,,wisdom ,,of ,,the ,,east  ,,buddhist  
,,psalms  ,,translated ,,from ,,the     
,,japanese  ,,of  ,,shinran ,,sh,,nin   
,,by ,s4 ,,yamabe ,,and ,l4 ,,adams     
,,beck    ,,contents  ,,introduction    
,,lauding ,,the ,,infinite ,,one  ,,of  
,,paradise  ,,concerning ,,the ,,great  
,,sutra  ,,concerning ,,the ,,sutra ,,of
 ,,the ,,meditation  ,,concerning ,,the 
,,lesser ,,sutra  ,,of ,,the ,,many     
,,sutras ,,concerning ,,the ,,infinite  
,,one  ,,concerning ,,the ,,welfare ,,of
 ,,the ,,present ,,world  ,,of          
,,thanksgiving ,,for ,,nagarjuna1 ,,the 
,,great ,,teacher ,,of ,,india  ,,of    
,,thanksgiving ,,for ,,vasubandh1 ,,the 
,,great ,,teacher ,,of ,,india  ,,of    
,,thanksgiving ,,for ,,donran1 ,,the    
,,great ,,teacher ,,of ,,china          
,,concerning ,,unrighteous ,,deeds      
,,concerning ,,doshaku-,,zenji          
,,concerning ,,zendo-,,daishi           
,,concerning ,,genshin-,,sozu           
,,concerning ,h,,nen ,,sh,,nin  ,,of    
,,the ,,three ,,periods  ,,concerning   

,,belief ,,and ,,doubt  ,,in ,,praise   
,,of ,,prince ,,shotoku  ,,wherein      
,,with ,,lamentation ,i ,,make ,,my     
,,confession  ,,additional ,,psalms     
,,introduction  ,,by ,l4 ,,adams ,,beck 
,it is a singular fact that though many 
of the earlier ,buddhist ,scriptures    
have been translated by competent       
scholars1 comparatively little attention
 has been paid to later ,buddhist       
devotional writings1 and this although  
the developments of ,buddhism in ,china 
and ,japan give them the deepest        
interest as reflecting the spiritual    
mind of those two great countries4 ,they
 cannot1 however1 be understood without 
some knowledge of the faith which passed
 so entirely into their life that in its
 growth it lost some of its own infant  
traits and took on others1 rooted1 no   
doubt1 in the beginnings in ,india1 but 
expanded and changed as the features of 
the child may be forgotten in the face  
of the man and yet perpetuate the       
unbroken succession of heredity4 ,it is 

especially true that ,japan cannot be   
understood without some knowledge of the
 ,buddhism of the ,greater ,vehicle 7as 
the developed form is called71 for it   
was the influence that moulded her youth
 as a nation1 that shaped her           
aspirations1 and was the inspiration of 
her art1 not only in the written word1  
but in every art and higher             
handicraftsmanship that makes her what  
she is4 ,whatever centuries may pass or 
the future hold in store for her1 ,japan
 can never lose the stamp of ,buddhism  
in her outer or her spiritual life4     
,the world knows little as yet of the   
soul of ,mahayana ,buddhism1 though much
 of its outer observance1 and for this  
reason a crucial injustice has been done
 in regarding it merely as a degraded   
form of the earlier ,buddhism--a rank   
off-shoot of the teachings of the       
,gautama ,buddha1 a system of idolatry  
and priestly power from which the       
austere purity of the earlier faith has 
passed away4  ,the truth is that        

,buddhism1 like ,christianity1 in every 
country where it has sowed its seed and 
reaped its harvest1 developed along the 
lines indicated by the mind of that     
people4 ,the ,buddhism of ,japan differs
 from that of ,tibet as profoundly as   
the ,christianity of ,abyssinia from    
that of ,scotland--yet both have        
conserved the essential principle4      
,buddhism was not a dead abstraction1   
but a living faith1 and it therefore    
grew and changed with the growth of the 
mind of man1 enlarging its perception of
 truth4 ,as in the other great faiths1  
the ascent of the ,mount of ,vision     
reveals worlds undreamed1 and proclaims 
what may seem to be new truths1 but are 
only new aspects of the ,eternal4       
,japanese ,buddhists still base their   
belief on the utterances of the         
,buddhas1 but they have enlarged their  
conception of the truths so taught1 and 
they hold that the new flower and fruit 
spring from the roots that were planted 
in dim ages before the ,gautama ,buddha 

