Shin Buddhism arises from the teachings of Shinran, a profoundly compelling spiritual authority of 13th century Japan. In contrast to monastic Japanese Buddhist traditions, which attracted the more learned and aristocratic elements of Japanese society, Shinran taught men in all walks of life to find solace and strength in Amida Buddha, a compassionate aspect of the Cosmic Buddha who renounced his own enlightenment until all men are saved through his power.

Though it has been in the West for over one hundred years, Pure Land and Shin Buddhism has been little known or understood among Western peoples. This book brings together a sampling of the resources available for the study of Shin Pure Land Buddhism through a variety of essays from important and influential journals, and so contributes to a greater understanding of Buddhism in general and this school of Buddhism in particular.

These essays demonstrate to people unfamiliar with Buddhist scholarship some resources that they would otherwise probably never see. The anthology reveals the serious intellectual and spiritual character of Pure Land teaching, while also enabling the reader to gain a perspective on its very real significance for modern society. The diversity of perspectives and views shown in these pages is a mark of vital religious reflection and shows Shin’s many dimensions as a living tradition capable of giving meaning to everyday life and of inspiring commitment to the service of humanity. The title Living in Amida’s Universal Vow indicates that Buddhism is for living, and is meant to suggest the pertinence of these writings to spiritual students and seekers who are not interested in dry scholarly analyses alone.

"Because the message of Shinran reflects his deep honesty concerning human existential realities, and because these are the very basis of true enlightenment, the intellectuals of our day should be attracted to his teachings."

- Rev. Koju Fujieda, retired from Fukui Medical University

Though it has been in the West for over one hundred years, Pure Land and Shin Buddhism has been little known or understood among Western peoples. The reasons for this are varied, but with the growing availability of important scholarly studies and easily understood popular interpretations, seekers now have the opportunity to encounter the richness and depth of the tradition. It is the intention of this anthology to contribute to a greater understanding of Pure Land teaching in particular and Buddhism in general.

Since World War II a broad increase of interest in Japanese culture resulted from the occupation of Japan and the development of intimate economic relations between Japan and America. Buddhism especially gained greater respect notably with the introduction of Zen Buddhism through the efforts of Dr. D. T. Suzuki and a host of other teachers who settled in the West. In addition, the dispersion of Tibetan Buddhism and the visibility of the Dalai Lama throughout Western countries has also been a very significant factor in the growth of interest in Buddhism. The Vietnam War brought a focus on Buddhist monks who resisted the war, sacrificing themselves by self immolation. Thich Nhat Hanh, a noted Zen monk, carried the message of peace to the West. Programs in Buddhism and Asian cultures were established in many universities and colleges.

Widespread religious ferment in Western society has been expressed in movements designated as New Age Spirituality. These newly arisen religious groups attract individuals who have become increasingly dissatisfied or disillusioned with their traditional faiths. Seeking alternative paths for dealing with their personal problems and understanding life, they often turn to one of the many forms of Buddhism.

Despite the renewed interest in religion, the significance of Pure Land teaching and appreciation of its spiritual character as an important approach to understanding human existence have lagged behind other traditions such as Zen, Tibetan, and Theravadan forms of Buddhist teaching and meditation. Pure Land faith appears as a popular, other-worldly path, mainly concerned with death and afterlife and lacking in such features as meditation and social awareness.

Closely identified with the Japanese-American or Canadian communities, Pure Land Buddhism appears to some people as an exclusively Japanese religion without realizing that it is a universal faith open to all peoples. However, there has been an increase in the number of clergy whose knowledge of western culture and language enables them to build bridges of understanding between religions and cultures in their communities. In addition the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California, which is sponsored by the Shin Buddhist Churches of America, has been created to train clergy in America and to integrate Buddhism into the life of the nation through its participation in the complex of Christian seminaries, the Graduate Theological Union. The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii has established the Pacific Buddhist Academy high school and college preparatory school based on Buddhist philosophy and peace studies.

Over the years a wide variety of literature has developed with the translation of sacred texts such as The Three Pure Land Sûtras by Dr. Hisao Inagaki, and the Collected Works of Shinran, as well as more popular texts such as Dr. Taitetsu Unno’s River of Fire and River of Water and Shin Buddhism: Bits of Rubble Turn into Gold, both designed to explain and interpret Pure Land and Shin Buddhist teaching in ways western people can comprehend through touchpoints in western experience and thought.

This anthology provides a sampling of the resources available for the study Shin Pure Land Buddhism through a variety of essays from important and in- fluential journals. It is common for people to look for a book to study a subject. However, there is a rich resource hidden in journals, which often sit untouched on library shelves in our universities. The journals publish papers presented at scholarly meetings or are the results of scholars’ creative research. Lay people are not generally familiar with these resources, because they do not have easy access to university libraries or hold membership in the scholarly societies that publish them.

This volume proposes to remedy the situation by offering essays by noted scholars. The anthology reveals the serious intellectual and spiritual character of the teaching, while also enabling the reader to gain a perspective on its significance for modern society. Some scholars are adherents of the teaching, while others regard it as an important object of study. Whatever their motivation, they bring to bear skills and insights which can assist us in evaluating the meaning of the teaching for ourselves personally. We can also observe various styles of presentation and theoretical perspectives, demonstrating that diversity rather than uniformity is a mark of vital religious reflection. The essays will show that Pure Land teaching has many dimensions as a living tradition, and is capable of giving meaning to everyday life, while inspiring commitment to the service of humanity.

The title Living in Amida’s Universal Vow indicates that Buddhism is for living, not merely for dying or the afterlife. Afterlife, of course, is an important concern for everyone. One of the first questions to arise in religious discussion is what happens to me when I die? However, the answer to that question brings us immediately back to this life where the quality of our spiritual life now holds implications for any life to follow. Since religious reality, however one conceives it, must be the same here and hereafter, encountering that reality now in the context of our living is an important indicator of what any future life would be.