation or origin)." Amida's
assistance was regarded as only the guarantee of the effectiveness of the name which was
the heart of the practice.
Shinran's deep sense of incapacity led him to reinspect the Vow, and he discovered
there the aspect of pure faith, the attitude to be possessed by the devotee. He noted that
6 Ibid.,

p. 528.

7 Ibid.,
p. 774.
8 Ibid., p. 776.

SHINRAN S GOSPEL OF PURE GRACE

309

just as the practicehadbeen given by the Buddha,so also the traitsof mindthat were requiredwere also given. Thus he made the act of faith itself the essentialbasisof salvation,
andhe furtherobservedthattheactoffaith wasnotmadeby theindividual,butby theBuddha
in thatperson.Thus he arrivedat the strikingconclusionthatgoodandevil peoplealikeneed
the assistanceof AmidaBuddhato be saved:
The idea is: however good a man may be, he is incapable,with all his deeds of goodness,of effecting
his rebirthin Amida's Land of Recompense.Much less so with bad men. Except for the three (or four)
evil paths of existence, where else can their evil deed bear fruit? Being so, good deeds are of no effect and
evil deeds of no hindranceas regardsrebirth. Even the rebirthof good men is impossiblewithout being
helpedby Amida'sspecificVow issuingfromhis greatlove andcompassionwhicharenot at all of this world.9

II.

THE CONCEPTOF FAITH

As we havealreadyindicated,it is the outstandingfeatureof Shinran'sthoughtthat he

madefaiththe primaryor root causefor the achievementof salvation.Throughouthis writings he urgedmento give up anxiousconcernfor theirfuturedestinyandplacetheirreliance
solely in AmidaBuddhawho hadachievedit for them.In his exaltationof the way of faith
he drew from many texts in Buddhisttraditionand appropriated
them for his own use.
we
shall
that
he
faith
in
see
a
new
However,
interpreted
distinctively
way.
While there are many aspectsof Shinran'sconceptof faith which are worthy of discussion,his contributionto the idea of faith in Buddhisttraditionis found chiefly in his
theoryof the arisingof faith,the implicationsof whichextendto all aspectsof his thought.
It is this point which qualifiesShinranfor a place amongthe great religiousthinkersof
to the ProtestantReformers,LutherandCalvin,whose
history,andone clearlycomparable
theoriesof graceandfaith as the gift of God workeda revolutionin Christiantheology.
The principlethat faith is a gift of AmidaBuddhais set forth in the volumeon Faith
in the Kyogyoshinsho,
Shinran'smajorwork. He gives a concisestatementof his theory:
The mind of the Buddhais difficultto understand,but if we may infer concerninghis mind, (we might
say) that the whole sea of sentient beings, from the beginninglesspast even until the presenttime are defiled, impureand stained.Their mindsare not pure, and being false, they do not have a mind of truth. For
this reason,the Tathagatahadcompassionon the whole sea of sufferingsentientbeings.For incomprehensibly
infinite kalpashe performedthe disciplinesof a Bodhisattva,and never for even a single momentwere his
practicesof the mouth,mindor body, impureor untrue.By his pure, sinceremind, the Tathagataperfected
his completely harmonious,unimpeded,mysterious, inexpressible,incomprehensible,supremevirtue. He
the sinceremind of the Tathagatato all the sea of sentient beings who are passion-ridden,evil in
transferred

deed and in mind. Hence this manifests the true mind for helping others; therefore it was never mixed with
doubts. Hence this sincere mind has his virtuous name as its essence.'0

In orderto clarifyShinran'sinsightwe must observethat faithin the generalBuddhist

traditionwas regardedas an act of the will, arousedby the individualanddirectedtoward
the Buddha,his teaching,and his communityof followers.In the declarationof refugein
the three treasures,the devotee revealshis resolve to attainenlightenment.There is no
questionthat faith has always been an essentialelementin Buddhistreligiouslife, but it
9 D. T. Suzuki,
Miscellanyon the Shin Teachingof Buddhism,Kyoto: ShinshuiOtaniha Shumusho,
1949, p. 142.
10Shugaku Yamabe and Chizen Akanuma, Kyogyoshinsho
Kogi, I, 87-89 give a detailed discussion
of Eko,Shinran'sreinterpretationand his textual supports.