taught in ,india1 and have since rushed 
hundred-armed to the sun4 ,such is the  
religious history of mankind1 and       
,buddhism obeys its sequence4  ,the     
development of ,mahayana ,buddhism from 
the teaching of the ,gautama ,buddha has
 been often compared with that of the   
,christian faith from the ,jewish1 but  
it may be better compared with the      
growth of a sacerdotal system from the  
simplicities of the ,gospel of ,st4     
,mark4 ,that the development should have
 been on the same lines in all essential
 matters of symbol and 7in the most     
important respects7 of doctrine1        
modified only by ,eastern habits of     
thought and environment1 is a miracle of
 coincidence which cannot be paralleled 
in the world unless it be granted that  
,christianity filtering along the great 
trade routes of an earlier world joined 
hands with ,buddhism in many unsuspected
 ways and places4 ,evidence is          
accumulating that this is so1 and in a  
measure at present almost incredible4   

,and if it be so--if it be true that in 
spite of racial distinctions1           
differences of thought and circumstance1
 the religious thought of ,east and     
,west has so many and so great          
meeting-points1 the hope of the world in
 things spiritual may lie in the        
recognition of that fact and in a future
 union now shadowed forth only in symbol
 and in a great hope4 ,this1 however1 is
 no essay on ,buddhism1 either earlier  
or later1 and what ,i have said is      
necessary to the introduction of these  
,jdo-,wasan1 or ,psalms of the ,pure    
,land1 which are a part not only of the 
literature1 but also of the daily       
worship and spiritual life of ,japan4   
,their history may be briefly told4     
,buddhism passed into ,japan from ,china
 and ,korea about #acbj years ago1 in or
 about the year ,a4,d4 #eeb4 ,it adapted
 itself with perfect comprehension to   
the ideals of the ,japanese people1     
inculcating among them the teachings of 
morality common to the great faiths     

with1 in addition1 the spiritual        
unction1 the passion of love and        
sympathy1 self-devotion1 and compassion1
 in which ,buddhism and ,christianity   
are alike pre-eminent4 ,the negative    
side of ,buddhism1 with its passionless 
calm and self-renunciation1 is the only 
one that has been realised in the ,west1
 and the teachings of ,mahayana which   
have borne fruit and flower1 visible to 
all the world1 of happiness1 courtesy1  
kindliness in the spiritual attitude of 
a whole people1 have never received the 
honour which was their due4  ,for with  
the ,buddhist faith there came the germ 
of the belief that the ,gautama ,buddha 
in his own grandeur bore witness to ,one
 ,greater--the ,amitabha or ,amida      
,buddha--that ,one who in boundless     
light abideth1 life of the ,universe1   
without colour1 without form1 the ,lover
 of man1 his ,protector and ,refuge4 ,he
 may1 ,he must be worshipped1 for in    
,him are all the essential attributes of
 ,deity1 and ,he1 the ,saviour of       

mankind1 has prepared a pure land of    
peace for his servants1 beyond the      
storms of life and death4 ,this belief  
eventually crystallised and became a    
dogma in the faith of the ,pure ,land1  
known in ,japan as ,jdo ,shinshu1 a     
faith held by the majority of the       
,japanese people4 ,it is a ,belief which
 has spread also in ,eastern ,siberia1  
many parts of ,china1 ,hawaii1 and1 in  
fact1 whereever the ,japanese race has  
spread4 ,and the man who stated this    
belief for all time was ,shinran ,shnin1
 author of the ,psalms here presented4  
,he was born in the year ,a4,d4 #aage   
near ,city-,royal--,kyoto1 the ancient  
capital of ,japan4 ,he was a son of one 
of the noblest families1 in close       
connection with the ,imperial ,house1   
and had it not been for the passion for 
truth and the life of the spirit which  
consumed him1 his history would have    
been that of the many other brilliant   
young men who sank into mere            
courtiers--8,dwellers above the         

