SHINJIN

, | Sunday, June 6, 2010



Before getting into the definition, a confession, a very difficult word to translate into English because of its special usage in Shin Buddhism. It has often been translated as "faith", but the word "faith" does not bring out the nuances of the word shinjin. It differs from the ordinary usage of the word "faith" in that shinjin originates from the side of the Enlightenment (Amida Buddha) and not sentient beings as is usually implied or taken for granted in normal usage. In Shin Buddhism, the "True Entrusting Mind" of the person of shinjin is possible due to Amida Buddha's transferring the Buddha's own "sincere, entrusting & aspiring (for birth in the Pure Land) mind to that individual. It is not a mind "faith" that originates with the individual. Hence is some translations it is translated as "Faith" with a capital "F." Shinran mentions "…it is the ocean of great shinjin directed to us through the power of the Primal Vow, it cannot be defeated or broken. This is likened to a diamond." The contents of shinjin is described in Shinran's "The True Teaching, Practice, and Realization with the following statements: first, in the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra it says about Bodhisattva Dharmakara-Amida Buddha, "No thought of greed, anger, or harmfulness arose in his mind;… Abounding in perseverance, he gave no thought to the suffering to be endured. … Always tranquil in a state of samadhi, he possessed wisdom that knew no impediment. He was free from all thoughts of falsity or deception. Gentle in countenance and loving in speech… He was full of courage and vigor… Seeking solely that which was pure and undefiled, he brought benefit to all beings… " Shinran thus summarizes "…we know indeed that this mind is the true and real mind of benefiting others through directing virtues, which originates from the inconceivable, indescribable, and inexplicable ocean of the Vow of great wisdom, the One Vehicle. This is "sincere mind.", secondly, "…concerning entrusting, it is the ocean of shinjin, perfect and unhindered, that is the Tathagata's consummately fulfilled great compassion. Hence, there is no mixture of doubt. It is therefore called "entrusting." "…since the beginningless past, the multitudes of beings have been transmigrating in the ocean of ignorance, sinking aimlessly in the cycle of all forms of existence and bound to the cycle of all forms of pain; accordingly, they lack the entrusting that is true and real. …The Tathagata, turning with compassion toward the ocean of living beings in pain and affliction, has given unhindered and vast pure shinjin to the ocean of sentient beings. This is called the "true and real shinjin that is [Amida's] benefiting of others." " and thirdly, "…aspire for birth (in the Pure Land) is the command of the Tathagata calling to and summoning the multitudes of all beings. …(it) is not the directing of merit through self-power of meditative and nonmeditative practices, whether performed by ordinary people or sages of the Mahayana or the Hinayana. …the Buddha directs this other-benefiting, true and real mind of aspiration for birth (in the Pure Land) to the ocean of all beings. …The directing of virtue has two aspects: that for going forth to the Pure Land and that for return to this world. "Directing for going forth" means to give one's virtue to all sentient beings and to aspire to bring them to birth in Amida's Tathagata's Pure Land of happiness. "Directing for return to this world" means that after being born in that land, fulfilling samatha and vipasyana, and gaining the power of compassionate means, one returns and enters the thick forests of birth-and-death, teaches and guides all sentient beings, and brings all to enter the Buddha-way together."

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