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The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran’s Teaching of Other Power
Shinran (1173–1263) is one of the most important thinkers of Japanese Buddhist history and is regarded as the founder of its largest sect, the True Pure Land School (Jōdo Shinshū). His teaching of ‘Other Power’ is a deep meditation on the place of human will and receptivity in spiritual practice and the path towards liberation.
Nagapriya gives a contemporary audience access to Shinran’s religious perspective. Stimulating greater interest in Shinran and ‘Other Power’, this book gives new ways to think about contemporary Buddhism.
‘Nagapriya not only accurately captures the heart of Shinran’s spirituality and teachings, but conveys it in ways that are novel and easy to understand... This book... will contribute enormously to the accurate presentation of Shinran’s teaching of Other Power.’ – from the foreword by Kenneth K. Tanaka, Professor Emeritus, Musashino University, Tokyo; Past President, International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies; author of The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism Doctrine
Nagapriya gives a contemporary audience access to Shinran’s religious perspective. Stimulating greater interest in Shinran and ‘Other Power’, this book gives new ways to think about contemporary Buddhism.
‘Nagapriya not only accurately captures the heart of Shinran’s spirituality and teachings, but conveys it in ways that are novel and easy to understand... This book... will contribute enormously to the accurate presentation of Shinran’s teaching of Other Power.’ – from the foreword by Kenneth K. Tanaka, Professor Emeritus, Musashino University, Tokyo; Past President, International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies; author of The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism Doctrine
- GenresBuddhism
272 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2022
About the author
Nagapriya
19 books13 followersNagapriya is a writer, thinker, flaneur, and latinophile.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 26, 2026
This is a brilliant and wonderful book with many syncretic references, like Rumi and Rilke, Christian theology and Continental philosophy. If I could be persuaded to be a pure land Buddhist, this book would do it. It’s literary, academic and personal. I’ve been practicing a little bit and I’m gonna read some more primary texts.
I don’t think you could prove that mappo is true. I would almost produce a proof you couldn’t prove, but not needed for me. I’m going to keep meditating. I agree that humans are largely a catastrophe, bonpu.
Pure Land is derived, in part, from a Sutra about how to get people who’ve never seen Buddhism or mentally incompetent, to get into Buddhism.
I feel less alienated from Pure Land, but the whiff of Christianity and a lot of its inelegance remains. I like the idea of shinjin. I liked to see how pure land is articulated amongst the history of Buddhism.
I don’t think you could prove that mappo is true. I would almost produce a proof you couldn’t prove, but not needed for me. I’m going to keep meditating. I agree that humans are largely a catastrophe, bonpu.
Pure Land is derived, in part, from a Sutra about how to get people who’ve never seen Buddhism or mentally incompetent, to get into Buddhism.
I feel less alienated from Pure Land, but the whiff of Christianity and a lot of its inelegance remains. I like the idea of shinjin. I liked to see how pure land is articulated amongst the history of Buddhism.
August 21, 2024
Nagapriya's presentation of Shinran's teachings has turned my practice on its head! This is an outstanding book. I need to read it again... and possibly again!
August 24, 2024
A life changing book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews