SHINRAN'S
SHOSHINGE

Hymn of True Faith and the Nembutsu
(2)

by Hisao Inagaki

For an English translation with the original Japanese script

and Romanized Japanese, refer to Shoshinge (1)

<Revised Feb. 15, 1999>

[1] Kimyo Muryoju Nyorai

I take refuge in the Tathagata of Infinite Life;

Namo Fukashigiko

I take refuge in the Buddha of Inconceivable Light.

Hozo Bosatsu inni ji

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

Zai Sejizaio Bussho

Was in the presence of Lokeshvararaja, the Enlightened One.

[2] Token shobutsu jodo in

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

Kokudo ninden shi zenmaku

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

Konryu mujo shusho gan

He then brought forth the unsurpassed and most excellent Vows,

Chohotsu keu daiguzei

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

[3] Goko shiyui shi shoju

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

Ju sei myosho mon jippo

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

Fu ho muryo muhen ko

Amida sends forth universally the immeasurable and boundless Light,

Muge mutai koenno

The unimpeded, incomparable and majestically flaming Light,

[4] Shojo kangi chie ko

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

Fudan nanji musho ko

The unceasing, inconceivable and ineffable Light,

Chonichigakko sho jinsetsu

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

Issai gunjo mu kosho

All sentient beings are shone upon by his Light.

[5] Hongan myogo shojogo

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

Shishin shingyo gan niin

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

Jo togaku sho dainehan

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

Hisshi metsudo gan joju

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

[6] Nyorai shoi koshusse

The reason for the Buddha's appearance in the world

Yui setsu Mida hongan kai

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

Gojoku akuji gunjo kai

All beings in the evil age of the five defilements

O shin nyorai nyojitsu gon

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

[7] No hotsu ichinen kiai shin

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

Fudan bonno toku nehan

We shall realize Nirvana without severing our blind passions.

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,

Nyo shusui nyu kai ichimi

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

[8] Sesshu shinko jo shogo

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

I no sui ha mumyo an

The darkness of ignorance has already been destroyed by it,

Tonnai shinzo shi unmu

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

Jo fu shinjitsu shinjin ten

Continually cover the sky of True Faith;

[9] Hi nyo nikko fu unmu

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

Unmu shi ge myo mu an

Below them it is light and there is no darkness.

Gyaku shin ken kyo daikyoki

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

Soku o chozetsu goakushu

We immediately transcend the five evil realms.

[10] Issai zenmaku bonbunin

If ordinary people, whether good or evil,

Mon shin nyorai guzeigan

Hear the Dharma and trust Amida's Universal Vow,

Butsu gon kodai shoge sha

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

Ze nin myo fundarike

Such people are called 'white lotus-flowers'.

[11] Mida butsu hongan nembutsu

The Nembutsu promised in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha

Jaken kyoman aku shujo

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

Shingyo juji jin ni nan

To receive and retain with Joyful Faith;

Nan chu shi nan mu ka shi

Of all difficulties nothing is more difficult than that.

[12] Indo saiten shi ronge

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

Chuka jichiiki shi koso

And noble masters of China and Japan

Ken daisho kose shoi

Revealed the true purpose of the Great Sage's appearance

Myo nyorai honzei o ki

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

[13] Shaka nyorai Ryogasen

Shakyamuni, the Tathagata, while dwelling on Mount Lanka,

I shu gomyo Nantenjiku

Prophesied to the assembly of monks that in Southern India

Ryuju daishi shutto se

A Great Being named Nagarjuna would appear in the world

Shitsu no zaiha umu ken

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

[14] Senzetsu daijo mujo ho

Proclaiming the unsurpassed teaching of Mahayana;

Sho kangiji sho Anraku

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

Kenji nangyo rokuro ku

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

Shingyo igyo shido raku

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

[15] Okunen Midabutsu Hongan

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

Jinen sokuji nyu hitsujo

At that instant we spontaneously enter the Stage of Assurance.

Yui no jo sho nyorai go

Always reciting only the Name of the Tathagata,

O ho daihi Guzei on

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

[16] Tenjin bosatsu zo ron setsu

The Bodhisattva Vasubandhu composed a discourse, in which he professed

Kimyo Mugeko nyorai

That he took refuge in the Tathagata of Unhindered Light;

E shutara ken shinjitsu

In accordance with the sutras he expounded the true merits,

Kosen ocho Daiseigan

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

[17] Ko yu Honganriki eko

He revealed One Mind in order to emancipate multitudes of beings

I do gunjo sho Isshin

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

Kinyu kudoku daihokai

Upon entering the Great Treasure-Ocean of Merits,

Hitsu gyaku nyu daieshu shu

We will unfailingly join the Great Assemblage.

[18] Toku shi Rengezo sekai

Upon reaching the World of Lotus-store,

Soku sho Shinnyo Hosshojin

We will realize True Suchness and attain Dharma- body.

Yu bonno rin gen jinzu

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

Nyu shoji on ji oge

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

[19] Honshi Donran Ryo tenshi

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

Jo ko Ransho bosatsu rai

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

Sanzo Rushi ju jokyo

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

Bonjo sengyo ki Rakuho

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

[20] Tenjin bosatsu ron chuge

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

Hodo inga ken Seigan

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

Ogen eko yu Tariki

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

Shojo shi in yui Shinjin

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

[21] Wakuzen bonbu Shinjin potsu

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

Shochi shoji soku Nehan

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

Hitsu shi Muryo Komyo do

After they unfailingly reach the Land of Infinite Light,

Shou shujo kai fu ke

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

[22] Doshaku ketsu shodo nan sho

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

Yui myo Jodo ka tsunyu

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

Manzen jiriki hen gonshu

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

Enman tokugo kan sen sho

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

[23] Sanpu sanshin ke ongon

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

Zo matsu hometsu do hiin

He compassionately guided those of the ages of Semblance Dharma, Decadent Dharma and Extinct Dharma alike.

Issho zoaku chi Guzei

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

Shi Annyogai sho myoka

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

[24] Zendo doku myo Busshoi

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

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,

Komyo Myogo ken innen

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

Kainyu Hongan daichikai

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

[25] Gyoja shoju Kongoshin

They are endowed with Faith, indestructible as diamond;

Kyoki ichinen soo go

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

Yo Idai to gyaku sannin

They obtain the three insights, as did Vaidehi,

Soku sho Hossho shijoraku

And will realize the Eternal Bliss of Dharma-nature.

[26] Genshin kokai ichidaikyo

Genshin widely expounded the Buddha's lifetime teachings;

Hen ki Annyo kan issai

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

Sen zo shushin han senjin

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

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] Gokuju akunin yui sho Butsu

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

Ga yaku zai hi sesshu chu

Although I, too, am in his embracing Light,

Bonno sho gen suifu ken

My evil passions hinder me from perceiving it,

Daihi muken jo sho ga

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

[28] Honshi Genku myo bukkyo

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

Renmin zenmaku bonbunin

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

Shinshu kyo sho ko henshu

Disseminating the teaching of the True Way throughout Japan,

Senjaku Hongan gu akuse

He spread the selected Primal Vow in this evil world.

[29] Genrai shoji rinden ge

Transmigration in the house of Samsara

Ketsu i gijo i shoshi

Is definitely caused by the fault of doubt;

Soku nyu jakujo mui raku

Quick entry into the Capital of Uncreated Tranquility

Hitsu i Shinjin i nonyu

Is necessarily realized by Faith.

[30] Gukyo daiji shushi to

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

Josai muhen gokujoku aku

Have saved innumerable beings, totally defiled and evil.

Dozoku jishu gu doshin

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

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.