Selected Teachings from Honen Shonin with Commentary (free edition and printed edition for sale)

The role of a teacher is to make things simple and this is exactly what I’m trying to do through my books. I pick and choose that which is easy to understand from the many volumes of the sacred texts and organize and explain them in such a way so that both the idiot and the scholar can understand and receive faith (shinjin). 

I also try to make useful connections between various Masters and their teachings. For example, in this book I show that Honen and his disciple Shinran, spoke the same language of faith and essentially taught the same teaching although sometimes the words and context are different.

Among the many sayings of Honen, I chose a few in this book and my other books, that I consider to be very important and which can serve as a standard of reading and understanding him in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. 

Click here if you wish to download the free online edition in pdf,

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My page on Academia

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The book is also posted in AMIDAJI BOOKSTORE  where you can order all the printed edition of my books.

Amida Buddha's devotee respond in gratitude to His benevolence by helping others entrust to Him (video teaching and discussion)

 This video is very useful if you have the patience to watch it until the end. It is part of the series of the 71 topics of examination for those who want to be ordained in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. The main speaker is my student Rev Kosho Arana from Colombia. He already received monk (priest) ordination in our school, in September this year.  

The links mentioned in the video are posted in its description on my youtube channe.

Namo Amida Bu 

Don't play smart or virtuous in samsara

Never play the wise practitioner in samsara. All you need to know and can truly know are the instructions of Amida Buddha in His Primal Vow: "entrust yourself to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land". Follow Master Rennyo's advice, "all thoughts and words are delusion, except the mind to trust Amida Buddha" and Master Shinran's, "the Nembutsu alone is true and real".

Also, never play the virtuous practitioner in samsara. Don't overestimate your pitiful merits and virtues. You can do nothing with your so-called "wisdom and merits". Everything is impermanent and insubstantial, including your dream-like existence and the things you think you realized.

There is only one reality - that of Amida Buddha and His Call: "entrust yourself to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land". Do that exclusively and don't play smart or virtuous in samsara.
Namo Amida Bu 

Focus on Amida Buddha and stick with Him no matter what happens in your mind or outside of it (video teaching)

 

Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 170 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you. 

Here are some links mentioned in the video: 

Some elements of listening deeply to Amida Dharma
 
Don't be hungry for feelings and special experiences
 
Dependon Amida, not on your feelings
 
Faithis simple, nothing special 
 
Shinjin:knowing not experiencing
 

 

Clocks as portable thangkas of the Wheel of Samsara - Часы как переносные тханки Колеса Сансары (EN/RU)

Clocks are gentle companions who helps us remember impermanence. They are like miniature copies of the thangkas of the Wheel of Samsara with the top of the dial symbolizing the higher states of existence (humans, asuras and gods) and the lower part of the dial, reminding us of the lower realms (hungry spirits, animals and hell beings).

As the hands of the clock move constantly from hour 12 (the highest heaven of the gods) to 6 (the most terrible hell), life in samsara is never certain. Whatever we think we gain we'll lose in the next moment. Everything is momentary and our unenlightened minds are not reliable. This is why there is NO time for the so-called spiritual evolution. All we have is this fragile moment, this short break before death and another uncertain rebirth. In this moment we either accept Amida Buddha’s helping hand or refuse it and waste our human life so hard to obtain.

Understanding the two types of impermanence, of your body and your so-called "spiritual realizations", don't lose your time in vain, and entrust to Amida. Only by being born in His Pure Land after death you can safely get out of samsara and be able to benefit all sentient beings.

Members of Amidaji: from Voodoo to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism - the story of Koshin

                         Click here to return to the main page 

of spiritual biographies of Amidaji members

This is the spiritual story of Koshin Jose Pomales, our new member from California, USA, as it was recorded in two meetings on zoom,

You can read about Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism here (click here)