Parting ways with Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
Posted: June 5, 2008 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Religion, Shingon | 33 Comments »On Sunday I mentioned that I am making some changes to the blog, but I alluded to the fact that not all the changes are cosmetic. I am also changing the focus of the blog to reflect my change in Buddhist views as well. I no longer consider myself a Jodo Shinshu Pure Land Buddhist. I am leaving the faith to pursue Buddhist paths elsewhere. I debated even mentioning it, since in the grand scheme of things, it’s really not a big deal, but the blog will change as a result, so I wanted to give everyone a head’s up.
As to why, that’s a long story. I’ve had a series of good conversations through email lately with a few people, some Pure Land Buddhists, some not, and I realized that my views just didn’t fit assumptions that Jodo Shinshu makes. It’s not that Jodo Shinshu is wrong (and I am right), I just disagree with it. My voluminous writing, and reading/buying of books over the past two years has been (I realize now) my attempt to reconcile my assumptions with what’s taught in Jodo Shinshu. Now that I know all this, I feel much relieved.
Speaking of practice, someone very wise gave some recent advice when he said I should focus more on practice rather than what people teach. This was fantastic advice (thank you), and was the final straw in parting ways with Jodo Shinshu. So lately, I revived an old practice I once learned while visiting a Shingon Buddhist temple in my area. The priest there knew of my deep interest in the Mantra of Light, and taught me some intro-level practices to go with it, so I have been doing that practice nightly, along with the Heart Sutra, which I really appeals to me. I also have been making a concerted effort to follow the 10 good precepts, which are taught in Shingon Buddhism, but also in Theravada and Chinese Buddhism.* Someone else I know gave me good advice that one can’t go wrong with finding a dedicated practice you can stick with and following the precepts, and since I know I can stay with this more than I could with Pure Land practice, I know I am doing the right thing.
I am not necessarily leaving the temple I go to because I have a lot of friends there, and Baby enjoys Sunday School, but I no longer consider myself a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, and this blog will no longer be about Pure Land Buddhism.
Thanks all!
Namu Daishi Henjo Kongo
* – Master Yin-Shun calls them the “10 good precepts”, not to be confused with precepts in the Tendai or Zen context.
P.S. Another, longer post on why I gave up on exclusive Pure Land Buddhism.
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
There is the ground, and there is the walking on the ground.
I think what you are doing is good. You should feel comfortable with the practice that you have chosen. Would you say that you are a Shingon Buddhist? I am not familiar with Shingon. Will you be practicing any Zen Buddhism?
I look forward to reading about your experience.
Forgot to mention that I am currently reading Zen and Japanese Culture by DT Suzuki. It is so far a somewhat difficult read for me.
What do you think about the Hardcore Zen and Sit Down and Shut Up Zen book by Brad Warner? Have you heard of them or read them?
Doug: Couldn’t have said it better, thank you.
Glad to you stopped, as usual.
Tornado: I consider myself a lay Shingon Buddhist at this point, but Shingon is an esoteric form of Buddhism, and I haven’t taken the first initiation yet, and probably won’t until after I come back from Ireland. Frankly there’s no rush as there’s plenty for me to do with what I know already. Someone told me a while back that being in Ireland away from most Buddhist communities would be a great time to learn to practice alone, and I happen to agree.
As for Zen, I am not interested in it at the time being. I have only read two books about Zen: Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind (which was awesome) and Buddhism Plain and Simple which I didn’t care for. Jeannie has been very kind to provide with many materials and advice if I *do* take up Zen, and I appreciate them much.
I tell people all the time, “I get no brownie points if you convert to Zen.” Hey, no pressure from me.
I think that Buddhist sects are just different tools used to do the same job. I’d like to see you not call yourself anything, but that is up to you.
Whatever you choose, I’m with you all the way. If you need a shoulder to lean on, I am always here for you. Got a question or complaint, I’m here for that too!
