CHAPTER XII.

Of Faith in General, (i).

(Extracts from ancient writers.)

I have judged it best in this chapter, instead of following the order of the questions and answers in Shinshu Hyakuwa (of which a short analysis will be found in the next chapter) to give from another book, the Shinshu Seikun, already cited, a catena of passages taken, mainly, from Japanese writers of the Middle Ages. If the Christian reader, bearing in mind what I have said of the wonderful parallels between the story of Amida, incarnate for man's salvation in Hozo Biku, and that of Christ, will read these passages in a Christian sense, he will, I think, find theta to be not devoid of edification. He will also, I believe, acknowledge that the devout worshipper of Amida, even though he may never actually have heard the name of Christ, may yet be far nearer to the Kingdom of God than many a man who calls himself a Christian, but shuts his eyes to the pure light of the Christian Faith. I shall take the liberty of interspersing among the extracts comments and criticisms of my own, but I shall do so in such a way as to make what is my own clearly distinguishable from what I have derived from ancient Japanese sources.

127. [**] "They who travel along the Way make Faith their starting point."

Genshin 942-1017.

127. "It is said in the Nirvana Sutra that the Believing Heart is the Cause of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. There are in truth innumerable causes of Enlightenment, but if you understand what a Believing Heart is you embrace them all."

Anon. [**]

127. "In the House of Life and Death we stay for a while with doubt and fear: into the City of Nirvana we make our entrance through Faith."

Genku 1133-1212.

"Among the Shonin's followers (i.e. Shinran's), the Believing Heart means Trust, and Trust is the same thing as Peace of Mind."

Rennyo 1415-1499.

[In this sentence, the word for "trust" is tanomu. Tanomu is used as a verb meaning to "entrust somebody with something" or to "commit some particular duty to some one's care." The believer in Amida entrusts his salvation to Amida's care, and after that he has peace of mind (anshin). The word tanomu is really the paratithenai in 1. St. Pet. iv. 19. cf. also 2. Tim. i. 12.]

128. "That which is called Faith (the Believing Heart) is Faith in the Imputation (to us) of the Virtue of the Great Vow."

(Rennyo.)

[I have here given "imputation" as the equivalent for the word eko #. The word, which is used commonly for Masses

for the dead, means "to divert from one person towards another." So the Virtue of the Great Vow is diverted or transferred from Amida to the believer. Cf. Romans iv. 18-25.]