Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, you can listen to the opening verses of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan collection.  These poems are from the end of Shinran's life when he was around 85 years old.  There are 116 verses in the collection.  The core of the book consists of 56 wasan on the Dharma-Ages, "Pure Land Hymns on the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma Ages."  Shinran taught from the perspective that he was living at the beginning of the Last Dharma-Age, when only the teaching of Śākyamuni...

Hi Dharma friends, This episode concludes Shinran's verses on his own teacher, Master Genkū (Hōnen) of Japan, the seventh master in Shinran's Jōdo Shinshū lineage.  In these verses, Shinran reverently recognizes Hōnen as a manifestation of Amida Buddha and describes his passing in terms familiar from the entry of Śākyamuni Buddha into Nirvana.  Shinran concludes the Kōsō Wasan collection with two concluding verses.  In the first, the teachings of all seven masters are summarized and...

Hi Dharma friends! Today's episode contains five more Wasan verses by Shinran Shonin on Master Genkū (Hōnen), who lived in Japan 1133-1212 CE.  Hōnen was Shinran's personal teacher, and in these verses, he reiterates how Hōnen is the embodiment of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teaching the Pure Land Way (that is the Way of Nembutsu).  Having received this wonderful and guaranteed teaching from such a great master himself, our teacher Shinran is saying that we too should follow the same way with...

Hi Dharma-friends, We continue with five more Wasan verses by Shinran Shonin on his own teacher Master Hōnen, also known as Master Genkū.  Hōnen lived 1133-1212 CE in Japan and was Shinran's personal teacher.  Shinran's devotion to Hōnen was profound, even to seeing him as manifestations of Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and Amida Buddha himself.  Shinran wishes us to understand the profound import of Hōnen's teaching and to say Nembutsu ourselves with complete...

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we begin the section of the Kōsō Wasan on Master Genkū, also known as Master Hōnen.  Hōnen (1133-1212 CE) is the seventh master in Shinran's Jōdo Shinshū lineage.  Hōnen was Shinran's personal teacher, and Shinran -- although a great master himself and the founder of Jōdo Shinshū -- never regarded himself as anything other than a true disciple of Hōnen.  Master Hōnen was a very distinguished Tendai monk and was famed as a master of the entire Buddhist...

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we conclude the section of the Kōsō Wasan on Master Genshin, who lived in Japan 942-1017 CE.  He is the sixth master in Shinran Shonin's designated Jōdo Shinshū lineage.  Master Genshin greatly popularized the Nembutsu teaching in the Japan of his day, and Shinran greatly admired him.  He is known as the master who distinguished the "fulfilled" and "transformed" lands, always encouraging us to rely on saying Amida's Name of the Primal Vow and thereby...

Hi Dharma-friends! Today we begin Shinran Shonin's Wasan verses on the Sixth Master in the Jōdo Shinshū lineage: Master Genshin.  Shinran moves from China to Japan with Genshin.  Genshin lived from 942-1017 CE and was a Tendai monk on Mt. Hiei (as were Shinran's own teacher Master Hōnen and Shinran himself for a long time).  Genshin was really huge in making the Pure Land teaching popular in the Japan of his own day.  Shinran greatly admired Genshin's virtue and broad learning.  He regarded...

Hi Dharma friends! In this episode, we conclude our traversal of Shinran Shonin's Wasan verses on Master Shan-tao of China (613-681 CE).  Shan-tao was so important to Shinran's understanding of the Buddha Dharma.  In this group Shinran again affirms that true-entrusting or awakening, which he calls "Shinjin," arises from the spontaneous working of Amida's Primal Vow through Nembutsu.  After reflecting on the various obstacles this teaching has encountered, Shan-tao and Shinran urge us to...

Hi Dharma-friends, In this episode, you can listen to 5 more of Shinran's Wasan verses on Master Shan-tao of China (613-681 C.E.)  Building on what he said previously, Shinran further describes the qualities of diamond-like (or doubt-free) Shinjin or true entrusting -- how it alone fulfills Śākyamuni Buddha's intent as well as the teaching of the other Buddhas for ordinary people in our present circumstances.  We are taught to remember that this diamond-hard confidence is not our own doing...

Welcome back, Dharma friends! In the episode, you can listen to the next group of 5 Wasan verses based on the writings of Master Shan-tao (613-681 CE).  This group contains some wonderful images by Shinran conveying his understanding of the Buddha Dharma through Shan-tao's thought.  One is "diamond-like Shinjin," or leaving our own blind passions and relying exclusively on the power of the Primal Vow.  Another powerful image is that of Śākyamuni and Amida as our own father and mother,...

Hi Dharma friends! Today we cover 5 more of Shinran Shonin's Wasan verses on Master Shan-tao (Zendo in Japanese). Shan-tao (613-681 CE) lived in China and is the Fifth of the Seven Masters, making up the Jōdo Shinshū lineage. We learned in the last episode that one of the most basic contributions of Shan-tao to Shinran's thought is how simply saying or vocalizing the Name of Amida Buddha is the only essential practice for Awakening or Enlightenment. In today's group of verses, Shan-tao...

Hi Dharma friends! Welcome back to the Weekly Wasan podcast.  Today we begin Shinran's Wasan verses on Master Shan-tao, who lived in China 613-681 CE.  Master Shan-tao (Zendo, jp.), the Fifth Master in the Jōdo Shinshū lineage, was a direct disciple of Master Tao-ch'o the Fourth Master.  His influence on Hōnen (Shinran's teacher) and thereby on Shinran himself is really huge.  There are many points where Master Shan-tao clarifies and expands on the teachings of the prior Pure Land Masters....