,clouds10 as the royalties and courtiers
 of the day were called among the       
people4 ,but the clear air above the    
clouds in which his spirit spread its   
wings was not that of ,city-,royal1 and 
the ,way opened before him as it has    
opened before many a saint of the       
,christian ,church1 for while still a   
child he lost both his parents1 and so1 
meditating on the impermanence of mortal
 life1 and seeing how the fashion of    
this world passes away1 he abandoned his
 title and became a monk in one of the  
noble monasteries whose successors still
 stand glorious among the pine woods    
above ,lake ,biwa4  ,these were not only
 monasteries1 but seats of learning1 as 
in ,europe in the ,middle ,ages1 and    
here the ,doctrines were subjected to   
brilliant analysis and logical          
subtleties which had almost superseded  
the living faith4 ,in that cold         
atmosphere the spirit of ,shiran ,shnin 
could not spread its wings1 though for  
twenty years he gave his thoughts to its

 empty glitter4 ,therefore1 at the age  
of twenty-nine he cast it all behind    
him1 and in deep humility cast himself  
at the feet of the great ,teacher ,hnen1
 who1 in the shades of ,higashiyama1 was
 setting forth the saving power of the  
,eternal ,one who abideth in the ,light 
and in whom is no darkness--the ,buddha 
of ,boundless ,light4 ,and in this place
 and from this man ,shinran received    
enlightenment4  ,life now lay before him
 as a problem4 ,unlike as the two men   
are in character and methods1 his       
position resembled that of ,martin      
,luther on quitting the ,church of      
,rome4 ,for the ,buddhist monastic rule 
requires its members to be homeless1    
celibate1 vegetarian1 and here1 like    
,luther1 ,shinran joined issue with     
them4 ,to his mind the attainment of man
 lay in the harmonious development of   
body and spirit1 and in the fulfilment1 
not the negation of the ordinary human  
duties4 ,accordingly1 in his            
thirty-first year1 after deep           

consideration1 he married the daughter  
of ,prince ,kujo ,kanezane1 ,chief      
,minister of the ,emperor and head of   
one of the greatest houses in ,japan1   
and in that happy union he tasted four  
years of simple domestic joy1 during    
which a son was born to him4 ,then the  
storm broke4  ,trouble was stirred up by
 the orthodox ,buddhist ,church with    
evil reports which reached the ears of  
the ,emperor1 and ,shinran was sent into
 banishment in the lonely and primitive 
province of ,echigo--a terrible         
alternative for a man of noble birth and
 refined culture4 ,he took it1 however1 
with perfect serenity as a mission to   
those untaught and neglected people1 and
 into their darkness he brought the     
light of the ,father of ,lights1 and the
 people flocked to the warmth and wonder
 of the new hope1 and heard him gladly4 
,the story is told by a contemporary1   
whom ,i have thus rendered3  8,in the   
spring of the third year of the era of  
,kennin1 the age of ,shinran ,shnin was 

twenty-nine4 ,driven by the desire for  
seclusion1 he departed to the monastery 
of ,yoshimizu4 ,for as his day was so   
remote from the era of the ,lord        
,buddha1 and the endurance of man in the
 practice of religious austerity was now
 weakened1 he would fain seek the one   
broad1 straight way that is now made    
plain before us1 leaving behind him the 
more devious and difficult roads in     
which he had a long time wandered4 ,for 
so it was that ,hnen ,shnin1 the great  
teacher of the ,doctrine of the ,land of
 ,pure ,light1 had taught him plainly of
 the inmost heart of the ,faith1 raising
 up in him the firm foundation of that  
teaching4 ,therefore he certainly       
received at that time the true meaning  
of the ,divine ,promise of universal    
salvation1 and attained unto the        
imperishable faith by which alone the   
ignorant can enter into ,nirvana without
 condition or price4  8,from the        
province of ,echigo ,shinran passed     
onward to that of ,hitachi1 and entered 

