Amida Buddhism Newcastle

10 day continuous nembutsu chanting

Are you joining in, in person or on-line? Find out more about it here.

 

Summary of Faith and Practice

By Dharmavidya, inspired by Honen’s Ichimai Kishomon

For those having a karmic affinity with Amitabha Buddha wishing to practise a religious life in truly simple faith, freeing themselves of sophistication and attachment to all forms of cleverness, the method of opening oneself to Amitabha’s grace is the practice of Nien Fo with body, speech and mind, particularly verbal recitation of “Namo Amida Bu”. This is not something done as a form of meditation, nor is it based on study, understanding and wisdom, or the revelation of deep meaning. Deep meaning is indeed there for the nembutsu is a window through which the whole universe of Buddha’s teaching can be perceived in all its depth, but none of this is either necessary or even helpful to success in the practice. Rather such study cultivates secondary faculties to be held separate from the mind of practice itself.

Continuous Nembutsu Chant - Video

Here's just over an hour of the 72 hour continuous nembutsu chant from the 2010 Bodhi Retreat at The Buddhist House. Do join in -

Namo Amida Bu!

 

Join the 72 hour nembutsu chant at The Buddhist House

As the first part of the Bodhi Retreat at the Buddhist House, the Amida sangha chant the nembutsu, Namo Amida Bu.....this started at 12 mid-day on Wednesday and continues until mid-day Saturday, GMT. Kuvalaya is taking part. You can join in at a distance, as Sujatin is doing (she can't be with them in person, due to ill health and much snow and ice) by watching the video here.

Practice and Training

Some notes from a Dharma talk given by Dharmavidya at Amida Newcastle:

Tuesday evening I gave a Dharma talk and answered questions at the Amida Sanctuary in Newcastle. In this talk I referred to practice and training. Practice is the expression of love, compassion, joy and equanimity. It is the outward manifestation of our faith. Training is our attempt to deal with the tendencies within ourselves that block practice. When we look carefully we see that these always involves some failure of faith - perhaps based on fear, anxiety, greed, conceit, or the resurgence of some old habit pattern. Failure of faith means loss of nerve. All this raises the question of the relationship between personal effort and faith. The Buddhist way certainly makes demands upon us at the same time as advocating letting go. It tells us to "stand against the stream", but also to "accept everything". This seems contradictory to the uninitiated.

The Other Power teaching tells us that we do not have the power to realise enlightenment on our own or by simply actualising our own potency, but this does not mean that there is nothing to do in our life. It is like a relationship. one cannot have a relationship on one's own - it takes two - but the relationship when found does make demands. Practice and training are the same. It is neither something that is entirely within one's own power nor something that does all the work for one.

When we reflect upon our life we find that we have already been loved in some degree somehow. That is a basis for faith. Practice starts from gratitude. As we try to express our gratitude we run into obstacles. Love also entails disappointments. If these defeat us we fall spiritually. If we rise to them we find new possibilities of faith open up. A spiritual life can be a continual ascent or a series of setbacks. Actually these are the same thing looked at from different angles. If we become too preoccupied with training, we fall into a self-power attitude and all is spoilt - like trying to run a relationship without reference to the other partner. If we neglect training, however, we tend to just go round the same old circles again and again. Training means to learn from mistakes. The more we see how we are helped the easier it is to learn. the more we learn the more conscious we become of how we are helped.

::comment here

Meal time and incense offering verses

Meal time verses:

Infinite benefits bless the breakfast food.
All beings profit greatly therefrom
Since the results are limitless and wonderful
The pleasure is ours for eternity

-----------

This food is the gift of the whole universe
The earth, the sky, all sentient beings
In this food is much joy, much suffering, much hard work
We accept this food so that we may follow the path of practice
And help all beings everywhere

-------------

The first bite is to cut off delusion
The second bite is to grow in faith
The third bite is to help all beings
We pray that all may be enlightened.
We pray for peace in this world
And the cessation of all misfortune

---------

The Buddha invites us to eat in mindfulness
Of the food, the earth, the world around us
We pray that our minds may not become dull
Nor our attention scattered
And that we may realize the deep significance of life

-------------

Incense offerings
(the first may be used for tea or flower offerings, with appropriate words inserted)

In gratitude we offer this incense
to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
throughout space and time
May it be as fragrant as earth herself
reflecting our careful efforts
our whole-hearted awareness
and the fruit of understanding
slowly ripening
May we and all beings be
companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
May we awaken from forgetfulness
and realise the Pure Land

-------------------

The fragrance of this incense
permeates our practice centre
and goes forth to worlds beyond
In the sincerity of our training

the Sanghakaya is revealed
hearts and minds bow in gratitude
Offerings multiply like the action
of the all good one
and the light that knows no obstacle
fills the Dharma realm.