Hi Dharma friends! This episode contains all 7 of Shinran's Wasan verses on Master Tao-ch'o, who lived in China 562-645 CE.  Master Tao-ch'o is the fourth in Shinran's lineage of Seven Masters.  Tao-ch'o, employing T'an-luan's distinction between self-power and other-power, divides the whole of Buddhist teachings between the "Path of the Sages" or the Sacred Path and the Pure Land Path.  The Sacred Path leads to attainment by one's own efforts and the Pure Land Path through the Other Power...

Hi Dharma-friends! With this episode, we conclude our traversal of Shinran's 34 Wasan verses on Master T'an-luan, who lived in China 476-562 CE.  Master T'an-luan is the great teacher of Other Power or Power Beyond Self, which is a core feature of Shinran's understanding of Buddhism.   In today's verses, T'an-luan explains that whether one's practice is fully in accord with reality is determined by Shinjin (entrusting or awakening).  The shinjin of Self-Power is shown to be lacking, while...

Hi Dharma friends! Today's episode covers 5 more verses written by Shinran Shonin based on the writings of Master T'an-luan, who lived in China (476-542 CE). As you know already, Shinran relies on Master T'an-luan for the teachings on Other Power.  In today's Wasan verses, we learn that only the Shinjin of Other Power is sufficient for birth in the Pure Land.  Shinjin is often understood as "true entrusting" or "awakening."  T'an-luan explains why Shinjin based on Self Power is not adequate...

Hi Dharma friends, We're continuing with Shinran Shonin's verses on Master T'an-luan of China (476-542 CE). Today we encounter the marvelous image of ice and water - how the ice of our blind passions melts into the water of virtues through the power of Amida's Vow and ultimately flows into the great ocean of Enlightenment.  This analogy was beloved by Shinran and subsequent Shin Buddhist masters and teachers ever since.  Enjoy these Wasan verses, and please tell your friends about the...

Hi Dharma friends!  In this episode, Shinran delves into the nitty-gritty of Master T'an-luan's teaching.  We hear about the important concept of Amida's "directing of virtue," which we are told has two aspects: that of going forth and that of return.  T'an-luan is the master upon whom Shinran relies for his understanding of Other Power or Power Beyond Self, a key part of his understanding of Buddhism.  Next time we'll continue with six more verses in this collection. If you are enjoying the...

Hi Dharma friends, Welcome back to our reading of Shinran Shonin's verses on Master T'an-luan, the third master in the Jōdo Shinshū lineage.  T'an-luan, who lived 476-542 CE in China, is the one who best explained the teaching of Other Power, a key concept in Shinran's understanding of Buddhism.  While today's verses lean more toward the biographical end of the spectrum in this collection, there are tantalizing intimations of the powerful teachings that follow.  Please enjoy them! If you...

Hi Dharma friends!  Today we begin the series of Wasan verses written by Shinran Shonin on Master T'an-luan, who lived in China 476-542 CE.  Shinran wrote 34 verses based on T'an-luan's writings, regarding him as the clarifier and teacher of Other Power, a very important part of the Jōdo Shinshū understanding of Buddhism.  Other Power has been sometimes misunderstood or criticized by those unfamiliar with it as being "non-dualistic."  However, for Shinran, that was not the case at all....

Hi Dharma Friends, This week we cover the five remaining Wasan verses by Shinran on Bodhisattva Vasubandhu.  The teachings of Bodhisattva Vasubandhu on "the mind that is single" is central to Shinran's understanding of Buddhism.  That is why Shinran regarded Vasubandhu as the second of the seven masters in the Jōdo Shinshū lineage.  The Wasans in this episode are among my personal favorites. See what you think!  Next time we will start the next section, which is on Master T'an-luan, 34...

Hi Dharma Friends! Welcome back to our traversal of the Kōsō Wasan by Shinran Shonin.  Today's verses are based on the writings of Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, who lived in India from around 320-400 C.E.  Shinran particularly wishes us to pay attention to Vasubandhu's understanding of "the mind that is single," the mind that focuses completely on the path to awakening, which is Nembutsu Path.  This episode covers the first five of Shinran's verses on Vasubandhu.  Next time, we'll hear the second...

Hi Dharma Friends! Today, please listen to the second group of Master Shinran's verses based on the writings of Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna.  Nāgārjuna taught that there were two paths to reach Enlightenment: the Difficult Path (the Great Path of the Sages or the way of Self-Power, for deeply accomplished people) and the Easy Path (the Nembutsu Path or the way of Other-Power, for ordinary people such as ourselves).  Shinran encourages us to listen to Nāgārjuna and follow the Easy Path, always...

Hi Dharma friends! With this episode we begin a new collection of Wasan by Shinran Shōnin, The Kōsō Wasan or Gathas of the Pure Land Masters. The Seven Masters comprise the lineage of Jōdo Shinshū from Śákyamuni Buddha to today, as transmitted to us through the teaching of Shinran. The Seven Masters are: 1. Nāgārjuna (c. 150-250) 2. Vasubandhu (c. 320-400) 3. T’an-luan (476-542) 4. Tao-ch’o (562-645) 5. Shan-tao (613-681) 6. Genshin (942-1017) 7. Genkū (Hōnen 1133-1212). Each wasan verse is...

In this episode, learn about how a Southern Tennessean ended up teaching East Asian Studies at the University of Albany.  Professor Aaron Profit talks about his love of Buddhism that took him out of the back hills of Tennesse to the University of Colorado and then on to Japan.  

Hi Dharma friends! With this episode, we conclude our journey listening to the Jōdo Wasan (Hymns of the Pure Land) of Shinran Shonin. In this section, Shinran venerates Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, who Shinran especially associates with his own teacher, Master Hōnen.  Just as he received his own profound understanding of Nembutsu through Master Hōnen, Shinran now passes it along to us.  How truly grateful we are!  It has been a joy reading this collection of Wasan verses with...