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Shin Buddhism: Bits of Rubble Turn into Gold
Interest in Buddhism continues to grow throughout North America, and more and more readers are moving beyond the familiar Zen and Tibetan traditions to examine other types of Buddhism. In Shin Buddhism, Taitetsu Unno explains the philosophy anc practices of "Pure Land" Buddhism, which dates back to the sixth century C.E., when Buddhism was first introduced in Japan.While Zen Buddhism flourished in remote monasteries, the Pure Land tradition was adopted by the common people. With a combination of spiritual insight and unparalled scholoarship, the author describes the literature, history, and principles of this form of Buddhism and illuminates the ways in which it embodies this religion's most basic "No human life should be wasted, abandoned, or forgotten but should be transformed into a source of vibrant life, deep wisdom, and compassionate living." As a practice that evolved to harmonize with the realities of everyday life, Shin Buddhism will be particularly attractive to contemporary Western readers.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 12, 2022
Accessible reading, following his earlier work ‘River of Fire, River of Water.’ I didn’t realize when I was reading that the calligraphy separating the book sections are by the author’s late father. Unno weaves scholarship and personal stories together. The dedication interests me, it is to:
‘Poets who are not poets
Teachers who are not teachers
Buddhists who are not Buddhists’
While this book is of course about a specific and lesser known school, the simple and appealing branch of Pureland Buddhism, it will also be of interest to anyone wanting to explore more about compassionate living and ‘emptiness.’
‘Poets who are not poets
Teachers who are not teachers
Buddhists who are not Buddhists’
While this book is of course about a specific and lesser known school, the simple and appealing branch of Pureland Buddhism, it will also be of interest to anyone wanting to explore more about compassionate living and ‘emptiness.’
October 8, 2008
My comfort and solace when I am lowest. My faithful companion when I am at my best.
December 13, 2025
A SHIN MINISTER/SCHOLAR PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT SUMMARY OF THE RELIGION
Taitetsu Unno (1929-2014) was a Japanese Buddhist scholar and an ordained Shin Buddhist minister. He taught Buddhism and Japanese aesthetics at Smith College from 1971 until his retirement in 1998.
He wrote in the Prologue to this 2002 book, “Among the many branches of [Buddhism], the better-known ones in North America are today represented by various forms of Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, and Vipassana practices, but there are many other branches that are found in the Asian landscape. One of them is the Pure Land branch of Mahayana Buddhism… While Theravada Buddhism venerates a single Buddha, the historical Shakyamuni, Mahayana Buddhism has many Buddhas that play principal roles in the different scriptures… in the Pure Land scriptures… two titles---Amitabha, Immeasurable Light, and Amitayus, Immeasurable Life---are combined into the contracted form ‘Amita’ or ‘Amida.’” (Pg. 2)
He continues, “The Pure Land scriptures were popularized in China, and various lineages of practice derived from them evolved… A charismatic figure by the name of Honen, a monk of the Tendai order… proclaimed the founding of a separate and independent Pure Land school, calle Jodo-shu, in 1175 C.E. (‘Jodo’ means ‘Pure Land’ and ‘shu’ is ‘school.) His basic tenet is summed up in the phrase, ‘In the path of Sages one perfects wisdom and achieves enlightenment; in the path of Pure Land one returns to the foolish self to be saved by Amida.’ The basic practice that Honen recommended was the single-hearted recitation of ‘nembutsu,’ the Name of Amida: NAMU-AMIDA-BUTSU.” (Pg. 4-5)
He goes on, “Among Honen’s many followers, it was Shinran (1173-1263) who followed in his footsteps to penetrate the inner dynamics of intoning the nembutsu, rejecting mechanical repetition and clarifying its source as the boundless compassion that is Amida Buddha. Thus, the saying of nembutsu is experienced as a call from Amida, but simultaneously it is our response to that call… Although Shinran used the term ‘Jodo-shinshu’ … today it is used as the name of an independent school, widely referred to in the West as Shin Buddhism.” (Pg. 5)
He states, “The calling of nembutsu awakens us to a liberating power that sanctifies all life, because it comes from beyond the small-minded self that is always engaged in calculating life only in terms of gain or loss, winning or losing. Sooner or later we will respond to this call, if we are ever to know a sense of security and well-being. If I were to translate nembutsu into English, it would be the ‘Name-that-calls,’ for it calls us to awaken to our fullest potential to becoming true, real, and sincere human beings.” (Pg. 23-24)
He states, “The paradigm of such an awakening is Dharmakara Bodhisattva, who attains Buddhahood. His Primal Vow of universal emancipation enters the ‘seamless world of interdependent play’ in order to engage in salvific activities for all beings… That not a single person is left our of this grand scheme necessarily means that the Primal Vow must be concerned, above all else, with the lowest of lowliest beings… They become the focus of the working of the Primal Vow, ultimately bringing about a transformation that enables them to become liberated and free.” (Pg. 50)