The Bodhi Retreat, December 2 - 9, 2009

Here is a message from Sumaya at The Buddhist House:

Dear Friends,

 

Every year during the Bodhi Retreat we chant the Nembutsu continuously for a period of time. This year we will be chanting the Nembutsu for 72 hours and would like to invite you to come and participate / experience some or all of it. The aim will be to keep it going for 72 hours between all of us therefore we do not expect anyone to chant continuously without taking any breaks. The practise will be shared and so people are welcome to dip in and out according to their needs for rest and food.              

 

It would be lovely if you could join us. Along with the three days of chanting there will be a special enlightenment day retreat on the 8th December and ceremonies on the 9th.

 

Here is the description of The Bodhi retreat:

 

2009: December 2-9: BODHI RETREAT at The Buddhist House

 

The Bodhi Retreat is held in commemoration of the Enlightenment of Shakyamuni and the founding of the Buddhist tradition. Always the most important and exuberant event in the Amida annual calendar, the Bodhi Retreat has grown in significance as the Amida-shu and the Amida Order have developed. Four years ago we inaugurated the practice of 24 hours of continuous chanting at th beginning of the retreat. This year we plan to extend this to three days of continuous chanting. This practice provides the opportunity for a complete immersion in the nembutsu. One can spend every waking hour in nembutsu practice. In order to make this possible we have scheduled all admission and renewal ceremonies for 9th December, the day after enlightenment day, to symbolise their forward orientation. Once the Buddha is enlightened, admission to his community becomes possible. If you are a present or intending member of Amida-shu, do make every effort to attend. If you are contemplating an advance in your commitment, please arrange to discuss this ahead of the retreat with one of the teachers of the Order.

 

There is also a short video clip on The Bodhi Retreat by Dharmavidya that can be watched on Friends of Amida ning site http://amidatrust.ning.com/events/the-bodhi-retreat-1.

 

I realise that some of you will be busy or away at that time, but hope that those who can make it will join us at this special time of year.

Please let me know by 26th November if you would like to attend some or all of it sumaya@amidatrust.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Namo Amida Bu

Sumaya

PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE



Wednesday 2 December

10.00 am Brunch

11.15 am Briefing for Bell Team

2.00 pm onward: Arrival and registration

6.00 pm Evening Meal

8.00 pm Evening Service



Thursday 3 December

10.00 am Brunch

11.15 am Briefing for Participants

12.00 noon Start of 72 hour nembutsu chanting



Friday 4 December

Continuation of 72 hour nembutsu chanting



Saturday 5 December

Continuation of 72 hour nembutsu chanting



Sunday 6 December

Continuation of 72 hour nembutsu chanting

12.oo noon: End of chanting

12.30 Meal

2.00 pm Informal



Monday 7 December

10.00 am Brunch

11.00 am Gathering

2.00 pm Dharma Talk

3.30 pm Seminar

6.00 pm Supper

7.45 pm Service



Tuesday 8 December: Enlightenment Day

Programme to be announced



Wednesday 9 December

7.00 am Bell

7.20 am Chanting Larger Pureland Sutra

8.00 am Nien Fo Service

9.00 am Admission & Renewal Ceremonies to Amida-shu and the Amida Order

10.30 am Brunch

11.30 am Meetings:

2.00 pm Lotus Ceremony

3.00pm Gathering

4.30pm Closing Ceremony

6.00 pm Supper

Do join the group about this on our Friends of Amida network http://amidatrust.ning.com/events/the-bodhi-retreat-1

The Practice

Dharmavidya writes (on the Friends of Amida site):

I have been asked, what practice should one do daily as a follower of Amida-shu?

The simple answer to this is: say the nembutsu.

Many people do, however, like to have a routine. The important first thing to realise is that any such routine or ritual is what we call 'auxiliary practice'. In Buddhism, there is no magic in ritual. Shakyamuni taught us to do rituals in a good spirit and not to think that they have magic power. Ritual is celebratory. When Ananda asked Shakyamuni what guidelines to follow, Shakyamuni said - Do what works. So, with that caveat.....

You might like to establish a particular place and routine for practice. This might have a rupa (an object, picture or calligraphy symbolising the Buddha or the Dharma) as a centre piece. It is nice, but not essential, if you can have a representation of Amida Buddha. In the shrine room at The Buddhist House we have a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the centre facing east, facing toward a picture of Amida Buddha on the west wall: the Buddha of history contemplating the Buddha of the cosmic era.

You might have a table on which you can put associated items and offerings. There are many traditions in Buddhism to do with offerings. The important thing from an Amida-shu perspective is that one regard whatever offerings one makes as nembutsu - as acts of refuge in Amida Buddha or in all the Buddhas, in a spirit of gratitude. Whatever ways we enact the nembutsu, there is the possibility of feelings arising. The practice is touching. This is as it should be.

At The Buddhist House we commonly have three formal sessions in the morning.

1. The first is a sutra recitation. We either read the whole of the Smaller Sutra or a part of the Larger Sutra. This usually takes anything from 15 to 45 minutes depending on time available.

2. We then have a practice session in which we do three practices. This can take between 30 minutes and several hours.
    (a) Walking nembutsu: walking while chanting, circumambulating the rupa.
    (b) Nei Quan: reflecting upon the past 24 hours using the questions 

        (i) what have I received or been supported by?

        (ii) what have I done in return?

        (iii) What troubles has my existence occasioned for others?
    (c) Chih Quan: offering the fruits of he practice and receiving the Buddha's blessing, grace, peace. Sitting in that tranquil abiding.

3. We then have morning service which includes recitations from the Nei Quan Book (see Main Page, right column), offering verses, nembutsu, Summary of Faith and Practice, Tan Butsu Ge, Verses in Praise of the Buddha and performance of prostrations. Again this can be ten minutes or anything up to an hour depending on how much one includes.

Why Chant?

There's a new booklet called 'Why Chant' on the Friends of Amida network site - middle column, about 1/6 of the way down, under the heading Things To Do

Pureland chants

Here's a link to a page of downloadable Amida chants in Chinese, "Namo Amituofo" - "Homage to Amitabha Buddha"

Auxilliary Practices: Nei Quan and Chih Quan

Dharmavidya, the Head of the Amida Order, writes:

The primary practice of Amida Pureland is nembutsu, the verbal utterance of "Namo Amida Bu" or its equivalents. Nothing else is required for salvation. Nonetheless, the auxilliary practices of Nei Quan and Chih Quan do have intrinsic merit and they can expand one's appreciation, both intellectually and exprientially, of the importance of the nembutsu in our life.

The Amida Bodhi Retreat: distance participation by video continues

The video streaming from The Buddhist House has been a great success. I was able to connect from 7:15 - 9:30 this morning for Morning Service and the Entry into the Amida School ceremony. We've been joined from Singapore, Texas, Israel and many other places around the world.

And there's more to come - received an email mid morning and was able to watch the Q&A session and Mid day service:

Bodhi Retreat Video Schedule

We're now about half way into the Bodhi Retreat, and just getting to grips with live video streaming, log on to www.amidatrust.ning.com to tune in to our live events.

Today 11.15 GMT Q&A with Dharmavidya David Brazier

            13.00 GMT Midday service

             17.00 GMT Tai Shi Chi Chanting

Tomorrow 5th December

             7.20 GMT Sutra Chanting
              8.00 GMT Morning Service
             12.30 GMT Midday Service
              16.00 GMT Freeform Nembutsu

Saturday 6th December
 
             7.20 GMT Sutra Chanting
              8.00 GMT Morning Service
             9.00 GTM Shu-Admissions ceremony
             12.00 GMT Service

Sunday 7th December

            7.20 GMT Sutra Chanting
              8.00 GMT Morning Service
             9.00 GTM Ordination Ceremony
           12.00 GTM Quan Yin Chanting

Monday 8th Decmeber BODHI DAY

          6.45 Sutra Chanting
          7.00 Service
          8.00 five hour nembutsu chanting
          15.20 closing ceremony

Friends of Amida has streaming video

News from The Buddhist House:

On Friends of Amida networking site we have added a streaming video facility for broadcasting events from The Buddhist House. We hope to develop a forward programme of broadcasts. Our first broadcast was of the 24 hour chanting at the start of this year's Bodhi Retreat. The second will be Dharmavidya's Dharma Talk at 1400 GMT 3rd December.

live - 24 hour nembutsu, from mid-day 1st december (gmt)

I'll be following the 24 hour chanting at The Buddhist House. Kaspa emailed to say:

In a couple of hours we begin our annual Bodhi Retreat, a time of coming together and celebration. As ever we begin with our 24 hour chanting session, this year we'll be streaming video live from The Buddhist House. You can access the video at both www.amidatrust.com and on friends of Amdia at www.amidatrust.ning.com.

Also, new on Friends of Amida, the Amida chat room. I'll be logged in there over the 24 hours, feel free to log in and say namo amida bu!

different styles of dharma practice

Dharmavidya writes:

Yesterday on the last day of the WFB meeting we processed from the hotel to Sensoji Temple where a service for world peace was held. Along the way we had a photoshoot and a mass tea ceremony. The procession took us on a winding route through the middle of the shopping alleyways that surround the temple that are packed with passers-by. The whole morning was a noisy, jostling, good humoured affair. Some people chanted, others chatted. When we finally got to the main hall of Sensoji we were shepherded into the shrine area for a solemn ceremony conducted by the abbot, a man in his mid-seventies decked in brocade robes. Although the ceremony itself was dignified, we were only separated from the hubbub of the temple foyer by a mesh screen and the clatter of falling coins mixed with the voices of the crowds of visitors and tourists and the smell of incense smoke blowing in from outside. Sometimes it was a bit difficult to hear the chanting of the monks or the addresses given by the abbot and other dignitaries.

Sensoji was burnt down (I presume in WWII) and was rebuilt fifty years ago, though you would not know from the look of it that it was not five hundred years old. This ceremony was part of the fifty year anniversary celebrations as well as being a good opportunity for Buddhists from all over the world attending WBF to perform an act of worship together.

For me, this was the high spot of the conference, but for a number of my Western friends it was bewildering and off-putting. "We didn't do any meditation," "We're so lucky to have a proper contemplative tradition in America," and so on. Somebody asked me what my practice was like and I said that it was much like what they had just experienced in the temple and the response was, "Oh, you don't look like that kind of person, you seem quite a nice guy."

So what is Buddhism all about? Is it contemplation on a mountain to perfect one's personal mind, or is it gathering in the midst of the people to invoke the Buddhas' help and vow to be part of the emergence of world peace? Is it silence and reflection or is it invocation, adoration and resolution? "So if you practise like that, how does it work?" I get asked. What we have just experienced is marked by discipline, faith and devotion in the midst of ordinariness - what more do you need to create a Dharma community, a good work team, a better society? I am touched that my new friend suddenly shows a new recognition.

It is clear to me that there are a number of pre-judgements operating in the Western Buddhist mind that tend to exclude all that is best in the spirit of Japanese Buddhism as actually practised. For the Westerner who thinks that Buddhism equals meditation it comes as a shock to discover that even Zen temples in Japan rarely have a zazen schedule and other schools would put meditation practice, if they do it at all which most don't, either in the same sort of category as flower arranging and other cultural arts, or in a niche reserved for a very small elite of hermits. Japanese Buddhism is a social affair, with much 'bells and smells' liturgy, in which simplicity of faith, everyday kindness and acknowlegement of one's own ordinariness are the central values.

There is room for both and what has been accomplished in the establishment of Buddhism in the West with its secularised style, intensive meditation retreats, sophisticated intellectual study and creation of havens from the worldly world is already remarkable and admirable. It would be a pity, however, if this blinds us to the equally important values enshrined in the Japanese way where religion is more fun, more noisey, more social. When Westerners reject elaborate ceremony, I suspect it has far more to do with anachronistic worries rooted in fears of 'papism' and other old boggies than any balanced appraisal of intrinsic merit. Japan has had its own historical troubles and they have come out in a completely different mix. Clearly I am a minority, but it has taken me quite a journey to get to this point and I hope not to remain alone in my now much enhanced appreciation of this joyous, cacophanous, emotional dimension of the faith.

I hope that, in Amida-shu, we can get the best of both worlds - or at least a reasonable middle ground, one that does have a place for both the contemplative and the public dimension, is not puritanical and does have the capacity to be a faith for everybody. We're working on it. For this week, however, it has been a delight to sit at the back of the congregation crushed into Sensoji, chatting to my neighbour on the bench, listening to priests chanting delicate invocations of Quan Yin, joining them in thumping out the Heart Sutra, straining to hear the short sermons (and not succeeding), and enjoying the colour and the smell of it all.

Namo Amida Bu.

::link to Friends of Amida: do join and comment

2008 1-8 Dec: BODHI RETREAT

At The Buddhist House, 12 Coventry Road, Narborough, Leicestershire, LE19 2GR, UK. amida@amidatrust.com

Always the most important and exuberant event in the Amida annual calendar, the Bodhi Retreat has grown in significance as the Amida-shu and the Amida Order have developed. It is traditional to hold a retreat at this time of year in memory of the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha on 8th December. The retreat includes teachings, seminars, formal and informal gatherings, nembutsu practice, beautiful and affecting ceremonies, and opportunities for personal sharing and making friends. This is also the retreat at which ordinations, commitment ceremonies and renewals of refuge, membership and precepts take place. There will be school, order and ministry meetings. If you are a present or intending member of Amida-shu, do make every effort to attend. If you are contemplating an advance in your commitment, please arrange to discuss this ahead of the retreat with one of the teachers at The Buddhist House. The retreat commences with a session of “prayer unceasing” in the 24 hour nembutsu chanting 1-2 December. The actual chanting continues from noon to noon. Preliminary events and gatherings commence with brunch at 9.00am Monday. If you wish to immerse yourself in the Amida culture in a wonderful way, this is it.

::link to more information

::staying at The Buddhist House

::travel directions

::Amida Home Page

The Pure Land

When we envisage Amida, we think of him as residing in a "realm of utmost bliss" far, far away in the West, beyond the setting sun. It is a land called Sukhavati, the sweet realm (sukha=sweet; vati=realm). There are many other names for it such as Harmony Land or the Pure Abodes. The Tibetan name for it is Dewarchen. Sukhavati was rendered into Chinese as Jing Tu, which, in literal translation, is Pure Land. We generally write Pure Land as two words when referring to the place and Pureland as one word when referring to our form of Buddhism, but usage varies from one group to another.
 
In Buddhism, the line between myth, history, legend and doctrine is not easily fixed. When we reflect upon the Pure Land we find that it corresponds to our deepest longing and to our intuitive sense of the meaning of refuge. We can think of the Pure Land as an archetype or as a literal paradise, an allegory or a spiritual fact, a place far away or a potential for this world. The Pure Land is a kaleidoscopic vision whose multitudinous presentations have inspired Buddhist piety, poetry, consolation and revolution throughout history. For purposes of religious practice, however, it is best to think of the Pure Land in a concrete sense. Do not worry about whether it is literally true or not. Cultivate the idea that the Pure Land actually exists in the West. When you turn toward the West, imagine that far away in that direction, Amida resides. Have a sense of him being there in that direction. Let this sense bring up a feeling of awe and longing. How wonderful that Amida is there. How fine it would be to go to him or to have him come here to us.
~ Dharmavidya

The nembutsu

  "Namo Amida Bu" is a verse, or gatha, of supreme importance to
Pureland Buddhists. It is called the nembutsu and sometimes also  
referred to as "the six syllables" because, in Chinese, it has six  
characters. The word nembutsu is actually simply the Japanese
translation of nien fo. The nembutsu, however, is the act of calling
to the Buddha out loud. Usually this is done in the form
"Namo Amida Bu". Namo (like the English word "name") means
"I call" or "I rely upon". The syllable "Bu" is short for Buddha. So
"Namo Amida Bu" means "I call upon Amida Buddha".
 
  When one says "Namo Amida Bu" one feels oneself to be a foolish
being in the presence of something mysteriously wonderful and
marvellous. Saying Namo Amida Bu is equivalent to invoking
The Three Jewels, but it has more the quality of making a personal
encounter with Amida. This is something that words cannot fully explain,
but is a matter of experiencing one's little ordinary life confronted by
something much bigger and finer.

Saying the Nembutsu

  "Namo Amida Bu"   Pureland Buddhists say the nembutsu inwardly or outwardly on innumerable occasions. At first, it may feel strange saying these three Sanskrit words and initially they may not mean much to you. However, as you continue, you will build up a wealth of association with this simple gatha within which all the love, compassion, joy and peace of the Buddha is indicated. "Namo Amida Bu" ... "Namo Amida Bu"

~ Dharmavidya

Pureland Buddhism

A short essay about the nature of Pureland Buddhism as an expression of taking refuge.