310

ALFREDBLOOM

has generallybeen regardedas a faith arrivedat throughinquiryanddecisioncultivatedin

the devoteehimself.
Shinran'spersonalreligiousexperiencecausedhim to diverge significantlyfrom this
of faith in Buddhisttradition.So compellingwas his insightthat he had to
understanding
rendthe grammarof the sutrain orderto get an authoritativebasisfor it.
where it relates
Shinranreadhis epoch-making
insightinto the text of the Muryojukyo
the fulfillmentof the EighteenthVow by AmidaBuddha.He was able to do this through
the applicationof certainJapaneseprinciplesof grammardevisedfor readingChinesetexts.
to the Chinesetext he impliedthatfaithandthe thoughtof
By applyingtheJapanesegrammar
the Buddhawere givento beingsby Buddhahimself.The Chinesetext, readstrictly,states:
If all those beings hear that name, believe and rejoice even for one thought (moment), and sincerely
transfer(the merit of the thought)desiringto be born in that Land,then they will obtainrebirthand abide
in the state of non-retrogression.Only those are excludedwho have committedthe five deadly sins and
slanderedthe Dharma.1

Accordingto Shinran,the text reads:

If all beings who hear that name, believe and rejoice, even for one moment,as a result of the fact that
(Amida) has sincerelytransferred(His Name), anddesire to be bornin that country,they will obtainbirth
and abidein the state of non-retrogression,excludingthose alone who have committedthe five deadly sins
and slanderedthe Dharma.12

The problemin the alterationof the grammarof this text revolvesabout the term
ShishinEko.ShishinEkonormallymeans"to transferwith a trueor sinceremind."In traditional Buddhism,transfersof merit are usuallymadeby a devotee towardsome spiritual
object or benefitwhich he desires.When the practiceof recitationis viewed as a means
to salvation,the salvationcomes aboutwhen the merit is acquiredand directedto birth
in the Pure Land.
In Shinran'sthoughtthe perspectiveis entirely reversed.All transferof merit comes
from AmidaBuddhato man. From the discussionconcerningthe depravityof beings,it is
clear that men have nothingto transfertowardstheir salvation,but Amida Buddha,as
absolutepurityandlove, hasthe merit,as the resultof his sacrificialactivity,to bringabout
the salvationof beings.Shinran'sinsight,basedon his own experience,overpoweredthe
normalgrammaticalinterpretation
of the text. WhereverShinranfoundin Buddhisttexts
the term Ekohe interpretedit uniformlyto refer to Amida'swork.13
The view set forthas the resultof the insightinto AmidaBuddha'sactivityin salvation
has been called "AbsoluteOther Power." The view can also be observedin Shinran's
treatmentof certainChinesecharacterswhose meaningswhich he analyzesare used to
supporthis contentionthat salvationis all the work of AmidaBuddha.These are the terms
Ji,O, and Soku.
The wordJi has the meaning"naturally,"andin this contextit was interpretedto mean
that the individualattainedbirthin the PureLandnaturally,that is, withoutany strivingor
to causeto be, is appliedhereas a meaning
calculatingon his part.The termShikarashimeru,
1Shinshi ShogyoZenshs, I, 24.
12 For a word for word
interpretationof this passage by Shinran,refer to Shinshi ShogyoZensho,
II, 604-605.
18
For discussionof this point the readermay refer to D. T. Suzuki, Miscellanyon theShinTeachingof
Buddhism,op. cit., pp. 23, 61-63; also UmeharaShinryu,Kyogyoshinsho
Shinshaku,Toyamaken: Senchoji
BunshoDendobu,1957, II, 46-50; KarasawaTomitaro, Shinranno Sekai,Tokyo: Kobundo,1953, pp. 138141; Yamabeand Akanuma,op. cit., I, 87-89.

SHINRAN S GOSPEL OF PURE GRACE

311

for natural,andit signifiesthatsalvationcomesaboutthroughthe workingof AmidaBuddha

as symbolizedin his Vow.'4
SimilarlyShinransaw the principleof absoluteOtherPowerin the character0, which
has the sense of "crosswise,""transverse."It is used in the terms Oshi, violent death,
Ory6,seizing,andObo,oppression.There is an impliedsenseof suddennesswhichindicated
to Shinranthe instantaneous
aspectof salvation,hencethe operationof Buddha'sVow apart
fromthe individual'scontrivanceor calculation.l5
The thirdterm, Soku,has the sense of principle,law, rule. Also it couldmean"thereupon"or "accordingly"which conveys the implicationthat the succeedingstatementfollowed the previousas its "natural,"inevitableoutcome.Again all contrivanceand effort
on the partof the individualwere ruledout. Thus Shinraninterpretedthe character:
Soku means Sunawachi(thereupon)or Nori (rule). When one believes in the Original Vow of the
Tathagatafor one moment, he is assuredlycausedto receiveunsurpassedvirtue without soliciting it. Unconsciouslyhe receives profoundblessing. It is the law which manifeststhereforevariousinsights (Satori)
naturally(inen).16

An inspectionof Shinran'smethodof interpretingtraditionaltexts, grammatically

and
linguisticallymakesclearthat the centralpointof his teachingwas not only the primacyof
faithin salvation,butalsothatfaith is nottheresultof humanresolution
to believe,or the cultivation individuallyof a senseof dependence.OtherPureLandteachers,andBuddhiststhrough
all periods, stressedthat faith was requiredfor embarkingon the disciplineleadingto
spiritualemancipation.The qualitativedifferencebetween Shinran'sperspectiveand the
traditionalone is the assertionthat for Shinranfaithwas arousedin the individualthrough
the mysteriousoperationof AmidaBuddhain the heart and mind of the person.It was
preciselybecauseAmidaBuddhagave the faiththat faithand faith alonecouldbe the true
andonly causefor birthin the PureLand.Fromthis significantchangein the understanding
of the role of faith flow the otherimportantcontributions
of Shinran'sthought.
It shouldbe noted that the belief that faith is given by the Buddhadoes not inhibit
Shinranfrompreachingfor decisionto stimulateconversion,just as it does not in Christian
and Islamicthoughtof similartype. Further,Shinranreconciledthe apparentcontradiction
betweenthe theory that faith is given and the actualhumanexperienceof believing.He
indicatedthatwhat one is awareof as his act of faithis actuallythe manifestation
of Amida
Buddha'sgift of faithin his mind.17
Shinrandevelopeda theoryto accountfor the processby whichfaithis arousedin men
theologically,though psychologicallyits manifestationwould not differ from faith elsewhere in the tradition.The basicelementsof this theoryare his novel interpretation
of the
SeventeenthVow, whichgivesthe universalscopeof salvationas the Buddhasin the Cosmos
soundforthin praiseAmidaBuddha'sName. The nameof AmidaBuddhaandthe ineffable
mindto illuminate
Lightwhichproceedsfromthe Buddhaoperatedirectlyon the individual's
his sinfulnessand to give assuranceof AmidaBuddha'sgift of salvation.In workingthis
theoryout Shinrandependedon ancientconceptionsof the Buddha'snameandthe concept
of light within Buddhistthought.Thereforewe shall not elaboratehere on this
process
exceptto point out that it completelyexcludesthe idea that faith in any way resultsfrom
the intentionof the individualto attainhis own salvation.
14

See ShinshfiSh&gyo
Zensho,I, 26 and ibid., II, 579.

15

Ibid., I, 31, and II, 580.

16Ibid., I, 46, II, 611.

17

Ibid., II, 48 for a paradoxical statement of the two aspects of faith.

ALFREDBLOOM

312
III.

IN THE PRESENTLIFE
THE STATUSOF THE BELIEVER

This subjectpertainsto the certaintyof salvationwhich one gains in this life as a

result of the fact that faith is a gift and based solely on AmidaBuddha'scompassion.In
orderto assessthe epochalsignificanceof Shinran'sthoughton this point,it mustbe pointed
out that Pure Landtraditionhad been dominatedby a futuristicemphasis,and,becauseof
the theory of merit, stimulatedanxietyin devoteesconcerningthe assuranceof their ultimate attainment.
Shinran clarified this point in his reinterpretation of the traditional concept of "entrance into the company of the truly assured." These are persons truly assured that they
will gain enlightenment. It was also regarded as the achievement of the stage of nonretrogression, a stage in the Bodhisattva path which signified that the Bodhisattva would
never fall back into the paths of evil births or karma, and he was certain of the goal of
Buddhahood.
The content of the concepts of entrance into the company of the truly assured and
the achievement of the stage of non-retrogression does not in itself significantly differ in