He explains, “Every funeral rite in Shin Buddhism reminds us of the intersection of horizontal and vertical dimensions… an epistle read at such services [is] ‘On White Ashes'… ‘In silently contemplating the transient nature of human existence, nothing in our world is more fragile and fleeting than our life… Whether I go before others, or others go before me… who is to know?… Though loved ones gather and lament, everything is to no avail. The body is then sent into an open field and vanishes from this world with the smoke of cremation, leaving only white ashes. There is nothing more real than this truth of life… therefore we must… turn to the teachings of the Buddha and awaken to the ultimate source of life. By understanding the meaning of death, we shall come to fully appreciate the meaning of this life which is unrepeatable and thus to be treasured above all else.’ … the message is timeless and still speaks to us today. It reminds us of life’s fragility as well as its preciousness… which must not be wasted.” (Pg. 61-62)
He says, “Such an experience of time was the basis of Shinran’s reinterpretation of ‘birth in the Pure Land,’ changing its original futuristic connotation into a radical affirmation of the here and now. [Shinran] interprets the scripture that states, ‘Then they attain birth,’ to suggest an immediacy not apparent in the original… There is no need for … a deathbed ritual, because birth in the Pure Land has occurred in the awakening to shinjin here and now.” (Pg. 65-66)
He notes, “The path of Pure Land… is primarily a way for the laity; it is available to anyone, regardless of status, who seeks the path of enlightenment. This path is for people engaged in raising a family, making a living, doing productive work, negotiating through life’s endless demands… The Shin Buddhist path is the path of my choice, a path that makes no undue demands on its followers, physical or otherwise, except one: the giving up of the ego-self. Consistent with the original teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha, Shin regards the ego-self as another human construct but with such deep roots in one’s karmic past that it is impossible to give up.” (Pg. 74-75)
He summarizes, “The Shin Buddhist path may be summed up in three phrases: descriptive, evocative, and creative. Buddhism, including Shin, does not give clear and firm directives for everyday living. It is not prescriptive. Nor does it have solutions to every social problem confronting us. Its utility value is not a compelling concern. Rather, the basic teachings recognize suffering as it is and probe the source of suffering. It is primarily descriptive. By awakening to reality as-it-is and shattering false constructs about self and world, a person is on the right path to wisdom and compassion… the second phase, which I call evocative, brings to our awareness two interrelated dimensions of life… the insatiable activity of the ego-self and the boundless compassion that illuminates it… [T]he third and final stage… the creative, occurs in our interpretation of the world. Critical life situations challenge us to respond with our whole being and not with ready-made answers. Thus, a new and unique self is born with each changing situation and demand that confronts us. One’s life then becomes a work of art…” (Pg. 132-133)
He observes, “Transformation is possible by the very fact that Buddhism teaches us that we are all already fully enlightened, although we live in complete ignorance of this elemental fact. This paradox is overcome when we awaken to boundless compassion that makes real the Buddha-nature dormant within us.” (Pg. 202)
He points out, “This expression of arigato [‘too much of a good thing’] was also the final word of D. T. Suzuki, the pioneer exponent of Zen Buddhism, reflecting his early upbringing by his mother, who lived the Shin Buddhist life. Toward the end of his life, he devoted more and more of his writings to Shin Buddhism, and his final scholarly accomplishment was the translation of Shinran’s major work into English… Describing Suzuki’s final moments as he lay dying in a Tokyo hospital, his student and friend Kosho Otani… writes: ‘In my observation, the more congenial his attitude became towards Shin Buddhism, the more often he uttered ‘Thank you.’ This ‘thank you’ … derives from Dr. Suzuki’s upbringing in a Shin Buddhist atmosphere… In other words, Shin Buddhism bloomed in the warmth of his feeling, and Zen manifested itself in the sharpness and resoluteness of his mind; as if the former were his mother and the latter his father, these two elements formed Dr. Daisetz Suzuki.” (Pg. 209-210)
He reports, “[Honen’s] constant advice to people was to live life in whatever way that is conducive to enhancing nembutsu practice. Honen frequently said, ‘If you cannot live the nembutsu as a celibate monk, do so by taking a wife. If you cannot live the nembutsu as a householder, do so by becoming a monk.’” (Pg. 216-217)
He concludes, “Shinran placed under ‘crosswise transcendence’ the true teaching of Pure Land, or Shin Buddhism. Here liberation into freedom is immediate, since all is given by the working of boundless compassion. Because it is the invisible Other-power that makes real our liberation and freedom, self-power efforts are ultimately not relevant. The Pure Land paths that are combined with some kind of self-power practices, such as meditation, visualizing Amida, or repeating nembutsu 60,000 times a day come under ‘departing crosswise’ [taking time and effort].” (Pg. 224-225)
This book will be of great interest to those studying Pure Land Buddhism.
