Only Nembutsu is Real and True

[Dharmavidya]

I was asked...
"namo amida bu. i hear of all these practices within the fold of pure land buddhism.but is it necessary to engage in anything other than namo amida bu ? what i know from Genku is to set aside auxilary acts. but nobody does this ? am i right to just live nembutsu with no vows,incense,bowing,etc. ? this question i guess is a fundamental one for me so if you could help answer this i would be truly grateful. namo amida bu"

Answer: It is perfectly fine to just live Namo Amida Bu. Nothing else is necessary. Genku (Honen Shonin) taught first 'senchaku'. This means 'selection'. He meant select the nembutsu. Nembutsu is all you need.

However, Genku also taught that when you have made such a selection and it is established in your heart, then all practices become nembutsu. Other practices become auxiliary to nembutsu and become forms of nembutsu. Bowing or offering a candle are then forms of nembutsu. As Pureland practitioners we do not offer a candle for any other reason than to express nembutsu.

So just do nembutsu. Nembutsu itself will take care of everything. But realise that there are many ways to do nembutsu. The same act can be nembutsu or not nembutsu depending upon the heart that does it. Namo Amida Bu. Namo Amida Bu.

[Robert McCarthy]

I would very much love to know many peoples stories from Nembutsu practice.- tales from another side maybe. -the personal story that transcends our personal identity. but- its the practice- the journey into nembutsu- that only matters-or so it seems. . Namo Amida Bu Rob.

[Jiko]

Thankyou dharmavidya these words are so helpful to me understanding how to live nembutsu.These words show me that Amida is saying,stop your worrying,i accept you just as you are,just let go,trust in me,recite my name and i will show you how to live a meaningful life.NAMU AMIDA BU.It really does seem that all this worrying about whether or not we will go to the pure land or not,is what prevents us seeing what Amida is trying to tell us,"i have saved you already,you are in my land,its all around you ".

[Dharmavidya]

What is faith? Faith is the fact that practice continues even when belief changes. Namo Amida Bu.

[Jiko]

NAMU AMIDA BU

[Jiko]

So Dharmavidya would it be right to say that there is no faith but by wholehearted practice,and there is no wholehearted practice but by faith ? For faith to arise there must first be practice,and for practice to be fulfilled there must first be faith. How do i understand this ? one cannot possibly come before the other,so therefore are they not one and the same thing ? faith being the name,and the name being faith ?

[Thich nu Tinh Quang]

In my tradition, we understand that everybody comes to Buddhism from a different perspective; everyone is at a different stage of understanding. So, some may need the candles, bowing, incense, flowers, Buddha statue, etc. These practices were to be understood from the standpoint of ability to understand. There are 3 levels of understanding (probably more) for all of them. Once one understands completely the deeper meanings, then they can be left behind. Sometimes they are referred to as the raft to the other shore. In my temple, many people say they feel great peace when the hear the bell, smell the incense, see the Buddha statue, hear the chanting; others ask, "Why do we need these things?" I believe the person who asks that question doesn't understand the meaning of all levels, or they wouldn't be asking.

Nam Mo A Di Da Phat (Namo Amida Bu) is in all of our actions, all of our breathing, in the lighting of a candle, within the candle, within the flowers, in ALL.

Nam Mo A Di Da Phat!

[Robert McCarthy]

dear ken, well i am a westerner who thought reading some books pointed out things to me- i dont know as bombu if i got the point, but I dont try to learn a language to find amida. Is this insensitive to amida ?- my fickle attempts to praise? but i very much would love to chant nembutsu to peddle steel, bottleneck, didg, kazoo, reggae would be great rhythm. i dont understand though how bombu can become authority and pronounce shinjin as real or false. That is my understanding of amidism. I guess Ken, what I am saying is that for someone new to amidism, you try to find heart, find some practice, from there wisdom may grow. I fear often enough i am mouthing words, then i try to put heart into nembutsu, within my new to amida understanding. But i would not judge newcomers as practicing a sort of import store exotic- finding enough trust to open to nembutsu needs compassionate guidance.

[Robert McCarthy]

Dear Ken, sorry to be posting two replies, but .... I have little idea of shinjin and need to refrain from commenting, maybe anjin resulting from an encounter that awakens can lead to us knowing, but my experience is from reading here. I dont understand where you are coming from Ken and I suspect i responded without enough care- but I feel some passion here and really do look to safe hands for guidance. namo amida bu