into seclusion at ,inada1 that little   
village of the region of ,kasama4 ,very 
lonely was his dwelling1 yet many       
disciples sought after him1 and though  
the humble door of the monastery was    
closed against them1 many nobles and    
lesser persons thronged into the        
village4 ,so his hope of spreading      
abroad the ,holy ,teaching was fulfilled
 and his desire to bring joy to the     
people was satisfied4 ,thus he declared 
that the revelation vouchsafed to him in
 the ,temple of ,rokkaku by the         
,bodhisattwa of ,pity was indeed made   
manifest40  ,it is that revelation which
 speaks in these ,psalms--the love1     
aspiration1 passion for righteousness   
and humility which are the heart of all 
the great religious utterances of the   
world4  8,alas for me1 ,shinran1 the    
ignorant exile who sinks into the deeps 
of the great ocean of human affections1 
who toils to climb the high mountains of
 worldly prosperity1 and is neither glad
 to be with them who return no more to  

illusion1 nor takes delight in          
approaching more nearly to true         
enlightenment4 ,o the pity of it6 ,o the
 shame of it60  ,this cry alternates    
with the joy of perfect aspiration1 and 
it is that which keeps these psalms in  
warm human touch with the spirituality  
that is neither of race nor time1 but   
for eternity4  ,he was sixty-two years  
of age when he returned from exile to   
,city-,royal1 and though he made it his 
centre1 it was his home no more4 ,he    
wandered from place to place1 teaching  
as he went1 after the manner of the     
,buddhas4 ,at the age of ninety his     
strength suddenly failed1 and the next  
day he passed away in perfect peace4    
,such were the outward events of his    
life2 his own writings must give the    
history of his soul4 ,his teachings     
to-day are spread far and wide in the   
land of his birth1 and are an           
inspiration to millions within and      
without its shores4 ,in him was the     
harmonised spirit of ,buddhism at its   

highest4 ,those who can enter into the  
heart of ,shinran ,shnin will have      
gained understanding of the heart of a  
mighty people which is said to be       
impossible of ,western reading1 and yet 
in its essentials is simple as the heart
 of a child4                            
,l4 ,,adams ,,beck4    ,,editorial      
,,note  ,the object of the ,editors of  
this series is a very definite one4     
,they desire above all things that1 in  
their humble way1 these books shall be  
the ambassadors of good-will and        
understanding between ,east and         
,west--the old world of ,thought and the
 new of ,action4 ,in this endeavour1 and
 in their own sphere1 they are but      
followers of the highest example in the 
land4 ,they are confident that a deeper 
knowledge of the great ideals and lofty 
philosophy of ,oriental thought may help
 to a revival of that true spirit of    
,charity which neither despises nor     
fears the nations of another creed and  
colour4                                 

,l4 ,,cranmer-,,byng4  ,s4 ,a4          
,,kapadia4  ,,northbrook ,,society1 #ba 
,,cromwell ,,road1 ,,kensington1 ,s4,w4 
,,buddhist ,,psalms   ,,lauding ,,the   
,,infinite ,,one  #a4 ,since ,he who is 
,infinite attained unto the ,wisdom     
,supreme1 the long1 long ages of ten    
,kalpas have rolled away4  ,the ,light  
of ,his ,dharma-,kaya is in this world  
eyes to the blind4  #b4 ,seek refuge in 
the ,true ,illumination6 ,for the light 
of ,his ,wisdom is infinite4  ,in all   
the worlds there is nothing upon which  
,his light shines not4  #c4 ,take refuge
 in the ,light universal4  ,as the      
,light of ,his deliverance is boundless1
 he who is within it is freed from the  
lie of affirmation or denial4  #d4 ,seek
 refuge in ,that which is beyond        
understanding1  ,for ,his glory is      
all-embracing as the air4 ,it shineth   
and pierceth all things1 and there is   
nothing hid from the light thereof4  #e4
 ,take refuge in the ultimate ,strength1
 for ,his pure radiance is above all    