Taitetsu Unno (1929-2014) was a Japanese Buddhist scholar and an ordained Shin Buddhist minister. He taught Buddhism and Japanese aesthetics at Smith College from 1971 until his retirement in 1998.
He wrote in the Prologue to this 2002 book, “Among the many branches of [Buddhism], the better-known ones in North America are today represented by various forms of Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, and Vipassana practices, but there are many other branches that are found in the Asian landscape. One of them is the Pure Land branch of Mahayana Buddhism… While Theravada Buddhism venerates a single Buddha, the historical Shakyamuni, Mahayana Buddhism has many Buddhas that play principal roles in the different scriptures… in the Pure Land scriptures… two titles---Amitabha, Immeasurable Light, and Amitayus, Immeasurable Life---are combined into the contracted form ‘Amita’ or ‘Amida.’” (Pg. 2)
He continues, “The Pure Land scriptures were popularized in China, and various lineages of practice derived from them evolved… A charismatic figure by the name of Honen, a monk of the Tendai order… proclaimed the founding of a separate and independent Pure Land school, calle Jodo-shu, in 1175 C.E. (‘Jodo’ means ‘Pure Land’ and ‘shu’ is ‘school.) His basic tenet is summed up in the phrase, ‘In the path of Sages one perfects wisdom and achieves enlightenment; in the path of Pure Land one returns to the foolish self to be saved by Amida.’ The basic practice that Honen recommended was the single-hearted recitation of ‘nembutsu,’ the Name of Amida: NAMU-AMIDA-BUTSU.” (Pg. 4-5)
He goes on, “Among Honen’s many followers, it was Shinran (1173-1263) who followed in his footsteps to penetrate the inner dynamics of intoning the nembutsu, rejecting mechanical repetition and clarifying its source as the boundless compassion that is Amida Buddha. Thus, the saying of nembutsu is experienced as a call from Amida, but simultaneously it is our response to that call… Although Shinran used the term ‘Jodo-shinshu’ … today it is used as the name of an independent school, widely referred to in the West as Shin Buddhism.” (Pg. 5)
He states, “The calling of nembutsu awakens us to a liberating power that sanctifies all life, because it comes from beyond the small-minded self that is always engaged in calculating life only in terms of gain or loss, winning or losing. Sooner or later we will respond to this call, if we are ever to know a sense of security and well-being. If I were to translate nembutsu into English, it would be the ‘Name-that-calls,’ for it calls us to awaken to our fullest potential to becoming true, real, and sincere human beings.” (Pg. 23-24)
He states, “The paradigm of such an awakening is Dharmakara Bodhisattva, who attains Buddhahood. His Primal Vow of universal emancipation enters the ‘seamless world of interdependent play’ in order to engage in salvific activities for all beings… That not a single person is left our of this grand scheme necessarily means that the Primal Vow must be concerned, above all else, with the lowest of lowliest beings… They become the focus of the working of the Primal Vow, ultimately bringing about a transformation that enables them to become liberated and free.” (Pg. 50)
He explains, “Every funeral rite in Shin Buddhism reminds us of the intersection of horizontal and vertical dimensions… an epistle read at such services [is] ‘On White Ashes'… ‘In silently contemplating the transient nature of human existence, nothing in our world is more fragile and fleeting than our life… Whether I go before others, or others go before me… who is to know?… Though loved ones gather and lament, everything is to no avail. The body is then sent into an open field and vanishes from this world with the smoke of cremation, leaving only white ashes. There is nothing more real than this truth of life… therefore we must… turn to the teachings of the Buddha and awaken to the ultimate source of life. By understanding the meaning of death, we shall come to fully appreciate the meaning of this life which is unrepeatable and thus to be treasured above all else.’ … the message is timeless and still speaks to us today. It reminds us of life’s fragility as well as its preciousness… which must not be wasted.” (Pg. 61-62)
He says, “Such an experience of time was the basis of Shinran’s reinterpretation of ‘birth in the Pure Land,’ changing its original futuristic connotation into a radical affirmation of the here and now. [Shinran] interprets the scripture that states, ‘Then they attain birth,’ to suggest an immediacy not apparent in the original… There is no need for … a deathbed ritual, because birth in the Pure Land has occurred in the awakening to shinjin here and now.” (Pg. 65-66)
