Pathless
Fiercely Interdependent
There is a school of Buddhism that originated in Japan in the 11th century called Jodo-Shinshu, translated to English as "True Pure Land." The basic principle of this school is that there is a Buddha--and they give various names for him including Amitabha and Amida (he is not Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, but a "mythical" one)--who created, in some pocket of the universe, a "pure land" where he lives and where it is very easy for other beings to reach enlightenment.
From my understanding, the followers of this school take refuge--that is, they put all their faith in--Amida, so much so that they renounce their own efforts towards enlightenment on this earth, believing this world to be a place where it is near-impossible to reach Buddhahood through one's own efforts. They chant Amida's name, and that is their practice. Curiously enough, they do not even practice meditation! Instead, they renounce their own efforts and rely solely on the merit already accumulated by Amida, which he has dedicated to the liberation of all beings.
In a way, it is quite like Christianity, in that one puts faith in a savior, except there was no bodily sacrifice for Amida. Yet, the belief is that his compassion for all beings is utterly redeeming. For, when one relies on Amida, one will, after this life is over, be reborn in the True Pure Land, whereupon enlightenment is extremely easy to attain--indeed, it is said that it is impossible not to become enlightened in the True Pure Land. It's just that shiney a place--enlightenment, guaranteed.
I thought this was a fantastic concept, seemingly so far-removed from what is typically expected of Buddhism. In the Japanese language, the word jiriki is used to describe the traditional kind of Buddhism, where one reaches enlightenment by one's own effort. That is the meaning of jiriki--liberation through the effort of one's self. The school of Pure Land Buddhism is designated tiriki, meaning through the effort of other. So, the basic technique in Pure Land Buddhism is surrender--surrendering one's own efforts and relying entirely on Amida's efforts.
The curiouis thing about this, though, is that if you look deeply into Buddhism in general, as much as it is made out to be a spiritual discipline where one reaches enlightenment by one's own efforts--when you look deeply at Buddhism and the standard jiriki-type Buddhists, you can also see them as practicing tiriki. What I mean is, a Buddhist would not be a Buddhist if he or she did not follow the guidance of Buddha. Although they may be working the details out for themselves, ultimately they have surrendered to "the other." After all, a Buddhist is said to have "taken refuge in Buddha."
Food for thought.
From my understanding, the followers of this school take refuge--that is, they put all their faith in--Amida, so much so that they renounce their own efforts towards enlightenment on this earth, believing this world to be a place where it is near-impossible to reach Buddhahood through one's own efforts. They chant Amida's name, and that is their practice. Curiously enough, they do not even practice meditation! Instead, they renounce their own efforts and rely solely on the merit already accumulated by Amida, which he has dedicated to the liberation of all beings.
In a way, it is quite like Christianity, in that one puts faith in a savior, except there was no bodily sacrifice for Amida. Yet, the belief is that his compassion for all beings is utterly redeeming. For, when one relies on Amida, one will, after this life is over, be reborn in the True Pure Land, whereupon enlightenment is extremely easy to attain--indeed, it is said that it is impossible not to become enlightened in the True Pure Land. It's just that shiney a place--enlightenment, guaranteed.
I thought this was a fantastic concept, seemingly so far-removed from what is typically expected of Buddhism. In the Japanese language, the word jiriki is used to describe the traditional kind of Buddhism, where one reaches enlightenment by one's own effort. That is the meaning of jiriki--liberation through the effort of one's self. The school of Pure Land Buddhism is designated tiriki, meaning through the effort of other. So, the basic technique in Pure Land Buddhism is surrender--surrendering one's own efforts and relying entirely on Amida's efforts.
The curiouis thing about this, though, is that if you look deeply into Buddhism in general, as much as it is made out to be a spiritual discipline where one reaches enlightenment by one's own efforts--when you look deeply at Buddhism and the standard jiriki-type Buddhists, you can also see them as practicing tiriki. What I mean is, a Buddhist would not be a Buddhist if he or she did not follow the guidance of Buddha. Although they may be working the details out for themselves, ultimately they have surrendered to "the other." After all, a Buddhist is said to have "taken refuge in Buddha."
Food for thought.
