Hi Dharma-friends! This is our fiftieth episode!  Today let's listen to five more wasan verses in the section entitled "Pure Land Hymns on the Right, Semblance and Last Dharma Ages." Shinran really gets into the nitty-gritty of his understanding of the Buddha's teaching for our times.  Amida Tathagata has directed his Primal Vow universally towards sentient beings.  When ordinary people of this Last Dharma Age entrust themselves to this Vow and abandon their limited self-powered efforts to achieve merit, they are merged into Amida's universal merits and thereby attain the stage equal to perfect enlightenment.  Shinran says they "receive the benefit of being grasped, never to be abandoned." If you are enjoying the podcast, please check out the webpage of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org for more good content.  Why not send a message to the ABSC at [email protected] Please be well.  Palms together, Gary