Made to Become So

Speaking of the Tannisho recently, here’s another interesting quote worth exploring:

6. 自然のことわりにあひいかなはわば、仏恩をもしり、また師の恩をもしるべきなりと云々。

“When we live according to the truth of ‘made to become so by itself’, we shall know gratitude to the Buddha and to our teachers.”

Translation by Dr Taitetsu Unno

“Made to become so by itself…” what does he mean by that? Let’s look at another example.

In an separate Jodo Shinshu work, Shinran’s Notes on Essentials of Faith Alone (唯信鈔文意, yuishinshō mon’i) which we explored recently, he explains this “made to become so by itself” in greater detail:

Ji also means of itself. “Of itself” is a synonym for jinen, which means to be made to become so. “To be made to become so” means that without the practicer’s calculating in any way whatsoever, all that practicer’s past, present, and future evil karma is transformed into the highest good, just as all waters, upon entering the great ocean, immediately become ocean water. We are made to acquire the Tathagata’s [Buddha’s] virtues through entrusting ourselves to the Vow-power; hence the expression, “made to become so.” Since there is no contriving in any way to gain such virtues, it is called jinen. Those persons who have attained true and real shinjin are taken into and protected by this Vow that grasps never to abandon; therefore, they realize the diamond-like mind without any calculation on their own part, and thus dwell in the stage of the truly settled. Because of this, constant mindfulness of the Primal Vow arises in them naturally (by jinen). Even with the arising of this shinjin, it is written that supreme shinjin is made to awaken in us through the compassionate guidance of Sakyamuni, the kind father, and Amida, the mother of loving care. Know that this is the benefit of the working of jinen.

Source: https://shinranworks.com/commentaries/notes-on-essentials-of-faith-alone/

The specific phrase Shinran uses is jinen hōni (自然法爾), which is tricky to translate into English. As the Notes explains above, “jinen” means to be become so, naturally, not through contrivance. The term “hōni” (法爾), alternatively hōnen (法然),¹ means something like “by virtue of the Dharma”, but in Jodo Shinshu lingo specifically it means through the power of Amida Buddha’s vows to rescue all beings.

Here, Shinran is strongly advocating a sense of total reliance on Amida Buddha, with the belief that by fully entrusting oneself to Amida Buddha’s compassionate vows (as depicted in the Three Pure Land Sutras), called shinjin (信心), rather than through calculation or conscious effort (i.e. a “weekend warrior”), then one is transformed by Amida gradually without realizing it. So, rather than trying to reborn in the Pure Land, Shinran is saying that one should trust in Amida to guide you to the Pure Land.

I’ve always found this concept very interesting.

While I might quibble with Shinran’s interpretations of things (especially since other Pure Land teachers in the past did not have such a one-sided view), I do think there’s merit in the idea of transformation without one realizing it. This is accomplished simply by exposure to the Dharma, what Jodo Shinshu Buddhists like to call “deep listening” or monpō (聞法), which I also mentioned here.

¹ Not to be confused with Honen (same kanji).