Tannisho: A Shin Buddhist Classic

by Taitetsu Unno

English, Japanese (translation)

Genres: Buddhism, Religion

Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[Margo Oka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up randomly in the discount section of Forest Books in sf japantown for $1

All my homies believe zen buddhism is a rejection of amida’s compassion in guiding all beings to rebirth in the pure land 🙏🏼

Basically all my knowledge on buddhism came from Marie Mutsuki Mockett’s Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye and ruth ozeki. I learned a lot more about the specific teachings of Shin (Pure Land) Buddhism from this book. Pure land buddhism is much friendlier to everyday people than zen buddhism. There aren’t specific rituals you must do to gain enlightenment — all you have to do basically is trust in Other Power (Amida’s vow to guide everyone to the pure land). Pure land Buddhism is basically Zen Buddhism’s chill little brother.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The death of a religious leader is often followed by a period of confusion and disagreement among their followers, all of whom begin to "remember" their leader's teachings differently. This is when various texts and scriptures are often born out of a need to sort through these conflicts and establish some kind of authoritative canon. The Hadith of Islam, the Talmud of Judaism, and the Tannisho are all examples of this.

Also called the "Lamentations on Divergences," the Tannisho was an attempt to record some of Shinran's beliefs regarding Shin Buddhism via small snippets of remembered conversations and discussions he had with his disciples. Some of the sections are very brief, at only a sentence or two, and much of the latter half is the (technically anonymous) author's commentary. As the title implies, there is a sense of urgency and sadness over disputes between Shin Buddhist followers in the years after Shinran's death. These divisions, while not unusual in any religion, are especially heartbreaking in a tradition that emphasizes compassion and non-judgement. But such are the depths of karmic evil that inhibit our true understanding of the Way.

That being said, this little work is encouraging in its simplicity. The author appeals to the believer's sense of unity in the nembutsu and the all-embracing nature of Shinran's teachings. Shin Buddhism was never meant to be an intellectually driven faith headed by scholarly elites. Instead of long-winded treatises on why doing evil is still wrong even though you are "under the grace" (so to speak) of the nembutsu, Shinran just says things like "don't take poison just because there is an antidote." This is a religion of the ordinary, everyday person who is looking for guidance.

[hoffnarr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The translation reads smooth but I can’t judge the quality. The afterward offers an interpretation quite far from the contents, and depends heavily on other Shinran texts and presumably more modern Shin views. Would have benefited from better overview of this text in context of Shinran as a historical figure.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book about Shinran's belief in Pure Land Buddhism. The book is separated by little sections, and can be read in any order and time. Each section is small, but has so much information in it.

[Kurt Gielen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant insights, great introduction to shin buddhism as well.