things4 ,he who perceiveth this ,light  
is set free from the fetters of ,karma4 
#f4 ,seek refuge in the                 
,world-,honoured4  ,since ,his glorious 
radiance is above all ,he is called the 
,buddha of ,divine ,light4 ,and by ,him 
is the darkness of the three worlds     
,enlightened4  #g4 ,excellent is the    
,light of ,his ,wisdom4 ,therefore is he
 called the ,buddha of ,clear ,shining4 
,he who is within the ,light1 being     
washed from the soil of ,karma1 shall   
attain unto the final deliverance4  #h4 
,take refuge in the ,mighty ,consoler4  
,wheresoever ,his mercy shineth         
throughout all the worlds1 men rejoice  
in its gladdening light4  #i4 ,the      
darkness of ignorance perisheth before  
,his light4 ,therefore is ,he hailed as 
the ,buddha of ,radiant ,wisdom4 ,all   
the ,buddhas and the threefold choir of 
sages praise ,him4  #aj4 ,his glory     
shineth for ever and ever4 ,therefore is
 ,he called the ,buddha of ,everlasting 
,light4  ,most excellent is the virtue  

of this light1 for he who perceiveth it 
is born into ,paradise without          
dissolution of being4  #aa4 ,the glory  
of the ,infinite is boundless1 therefore
 is ,he known as the ,buddha of ,light  
,past ,comprehension4  ,all the ,buddhas
 glorify the majesty of ,his holiness   
that leadeth all the earth into ,his    
,kingdom4  #ab4 ,his clear shining      
transcendeth all revelation1 nor can    
human speech utter it4 ,therefore is ,he
 named the ,buddha of ,light            
,unspeakable4  ,all the ,buddhas glorify
 the glory of the ,infinite ,one who is 
,buddha through ,his promise of ,light  
immeasurable4  #ac4 ,take refuge in ,him
 who is ,holiest of ,holy4 ,sun and moon
 are lost in the ocean of ,his          
splendour4 ,therefore is ,he named that 
,infinite in whose radiance ,sun and    
,moon are darkened4 ,before whose       
,divine ,power even that ,buddha made   
flesh in ,india himself faltereth in    
ascribing praise to the ,majesty of ,his
 true glory4  #ad4 ,far beyond human    

numbering are the wise in the high      
assemblage of the ,infinite ,one4       
,therefore let him who would be born    
into the ,land of ,purity seek refuge in
 the ,great ,congregation4  #ae4 ,in    
,paradise are the ,mighty unnumbered1   
,bodhisattvas ranked in that hierarchy  
nearest to the ,perfect ,enlightenment4 
,thence are they made flesh upon earth  
according to the way of salvation that  
all having life might be saved4  #af4   
,take refuge in the ocean-deep ,soul    
,universal4  ,for the sake of all       
dwelling in the ,ten ,regions hath ,he  
kept the fullness of all the ,teachings1
 in ,his divine and mighty promises4    
#ag4 ,he who is ,infinite never resteth1
 for together with the ,bodhisattvas of 
,compassion and ,pure ,reason ,he       
laboureth1 that the souls of them that  
duly receive ,him may have salvation1   
enlightening them with the light of ,his
 mercy4  #ah4 ,when he who is born into 
the land of ,pure ,peace returneth again
 into this sinful world1 even like unto 

that ,buddha made flesh in ,india1 he   
wearieth not in seeking the welfare of  
all men4  #ai4 ,seek refuge in the      
,world-,honoured1 for ,his ,divine      
,power is ,almighty and beyond man's    
measure1 being made perfect in          
inconceivable ,holiness4  #bj4 ,the     
,srvakas1 the ,bodhisattvas1 the        
,heavenly ,beings and ,souls in         
,paradise1 they in whom wisdom is made  
equal unto beauty1 declare their        
attributes in order1 according to their 
former birth4  #ba4 ,seek refuge in ,him
 in whom all strengths are equal4       
,nought is there to compare with the    
excellent beauty of the ,souls in       
,paradise1 for their being is infinite  
as space1 and far are they above        
celestials and mortal man4  #bb4 ,whoso 
would be born into ,paradise shall in   
this life be made one with those men    
that return no more unto birth and      
death4  ,in that ,pure ,land is none who
 hath stood among doubting men1 and none
 also who hath trusted in his own deeds 

