Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Shin (Sect); Buddha (The concept); Religion / Buddhism / General; Religion / Buddhism / History; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A valuable study
Given the 'hardening of the orthodoxies' which seems to have set in elsewhere - studies like this seem like a breath of fresh air. We live in a 'pluralistic' world, with a plurality of religious traditions - and, despite the retreat into conservative narrowness, the good side of contemporary life is that more and more people seem to be recognising the need for inter-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding. Indeed, we might even say that the retreat into insular attitudes is a knee-jerk reaction to the undeniable fact that we are living in a pluralistic world, and must rise to the occasion.

The debates or dialogues in this study, chaired by Dennis Hirota, endevour to find a contemporary understanding of Shin Buddhism, capable of yielding shared meaning in dialogue with other religions in a pluralistic world. Shin Buddhism was bound to come to the fore here, from a Buddhist perspective, because it has a place for 'other-power' (tariki) - analogous to the role of God in Theistic religious systems. Shin Buddhists see the value of this analogous relationship, but question the extent to which it can be stretched. Amida is not a 'creator-God' - so the 'creationist' side of theology poses certain problems here.@On the other hand, certain aspects of Christian theology are open to re-interpretation. The 'death of God' theology places a minimum stress on the problematic aspects of creationism, and the emergent 'process theology' is much more akin to Asian thought. There is plenty of food for thought here, and anyone truly alive to the challenges faced by the spiritual community, world-wide, will gain vital insight by digesting the issues raised in this book.

Opens Up New Avenues in Shin Buddhism
This book opens up new possibilities in expressing Pure Land Buddhism in a contemporary context.By setting up a dialog between the three contributors it explores the possibilities and challenges the reader to think in different directions.In the words of J. P. McDermott in a review in CHOICE (November 2000):

Three leading Japanese Shin Buddhist scholars and two major Western philosophical theologians come together, under the editorship of Hirota (Asian studies, Chikushi Jogakuen Univ., Japan) to produce a unique volume aimed at a contemporary understanding of Pure Land Buddhism. Part of Hirota's intent is "to disclose aspects of truth in the Shin path and possible venues for understanding the practicer's religious awareness. . . ." Beginning with a series of questions raised by Gordon Kaufman, (emer., Harvard), the three Buddhist authors outline new ways of interpreting the Pure Land Shin tradition. The thinking in their essays is influenced by Western theology-process thought, for example---and history of religions categories. The result is a new hermeneutic, or a constructive Shin Buddhist "theology"---which of these two is a matter of discussion within the volume. Next the volume presents essays by Kaufman and John Cobb responding to, and reflecting on, the pieces by the Shin Buddhists, who in turn reflect on their original formulations in light of the comments by Kaufman and Cobb, as well as in response to one another. The volume is anexcellent, groundbreaking example of cross-cultural---dare one say syncretistic?---academic "theology." Graduate students; faculty and researchers; professionals and practitioners. -- J. P. McDermott, Canisius College

I also agree with McDermot.And I add that anyone interested in exploring the cross-cultural and theological possiblities in an East-West dialog should read this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Shin Buddhism: An Important Issue
This short book, almost a pamphlet, represents a key writing by the Japanese Pure Land luminary, Shinran Shonin (1173-1263 CE), founder of what came to be called Jodo-Shinshu Buddhism, or simply Shin Buddhism.

Thecrux of this booklet focuses on the practice of the Nembutsu, or"calling the name of the Buddha Amida." Amida Buddha is theBuddha of Infinite Light (wisdom) and Infinite Life (compassion), who savesall beings who call his name. This "calling" or Nembutsu may beonce or many thousands of times during one's lifetime.

Shinran's bookletis a commentary on an even shorter booklet circulating in his own daycalled "Once-Calling and Many Calling" written by another author.There was a debate in Shinran's time whether it was sufficient to call theBuddha's name only once, or whether one needed to call the Buddha's nameconstantly in order to attain salvation by Amida Buddha.

Shinran'scarefully worded answer is summed up: Once-calling is Many-calling, andvice versa. The way in which he arrives at this conclusion is worth theprice of the book to find out.