“Hell is my only home”
– Shinran Shonin
I hope it resonates better with you and I look forward to reading about your experience. I agree that practicing alone is beneficial. I learned a lot about Buddhism while on deployments. It is no substitute for the temple and being with Sangha members, but it can be very good. I may be moving in about 5 years and started looking for Sanghas in the area I plan to move to. There are no Jodo Shinshu temples, so that was a disappoinment. But I feel I can still go to a Soto Zen center and practice Jodo Shinshu at home. Most important is that you find a path that makes sense to you. Your change was evident in your signing off:
Namu Daishi Henjo Kongo
Dear Gerald, Thanks for being open about your new direction which I think is important as your blog has influence out there and its good not to confuse people. More importantly though may I wish you all the best in your new path! Namuamidabutsu. Thanks also for your email – I’ll be in touch soon, gassho, Kyoushin
Steve: Yup, Shinran did say that.
Michael: One thing that drew me (back) to Shingon in particular was its inclusiveness in that I could still pay homage to Amida Buddha and the Pure Land, but the underlying teachings are somewhat different and more in-line with my thinking. I think the Kamakura-era Buddhist schools that emphasize exclusive practice just don’t sit right with me. For many I think they are just right, but I guess my inclination’s a bit different as I read back over the various posts I’ve written.
And yes, the change in sign-off was a dead giveaway ha ha ha!
Kyoushin: Good to hear from you! Yeah, that was what I was thinking too. I know I’ve confused people in the past (the question has come up from time to time) and I just felt it would be good to clarify things so people could choose to read on, or look elsewhere. Looking forward to your emails as usual. In any case, I still hope to see you in the UK sometime later this year if I can ever get to that part of the world.
wow,
what a departure! But I guess organised religions are not the intentions of their founders, the search for the truth of which is the fruit in the husk is what matters.Cheers
“I just felt it would be good to clarify things so people could choose to read on, or look elsewhere.”
Read on! Read on! I want to read on!
Will you be taking part in the Shingon initaiation? I believe that is what it is called in the Esoteric Buddhism. I assume that the initaition is basically a requirement of Shingon Buddhism. Is that correct?
Best of luck to you, dude. I left my religion earlier this year and am still figuring things out. May you find the purest truth, nestled between two rocks somewhere. However, if you follow tornadoes’ urging to check out Brad Warner, I’d take everything the guy says with a huge shaker of salt; he’s a good writer and has a lot of worthwhile teachings, but he’s also kind of full of shit.
I understand where you’re coming from, Gerald. I once thought that Shinran’s teachings was for me and some of his opinions still resonate with me. But when I compare Shin Buddhism with Buddhism in general and when I examined some of the deeper implications of Shin Buddhism, I found that I had more points of disagreement then agreement. The Buddha’s teaching was dynamic whereas Shin Buddhism seems to be too “quietist” for me.
Good luck in your spiritual endeavours. May the buddhas and bodhisattvas continue to guide you on your journey!
Good luck with the esotericy-ness! I will read with interest as always. But I think msot of these people are really jsut here for the sexy pics of the ladies man, so who knows if they will even notice the change.
Marcus: I’ll do my best. I have a hunch though the next few months will be some weird writings after I figure out the path to follow. For now it’s Shingon, but I am not 100% that will stick since esoteric Buddhism requires an active relationship with a mentor. If not Shingon, I’ll find a good practice somehow. You’re Buddhist experiences on your blog have been helpful for me, by the way.
Tornado: Yup, esoteric Buddhism requires initiation at some point, but since I am moving to Ireland soon (in a month) I am not sure if I will be able to do it until I come back. There are no Shingon temples in Ireland, that much I’ve determined. The ritual is called Abhiseka by the way.
Zensunni: Thanks much, man.
I could use the encouragement let me tell ‘ya. I hope you sort out your religious path too. I read a bit of one of this books, and I do think he’s a good writer, but I my feelings are similar to your’s. Still, I will take Tornado’s suggestion and try reading the book in entirety when I get a chance. 
Yueheng: I remember your disagreements on E-sangha, and even then I totally agreed with your misgivings. Since reading Master Yin-Shun’s book, I have a better understanding of Pure Land Buddhism overall, not just the Japanese stuff. Your comment about Quietism (which I had to look up in the dictionary…ha ha ha) is exactly what I thought, but I couldn’t put a word on it. To clarify, my disagreement is with Jodo Shinshu only, not with Pure Land overall, which I still feel a strong affinity towards. Thanks!
Erg: No one can resist the Ladies Man!
Hi Gerald and Yueheng, Not trying to lure you back to Jodo Shin (that boat has clearly sailed) but in my view quietism in Shin is not inevitable.
(1) Passivity in practice -> In terms of practice / devotion Shin can also be highly dynamic. Believe me if you attended Hoonko at the head temple of my tradition and heard and felt the chanting you would not think of quietism. Same goes for their vigorous faith meetings and work to purify and develop the temple. I agee however that many Shin teachers do not adequately explain the necessary inter-play between self and other power.
(2) Withdrawal from the world – > The whole reason it is the largest tradition in Japan is because at one time it was deeply engaged with people’s problems – especially the busy, active lives of the merchant class. The Honganji also provided support to people after things like earthquakes, and in terms of the Dharma sent explorers to Tibet to learn from the treasure house of texts and traditions there. Etc. Etc.
(3) Social engagement -> At your own temple Gerald, Rev. Castro constantly admonishes people to engage with issues such as the environment etc. I don’t know this just from my one visit but I have a book that discusses his work that dates back to 1987 … he’s been saying the same stuff over and over. If people don’t get it then that is a failing of society and not the tradition.
Just my take … Gassho, Kyoushin
Thank you Gerald!
And all the very best to you mate.
Hello Kyoshin:
I am aware that Shin Buddhist organizations have been quite active in social engagement. But would it be fair to say that this is true in spite of and not because of Shinran’s teachings? I have yet to encounter anything in Shinran’s writings where he urges his followers to be “engaged Buddhists”. Rather, the persistent theme is that one is unable to save himself, much less other sentient beings. The work of salvation has already been accomplished by Amida’s vow and we only need to accept this grace. But when we look at the actual Pure Land scriptures, there are constant admonishments for the reader to “get to work”, so to speak.
The general direction of the Mahayana path is for the ordinary human being to begin striving to become bodhisattvas so as to save all sentient beings from suffering. Shin Buddhism does not deny the bodhisattva path, but it somehow projects the bodhisattva path into something that will happen in the future, when we attain birth in the pure land because of our present status is that of bonpos. This discrepancy is what, it seems to me, makes Shin Buddhism relatively quietist.
As an elaboration of my previous post, I do not mean to say that Shinran was lacking in compassion for the woes of society. He did teach his followers to pray thus: “May there be peace in the world, and may the Buddha’s teaching spread!” But according to my understanding, Shinran thought that the bodhisattva path is not a possible endeavour for bonpus (misspelled as “bonpos” in my previous comment) in this life.
There are many paths but only one Way, wherever you go countless of beings have walked before. Good luck to your new commitments GF. Namo Kanzeon Bosatsu.
Hi Yueheng, Thanks for your thoughtful replies. What I have been taught is that the point at which self-power and other-power are completely unified lies in the future after ojo; and at that time Boddhisattva action can become a matter of will. However in this life time it is perfectly possible for the eko to work through and in our lives beyond our own calculation. The point is just to do one’s best in a situation; knowing that all is in Amida’s embrace.
I agree with you that Shin has often been quietist but like I say I don’t think it is inevitable – it’s a matter of how it is taught. Gassho, K
Hi Gerald, I missed this post as I was away when you published it. I always wish you well but I would be denying my true feelings if I didn’t say I was very sorry to read of your decision. From what I have read on your blog, and from what Kyoushin has told me of this visit, there are a lot of good people at the JSS temple in Seattle and I hope you can keep in touch with them and continue to attend there. As the Buddha taught in the Nirvana Sutra ‘ there is nothing more important than good friends’.
Gassho J
There are quietists in every school of Buddhism and I believe that each tradition if looked at from a certain angle could be considered to expound quietism. Our practice in Shin Buddhism is to solve our everyday problems in the light of the Buddha’s teaching. Thus our daily lives becomes our practice. I have on many occasions sought to retreat into quietism but Shinran’s teaching has constantly urged me to confront and not run away from my own true self.