for ,salvation4 ,to this do all the     
,buddhas witness4  #bc4 ,if all having  
life in the ,ten ,regions hear this     
,holiest ,name of ,him that is          
,infinite1 and attain unto the true     
faith1 they shall obtain joy and        
gladness4  #bd4 ,for when a man with joy
 accepteth the sacred vow of ,him that  
is infinite who saith1 8,i will not     
attain unto perfect ,enlightenment      
unless in ,me shall all the world be    
made whole10 at that very time he shall 
assuredly be born into ,paradise4  #be4 
,seek refuge in the ,almighty ,spirit4  
,by the divine might of ,his promise1 by
 the ,infinite ,one was ,paradise       
created2 yea1 and the ,souls of men that
 dwell therein4 ,and there is nought    
that may compare with them4  #bf4 ,seek 
refuge in the unutterable ,wisdom4  ,of 
,his ,land of ,peace the half cannot be 
told4 ,even the word of the ,buddha     
himself could not utter it4  #bg4       
,myriads of happy souls were born1 are  
born and shall be born into that ,land  

of ,purity1 not from this world alone1  
but from the hidden worlds also1 and the
 ,ten ,regions4  #bh4 ,so soon as man   
heareth the holy name of the ,infinite  
,one and with great gladness praiseth   
him1 he shall attain to the reward of   
the holy ,treasury of ,merit4  #bi4 ,go 
forward1 ,o ,valiant ,souls1 seeking the
 ,law though all the worlds fall into   
flame and ruin1 for ye shall have passed
 beyond birth and death6  #cj4 ,the     
innumerable ,buddhas praise the         
triumphant divinity of the ,bringer of  
,light4 ,to ,him do gather the myriad   
,bodhisattvas1 unnumbered as the ,sands 
of ,ganges in worship from the ,eastern 
world4  #ca4 ,as from the ,east1 so     
gather also to the ,infinite ,one the   
,bodhisattvas from the ,nine ,regions of
 the worlds4  ,with ,sacred ,psalms the 
,gautama ,buddha himself laudeth the    
boundless glory of the ,infinite ,one4  
#cb4 ,seek refuge in the                
,world-,honoured4  ,to ,him do the      
myriad ,buddhas of the ten ,regions     

bring homage with songs and praises1    
that they may sow the seeds of merit4   
#cc4 ,bring homage to the ,hall of      
,great ,teaching and to the living ,bo  
tree that is in ,paradise6 ,yet this    
land1 glorious with the ,holy ,tree1    
radiant with the ,hall of ,great        
,teaching that shineth with the ,seven  
,jewels1 where innumerable souls        
hastening from all the ends of the      
,earth shall be born1 is but the        
temporal ,paradise4  #cd4 ,in awful     
reverence seek refuge in the purity of  
,him that welcometh4 ,for by ,his       
,divine ,promise was this glorious land1
 great beyond human measurement1 made to
 be4  #ce4 ,seek refuge in the wisdom   
inconceivable4 ,for the perfection of   
,his ,virtue--that ,virtue availing for 
all the world1 and the perfect way by   
which ,he willeth that man shall take   
refuge in ,him1 are past all human      
speech or thought4  #cf4 ,take refuge in
 the wisdom that is most truly infinite4
 ,for ,he is faithful1 having promised  

in ,his ,divine ,might1 and on his      
perfect clear promise that cannot be    
shaken is the merciful way of salvation 
builded4   ,,of ,,paradise  #cg4 ,seek  
refuge in the heavenly harmony4  ,for   
the jewel groves and gem trees of       
,paradise give forth a sweet and most   
excellent melody in pure and ordered    
unison4  #ch4 ,seek refuge in the       
,divine ,promise1 the ,treasury of      
,merit1  ,for the seven jewel trees are 
fragrant in ,paradise where the flowers1
 the fruits1 the branches and the leaves
 thereof  ,cast back their radiance the 
one to the other4  #ci4 ,bring homage to
 the perfect ,righteousness4  ,as the   
pure wind blows over the trees glorious 
with jewels1  ,it draweth from them a   
noble music with five-fold strains of   
harmony4  #dj4 ,in all the world is no  
place hidden from the glory shed by     
hundreds of myriad rays from the heart  
of every flower of ,paradise4  #da4     
,like unto a golden mountain reflecting 
the myriad rays of these heavenly       

blossoms1 so is the form of the         
,infinite ,one4  #db4 ,from ,his ,sacred
 ,body1 as from a well-spring1 floweth  
this light over the ,ten ,regions of the
 world4  ,by ,his ,sacred teaching ,he  
leadeth all having life into the way of 
light4  #dc4 ,seek refuge in the        
,treasury of ,righteousness4  ,for in   
,paradise is that holy lake1 with its   
waters of eightfold ,virtue1            
all-glorious with the seven jewels4 ,and
 all this is the inconceivable handiwork
 of ,purity4  #dd4 ,seek refuge in the  
,all-,honoured4  ,for when sorrow and   
sighing are fled away1 the ,holy ,land  
shall rejoice with joy and singing4     
,therefore is it called ,paradise4  #de4
 ,the ,buddhas of the ,three ,ages and  
the ,ten ,regions1 they in whom the     
,dual ,wisdom is perfect and their      
illumination entire1 lead all the worlds
 marvellously into the way of           
,salvation1 the ,truth being their      
,vehicle4  #df4 ,he that seeketh refuge 
in the ,kingdom of the ,infinite ,one is

 a citizen of the ,kingdom of every     
,buddha4  ,let him that is set free1    
with single heart give praises unto ,one
 ,buddha1 for in so doing he praiseth   
all4  #dg4 ,the faithful believer at    
that moment when he rejoiceth in the    
sound of the name of the ,infinite ,one 
hath revealed unto his very eyes the    
,buddha of ,light4  #dh4 ,let him that  
hath faith praise the ,virtue of the    
,divine ,wisdom4  ,let him strive to    
declare it unto all men that he may     
offer his thankfulness for the grace of 
the ,buddha4   ,,concerning ,,the       
,,great ,,sutra  #di4 ,the ,venerable   
,ananda1 rising from his seat1 and      
looking upwards to the ,world-,honoured 
,gautama ,buddha1 his eyes being opened1
 marvelled greatly1 seeing the glory of 
his ,lord so transfigured4  #ej4 ,the   
,venerable ,ananda asked the ,cause of  
that glory1 for the ,lord1 shining in   
the ,light that was hitherto unseen of  
the world1 taught openly1 for the first 
time1 that ,truth for which ,he came    

into the world4  #ea4 ,in the meditation
 of the ,great ,calm the ,buddha whose  
countenance is glorious1 commendeth the 
most excellent wisdom of ,ananda for    
that he asked the way of knowledge1     
desiring to be instructed4  #eb4 ,that  
,buddha that was made flesh in ,india   
was in this world manifested that he    
might preach the ,divine ,promise of    
,him who is ,infinite4  ,hard is it to  
see the hidden blossom of the           
myriad-century-blooming ,lotus1 so hard 
also is it for a man's understanding to 
receive the message of that ,blessed    
,one4  #ec4 ,ten ,kalpas of ,ages have  
rolled away since ,he who is ,infinite  
attained unto the ,wisdom1 yet before   
the myriads of the ,kalpas ,he was4     
#ed4 ,he who is of the ,light           
,ineffable1 ,holiest ,refuge of men1    
ordaining that ,his saving grace should 
be made manifest1 duly considered all   
the worlds of the ,ten ,regions1 under  
the guidance of the holy ,buddha of     
,loka-is-,vara-,raja4  #ee4 ,purity1    

,rejoicing1 ,wisdom1 these three are the
 ,supernal ,essence of the light of the 
,infinite ,one that enlighteneth all    
things1 communicating good to all the   
worlds of the ,ten ,regions4  #ef4      
,teaching all that have life in the ,ten
 ,regions1 that they might1 with        
sincerity1 faith1 and hope1 be born     
again into ,paradise1 ,he set forth that
 promise infinite and divine--the true  
seed of birth within the ,kingdom of    
,truth4  #eg4 ,whoso attaineth unto the 
,true ,faith is in unity with them that 
return no more to birth and death1 for  
having thus attained1 they pass onward  
into ,nirvana1 their lives being ended4 
#eh4 ,in ,his great compassion the      
,blessed ,one accomplished ,his infinite
 wisdom in ,his divine promise1         
ordaining that womanhood shall be raised
 into manhood4  #ei4 ,instructing all   
that have life in the ,ten ,regions how 
they should through sincerity1 effort1  
and hope be born into the ,temporal     
,paradise1 ,he faithfully promiseth to  

