Shinran and His Work

CHAPTER V.

The Shoshinge.

Before proceeding with the treatment of my subject it will be well for me to put my readers in possession of this celebrated poem [**] or hymn, composed by the great Shinran himself, which is said to form a part of the daily devotions of every truly devout Shinshu household. I shall constantly have occasion to refer to it in the course of these pages, as it forms in itself a sort of summary of the whole historical position of the Shinshu. I am fortunately able to avail myself of the assistance afforded me by a translation from Mr. Tada's own pen. I have in several passages made use of words and phrases drawn from Christian theology to express what I have believed to be the real meaning of the poem. I have done so purposely, my object in doing so being to call attention to the parallelisms between the two systems. They are indeed well called parallel, for like parallel straight lines they "meet in Infinity." May we say that Infinity is God?

[Pages 36 through the top of page 46, which contain the Japanese text of the Shoshinge, are presented as thumbnailed images--JBH].

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TRANSLATION.

1-2. I put my trust in the great Tathagata of Infinite Life and Boundless Light!

3-10. Hozo the Bodhisattva, [**] in the days of his humiliation, being in the presence of the Tathagata Sejizaio, [*+] examining the degree of excellence of the Paradises of all the Buddhas, the causes of their formation, and the angels and men in them, made his great Vow and proclaimed his mighty Oath, which he meditated and selected for the space of five long Kalpas; and he repeated the Vow of announcing his Holy Name 'Amida' in all the Ten Quarters.

11-16. Universally doth he send forth his endless, boundless, all-pervading, unrivalled, supreme Light, his Light of Purity, of Joy, of Wisdom, His changeless, unconceivable, unexplainable Light, brighter than the brightness of Sun or Moon. His Light illuminates worlds more numerous than dust, and all sentient creatures enjoy it and are illuminated thereby.

17-20. His Holy Name [**] which was revealed by his Vow of Salvation, is the fundamental Power that justly determines us to enter into his Pure Land. His Vow to make us put our sincere trust in it is the effective cause which produces perfect Enlightenment. His Vow to lead us without fail into Nirvana has been fulfilled; in consequence of it, we can acquire the same rank as the Bodhisattva [*+] in this life, and Nirvana in the next.