Shinranfrom that taughtby tradition.It was in connectionwith the temporalrelationship

of these states to birthin the PureLandthat Shinranmanifestedhis own originalthought.
Attainmentof this ineffablestate occurredat the momentof the arisingof faith, according
to him:
.. We say that we abide in the rank of the companyof the truly assuredwhen we encounterthe
profoundVow of the gift of Amida's Other Power and our minds which rejoice at being given true faith
are assured,and when, becausewe are acceptedby him, we have the adamantinemind.'8

ConstantlyShinranassuredhis disciples, "You must considerthat your birth (into the

PureLand)is determined."'9
The contrastof Shinran'steachingwith the traditionis clear. The doctrineitself is
foundin the EleventhVow of the Muryojukyo:
If those who are born in my country, after my attainingBuddhahood,shouldnot be definitely settled
in the groupof the faithfulbeforetheir entranceinto Nirvana,may I not attainthe Highest Enlightenment.20

Accordingto the Vow itself, the entranceinto the companyof the truly assuredtakes
place uponone's birthinto the PureLand,21andalso the Amidakyospeaksof the fact that
the stage of non-retrogression
is to be attainedin the PureLand.22The futuristicemphasis
was set forth clearlyby T'an Luan,the first popularizerof Pure Landteachingin China.
He insisted on the principlethat these attainmentsaccompaniedbirth in the Pure Land
when conditionswouldbe rightfor mediocremortalsto performBodhisattvadisciplines.
Shinran'scontributionto this teachingwas made when he regardedthe one moment
of faithin this life as determiningonce andfor all the destinyof the individual.He stressed
the presentmomentin order to overcomethe anxiety resultingfrom the moralisticor
legalisticconceptionof meritoriousrecitationof the Buddha'sname.
A decisiveindicationof Shinran'sdeparturefrom the traditionin regardto the nature
of salvationis his treatmentof the doctrineof Raigowhich refers to the promiseof the
18 Ibid.,

p. 684.

19Ibid., 674.
p.
20Suzuki,
Miscellanyon theShin Teachingof Buddhism,p. 15; ShinshfiShogyoZensho,I, 9.
21See also the completiontext, Shinshi ShogyoZensho,I, 24.
22
Ibid., p. 69.

SHINRAN'S GOSPEL OF PURE GRACE

313

NineteenthVow that the Buddhawould come at the momentof death to welcome the
devoteeto the Pure Land.However,the promisedependedon the state of mindof the believerin thatmoment.He hadto havea clearandsteadymindin orderto be thinkingdeeply
on the Buddha.Considerable
anxietyaroseamongthe commonpeopleas to how they could
be sure to have this mind at the point of death. The anxiety is succinctlystated in the
Anjinketsujosho:
The nembutsuas practicedby the jiriki followers puts the Buddhaaway from themselvesfar in the
West, and thinkingthey are worthlessbeings they would now and then recollect the OriginalVow of the
Buddhaand pronounceHis Name (Shomyo) ... Inasmuchas they are commonmortals, it is only on exceptionaloccasionsthat they cherishpious feelings; and thus they naturallyhave an uncertainstate of mind
until the time actually comes for them to depart from this life. While they occasionallypronouncethe
Name with their mouths, they have no definite assurancefor the Pure Land... Such a devotee is all the
time in an unsettledstate of mind as to how to court the favor of the Buddha,how to be reconciledto Him,
how to win his loving consideration... As long as he keeps up this attitudeof mind his rebirthin the Pure
Land is indeedextremely uncertain.23

