Reading the synopsis of Master Honen’s seminal work Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu (A Collection of Passages on the Nembutsu Chosen in the Original Vow) stirred in me a flood of emotions. I came to realize that the spiritual journey of the founder of the Japanese Pure Land sect was filled with desperation and anxiety. He lamented that he was in despair when he entered the repository of the Buddhist scriptures, and in grief, he gazed upon the sacred texts before he finally grasped the essence of the Pure Land Path. He often thought of his teacher, Ajari Koen (Master Koen), whose wisdom and spiritual aspiration were extraordinary. Yet, even this remarkable Buddhist master, when examining his own capabilities, felt liberation from samsara was beyond his reach in his lifetime.

As death approached, Ajari Koen worried that if liberation took many lifetimes, he might forget his aspiration for it and drift away from the Dharma. So, instead, he thought it better to seek rebirth as a dragon, knowing they were the longest-living creatures on Earth. His plan was to wait 5.67 billion years for Maitreya Buddha to appear in this world, hoping to then learn the path to liberation.

       Master Honen later wrote with deep regret: “My teacher was wise enough to see how difficult liberation truly is, and his conviction was so strong that he was determined to wait for the future Buddha’s appearance. What a pity that he didn’t know about the Pure Land teaching! He needlessly chose rebirth in a different realm. If I had known this teaching earlier, I would have shared it with him, whether he would have believed it or not. How sad!” Every time I read these words, I can feel how deeply Honen was haunted by this memory. His love and respect for his teacher comes through so powerfully that it moves me deeply.

       Honen’s words strike a chord with me as I observe today’s Buddhist practitioners  across various traditions - Pure Land, Zen, or Vajrayana - each convinced their chosen path is supreme. Many think that liberation can be readily attained by self-power. They are either lost in their delusions or karmic burdens, caught up in worldly attachments, have only a weak sense of renunciation, or a superficial understanding of samsara. Rather than seriously investigating the path to liberation, they become fixated on temporary experiences and sensations from their practice. They don't realize these experiences have little to do with actual liberation from cyclic existence. Truly wise individuals, like Ajari Koen, recognize the vast gap between practice relying on self-power and liberation.

       Master Yinguang, a revered teacher, spoke with characteristic insight on this matter: "In this Dharma-Ending Age, sentient beings lack the spiritual capabilities of earlier times. Without the Pure Land path, liberation becomes virtually impossible. Many practitioners, driven by their pride and ambition, presumptuous beyond measure and overestimating their spiritual capacity, are drawn to the profound doctrinal aspects of Chan/Zen. They dismiss the Pure Land path, choosing to rely on self-power rather than the Buddha’s power.  In the end, they merely plant distant karmic seeds, missing the opportunity for immediate liberation." This wisdom was exemplified by Master Jingsong, who, at life’s end, completely renounced his Chan practice and embraced the Pure Land path.

       For ordinary beings like us, the greatest challenge is recognising what we really are. Master Shandao told us in no equivocal terms what we are. He said we must have deep faith that “we are just iniquitous ordinary beings bound to endless rebirth, and that since time immemorial we have died and been reincarnated, without hope of escaping the cycle of birth and death.” This teaching serves as a mirror, showing us our true condition - like a doctor giving an honest diagnosis to a patient who doesn't realize how ill he really is.

(Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojin)