Nembutsu

I am a link in Amida's golden chain of love that stretches around the world. I will keep my link bright and strong.

I will be kind and gentle to every living thing and protect all who are weaker than myself.

I will think pure and beautiful thoughts, say pure and beautiful words, and do pure and beautiful deeds.

May every link in Amida's golden chain of love be bright and strong, and may we all attain perfect peace.

This verse teaches us that we do not practice just for ourselves. We are part of a chain of love. We trust that whatever good we do in life contributes to something bigger than ourselves. It stretches round the world. Each of us is part of the community of all sentient beings. What we do in life may help to cultivate love and peace and kindness, or it may stir up animosity and bitterness. When the winds of bitterness are blowing in the world, it takes faith to remain calm and not be corrupted.

Your radiant face,
Like a mountain peak
Catching the first burst
Of morning light
Has awesome and
Unequalled majesty.
Like black ink by comparison
Are the sun, the moon, or the "mani" treasure.
Tathagata,
Such is your incomparable face.
The melody of your enlightenment
Fills the world
Rare and precious
Are your precepts,
Learning, energy, meditation,
Wisdom and amazing virtue.
The oceanic Dharma
Of all Buddhas
Which you fathom
To its deepest depths
Dispels the 3 poisons
From the heart -
You are like a lion:
Valiant and divinely pure.

Great power!
Deep wisdom!
Awesome light!
Reverberation -
A prayer I make, a Buddha to become
Equal to you, my Dharma king,
To lead all beings to the other shore
Leaving none behind.
The six paramitas
To perfect
With prajna at their head.
Should I become Buddha:
I will fulfil
This prayer completely:
To everyone
I'll bring great peace.
To Buddhas countless
As sand grains
My offerings I make,
And do not flinch
From the trials
Of the incomparable Way,
Powerful,
Straight and true.

Though Buddha lands
And worldly realms
Be numberless
Like sand,
By sheer power
Of aspiration
I'll fill them all
With light.
Let me become a Buddha
And the multitude
Of beings
Will all enjoy
My primordial
Nirvana world.
By indiscriminate compassion
I will enlighten all.
Reborn here from no matter where
In my country their hearts
Will lighten and be joyful,
Happy and at ease.
Oh you Buddha, witness my vow,
My true aspiration,
Establishing my vow on you
Gives me the strength to fulfil it.
Buddhas throughout space and time
Of unimpeded wisdom
Always witness
My heart's practice.
No matter the obstacles, the hardships,
My practice will endure
Through all,
Without regret.

Tan Butsu Ge

" 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