It was widely recognizedin the Pure Landschoolthat self-generatedfaith couldwax

and wane dependingon the conditionof the mind. In orderto counterthis problemthey
urgedthe continuousrecitationof the nameof Buddhato keep the mindfocused.
Shinrantranscendedthis uncertaintyconcerningsalvationby the affirmationthat faith
is a gift and salvationlay in acceptanceof the Buddha'sVow. This standpointruledout all
chanceoccurrenceswhich mightobstructthe individual'sultimatesalvation.
In orderto supporthis strikingandnovel theorythat salvationis absolutelyassuredin
the presentlife, Shinrancalledattentionto the term Sokuwhichwe havediscussedearlier.
This word in the Chinesetext servesas a type of conjunction,indicatingthat what follows
is the result of the foregoing.In such cases it can be translatedas "therefore"or "then."
Wheneverhe interpretedthe word, Shinranunderstoodit as a kindof equalssign, andwas
thus enabledto make the texts teach that birthin the Pure Landand Enlightenment
were
in
the
moment
of
faith.
In
the
he appliesthis interpretaguaranteed
Yuishinshomoni,
present
tion to a passageof the Muryojukyo:
In the Daikyo(Muryojukyo-)
it says: "Those desiringbirthin that land (therefore)attainbirth (there)
and abidein the state of non-retrogression."Gensh6hikokumeans "one aspiresto be bornin that country."
Sokutokuojomeansthat since one attainsfaith, thereforehe is reborn."Thereforehe is reborn"meansthat
he abides in the state of non-retrogression.To abide in the state of non-retrogressionmeans namely, that
it is determinedthat one is in the rank of the truly assured.It is also called Jotosh6kaku"to be (in the
state) equivalentto right enlightenment."This is what we mean by "thereforehe attainsrebirth."Soku is
Sunawachi.Sunawachimeansthat no timeelapses,no daysintervene.24

With this thoughtof entranceinto the companyof the trulyassuredin this life, Shinran
in
attemptedto combinethe emphasison the presentrealizationof the fruitsof Buddhahood
Nagarjuna'sandVasubandhu's
thoughtandthe futureattainmentof birthin the PureLand
stressedby T'an Luan.He may also have been influencedin his thoughtby the contemporarystressof the TendaiandShingonschoolswhichproclaimedthe possibilityof attainin this life (Sokushinjobutsu).
ing Buddhahood
However,Shinrangavea peculiarlyPureLand
to this doctrinewhichwas normallyassociatedwith the self-power,purifying
interpretation
practicesof the SagePathtraditionof Buddhism.
23

Suzuki,op. cit., pp. 26-27. JirikimeansSelf-power.

Shinshi ShogyoZensho,II, 625, also pp. 538, 605, 617-618. Notice the analysis of the term Soku-i
in the investitureof the crown prince. Shinranmay have gotten his interpretationof Sokufrom the terms
NehansokuShojiwhich is "Nirvanais Samsara."
24

314

ALFREDBLOOM

of the traditionaldoctrinenot only gave a sense of certainty

Shinran'sreinterpretation
to the hope of salvation,but it also concentratedattentionon the spiritualcharacteristics
of joy andgratitudeflowingfromthis assurance.His interpretation
also did away with the
last vestigesof legalismimpliedin the conceptof merit-acquisition
andthe anxietiesrelated
to it. The believerhad a spiritualstatusequalto the Buddha,and thoughhe continuedto
possess a finite, sinfulnature,he need have no fears concerninghis ultimatedestiny.
IV.

THE CONCEPTOF RELIGIOUS

DEVOTION

Shinran'sreinterpretation
of the mode of attainmentof salvationin the Pure Land
school naturally gave rise to a new concept of religious devotion. Within the context of

faith as a gift and the presentassuranceof salvationin this life, all practicesandmethods
of securingsalvationthroughacquiringmerit becameuseless. However, Shinrandid not
believe that the spirituallife couldbe totally a formlessexistence.Ratherhe retainedthe
practiceof the recitationof AmidaBuddha'sname which had been the centralmeansof
securingsalvationin the Pure Land school, but he regardedthis practiceand any other
spiritualactivityas the expressionof gratitudefor the salvationattained.
Shinranwent beyondhis teacherHonen by makingstrongcriticismof the methodof
recitationof the nameprevalentin the Pure Land school. The self-poweredrecitationof
the name is manifested,accordingto Shinran,"when the devotee recites the names of
variousBuddhasaccordingto respectivesituationsandpracticesthe variousroots of goods,
andthinksthathe will be reborninto the PureLandby relyingon himselfandwith a mind
of self effortto adjustthe confusionof his body,mouthandmindto endlife auspiciously."25
Suchpeoplehave a definitelyfuturisticconceptionof birthin the PureLand,andthey are
acutelyconcernedwith the problemof the last momentof life.26
In rejectingthe self-poweredrecitationmethodunequivocally,Shinrangave a comprehensivedefinitionof the Nembutsufromthe standpointof absoluteOtherPower:
Nembutsuis neithera practicenor a good (deed) for the devotee. Since we do not practiceit by our
own contrivancewe say it is non-practice.Also, since it is not a good (deed) which we do by our own
contrivancewe say it is non-good.Since we leave off the self power andearnestlyaccordwith OtherPower,
(we say) it is non-practiceand non-goodfor the devotee.27

