We cling to the phrase “I’ll be fine,” even though it’s so fragile.
Even without a con artist nearby, we deceive ourselves.
“I’m the exception,” we think.
But that comfort is a mirage born of felt experience.
A sweet dream shaped by cognitive bias.
In the famous manga Berserk, there’s a scene called “The Eclipse.”
As his comrades are slaughtered by demons, a man escapes into the bosom of a beautiful woman—
Only to find himself inside the belly of a monster.
Sweet dreams and self-delusion often conspire toward ruin.
Shinran Shōnin, founder of Shin Buddhism, once said:
All things in this world are empty words and nonsense, lacking any true reality.
Only the Nembutsu is true.
This world is filled with impermanence and delusion, and even my own feelings and judgments cannot be trusted.
Only the Nembutsu—the recitation of “Namu Amida Butsu”—is rooted in truth.
Not through self-power (jiriki)—the effort to attain salvation through one’s own understanding or practice—
But through Other Power (tariki)—the compassionate vow of Amida Buddha to save all beings just as they are.
This vow, expressed in the sacred Name, is the only thing truly worthy of trust.
There is no truth within me.
And yet, truth comes—from beyond.
Even in a kitchen where I have no will to wash the dishes, morning still arrives.
日本語版note
「大丈夫」の頼りなさ──それでも朝はやって来る。
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