The Teaching of Zuiken The Teaching of ZuikenThe Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho is the canon of the doctrine of the Jodo-Shin-shu. It is the quintessence of all religions and religious philosophies. The System is grand and unique. But the doctrine is so complicated that the students will be thrown into a labyrinth or tire of the study mid-way, unless they are well guided.
The Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho is famous and widely known, but few read it through with joy. Hotan, a great scholar of Kegon, once said:
The man who composed the Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho must be a mad man.
If a man tries to understand this book simply by intellectual reasoning like Hotan, he will think it a book of a mad man. If a man tries to climb this steep peak with his own legs of self-power (Shodomon), he will be at a deadlock. If a man opens this book for the purpose of increasing worldly knowledge, he will be disappointed. Only he who fears and trembles before the mirror of the Law of Karma (Causality), and sincerely aspires to discover his life in the Truth of the Buddha, will rejoice in it. If he has found peace of mind, he will be delighted and thankful to the Three Treasures (or Gems) the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Book of Life must be read with the inmost heart.
The Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho is the overflow of Shinran-Shonin's pure religious feeling. It is the Book of Pure Faith. Through Faith he had a spiritual union with the Buddha of Infinite Light; and reposed in the bosom of the Buddha of Eternal Life.
Shinran-Shonin perused for many years all the Sutras, Mahayana (Great Vehicle) and Theravada (Small Vehicle), and after that he selected the Three Sutras, upon which he established the Jodo-Shinshu. He amalgamated all Buddhism in his own crucible of Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho. All Sutras, all sects, and all different teachings of Buddhism seem to have dissolved in the doctrine of the True Pure Land Sect. This book is the system of Amitabha's transcendental Wisdom and Infinite Love. Those who ardently wish to get rid of Samsara (cycle of birth-and-death) and fervently aspire to reach the highest perfect knowledge will appreciate the value of Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho. Was there anyone who was as sincere and reflective as Shinran-Shonin, concerning Karma, Samsara, and Emancipation? And was there any who discriminated and judged true faith and untrue faith as severely as our Master Shinran?
The Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho is the Book of Confession of the true disciple of the Buddha. It is the self-manifestation of the Power of Amitabha's Sacred Vow (Hongan-riki): the treasure store of Wisdom and Love of all Buddhas. It is the voice, the heart, and the virtue of the Absolute Truth,
Shinnyo
(Tathata). Unless one has deep introspection, awakened conscience, lamentation for one's own karmic evil, and the fervent aspiration for absolute Freedom, his knowledge of the Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho would be like a house built on sand.
Shinran-Shonin was a great religious genius. He was truly awakened by the power of Amitabha. He heard His Name unconditioned, and suddenly he acquired pure Faith. The Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho is indeed the embodiment of His Calling (Choku-mei) and his pure Faith. The Pure Faith is the only way to Enlightenment, Nirvana (Nehan). It is the nucleus of all Buddhism. This is the doctrine of this sacred book.
Life is short, and full of sufferings; life without philosophy and religion is dry. Without pure Faith one cannot reach the other shore of Nirvana. But what are the relations between the pure Faith of Shin Buddhism and the Noble Eight-fold Path (Hasshodo) or the Four Noble Truths (Shishotai) of Theravada Buddhism? What are the relations between pure Faith and humanity or moral laws? The Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho will give you the answer to these questions.
In the world today most of the people are selfish, covetous, irritable and have neither peace of mind nor noble ideals in life. They are like a forsaken boat lost on the rough seas. Philosophy, practices, disciplines and morals have no power to emancipate mankind from its illusions, lusts and Karma. Religions of revelation, or reason and others, easy but irrational, cannot carry the people to the ultimate Enlightenment of Nirvana; and are incapable of cultivating the soil of human mind as deeply as to reveal the Jewel of Light-and-Love of Buddha-nature (Bussho). A religion without the True Practice (Shinjitsu-no-Gyo) and True Faith (Shinjitsu-Shinjin) is not the paramount; Buddhism without Vow (Hongan) and Practice (Gyo) is not the supreme. Let those who have ears to hear, listen to the voice of the Absolute Truth.
I have been contemplating for a long time to translate Shinran's Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho into English. It is a difficult task, nay, almost impossible to represent perfectly Shinran's true spirit in a foreign language. Perhaps the present attempt may be a failure, but, being unable check the overflow of my joy and thankfulness for the Three Treasures (or Gems), I have boldly taken up this difficult undertaking, hoping for improvements in the future. I was compelled often, in wishing for clarify the meaning or to make it understandable, to expound the text by avoiding word for word translation. However, I have tried my best to remain faithful to the original meaning.
Times have changed. The people of the world have come to pay closer attention to Buddhism, and translation works are being carried on in many countries. The teaching of Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho is not only a revelation of the Three Great Sutras, but it is the light of all religions of the world. And Jodo-Shinshu will play in the future the most sublime and significant role in the history of religions.
- Saizo Inagaki 1953
