Nembutsu

I found this Primer on the internet. It was produced by the"Acorn sangha", but, sadly, I am unable to find a homepage for this group anymore. It is based on the Kenneth Tanaka book - "Ocean"

KEY BUDDHIST TERMS & TEACHINGS

Buddhism- A religion of awareness and gratitude.

Dharma- The truths by which we try to think and live, the "Oneness" of reality.

The Four Marks of Existence: Are included within the Eightfold Path which is included in the Four Noble Truths.

The Four Noble Truths: 1) We all experience suffering; 2) Suffering is caused by the Three Poisons of greed, hatred and delusion; 3) The end of suffering is nirvana; 4) The path to nirvana or enlightenment is the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path: 1) Wholesome view (Includes the Four Marks of Existence), 2) Wholesome thought, 3) Wholesome speech, 4) Wholesome conduct, 5) Wholesome livelihood, 6) Wholesome effort,7) Wholesome mindfulness, 8) Wholesome meditation.

Four Marks of Existence: 1) Life is a Bumpy road (dukha), 2) Life is Interdependent (anatman, non-self), 3) Life is Impermanent, 4) Life is Fundamentally Good. So, "Think BIIG!"

Unwholesome views? Expecting life to be 1) smooth and easy, 2) detached, just "mine" 3) always the same, and 4) lousy. "Don't Think SMAL!" (smooth, mine, always and lousy).

Six Perfections (paramita): The well-known bodhisattva practices of voluntary sharing of materials and wisdom (dana), precepts or conduct (shila), patience (kshanti), vigor or effort (viriya), meditation (dhyana), and wisdom or awareness(prajna). The Paramitas serve as a point of reference for a balanced life, often being mentioned as part of spring and fall equinox "Ohigan" services celebrating balance. Their practice expresses gratitude and wisdom in Jodo-Shinshu, not moral goodness nor a means toward some reward.

THE SACRED STORY OF AMIDA BUDDHA

Amida (Amitabha) Buddha, Tathata- An expression of the infinite Oneness, life-giving, formless and beyond human understanding. Out of deep compassion Oneness took form as Bodhisattva Dharmakara (hongan), who eventually became Amida Buddha to establish the Pure Land, and to lead beings to Buddhahood (nirvana).

There are fewer and fewer Jodo-Shinshu Buddhists who take the sacred story as fact. Especially in North America, most teachers and lay members understand it as a myth.

Each of us is part of a cosmic, interdependent network of caring forces, seen and unseen, that protect and support us physically, socially, and spiritually. This caring network often expresses itself via family and social relationships. The sacred story of Bodhisattva Dharmakara symbolizes these compassionate, caring forces.

We can think of this cosmic interdependence as representing a deeper awareness about the principle of interdependence, one of the Four Marks of Existence. In our appreciation of the sacred story, we become more confident that a caring reality lies just beneath this "bumpy" daily existence.

THE STORY OF GOTAMA BUDDHA

Shakyamuni (Gotama) Buddha- The founder of Buddhism, was born as a prince of a kingdom in the Himalayan foothills of Northeastern India around 560 BC. He left luxury to become a holy man. He realized enlightenment, became a Buddha, at the age of thirty-five. After that, he ministered and taught through Northeastern India for the next forty-five years. He remained actively engaged until his death around 480 BC. So he actually lived on earth. He is neither a deity nor God.

He taught that difficulties naturally occur and that our reaction to them causes our own suffering. The Buddha's disciples found this teaching extremely liberating and optimistic. They gained a fresh way of understanding the source of their suffering. Suffering was not brought about by gods, chance or fate. They were now in control of their destiny, for they found a path for overcoming suffering through their own effort.

MORE OF GOTAMA BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS

Duhkha (Natural difficulties): 1) birth, 2) aging, 3) illness, 4) death, 5) being separated from loved ones, 6) having to associate with those we dislike, 7) not getting what we desire, and 8) being attached to the five components (skandha); that we call "I" or "self." The five components are 1) physical elements and the senses, 2) feelings or sensations, 3) perception or conception, 4) mental formations or volition, and 5) consciousness.

Karma: "Our action." Our mental and spiritual well-being is determined by our own actions (karma), not by fate, not by chance, not by miracle, and not by divine being. By cultivating correct awareness about life, we gain an upper hand over the "ups and downs of life" and remain generally at peace with ourselves.

Gassho: "Thanks". Gratitude (similar to Christian "thanksgiving") plays a vital role in the thoughts and actions of Buddhists. This is especially true among the Jodo-Shinshu Buddhists for whom gratitude constitutes the primary motivation for much of their religious and worldly actions.

Practice: Buddhist tradition talks about 84,000 ways to practice. All practices cultivate: 1) precepts, 2) meditation, and/or 3) wisdom. The precepts are the rules of conduct, speech, and thought. They give us a framework to focus our lives so we can live the teaching. Practicing meditation helps us to clear our minds and allows us to see the obstructions of unwholesome views. Cultivating wisdom replaces unwholesome views with insight, which frees us from worry, pain, and negative thinking.

The more we become aware, the more we realize Oneness. This relationship is like that of the drowning swimmer who discovered (awareness) the caring Ocean (Oneness) when he let go of his striving and was then able to float to safety. In actual Buddhist life, we engage in some kind of practice to help us realize this awareness.

According to the Dharma, practice fosters wisdom which in turn eliminates and replaces ignorance, the cause of our suffering. Wisdom helps us to live life as it really is, not how we wish it were.

