Buddhist Psalms translated from the Japanese of Shinran ShoninShinran
Religion
Buddhist Psalms translated from the Japanese of Shinran Shonin
Shinran
Buddhism
279. If we accept not the two divine gifts, the gift of entering the
Promised Kingdom, and the gift of return into this evil world, then
shall the wheel of birth and death turn with us for ever. And how
shall we endure to sink into the sea of suffering?
280. Whoso believeth the marvellous wisdom of that Blessed One,
shall be joined unto them that return no more unto birth and
death. And when, possessed of excelling knowledge, such a man is
born into Paradise, soon shall he attain unto the Perfected Wisdom.
281. It is the sole way unto the Promised Land that man should
believe the wisdom that is beyond human knowledge, of the
Enlightened One. Yet it is of all hard things hardest to attain unto
the Faith, the true way that leadeth to Paradise.
282. Casting aside the sorrow of birth and death, that sorrow which
is timeless in its beginning, I hope now solely for the Great
Nirvana. There is no end to my thankfulness for the two mighty gifts
of our Eternal Father.
283. Few are the believers that shall be born into the Land that is
promised, but many are they that shall be born into the Temporal
Paradise. Because the hope that we shall see Light by our own
strength is vain, having no foundation, we have therefore drifted on
the ocean of birth and death for many myriads of Kalpas.
284. Because in the gift of the Holy Name is a grace great and
wonderful, if man attain unto the gift of departing, that of itself
shall guide him unto the gift of returning.
285. Through the great mercy of the gift of departing shall we
attain unto the compassion of the gift of returning. If it were not
the free gift of the Blessed One, how should we attain unto wisdom
in the Land of Purity.
286. The Buddha of the Infinite Light, together with the
Bodhisattvas of Compassion and Wisdom, having taken the Ark of the
Divine Promise, that is voyaging on the ocean of birth and death,
have gathered and saved mankind therewith.
287. Whoso in heart and soul believeth the Divine Promise of the
Buddha of Infinite Light must diligently recite the Holy Name both
sleeping and waking.
288. Those men in the hierarchy of Sages that have trusted unto
self-effort for the means of attaining wisdom, on entering into the
heritage of the Divine Promise believe in it as in the Reason that
transcendeth all reason.
289. Though the teachings of the Lord stand for ever, yet unto none
is it possible to follow them in exactness, and therefore is there
none that may attain unto supreme enlightenment in these last days
of the falling away.
290. In India, in China, and the land of Japan, may the many
teachers of the doctrine of the Land of Purity, with compassion and
tender acceptance, persuade mankind to strive unto the true faith
that they may be joined unto those that return no more unto birth
and death.
291. Even as His friends the Lord commendeth those men that, having
attained unto the true faith taught of the Blessed One unto us,
dwell within the joy of holiness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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