He notes, “The path of Pure Land… is primarily a way for the laity; it is available to anyone, regardless of status, who seeks the path of enlightenment. This path is for people engaged in raising a family, making a living, doing productive work, negotiating through life’s endless demands… The Shin Buddhist path is the path of my choice, a path that makes no undue demands on its followers, physical or otherwise, except one: the giving up of the ego-self. Consistent with the original teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha, Shin regards the ego-self as another human construct but with such deep roots in one’s karmic past that it is impossible to give up.” (Pg. 74-75)
He summarizes, “The Shin Buddhist path may be summed up in three phrases: descriptive, evocative, and creative. Buddhism, including Shin, does not give clear and firm directives for everyday living. It is not prescriptive. Nor does it have solutions to every social problem confronting us. Its utility value is not a compelling concern. Rather, the basic teachings recognize suffering as it is and probe the source of suffering. It is primarily descriptive. By awakening to reality as-it-is and shattering false constructs about self and world, a person is on the right path to wisdom and compassion… the second phase, which I call evocative, brings to our awareness two interrelated dimensions of life… the insatiable activity of the ego-self and the boundless compassion that illuminates it… [T]he third and final stage… the creative, occurs in our interpretation of the world. Critical life situations challenge us to respond with our whole being and not with ready-made answers. Thus, a new and unique self is born with each changing situation and demand that confronts us. One’s life then becomes a work of art…” (Pg. 132-133)
He observes, “Transformation is possible by the very fact that Buddhism teaches us that we are all already fully enlightened, although we live in complete ignorance of this elemental fact. This paradox is overcome when we awaken to boundless compassion that makes real the Buddha-nature dormant within us.” (Pg. 202)
He points out, “This expression of arigato [‘too much of a good thing’] was also the final word of D. T. Suzuki, the pioneer exponent of Zen Buddhism, reflecting his early upbringing by his mother, who lived the Shin Buddhist life. Toward the end of his life, he devoted more and more of his writings to Shin Buddhism, and his final scholarly accomplishment was the translation of Shinran’s major work into English… Describing Suzuki’s final moments as he lay dying in a Tokyo hospital, his student and friend Kosho Otani… writes: ‘In my observation, the more congenial his attitude became towards Shin Buddhism, the more often he uttered ‘Thank you.’ This ‘thank you’ … derives from Dr. Suzuki’s upbringing in a Shin Buddhist atmosphere… In other words, Shin Buddhism bloomed in the warmth of his feeling, and Zen manifested itself in the sharpness and resoluteness of his mind; as if the former were his mother and the latter his father, these two elements formed Dr. Daisetz Suzuki.” (Pg. 209-210)
He reports, “[Honen’s] constant advice to people was to live life in whatever way that is conducive to enhancing nembutsu practice. Honen frequently said, ‘If you cannot live the nembutsu as a celibate monk, do so by taking a wife. If you cannot live the nembutsu as a householder, do so by becoming a monk.’” (Pg. 216-217)
He concludes, “Shinran placed under ‘crosswise transcendence’ the true teaching of Pure Land, or Shin Buddhism. Here liberation into freedom is immediate, since all is given by the working of boundless compassion. Because it is the invisible Other-power that makes real our liberation and freedom, self-power efforts are ultimately not relevant. The Pure Land paths that are combined with some kind of self-power practices, such as meditation, visualizing Amida, or repeating nembutsu 60,000 times a day come under ‘departing crosswise’ [taking time and effort].” (Pg. 224-225)
This book will be of great interest to those studying Pure Land Buddhism.
May 6, 2021
This is a very well written summary of Shin Buddhism. The Shin Buddhists are largely Japanese Americans in the US but also attract those who don’t have Japanese heritage. Unlike, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism this practice is not monastic. It is very practical and was developed for the lay person. I would recommend this book for those with some background knowledge of Buddhism.
July 13, 2022
Shin tends to be one of the most "accessible" introductions to Buddhism, particularly for those not raised in the tradition. More importantly, Unno shares the potential of Buddhism to aid all seekers, non-Buddhist religious and atheists alike. It is a path to taming the ego, and recognizing the interconnectedness of all life.
April 26, 2018
An excellent overview of the Shin Buddhism. Lots of cool insights into this path which are painted in a neat light which are not usually considered in America.
July 20, 2013
Not the most accessible to a dabbler in secular Buddhism...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews