Jodo Shinshu - Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan

I am reading the book, Jodo Shinshu - Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan by James C. Dobbins

So far through the first 43 pages, the book has given me some additional and clearer understanding of what Shin Buddhism is. I have read several books on the topic and they often can be difficult to understand.

The following passage from page 34 of the book comes from Shinran's Kyogyoshinsho and it really clearifies Shinran's Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for me:

The third fascicle of the Kyogyoshinsho explores the nature and content of "true faith" (shinjitsu no shin). Faith's relation to practice is most clearly reflected in the statement: "True faith necessarily enatails Amida's name, but Amida's name does not necessarily entail faith, [which is derived] from the power of [Amida's] vow." The meaning of this statement is that true faith exists only in conjuction with the nembutsu, whether it is spoken or simply heard, but uttering Amida's name is not necessarily an indication of true faith. The nembutsu can be invoked without faith underlying it, but if it lacks true faith, the invocation of the name is not true practice but only the believer's insufficient attempt to secure salvation through personal effort. Shinran considered faith to be the pivotal term in Amida's eighteenth vow, but he associated it with two other terms appearing in the vow: sincerity (shishin) and the desire to be born in the Pure Land.

Hence, faith encompasses a threefold state of mind, but none of these components is the product of the believer's own effort. Like the nembutsu, each is bestowed on the believer by Amida Buddha.

One of the things I had trouble understanding about Shin Buddhism before reading this book was the concept of solely chanting Amida Buddha's name, Namu Amida Butsu, as the way to entrance to the Pure Land. It seemed too simple. Through Shinran, I see that a person who simply chants Amida's name with the goal of entering the Pure Land is really an insufficient attempt by that person to secure birth in the Pure Land.

The final sentence above from the book states that this faith is bestowed or comes from Amida Buddha. I do not yet completely understand how that point is reached by someone. The point when they chant the name with complete faith. But apparantly when that happens, Shinran stated that this true faith was actually delivered by Amida Buddha.

The Chinese Officials Must Think we are all Stupid

Here is a funny qoute from a Chinese Olympic Official regarding the Olympic Torch Relay. (CNN.com)

Liu Jingmin, vice president of the Beijing organizing committee, said the Olympic torch has been "warmly welcomed by the local people" in each city.

The Chinese Government is so used to lying to their own people that they forget that the rest of the world sees through their lies.

Since the Chinese clearly chose to use the Olympics as a political tool to promote themselves, it is clearly appriopriate for the rest of the world to use the Olympics to protest China's abuses as well.

Yes, the Olympics are political and always have been.

Book - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

I am currently reading the book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. The book comes from a series of talks by Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki.

The book is broken up into three parts, Right Practice, Right Attitude, and Right Understanding. They refer roughly to Body, Feeling, and Mind. I have just started the first section, Right Practice. This section describes the practice of Zazen or meditation.

Things I've learned:

The book focuses on Shojin, or beginner's mind. To me that means to keep an open mind and a fresh mind. To someone who is a beginner, everything they learn is new and fresh and has special meaning. The idea is to maintain that feeling, the beginner's mind, throughout Zen practice.

The explanation of correct posture, breathing, etc. in zazen. By concentrating on your breathing or your back, you are organizing yourself. Which leads to order for our mind. It is impossible to organize things if you yourself are not in order. When you do things the right way, at the right time, everything else will be organized. You are the boss. When the boss is sleeping, everyone is sleeping. When the boss does something right, everyone will do everything right, at the right time. That is the secret of Buddhism (p. 27).

Buddha and His Teachings

I am currently reading The Buddha and His Teachings.

I am reading it to learn a little about the basics of the Buddha's teachings.

I have also previously read Buddha of Infinite Light by D.T. Suzuki, Tariki: Embracing Despair, Discovering Peace, and Living and Dying in Zazen by Arthur Braverman.

Haikyo - Exploring Japanese Ruins

Haikyo is the name for exploring Japanese ruins or abandoned buidlings. I found some websites on this subject and the photos are pretty amazing. Whether it is due to the economic problems or the declining population, I think both, aparantly there are alot of abandoned places in Japan.

What is really weird is that alot of them seem like the people just left everything where it was and disappeared. In the U.S, if a business or whatever goes out of business, usually the contents such as furniture, etc. are sold. Maybe Japanese people do not prefer used furniture or other items.

Also in the U.S., these items would have been carted off by looters. I've seen some pictures of abandoned theme parks where there are still displays of samurai armor and other interesting and cool stuff. Why hasn't someone snagged that stuff?

Another crazy, crazy thing are the photos of abandoned medical clinics or hospitals. In some of the photos you can see what appear to be people's medical records as well as syringes, medical devices and chemicals. I can't believe they were just left there.

Below are some photos from this really amazing Japanese website on Haikyo. They are photos from an abandoned hospital. Some pretty creepy pictures.






Here is the outside of the hospital.






Here's what looks to me to be some sort of medical record. Crazy.






Looks like a dentist chair. Ouch.






An examination table. Whoa.








You can see from this picture that there is an active neighborhood right across the street from this hazard.






Another examination room.






More medical equipment.

U.S. Marine suspected of raping schoolgirl in Okinawa

The Japan Times reported that a U.S. marine has been accused of raping a Japanese school girl. Since this has happened several times in the past with Marines in Okinawa, I have a solution.

Maybe the Marines in Okinawa should be permanently confined to their base since they seem to not be able to control themselves around Japanese women.