This booklet has been reprinted in a neweredition of Shinran's Complete Works, a 2-volume hardcover set whichcontains every commentary, poem, and letter ever written by Shinran in hislong and inspiring life. The nice thing about having the little book onOnce-calling and Many-calling is, of course, it is handy. I have a fondnessfor small books, especially small books that have a powerful and directmessage.

This is definitely worth having if one wants to know more aboutShin Buddhism, or Japanese Buddhism in general. I heartily recommend it. ... Read more

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Rennyo is undeniably one of the most influential persons in the history of Japanese religion and yet his thought remains somewhat enigmatic from the standpoint of what is considered orthodox Shinshu doctrine today. This book, which collects ten unpublished essays by both Japanese and non-Japanese scholars, will be the first to confront many of the major questions surrounding the phenomenal growth of Honganji under Rennyo's leadership, such as the source of his charisma, the soteriological implications of his thought against the background of other movements in Pure Land Buddhism, and the relationship between his ideas and the growth of his church. The volume is intended as an important first step in expanding the field of Rennyo studies outside Japan, and to provide significant stimulus to the fields of Japanese religion, Japanese social history, comparative religion, and sociology of religion. ... Read more

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A scholarly work on the first hundred years of the institutional aspect of Buddhist Religion. In the book, the author has concentrated on the development of Buddhism as it applied to the monastic community as well as the lay people, dispelling the notion that Buddhism was only a philosophical system concerned with an independent quest by a few towards Nirvana. ... Read more

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In this volume, we catch glimpses of Buddhism in the Koryo period at its height. It was a time when the religion made significant contributions to the development of Korean culture. Art and literature flourished under the support of the central government. Monasteries of great beauty were constructed, and the monastic community was productive in philosophical discourse. Korea was one of the great centers of Buddhist life in East Asia and this gave it prestige and recognitionby surrounding states. Koryo Buddhism was in many ways a royal religion. ... Read more

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Contrary to the Buddhism in the Koryo period, Buddhism in the early Choson period suffered from a great deal of suppression. The society was dominated by the Confucian elite and there was little power or financial resources available to the Buddhists. The monasteries were struggling. Nevertheless, out of this community, came a succession of leaders recognized and honored for their practice. Through them the development of the religion continued and they left a tradition of practice and teaching which survives to this day. This volume explores the decline as well as the transformation of the religion in this time period. ... Read more

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Shin buddhism is Japan's major religious contribution to the West. ... Read more

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Includes a foreword by Mark Unno and Taitetsu Unno.Jeff Wilson started his walk on the Buddha's Path as a Zen practitioner-taking up a tradition of vigorous self-effort, intensive meditation, and meticulous attention to rectitude in every action. But in Jeff's case, rather than freeing him from his suffering, he found those Zen practices made him nothing short ofinsufferable. And so he turned to Shin Buddhism-a path that is easily the most popular in Zen's native land of Japan but is largely unknown in the West.Shin emphasizes an''entrusting heart,'' a heart that is able to receive with gratitude every moment of our mistake-filled and busy lives. Moreover, through walking the Shin path, Jeff comes see that each of us (himself especially included) are truly''foolish beings,'' people so filled with endlessly arising''blind passions'' and ingrained habits that we so easily cause harm even with our best intentions. And even so, Shin holds out the tantalizing possibility that, by truly entrusting our foolish selves to the compassionate universe, we can learn to see how this foolish life, just as it is, is nonetheless also a life of grace.Buddhism of the Heartis a wide-ranging book of essays and open-hearted stories, reflections that run the gamut from intensely personal to broadly philosophical, introducing the reader to a remarkable religious tradition of compassionate acceptance. ... Read more

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A collection that brings together studies of the history, textual tradition, and contemporary interpretation of Shin Buddhism by scholars in the field of Pure Land Buddhist studies. ... Read more

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Why do I need religion? Why choose the Shin Buddhist Path? This book seeks to answer these questions by drawing on the life experiences of Buddhist minister Henry A. Tanaka. ... Read more