Many people ask me: “If all gods and buddhas are the same, why Jodo Shinshu? Why Amida Buddha?”
That’s a fair question. In a previous essay, I shared my personal view that all deities might share the same essence. But if that’s true, why hold on to Amida Buddha in particular?
Here’s my honest, no-frills answer — not official doctrine, just one practitioner’s heartfelt confession.
Freedom of Mind, Even When Life Feels Fixed
We’re born into families, cultures, and traditions that shape who we are. Sometimes, leaving the religion you grew up with isn’t just hard — in some places, it’s downright dangerous.
But here’s the good news: no one can steal your inner freedom. You can respect your family’s beliefs while quietly exploring another teaching on the side. At least in Japan, spiritual freedom is a right — and for me, it opened the door to Amida Buddha’s teaching in a profound way.
The Simplicity of Amida’s Vow
Jodo Shinshu’s core teaching is surprisingly simple:
“Just say the Name — Namu Amida Butsu — and entrust yourself. Nothing else required.”
Before Hōnen (founder of Jōdo-shū), Buddhism’s path to salvation often involved intense meditation or rituals — basically, the exclusive domain of monks or the spiritual elite. Hōnen flipped that on its head by teaching that anyone, yes anyone, can be saved simply by reciting Amida’s Name alone.
His disciple, Shinran, took it further, boldly saying, “Even the evil person is truly the object of salvation.” Why? Because none of us are perfect — we’re all “foolish beings.” If Amida’s compassion can embrace even us, mistakes and all, that’s real universal salvation.
This radical openness wasn’t welcomed by everyone. Many lost their lives for preaching the nembutsu. Today, we owe our peaceful practice to their courage.
Why I Cannot Leave Amida Buddha
I was born into a Jodo Shinshu family. I’ve walked life both inside and outside temple walls, experiencing things I never would have as a priest. Yet through it all, Amida’s Name has never left my heart.
This teaching isn’t just philosophy. It’s a lifeline:
When I’m mad at myself, I recite Namu Amida Butsu.
When I feel powerless, I say it again.
It doesn’t magically fix everything — but it reminds me that even in my foolishness, I’m never truly abandoned.
A Universal Story
I still hope all gods and buddhas share the same essence. Maybe Amida Buddha, Jesus, and other great figures are just different faces of infinite compassion.
Jodo Shinshu doesn’t ask you to abandon that hope. It offers a simple path: entrust yourself to Amida’s vow, live fully, and when life ends, be guided to the Pure Land — a place free from endless suffering.
Closing Words
If you’ve read this far, maybe it’s a karmic connection — a small bond of Buddhist affinity between us.
Let’s share that bond, across languages and cultures.
Together, quietly, let’s say:
Namu Amida Butsu.
For Japanese readers:
This story is also available in Japanese.
↓ 日本語版は（note）へ
「他宗も否定しない。
それでも私は南無阿弥陀仏をとなえる――まきじゃくの信仰」
https://note.com/makijaku7676/n/nf17d86f66db6
まきじゃくのnote
https://note.com/makijaku7676/
Comments
Post a Comment