The final rejectionof self power recitationwas given when he gave up the practicesof
filialpiety.28
that "truefaith inevitablyprovides
Going further,Shinrannoted in the Kyogyoshinsho
the name,but the samedoes not assuredlyprovidethe faithof the Vow Power."29By this
he intendedto show thatthe centralelementin the truepracticeof recitationwas faith.The
mere recitationitself was insufficientunlessit was inspiredby deeptrustin Amida'sVow.
With the rejectionof the simple,mechanical,vocal use of the Nembutsuto gain salvation, Shinranmadeit a sign of praiseandgratitudein whichthe devoteeacknowledgedhis
greatdebt to AmidaBuddha.
The theme of gratituderuns throughShinran'sthought.The spiritualjoy and faith
26 Ibid.,
26

p. 658.
Ibid., p. 656.

27Ibid., 777
p.

" See above

p. 308.
29 Shinshu
Shogyo Zensho, II, 68.

SHINRAN'S GOSPEL OF PURE GRACE

315

which he receivedmade him consciousof his obligationto Amida, Sakyamuniand the

greatmasterswho had contributedto his insight:
We mustrepaythe graceof Tathagata'sgreatcompassion,
Thoughour bodiesare groundto powder.
The graceof the mastersandteachersalso we mustrepay,
Thoughour bonesbe crushed.30
Yuiembo,Shinran'sdisciple, has recordedShinran'seloquentconfessionof gratitudefor
his salvationin the Tannisho:
When I considerwell the Vow upon which Amida Buddhathought for five aeons, (I reflect) it was
for me Shinranalone. O how gratefulI am for the OriginalVow which aspiredto save one who possesses
such evil karma.31

Just as Shinranwas constantlymindfulof his own obligationto the Buddhasand

teachers,he frequentlyremindedhis followersthat they also shouldkeep beforethem the
debt they owed, particularlywhen they were temptedto defamethe gods and Buddhas,
or when faced with persecution.32
It was his convictionthat gratitudewas the direct exof
and
when
faith
in the Vow there would be an outpouringof
blossomed
faith,
pression
thankfulnessto the Buddhaand all who made it possible.33The chief means to express
gratitudeis to recite the nameof AmidaBuddha.34
The emphasison gratitudebecamea distinctivecharacteristicof the Shinshuview of
life. However, to point out the centralityof gratitudeto Buddhain Shinshufaith is not to
deny that otherBuddhistsalso expressgratitudeto the Buddha.It is also well knownthat
gratitudeand repaymentof obligationis a fundamentalaspect of Japaneseculturewhich
immediatelystrikesthe eye of the most casualobserver.The significantpoint concerning
the Shinshi view is that it becamethe centralfunctionof the religiouslife and practice.
All utilitarianism,magic, and attemptto gain some privatebenefit from religion, were
rejected.It was a bold attemptto reduceegocentrismand legalismwhich had dominated
PureLandtraditionin its questof salvationfor the commonman.
Gratitudeas a way of life in Shinshiiextendsbeyondthe physicalor mentalpractice
of recitation.It also penetratesother areas such as ethics and morality. Accordingto
Shinran,the awarenessof Buddha'sgrace shouldpreventthe true believersfrom speaking
ill of others,of other sects anddivinities.It shouldinspirepity and sympathy.
V.

THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE BELIEVER

Shinran'sunderstanding
of the finaldestiny of sentientbeings generallyfollowed the
traditionalteachingof the PureLandschool.However,he interpretedthis doctrinein line
with his effort to emphasizethe absoluteOther Power principleand to eliminateegocentrismfromreligion.
Severalpointscan be notedin passingbrieflyon the characterof Shinran'sthoughton
this subject.First he maintainedthat the highestdegreeof attainmentwas only attainedby
those who had given up all self-poweredpracticesincludingthe self-poweredNembutsu.35
o0Ibid.,
p. 523.
"1Ibid., p. 792.
"2 Ibid., pp. 660, 710.
33Ibid.,
p. 777.
4 Ibid.,

36 Ibid.,

pp. 44, 519.

p. 485, also pp. 611, 657, 659, also pp. 165 and 551.

316

ALFRED BLOOM

Second,for Shinranthe Pure Landwas virtuallyequivalentto the Nirvanaof highestenlightenment.He identifiedwith it the realmof the Dharmakaya.36
The most significantpoint of Shinran'streatmentof the theme of finaldestiny in the
Pure Landtraditionwas to revive the sense of altruismwhich had been stressedby T'an
Luan.It shouldbe notedthat PureLandtraditionin its approachto the commonmanwho
was not skilledin philosophyor complicatedformsof disciplinehad come to be dominated
by emphasison an egoistic concernfor self salvation,to get bornin the Pure Land.This
endeavorwas stimulatedwith the graphicdescriptionsof hells and the offer of joyous
paradise.By this Pure Land traditionbecamenotably other-worldlyin its attitudesand
individualistic.
predominantly
Shinranattemptedto alter this emphasiswhen he declaredthat religionwas not to be
viewed merely as a way for peopleto seek their own salvationto the exclusionof other
people.Here he sees deeplyinto the OriginalVow whichhadbeenbasedon the Bodhisattva
conceptof MahayanaBuddhism,in which the Bodhisattvadeclaresthat he will not accept
enlightenmentuntil all otherbeingsalso arriveat the goal. Thus the conclusionwas drawn
that there couldbe no desire for one's own salvationwhich was not immediatelyand indissolublyconnectedto the desirefor the salvationof all men. Shinranstressedthe sense
of solidarityof the saved and those to be saved presentin MahayanaBuddhism.In accordancewith this understanding
he regardedbirthin the Pure Landas merely a prelude
to the returnof the individual,as a result of unionwith AmidaBuddha,to this world to
work for the salvationof others.
To emphasizethis point, Shinrancontrastedthe form of compassionshown in the
Sage Path schools and the Pure Land school. The compassionexpressedby followersof
the Sage Pathis done throughtheirown power andfor the sake of accumulating
meritfor
their own enlightenment.
Suchaltruismactuallyenhancesegoismbecauseit relies entirely
uponthe self for the benefitof the self. For those destinedfor birthin the PureLandthis
view is inadequate.After birthin the PureLandandBuddhahood
is attained,it is possible
to returnto this world and work selflesslyand unhinderedfor the salvationof beings.37
Pure and perfectaltruismis only possiblewhen one is a Buddha,for then compassionbecomesthe essenceof one's existenceandnot a meansto an end.
Throughhis teachingconcerningthe conceptof the returnof the Bodhisattva,Shinran
taughtthat not only was religionultimatelyaltruisticin its essentialnature,but that reality
at its very heart,as representedin the OriginalVow, is a reality whichoperatesto bring
beings to enlightenmentdespite their sin and ignorance.Compassionis the essence of
religion, history, and reality, and it confrontsbeings at every turn in great individuals,
in the traditionof the PureLand,andin the nameandLightof AmidaBuddhawhicharouse
the awarenessof sin andthe humbleattitudeof faithwithinbeings.Thus Shinran,through
the perceptionof his own limitednatureand his insight into the absoluteOther Power
requiredto lift him above his finitude,was enabledto see reality as compassionateand
the responseof manas one solelyof gratitude.All ego-centrismwas thusdeniedandset aside.
In conclusionwe may state that Shinran'sthoughtreveals itself as theologicallyand
psychologicallyastute, resultingfrom reflectionon his own humannature.However, its
evidentpopularityin Japanesehistory rests in the meaningand hope which it offeredto

the meanest person in the assurance of Amida's grace.

36

Ibid., pp. 693, 505, 661. On the various traits of the Pure Land that correlate with Nirvana see
pp. 521, 502, 503, and 496-497.
37
Ibid., pp. 775-776.