In Mahayana Buddhism, we vow to help all sentient being to attain complete awakening and, in order to do so, we vow to transform all our negative passions into love and compassion, to master all the Buddha's teachings and to fulfil every step of the Buddhist path. These bodhisttva vows stand like a kind of heroic gesture. No matter how many lifetimes it takes, I will overcome all the harm and suffering in the world and bring all beings to the land of bliss. When we look at the vows from the ordinary perspective they seem like a personal challenge. How shall I do it? Where must I begin? In our morning service we recite these vows. We re-enter the bodhisattva path each new day. Then immediately after doing so we recite the refuges which in our tradition begin with taking refuge in Amida Buddha. Amida Buddha is the highest Buddha, representative of all Buddhas, past, present and future, in this and all possible worlds. We take refuge in those Buddhas. This provides us with the means to fulfil the bodhisattva vow. By our own power alone we could not do it. We will not do it by our own determination alone. We can only do it by relying upon the Buddhas. When we entrust ourselves in this way, the task looks completely different. It is no longer oneself who is helping all beings and overcoming all passions - it is Amida Nyorai. We are carried along by Nyorai, guided and held. As we take refuge in Nyorai who represents all Buddhas, so we recognise the need to take refuge in Shakyamuni, the particular Buddha of the age that we happen to have been born into. As we take refuge in Shakyamuni we see the need to take refuge in his Dharma. If taking refuge in Dharma means anything it is that we enter into and take refuge in sangha. And if refuge in sangha means anything it becomes refuge in the vision of a Pure Land since this is the full realisation of sangha. Thus, in practical Buddhism, there is a constant going back and forth between self-power and other-power, but, in the end, it is other-power that sees us through. At the heart of all Buddhism is the act of refuge and the grace of Nyorai.

There are thus two basic approaches to Buddhism, commonly referred to as self-power and other-power, or, in Japanese, jiriki and tariki. When Shakyamuni Buddha died his disciples wanted to keep the Dharma alive in the world. Some felt that this meant following the example given by Shakyamuni while others emphasised expressing their love for him. The first group saw the Dharma as a matter of learning methods based on the way that Shakyamuni practised. By perfecting those methods they hoped to emulate the founder and become Buddhas themselves in due course. That approach is called self-power because it assumes that each person has the power within him or herself to become a Buddha and that that is what is required. Such an approach emphasises the “Buddha nature” of the individual. Other disciples took a different view. When they reflected upon the experience that they had had, they realised that the Buddha had come into their life unbidden. He came to them. The arrival of Shakyamuni in their village was not a product of long years of training or practice on their part. The Buddha came into their lives and they were changed, not by their effort, but by their encounter with him. The nature of Buddha was not conceived to be a property of the individual but as something beyond that come to us, as Tathagata (Tatha-agata = "that which IS and which has come for us"). The Buddha came o call them. He inspired them, won their affection, saw through their delusions, had sympathy for them, accepted them and cherished them. For this they felt enormous gratitude. Their hearts were touched. They felt that the Buddha had cared about them and had put them in touch with the deep meaning of life. This second type of attitude is called other-power because it is essentially a matter of gratitude for what has been freely given. As it has been passed down to us it has become the practice of mystical encounter with Nyorai, of calling and being called. This is a truly religious approach that can change people in the core of their being quite suddenly. The presence of the Buddha entering into one's heart produces a sudden and dramatic inner disarmament and a release of energy into an active life of service and dedication.

A short essay about the nature of Pureland Buddhism as an expression of taking refuge.

In Mahayana Buddhism, we vow to help all sentient being to attain complete awakening and, in order to do so, we vow to transform all our negative passions into love and compassion, to master all the Buddha's teachings and to fulfil every step of the Buddhist path. These bodhisttva vows stand like a kind of heroic gesture. No matter how many lifetimes it takes, I will overcome all the harm and suffering in the world and bring all beings to the land of bliss. When we look at the vows from the ordinary perspective they seem like a personal challenge. How shall I do it? Where must I begin? In our morning service we recite these vows. We re-enter the bodhisattva path each new day. Then immediately after doing so we recite the refuges which in our tradition begin with taking refuge in Amida Buddha. Amida Buddha is the highest Buddha, representative of all Buddhas, past, present and future, in this and all possible worlds. We take refuge in those Buddhas. This provides us with the means to fulfil the bodhisattva vow. By our own power alone we could not do it. We will not do it by our own determination alone. We can only do it by relying upon the Buddhas. When we entrust ourselves in this way, the task looks completely different. It is no longer oneself who is helping all beings and overcoming all passions - it is Amida Nyorai. We are carried along by Nyorai, guided and held. As we take refuge in Nyorai who represents all Buddhas, so we recognise the need to take refuge in Shakyamuni, the particular Buddha of the age that we happen to have been born into. As we take refuge in Shakyamuni we see the need to take refuge in his Dharma. If taking refuge in Dharma means anything it is that we enter into and take refuge in sangha. And if refuge in sangha means anything it becomes refuge in the vision of a Pure Land since this is the full realisation of sangha. Thus, in practical Buddhism, there is a constant going back and forth between self-power and other-power, but, in the end, it is other-power that sees us through. At the heart of all Buddhism is the act of refuge and the grace of Nyorai.

There are thus two basic approaches to Buddhism, commonly referred to as self-power and other-power, or, in Japanese, jiriki and tariki. When Shakyamuni Buddha died his disciples wanted to keep the Dharma alive in the world. Some felt that this meant following the example given by Shakyamuni while others emphasised expressing their love for him. The first group saw the Dharma as a matter of learning methods based on the way that Shakyamuni practised. By perfecting those methods they hoped to emulate the founder and become Buddhas themselves in due course. That approach is called self-power because it assumes that each person has the power within him or herself to become a Buddha and that that is what is required. Such an approach emphasises the “Buddha nature” of the individual. Other disciples took a different view. When they reflected upon the experience that they had had, they realised that the Buddha had come into their life unbidden. He came to them. The arrival of Shakyamuni in their village was not a product of long years of training or practice on their part. The Buddha came into their lives and they were changed, not by their effort, but by their encounter with him. The nature of Buddha was not conceived to be a property of the individual but as something beyond that come to us, as Tathagata (Tatha-agata = "that which IS and which has come for us"). The Buddha came o call them. He inspired them, won their affection, saw through their delusions, had sympathy for them, accepted them and cherished them. For this they felt enormous gratitude. Their hearts were touched. They felt that the Buddha had cared about them and had put them in touch with the deep meaning of life. This second type of attitude is called other-power because it is essentially a matter of gratitude for what has been freely given. As it has been passed down to us it has become the practice of mystical encounter with Nyorai, of calling and being called. This is a truly religious approach that can change people in the core of their being quite suddenly. The presence of the Buddha entering into one's heart produces a sudden and dramatic inner disarmament and a release of energy into an active life of service and dedication.

More than a State of Mind

Dharmavidya writes:

Buddhism is more than 'a state of mind'. It is an orientation to life. We enter into many states of mind in the course of a day and it is certainly impossible to remain in just one. The deeper rooted elements that make up one's life - one's faith, one's love, one's sense of beauty and truth - these things persist even when one is not making a particular effort. They are one's nature. They give rise to states of mind as circumstances come and go.

Through the practice of nembutsu we put ourselves in relation to the Buddha as a living presence and as a refuge that we can rely upon. As we place our reliance upon something as wholesome as this the cluster of factors that form the basis of our being are affected. To love the Buddha, even intermittantly, and to believe, at least sometimes, that the Buddha loves one unconditionally changes the whole frame within which one's life takes place.

Buddhism, therefore, is not just a technique. It is not synonymous with meditation or chanting or any particular ritual. These things are expressions of an orientation. They are ways to celebrate. They celebrate the wonder of Buddha's love. They also celebrate the joy of living in a sangha. The bond between those who practise together and support one another in the Dharma is more precious than any possession.

This kind of refuge can arise for us when we stop taking our own powers, entitlement and reputation so seriously. Religion begins with a self-re-evaluation. Realising our fallible, dependent and sometimes corrupt nature is a first step to opening ourselves to the influence of something better. By 'Taking Refuge' and placing the best thing at the centre of gravity of our life by being in a devoted relation to Buddha, we allow a powerful influence to start working. We orbit around it and one day, by its power rather than ours, we shall be taken to it entirely.

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