Ships from: Richmond Hill, NY
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from: Chatham, NJ
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shin is the uniquely Japanese flowering of the type of Buddhism known as "Pure Land." It originated in the thirteenth century with the charismatic and prophetic figure Shinran (1172-1263), whose interpretation of the traditional Pure Land teachings were extremely influential in his own lifetime and remains so today. In a period when Japanese Buddhism was dominated by an elitist monastic establishment. Shinran's Shin teaching became a way of liberation for all people, regardless of age, class, or gender. Although Shin is one of Japan's greatest religious contributions—and is still the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in Japan—it remains little known in the West. In this book, based on several lectures he gave in the 1950s, D. T. Suzuki illuminates the deep meaning of Shin and its rich archetypal imagery, providing a scholarly and affectionate introduction to this sometimes misunderstood tradition of Buddhist practice.
| Foreword | 7 | |
| Preface to the First Edition | 9 | |
| Introduction | 11 | |
| 1 | Infinite Light | |
| Shinran's Original Insight | 21 | |
| The Teaching of Amida | 23 | |
| Primal Vow and Pure Land | 26 | |
| 2 | Enlightenment of the Inner Self | |
| Primal Vow of Amida | 29 | |
| Sincerity of Mind | 32 | |
| The Story of Shoma | 35 | |
| Our Inner Self | 37 | |
| 3 | Faith as True Entrusting | |
| Scientific Knowledge | 43 | |
| Beyond the Five Senses | 46 | |
| Deep Spirituality | 48 | |
| Oneness of the Name | 51 | |
| 4 | The Futility of Pride | |
| Self-Power and Other-Power | 55 | |
| Beyond Self-Power | 58 | |
| Meaning of No Meaning | 60 | |
| Issa and Eckhart | 65 | |
| 5 | Excellent of Person | |
| Myokonin | 69 | |
| Language and Spirituality | 72 | |
| Everyday Life and Nembutsu | 74 | |
| Living with Amida | 77 | |
| Embraced by namu-amida-butsu | 82 | |
| Notes | 85 | |
| Suggested Reading | 93 |
Overview
Shin is the uniquely Japanese flowering of the type of Buddhism known as "Pure Land." It originated in the thirteenth century with the charismatic and prophetic figure Shinran (1172-1263), whose interpretation of the traditional Pure Land teachings were extremely influential in his own lifetime and remains so today. In a period when Japanese Buddhism was dominated by an elitist monastic establishment. Shinran's Shin teaching became a way of liberation for all people, regardless of age, class, or gender. Although ...