Hi Jishin,
Glad to hear you’re back from the trip to Japan (I’ve been reading it on your blog. Very interesting stuff). Yeah, I was hesitant to even mention it, as I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but given the number of JSS readers on the blog, I felt it was better to just be honest about it. I do intend to keep touch with the folks here in Seattle, but since I will be in Dublin soon, that will be hard anyways. :p
It’s true that Quietist strains are found in all religions, and all Buddhist traditions, so perhaps the term Quietist isn’t totally appropriate here. I think though the passivity of Jodo Shinshu is something that’s never sat well with me. One could practice other things, but it’s not emphasized. I just wanted to be challenged more I guess.
My other concerns with Jodo Shinshu though are not related to this, but not something I have time to delve into here. Those issues I think are not fixable as they are endemic to Jodo Shinshu, nor do I want to spend anymore time trying to reconcile them when I can just find a new path that suits me better. I spent a long time trying to reconcile things, and that was just wasted effort. Jodo Shinshu is fine as it is, and can help a lot of people, but for me, it does not.
Thanks!
Hi Gerald, I don’t doubt you have strong personal reasons I am just very sorry to hear about your decision.
Re the whole quietism subject (which wasnt actually specifically addressed to your problem) I also included the notion of passivity in my use of the term quietism. Sorry for not being more clear!
Gassho in dharma
J
Hi Jishin, always good to hear from you. Please note though that I am not sad about the decision, in fact lately I feel kind of relieved. I think I felt this way for a while, but was hesitant to say it others. Now that I’ve admitted it, I feel better. However, I would like to stress that my time at the local time has been very valuable, and while I am still in Seattle, I have every intention of going still. As Kyoushin said, there are a lot of nice people there, and it’s a nice place to raise a family.
Anyways, yeah one of the challenges of Pure Land Buddhism overall is getting too passive, and it sounds like you struggle with this as much as I do. I am curious how you deal with the temptation of passivity.
Well I think Kyoshin sums it up all very well in one of his comments above where he talks about ‘passivity in practice’, I deal with it by attending services, participating in temple study groups and ‘faith-meetings’ and very importantly talking to my Dharma-friends such as Kyoshin. Our sangha is quiet young but things are starting to settle down and people are now finding in their own way the best way they can contribute to it. It all takes time but it happens very naturally.
I respect you very much Gerald for your energy and enthusiasm.
In Gassho
J
About the precepts in Brahma Net Sutra, which you mentioned, I myself have never thought that Jodo Shinshu followers should not make any efforts to observe them because they are saved by Amida.
Actually, a Jodo Shinshu follower has the same ethical requirements like any other Mahayana follower, only that he should not consider this as adding something to the salvation of Amida Buddha which is freely given to all.
I posted here two articles about the relation between Bodhisattva precepts and Jodo Shinshu, for those interested in this matter:
http://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/2007/10/mahayana-precepts-and-jodo-shinshu.html
http://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/2007/10/again-on-jodo-shinshu-ethics.html
Wish you all the best in choosing the right path for you.
Very Good. Its nice to hear someone actually questioning. Buddhism is usually very difficult for Westerners, because it is so simple. I am Jodo Shinshu who came from Nichiren Shoshu. You must find what is comfortable. While in high school I read everything I could on Zen. In later years D T Suzuki became Jodo Shinshu. I think we take different paths for the different times in our lives.
In Gassho
Larry Ryan
Steveston Buddhist Temple
Hi Larry and welcome the JLR! I agree on the need to constantly question one’s faith, even if it looks nice on paper.
Larry: “In later years D T Suzuki became Jodo Shinshu.”
That is a misleading over-simplification. He became increasingly interested in Jodo Shinshu but he did not make any kind of conversion from one tradition to another. He was working on a both a translation of the Hekigan roku and the Kyogyoshinsho when he died so his interest in Jodo Shinshu had certainly not eclipsed his focus on Zen.
“A rose by any other name …”
Best wishes to you on your way. I have always found that if one’s heart is set on reality/truth, though we go our round-about way through life, we will not be abandoned.
As indicated in the Avatamsaka sutra:
“Faith is the source of enlightenment,
the mother of virtues;
It nurtures all forms of goodness.
It cuts away the net of doubt and breaks free from the currents of desire;
It unfolds the supreme enlightenment of nirvana.”
So, faith in the universal availability of Buddha Nature and appreciation of the absolute nature of Compassion is far more important than faith in this or that explication of doctrine.
Again, best wishes!