SHINRAN'S
SHOSHINGE 正信偈

Hymn of True Faith and the Nembutsu

An English translation with the original Japanese script and Romanized Japanese
by Hisao Inagaki

Those who have no facility to read Chinese characters are advised to go to Shoshinge-eng.htm.

<Revised Feb. 25, 2002>

[1] 歸　命　無　量　壽　如　來　 Kimyo Muryoju Nyorai

　　I take refuge in the Tathagata of Infinite Life;

　　南　无　不　可　思　議　光 　Namo Fukashigiko

　　I take refuge in the Buddha of Inconceivable Light.

　　法　藏　菩　薩　因　位　時 　Hozo Bosatsu inni ji

　　Dharmakara, at the outset of his career as a Bodhisattva,

　　在　世　自　在　王　佛　所　 Zai Sejizaio Bussho

　　Was in the presence of Lokeshvararaja, the Enlightened One.

[2] 覩　見　諸　佛　淨　土　因 　Token shobutsu jodo in

　　He saw the pure lands of many Buddhas, observed how they had been established,

　　國　土　人　天　之　善　惡 　Kokudo ninden shi zenmaku

　　And examined everything, good and bad, about the humans and devas inhabiting them.

　　建　立　無　上　殊　勝　願 　Konryu mujo shusho gan

　　He then brought forth the unsurpassed and most excellent Vows,

　　超　發　希　有　大　弘　誓 　Chohotsu keu daiguzei

　　The Great Vows, immeasurable in scope and depth, which the world had never known.

[3] 五　劫　思　惟　之　攝　受　Goko shiyui shi shoju

　　Dharmakara chose and cherished his Vows after contemplation for five kalpas.

　　重　誓　名　聲　聞　十　方 　Ju sei myosho mon jippo

　　He further vowed that his Name would be heard throughout the ten quarters.

　　普　放　無　量　無　邊　光　 Fu ho muryo muhen ko

　　Amida sends forth universally the immeasurable and boundless Light,

　　無　礙　無　對　光　炎　王 　Muge mutai koenno

　　The unimpeded, incomparable and majestically flaming Light,

[4] 清　淨　歡　喜　智　慧　光 　Shojo kangi chie ko

　　The pure Light, the Light of Joy, the Light of wisdom,

　　不　斷　難　思　無　稱　光 　Fudan nanji musho ko

　　The unceasing, inconceivable and ineffable Light,

　　超　日　月　光　照　塵　刹 　Chonichigakko sho jinsetsu

　　And the Light outshining the sun and the moon; with these Lights he illumines the innumeasurable worlds.

　　一　切　群　生　蒙　光　照　 Issai gunjo mu kosho

　　All sentient beings are shone upon by his Light.

[5] 本　願　名　號　正　定　業　Hongan myogo shojogo

　　The Name promised in the Primal Vow is the Act of Right Assurance;

　　至　心　信　樂　願　爲　因 　Shishin shingyo gan niin

　　The Vow of Sincere Mind and Joyful Faith provides the cause of our Birth;

　　成　等　覺　證　大　涅　槃 　Jo togaku sho dainehan

　　To attain the state next to the Buddha and realize Great Nirvana

　　必　至　滅　度　願　成　就 　Hisshi metsudo gan joju

　　Is due to the fulfillment of the Vow which assures our unfailing attainment of Nirvana.

[6] 如　來　所　以　興　出　世　Nyorai shoi koshusse

　　The reason for the Buddha's appearance in the world

　　唯　説　彌　陀　本　願　海 　Yui setsu Mida hongan kai

　　Is, above all, to expound the Primal Vow of Amida, wide and deep as the ocean.

　　五　濁　惡　時　群　生　海 　Gojoku akuji gunjo kai

　　All beings in the evil age of the five defilements

　　應　信　如　來　如　實　言 　O shin nyorai nyojitsu gon

　　Should believe in the truth of the Buddha's words.

[7] 能　發　一　念　喜　愛　心 　No hotsu ichinen kiai shin

　　If the single thought of Joy and Gratitude is awakened in us,

　　不　斷　煩　惱　得　涅　槃 　Fudan bonno toku nehan

　　We shall realize Nirvana without severing our blind passions.

　　凡　聖　逆　謗　齊　廻　入　 Bon sho gyaku ho sai enyu

　　When ordinary people and sages as well as those who commit the gravest offenses and abusers of the Dharma are taken into the Vow,

　　如　衆　水　入　海　一　味 　Nyo shusui nyu kai ichimi

　　They become one in spiritual attainment, just as many rivers become of one taste upon entering the sea.

[8] 攝　取　心　光　常　照　護 　Sesshu shinko jo shogo

　　The Light of All-embracing Compassion always illumines and protects us;

　　已　能　雖　破　無　明　闇 　I no sui ha mumyo an

　　The darkness of ignorance has already been destroyed by it,

　　貪　愛　瞋　憎　之　雲　霧 　Tonnai shinzo shi unmu

　　But still the clouds and mists of greed, desire, anger and enmity

　　常　覆　眞　實　信　心　天 　Jo fu shinjitsu shinjin ten

　　Continually cover the sky of True Faith;

[9] 譬　如　日　光　覆　雲　霧　 Hi nyo nikko fu unmu

　　Yet, just as the sunlight is obstructed by clouds or mists,

　　雲　霧　之　下　明　無　闇 　Unmu shi ge myo mu an

　　Below them it is light and there is no darkness.

　　獲　信　見　敬　大　慶　喜 　Gyaku shin ken kyo daikyoki

　　When we receive Faith, regard and revere the Dharma, and attain Great Joy,

　　即　横　超　截　五　惡　趣　Soku o chozetsu goakushu

　　We immediately transcend the five evil realms.

[10] 一　切　善　惡　凡　夫　人 　Issai zenmaku bonbunin

　 　If ordinary people, whether good or evil,

　　聞　信　如　來　弘　誓　願 　Mon shin nyorai guzeigan

　 　Hear the Dharma and trust Amida's Universal Vow,

　 　佛　言　廣　大　勝　解　者　 Butsu gon kodai shoge sha

　 　Shakyamuni praises them as 'men of great and superior understanding';

　 　是　人　名　分　陀　利　華 　Ze nin myo fundarike

　 　Such people are called 'white lotus-flowers'.

[11] 彌　陀　佛　本　願　念　佛 　Mida butsu hongan nembutsu

　　The Nembutsu promised in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha

　 　邪　見　ｱ　慢　惡　衆　生 　Jaken kyoman aku shujo

　 　 Is difficult for evil people who have wrong views and are arrogant

　　信　樂　受　持　甚　以　難　 Shingyo juji jin ni nan

　 　To receive and retain with Joyful Faith;

　　難　中　之　難　無　過　斯 　Nan chu shi nan mu ka shi

　　 Of all difficulties nothing is more difficult than that.

[12] 印　度　西　天　之　論　家 　Indo saiten shi ronge

　 　The discourse-writers of India, the land in the west,

　　中　夏　日　域　之　高　僧　 Chuka jichiiki shi koso

　　 And noble masters of China and Japan

　　顯　大　聖　興　世　正　意　 Ken daisho kose shoi

　 　Revealed the true purpose of the Great Sage's appearance

　　明　如　來　本　誓　應　機 　Myo nyorai honzei o ki

　　And clarified that Amida's Primal Vow responds to our need.

[13] 釋　迦　如　來　楞　伽　山 　Shaka nyorai Ryogasen

　　Shakyamuni, the Tathagata, while dwelling on Mount Lanka,

　 　爲　衆　告　命　南　天　竺 　I shu gomyo Nantenjiku

　　Prophesied to the assembly of monks that in Southern India

　 　龍　樹　大　士　出　於　世　 Ryuju daishi shutto se

　　 A Great Being named Nagarjuna would appear in the world

　　悉　能　摧　破　有　無　見 　Shitsu no zaiha umu ken

　　 And destroy all the wrong views on 'existence' and 'non-existence'.

[14] 宣　説　大　乘　無　上　法　 Senzetsu daijo mujo ho

　　 Proclaiming the unsurpassed teaching of Mahayana;

　　 證　歡　喜　地　生　安　樂 　Sho kangiji sho Anraku

　　 He would reach the Stage of Joy and attain birth in the Land of Peace and Bliss.

　 　顯　示　難　行　陸　路　苦 　Kenji nangyo rokuro ku

　　 He taught that the difficult practices are toilsome like traveling by land,

　　 信　樂　易　行　水　道　樂 　Shingyo igyo shido raku

　　 And urged us to believe that the Easy Practice is pleasant like sailing on water.

[15] 憶　念　彌　陀　佛　本　願 　Okunen Midabutsu Hongan

　　 When a thought of mindfulness of Amida's Primal Vow arises,

　　 自　然　即　時　入　必　定　 Jinen sokuji nyu hitsujo

　　 At that instant we spontaneously enter the Stage of Assurance.

　 　唯　能　常　稱　如　來　號 　Yui no jo sho nyorai go

　 　Always reciting only the Name of the Tathagata,

　 　應　報　大　悲　弘　誓　恩 　O ho daihi Guzei on

　　 We should seek to repay our indebtedness to his Great Compassion.

[16] 天　親　菩　薩　造　論　説　 Tenjin bosatsu zo ron setsu

　　 The Bodhisattva Vasubandhu composed a discourse, in which he professed

　 　歸　命　無　礙　光　如　來 　Kimyo Mugeko nyorai

　　 That he took refuge in the Tathagata of Unhindered Light;

　　依　修　多　羅　顯　眞　實 　E shutara ken shinjitsu

　　 In accordance with the sutras he expounded the true merits,

　　 光　闡　横　超　大　誓　願　Kosen ocho Daiseigan

　　 And clarified that the Great Vow enables us to leap over Samsara crosswise.

[17] 廣　由　本　願　力　廻　向 　Ko yu Honganriki eko

　　 He revealed One Mind in order to emancipate multitudes of beings

　　爲　度　群　生　彰　一　心　 I do gunjo sho Isshin

　　 Through Amida's transference of merits by the Power of his Primal Vow.

　　 歸　入　功　徳　大　寶　海　 Kinyu kudoku daihokai

　　 Upon entering the Great Treasure-Ocean of Merits,

　 　必　獲　入　大　會　衆　數 　Hitsu gyaku nyu daieshu shu

　　 We will unfailingly join the Great Assemblage.

[18] 得　至　蓮　華　藏　世　界 　Toku shi Rengezo sekai

　　 Upon reaching the World of Lotus-store,

　 　即　證　眞　如　法　性　身　 Soku sho Shinnyo Hosshojin

　　 We will realize True Suchness and attain Dharma- body.

　 　遊　煩　惱　林　現　神　通 　Yu bonno rin gen jinzu

　　 Then, playing in the forests of evil passions, we will display supernatural powers;

　　入　生　死　園　示　應　化　 Nyu shoji on ji oge

　　 Entering Samsaric states, we will manifest accommodative and transformed bodies to save beings.

[19] 本　師　曇　鸞　梁　天　子　 Honshi Donran Ryo tenshi

　　 Master T'an-luan was venerated by the King of Liang;

　　 常　向　鸞　處　菩　薩　禮 　Jo ko Ransho bosatsu rai

　　 Facing toward his place, the king worshiped him as a Bodhisattva.

　　 三　藏　流　支　授　淨　教 　Sanzo Rushi ju jokyo

　　 When Bodhiruci, the Tripitaka master, gave him a Pure Land scripture,

　　 焚　燒　仙　經　歸　樂　邦 　Bonjo sengyo ki Rakuho

　　 T'an-luan burned his Taoist texts and took refuge in the Land of Bliss.

[20] 天　親　菩　薩　論　註　解　 Tenjin bosatsu ron chuge

　　 He wrote a commentary on the Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's discourse, explaining in it:

　 　報　土　因　果　顯　誓　願 　Hodo inga ken Seigan

　　 Both the cause and the effect of our birth in the Land of Recompense come from Amida's Vows;

　　 往　還　廻　向　由　他　力 　Ogen eko yu Tariki

　　 The karmic energy for our birth and returning to this world originates from the Other-Power.

　　正　定　之　因　唯　信　心 　Shojo shi in yui Shinjin

　　 The cause of attaining the Stage of Right Assurance is Faith alone.

[21] 惑　染　凡　夫　信　心　發 　Wakuzen bonbu Shinjin potsu

　　 When Faith is awakened in the minds of deluded and defiled ordinary people,

　 　 證　知　生　死　即　涅　槃 　Shochi shoji soku Nehan

　 　 They are made aware that birth-and-death is Nirvana.

　 　 必　至　無　量　光　明　土 　Hitsu shi Muryo Komyo do

　　　After they unfailingly reach the Land of Infinite Light,

　 　 諸　有　衆　生　皆　普　化　 Shou shujo kai fu ke

　　　They will save sentient beings everywhere, so says T'an-luan.

[22] 道　綽　決　聖　道　難　證 　Doshaku ketsu shodo nan sho

　　　Master Tao-ch'o determined that by the Path of Sages Bodhi is difficult to attain

　　　唯　明　淨　土　可　通　入　 Yui myo Jodo ka tsunyu

　　　And clearly presented the Pure Land Path as the only way of salvation.

　　　萬　善　自　力　貶　勤　修 　Manzen jiriki hen gonshu

　　　He disparaged practicing thousands of acts of merits with self-power

　　　圓　滿　徳　號　勸　專　稱　 Enman tokugo kan sen sho

　　　And urged us to recite exclusively the Name of perfect virtues.

[23] 三　不　三　信　誨　慇　懃 　Sanpu sanshin ke ongon

　　　He kindly cautioned against imperfect faith, which has three aspects.

　　　像　末　法　滅　同　悲　引 　Zo matsu hometsu do hiin

　　　He compassionately guided those of the ages of Semblance Dharma, Decadent

Dharma and Extinct Dharma alike.

　　　一　生　造　惡　値　弘　誓　Issho zoaku chi Guzei

　　　Whatever evils we may commit throughout our lives, if we encounter the Universal Vow,

　　　至　安　養　界　證　妙　果 　Shi Annyogai sho myoka

　　　We shall reach the Land of Peace and Provision and realize the Supreme Fruition.

[24] 善　導　獨　明　佛　正　意 　Zendo doku myo Busshoi

　　　Shan-tao alone clarified the true intent of the Buddha Sakyamuni.

　　　矜　哀　定　散　與　逆　惡　 Koai josan yo gyakuaku

　　　Out of compassion for those who practice meditative or non-meditative good

as well as those who commit the five gravest offenses and the ten transgressions,

　　　光　明　名　號　顯　因　縁 　Komyo Myogo ken innen

　　　He clarified that the Light and the Name are the cause and condition for birth in the Pure Land.

　　　開　入　本　願　大　智　海 　Kainyu Hongan daichikai

　　　When aspirants are led into the Sea of Great Wisdom of the Primal Vow,

[25] 行　者　正　受　金　剛　心 　Gyoja shoju Kongoshin

　　　They are endowed with Faith, indestructible as diamond;

　　　慶　喜　一　念　相　應　後　 Kyoki ichinen soo go

　　　After attaining a single thought of Joy of oneness with Amida,

　　　與　韋　提　等　獲　三　忍 　Yo Idai to gyaku sannin

　　　They obtain the three insights, as did Vaidehi,

　　　即　證　法　性　之　常　樂 　Soku sho Hossho shijoraku

　　　And will realize the Eternal Bliss of Dharma-nature.

[26] 源　信　廣　開　一　代　教 　Genshin kokai ichidaikyo

　　　Genshin widely expounded the Buddha's lifetime teachings;

　　　偏　歸　安　養　勸　一　切　 Hen ki Annyo kan issai

　　　While he devoutly sought refuge in the Land of Peace and Provision, he urged all to follow him.

　　　專　雜　執　心　判　浅　深　 Sen zo shushin han senjin

　　　He distinguished between deep faith in practicing the Nembutsu exclusively and shallow faith in doing miscellaneous acts of merits,

　　　報　化　二　土　正　辨　立 　Hoke nido sho benryu

　　　And so clarified the different states of attainment: birth in the Land of Recompense and birth in the Transformed Land.

[27] 極　重　惡　人　唯　稱　佛 　Gokuju akunin yui sho Butsu

　　　Those with extremely heavy evil karma should only recite Amida's Name.

　　　我　亦　在　彼　攝　取　中　 Ga yaku zai hi sesshu chu

　　　Although I, too, am in his embracing Light,

　　　煩　惱　障　眼　雖　不　見　 Bonno sho gen suifu ken

　　　My evil passions hinder me from perceiving it,

　　　大　悲　無　倦　常　照　我 　Daihi muken jo sho ga

　　　But his Light of Great Comnpassion never ceases to shine on me untiringly.

[28] 本　師　源　空　明　佛　教 　Honshi Genku myo bukkyo

　　　Honen, the master of our school, was well-versed in Buddhism;

　　　憐　愍　善　惡　凡　夫　人 　Renmin zenmaku bonbunin

　　　He was compassionately mindful of both good and wicked ordinary people.

　　　眞　宗　教　證　興　片　州 　 Shinshu kyo sho ko henshu

　　　Disseminating the teaching of the True Way throughout Japan,

　　　選　擇　本　願　弘　惡　世　　Senjaku Hongan gu akuse

　　　He spread the selected Primal Vow in this evil world.

[29] 還　來　生　死　輪　轉　家 　　Genrai shoji rinden ge

　　　Transmigration in the house of Samsara

　　　決　以　疑　情　爲　所　止　　 Ketsu i gijo i shoshi

　　　Is definitely caused by the fault of doubt;

　　　速　入　寂　静　無　爲　樂 　　Soku nyu jakujo mui raku

　　　Quick entry into the Capital of Uncreated Tranquility

　　　必　以　信　心　爲　能　入 　　Hitsu i Shinjin i nonyu

　　　Is necessarily realized by Faith.

[30] 弘　經　大　士　宗　師　等 　　Gukyo daiji shushi to

　　　The bodhisattvas and masters of this school who spread the teaching of the Pure Land sutras

　　　拯　濟　無　邊　極　濁　惡 　　Josai muhen gokujoku aku

　　　Have saved innumerable beings, totally defiled and evil.

　　　道　俗　時　衆　共　同　心 　　Dozoku jishu gu doshin

　　　People of the present age, both priests and laymen, should with one accord

　　　唯　可　信　斯　高　僧　説 　　Yui ka shin shi koso setsu

　　　Only accept in faith the teachings of those virtuous masters.

[Source] Chapter on the True Practice (Part 2), Kyogyoshinsho.

[Bibliography]　H. Inagaki, The Way of Nembutsu-Faith: A Commentary on the Shoshinge, Nagata Bunshodo, 1996, pp. 163-183.

[Reference] A different version of Shoshinge, "Nembutsu Shoshin Ge," contained in the Monruijusho.