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Shin, or Pure Land, is the flower of Japanese Buddhism. Although it is less well known in the West than Zen, Vipassana or Tibetan Buddhism, its message of holy freedom, or naturalness, which arises when man conforms with sincere attachment to the Eternal saving will of the Buddha has been an illuminating way of spiritual awakening for multitudes of Japanese people since the sixth century when Buddhism came to Japan.Kanamatsu’s Naturalness, written in 1949, is more than an introduction to the essence of Shin Buddhism. It is a profound and enlightened meditation on the relationship between man and Amida Buddha, who is pure mercy and whose Name is a vehicle of Nirvanic Reality. Combining the erudition of a philosopher with the sensitivity of a poet, Kanamatsu leads the reader into the heart of the subject where man may unite with the Buddha-Nature even in the ordinary activities of everyday life. The deep compassion and beautiful simplicity of this classic work – which like a haiku speaks volumes with few words – will appeal to all people who seek a spiritual antidote to the artificiality and ugliness that causes much of the suffering in our world.
About the Author(s)
Kenryo Kanamatsu
Born in 1915 in Kyoto, Kenryo Kanamatsu took his B.A. in Philosophy at Otani University. Following study under a Fulbright scholarship at Cornell and the University of Chicago, he received his doctorate and was a Professor at Otani University. In addition to Naturalness, Dr. Kanamatsu translated the works of Plato into Japanese and wrote a book on Plato's Theology and Cosmology which has not been translated into English. He was a lifelong devotee of Shin Buddhism.
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Reviews
- For a religion to be meaningful, its practice must be accessible to any and everyone. That is, it must be personally relevant to the individual’s daily life. This truth appears to have been ingrained in the life and thought of the author of the book Naturalness. The author was born and raised in a temple belonging to the Shin Buddhist Tradition of Shinran. That is, as a youth, he was always surrounded by the Nembutsu. Ever since his early childhood, the author must have fully appreciated Shinran’s Teachings, which made clear the reality of the Nembutsu — that is, the reality of the Nembutsu as ‘the heart’ that penetrates deeply into, and reverberates there as the essential foundation of an individual’s existence and life, doing so as a ‘basal pure feeling.’
To the author, the living Nembutsu tradition of Shin Buddhism was borne witness to by the Buddha himself; Ananda, his personal attendant; the patriarchs of the Nembutsu lineage in India, China, and Japan, up to Shinran’s Teacher, Honen; and paradoxically, to the sinful, ignorant farmer named Shoma. For the author, Shoma is a powerful example of the reality of the Nembutsu being universally and unconditionally accessible to any and everyone in a manner that is profoundly relevant to one’s everyday life.
The author’s wife has contributed a postscript to the Japanese language version of Naturalness, in which she notes that the author had devoted his life to the study of Plato, repeatedly saying that it is important for all beings to remind themselves of their state of ‘not knowing’; i.e., of their fundamental ignorance. I believe this to be crucial, for in the author’s life, it is my belief that the Socratic life ofMokusen Miyuki, California State University at Northridge
- coincides with the spirit of the Nembutsu that is bestowed more so on those who happen to bear the burden of being sinful and ignorant.
This book, Naturalness, without a doubt, deserves a careful and attentive reading by those who are not only concerned about their own inward state, but also by those who are concerned with the state of the world.…from a review in the online journal Living Traditions
- Shin is a unique development within the many schools and traditions of Buddhism. It combines the deep philosophical thought of Buddhism with a strong sense of devotion to the Amida Buddha. It is less known in the west and is somewhat underrepresented in Western practice of Buddhism, especially compared to Zen and Tibetan traditions. At the same time it has a special relevance to Western seekers as it has a strong devotional flavour as well as the traditional Buddhist focus on the seeking of enlightenment.
Kenryo Kanamatsu’s Naturalness, written in l949, is a profound introduction to the essence of Shin Buddhism. It brings together the key elements of the Shin tradition, explaining the relationship between the Amida Buddha, man’s essential true Buddha Nature, and the achievement of enlightenment. It is beautifully written, at times seeming more like poetry or perhaps a Koan than a normal text. Much can be gained from deep reflection on this work.from a review in the journal Buddhadharma, Winter 2002
- Kenryo Kanamatsu elucidates the emphasis in Shin Buddhism (Jodo-shinsu) on the presence and call of Amida Buddha in the here and now. The book, first printed in Kyoto in 1956, has not been widely available in North America before now. The author, a Japanese scholar from Otani University, gives neither a history of Shin Buddhism nor a detailed analysis of a particular text. Rather, he translates the profundity of the tradition, still little understood in the West, into commonplace English using simple, poetic and striking language.