Three Treasures or Jewels (Tri-ratna): The Three Treasures are the Buddha (Awakened One, Teacher), the Dharma (Teachings), and the Sangha (Community of monks, nuns and lay people)

Buddha Nature--"All sentient beings possess Buddha nature''-- This means that not only humans, but animals, birds, fish, and other creatures are all sacred (Have the potential for enlightenment) and should be treated with respect. Humans do not have any right to rule over them. When their lives are taken so we can have food, we must be grateful to them for their sacrifice. We humans must also live well together. We are part of nature, not rulers of nature. We must cherish and protect it.

"Reincarnation" ("transmigration" or "cycle of births and deaths", samsara) can be believed literally or be used to explain some basic things about our existence; that is, each person's life is far more than just the years we spend in our present life. Each of us arrives here because of billions of little things that have happened since the beginning of time. All those little things come together at just this moment so that we can be here right now. For us to even be here is a wonder that no logic can ever explain.

BUDDHISM IS VOLUNTARY, OPEN, PERSONAL & PEACEFUL

"Voluntary" means it's not a "sin" to turn away from the Dharma or teaching. The Buddha called out, "ehi passiko" (come here and see!). If people are interested, they listen.

"Open" means that Buddhism is open-minded about other religions and sects. Buddhists think there are 84,000 ways to enlightenment. What's more, we don't think people are doomed to be punished if they walk other paths.

"Personal" means that there is much value given to personal understanding. Dharma cannot come alive without speaking directly to our unique experience. We do not accept the Dharma blindly. We test how it works in our everyday life. Just before he died, the Buddha said, "Make yourself the light, and make the Dharma the light." Also he cautioned: "Do not accept a statement on the ground that it is found in our books, nor on the supposition that "this is acceptable," nor because it is the saying of your teacher."

"Peaceful"- Throughout history, Buddhists have taught not to be violent towards others just because they believed differently. Buddhists seek blessings for the happiness of all beings. "May all beings be happy" (Loving Kindness Sutra).

A SHORT BUDDHIST HISTORY

Mahayana Buddhism- Started about 100BC. Followers believe that their teachings express the true intent of what the Buddha taught. In their view, all beings have the potential to become Buddhas, and called this potentiality "Buddha nature." The Mahayanists offered a broad gate with hope for all beings. So they thought of themselves as the "Larger Vehicle" and criticized the older schools as "Hinayana" (Theravada, Smaller Vehicle).

Pure Land Buddhism- The largest Buddhist segment in the world. The Pure Land tradition is part of the Mahayana branch, and started around the first century AD, probably in Northwestern India then spread over Asia and now worldwide. Its teaching is expressed in the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, and strongly stresses the Mahayana ideal of enlightenment for everyone. The early Pure Land Buddhists felt that if everyone is to be enlightened, the teachings have to be for men and women strapped down to family life and who often live in a world full of wars, famine and political instability. Pure Land Buddhists still think so today.

The Pure Land Buddhists found hope. Through simpler practices, they could look forward in their next life to a birth in a special realm called Sukhavati (the Realm of Serene Bliss) or Pure Land. There, they would be able to concentrate on completing their training in a perfect environment with the help of a Buddha called Amitabha (in Japanese "Amida") and Bodhisattvas. All those born in the Pure Land are assured of quickly becoming Buddhas. Many elect to return as Bodhisattvas in this and other worlds of birth-and-death (samsara) to help others realize the same spiritual liberation. Pure Land Buddhists believe their teaching shows the true intent of Shakyamuni Buddha: Compassion, expressed as enlightenment for everyone.

Though this nirvana cannot be captured by one single description, our teachers of the past tried to speak of it in mythical ways that would make sense to their audience. The first teachers were talking to people in India over two thousand years ago. They talked about the Pure Land in ways that appealed to the people in that time and place. So, this is only one among many ways to describe nirvana.

Jodo-Shinshu's Shinran Shonin speaks of the Pure Land as the "Land of Immeasurable Light" or the "Land of All Knowing Wisdom" or that "it is infinite, like space, vast and boundless." These descriptions are more rational than mythological. Myths are not false, but are sometimes the best way to talk about important things in life that we cannot make clear by using other forms of language.

JODO-SHINSHU BUDDHISM

Shinran Shonin (1173-1263): Founder of Jodo-Shinshu. He lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), a time of momentous political and social changes in Japan. The Jodo-Shinshu developed out of the Jodo school which was founded by Honen, Shinran's teacher and a Pure Land Buddhist leader. Shinran had practiced as a monk for 20 years then left, joining Honen to help found the new school that enabled regular working people to reach enlightenment. He married, had children and pursued the Dharma as a householder and parent.

THE 4 H'S OF SHINRAN: HONESTY, HOUSEHOLDER, HUMILITY & HERE-AND-NOW:

"Honesty" means that he saw himself as he was and told the truth as he saw it. Despite twenty years of training as a monk, he was honest enough to tell the world that he was unfulfilled as a monk. He admitted that he was filled with ordinary selfish feelings: "I know truly how grievous it is that I, Gutoku (the stubble-haired ignorant) Shinran, am sinking in an immense ocean of desires and attachments and am lost in vast mountains of fame and advantage."

"Householder" means that Shinran Shonin's honesty about himself led him to marry and to have children, and yet pursue the Dharma as a householder.

"Humility" comes across clearly when he says, "I do not have a single disciple," even though there were many followers who looked up to him as their teacher. He felt he could not take credit because their reason for seeking his guidance was not his own doing, but the workings of Amida Buddha.

"Here-and-now," refers to his focus on this life. The teachers before him emphasized the future life in the Pure Land. They neglected the spiritual change that is possible in the present life. They gave all their attention to death-bed rituals and visualizations, hoping to ensure rebirth in the Pure Land. Shinran Shonin took a radically different approach. He focused on the here-and-now.