For (a) it must be the wish of all other Buddhas that worship should be given to Amida alone. These Buddhas may, therefore, be considered as themselves transferring to Amida the worship which ignorant worshippers offer to them. But no instructed Shinshuist, knowing that he can have direct access to

[paragraph continues] Amida, would feel it his duty to offer a round-about worship to other, subordinate, Buddhas.

And (b) we may consider that many of the gods whom various nations worship are themselves but temporary or partial manifestations of Amida (bunshin #). In such a case, the same rule will serve to guide us as in the case of the worship offered to the Buddhas.

But (c) many of the so-called gods are evil spirits whom men seek to propitiate by the offering of worship. The Shinshuist need have no fear of them; he is under the protection of Amida, and is therefore safe.

The chapter then goes on to consider the prayers that men will offer to gods and Buddhas when misfortunes befall them. Such prayers must be considered as contrary to Keijin, for they are, in a sense, dishonouring to the gods to whom they are addressed. For misfortunes come to us as warnings with remedial intent, and the true believer will use; them as such. Instead of asking to be delivered, he will probe his own heart to its depth, find the root of bitterness and eradicate it. Then the misfortune will disappear of itself.

Another way in which true Keijin may be shown is in the choice of our associates. "By imitating a thief, and playing at thieving, a man becomes a thief ...... by imitating a righteous man, a man will learn to be righteous." There can be no greater contumely offered to Amida than the wilful exposing of ourselves to the danger of breaking his laws.

Again, Keijin prompts us to be modest. Haji wo shiranu wa chikusho ni onaji. "He who knows

not modesty differs not from a beast." The believer will always be properly clothed: if he is a monk., he will be careful to wear his kesa (stole) properly. Layman or cleric, he will be respectful in a place of worship, and will no more dream of irreverence in the presence of San-kai mu-ni-no Nyorai, "the Nyorai besides whom there is none other in the Three Worlds," than he would think of treating with disrespect some great earthly magnate. This respect and reverence he will also show towards idols, flowers, incense-burners, and all other accessories of worship. For though these things are nothing in themselves (mokuzo moto no ki no hashi, ezo wa kore moto no hakushi, "the idol was originally only a piece of wood, the picture nothing but a sheet of white paper"), yet they are symbols of worship, and the man that has in him no capacity for worship is ho better than the brute beast. The power of worship is one of the distinguishing faculties of man.