Nembutsu

" We can look at our self in its 2 different aspects. The self that dispays itself, and the self which transcends itself, and thereby reveals its own meaning. to display itself it tries to be big, to stand upon a pedestal of its accumulations, and to retain everything to itself. To reveal itself it gives up everything that it has, thus becoming perfect like a flower that has blossomed out of the bud.

The lamp contains its oil, which it holds securely in its close grasp and guards the least loss. Thus it is seperate from all other objects around it and is miserly. But when lit, it finds its meaning at once; its relation with all things far and near is established, and it freely sacrifices its fund of oil to feed the flame.

Such a lamp is our self. so long as it hoards its possessions it keeps itself dark, its conduct contradicts its true purpose. when it finds illumination it forgets itself in a moment, holds the light high, and serves it with everthing it has; for therein is its revelation. This revelation is the freedom that Shakyamuni preached. He asked the lamp to give up its oil. but purpose-less giving up is a still darker poverty which he never could have meant. The lamp must give up its oil to the light and thus be set free from the implicit purpose it has in its hoarding. This is emancipation. the path Shakyamuni pointed out was not merely the practice of self-abnegation, but the widening of love. Therein lies the true meaning of buddhism.

The naturalness (jinen) which shinran preached is nothing less than the emancipation of the self; a holy freedom through the melting of our self power (jiriki) in the other power (tariki), through the surrender of our self-will (hakarai) to the eternal will; a familiarity with Amida - the infinite light. this is what shinran meant by declaring the direct road to deliverance is absolute faith in Amida. "

From "Naturalness"  by Kenryo Kanamatsu