manifest ,himself unto the eyes of the  
dying1 opening wide the gate of all     
righteousness before them4  #fj4 ,by the
 divine promise to the dying of ,his    
consoling presence our ,lord instructeth
 men that they shall make to grow all   
righteousness revealed in the ,sutra of 
,meditation upon the ,buddha of         
,infinite ,life4  #fa4 ,all righteous   
deeds done of men in true obedience to  
the holy ,doctrine of ,sincerity and    
right-doing1 are but the seed of merit  
that shall be born within the ,temporal 
,paradise4  #fb4 ,instructing ,all that 
have life in the ,ten ,regions how that 
they may through sincerity1 merit1 and  
hope be born into the ,temporal         
,paradise1 ,he promiseth that no man    
shall lose salvation1 for ,he hath      
opened the ,gate of ,truth4  #fc4 ,by   
the ,divine ,promise of the final       
salvation hath our ,lord instructed the 
men of the ,single ,vehicle to recite   
,his ,holy ,name that is the ,essence of
 all the merit revealed in the ,lesser  

,sutra of the ,buddha of ,infinite      
,life4  #fd4 ,he that reciteth the ,holy
 name by his own effort and in the mind 
of meditation or of dispersing1 being   
led by the virtue of the divine promise 
of final salvation1 turneth naturally in
 at the ,gate of ,truth4  #fe4 ,he that 
holds not the ,true ,faith1 even though 
he desire to be born into the ,pure     
,paradise of ,joy1 must go unto his own 
place1 and it shall be in the border of 
the ,outermost ,places1 for this is the 
fruit of doubting the mystery of the    
,supreme ,wisdom4  #ff4 ,that a man     
should be a ,buddha1 made manifest in   
this world1 is a rare thing and         
difficult4 ,so difficult is it also to  
hear the excellent doctrine of all the  
,buddhas and ,bodhisattvas4 ,in all the 
myriads of ,kalpas such a way comes     
seldom4  #fg4 ,difficult is it for men  
to find a wise ,teacher2 so is it also  
for them to be instructed and to hear   
the ,holy ,law4 ,more difficult still is
 it to receive the ,true ,faith4  #fh4  

,more difficult is it for men to receive
 the ,divine ,promise made unto men than
 to receive all other teachings4  ,the  
,lord ,buddha teacheth that this is of  
all hard things most difficult and yet  
again more difficult4  #fi4 ,the true   
,doctrine teacheth men that they may    
become ,buddhas in reciting the ,holy   
,name1 and so therefore is it that all  
other faiths and moralities are but     
transitory doorways unto the ,truth4    
,man comprehendeth not that ,pure ,land 
of ,peace unless he holdeth fast the    
true ,doctrine1 casting aside that which
 is transitory4  #gj4 ,seek refuge in   
the ,sole ,vehicle of merciful promise4 
,for the transitory teachings have let  
and hindered men in the ,way of         
,enlightenment so that they must needs  
pass through the long weariness of      
births and deaths4   ,,concerning ,,the 
,,sutra ,,of ,,the ,,meditation  #ga4   
,that ,lord that was made flesh in      
,india1 the ,lord of great pity1 showing
 unto ,vaidehi1 ,queen of ,magadha1 the 

golden mirror created by his marvellous 
power1 commanded her to choose the ,land
 of ,pure ,joy among all the worlds     
therein appearing4  #gb4 ,binbisara1 he 
who commanded that an ascetic should be 
slain before his pre-ordained time was  
come1 by his own son was imprisoned in a
 seven-walled prison as the due         
recompense of his violence4  #gc4       
,ajta-atru1 prince and heir of ,magadha1
 denouncing his mother as a traitor1    
with drawn sword ran furiously upon her4
  #gd4 ,then said ,jvaka the minister   
and another with him3 8,this act is     
worthy only of an outcast4 ,for the fame
 of our race unworthy art thou to dwell 
in the ,palace40 ,and earnestly did they
 counsel him to change his evil purpose4
  #ge4 ,laying his hand on his          
sword-hilt1 ,jvaka1 the minister1 drew  
backwards a few steps1 steadfastly      
regarding the prince1 that he might     
avert this great sin4 ,and so it was    
that the prince laid down his sword1 and
 secluded his mother in a palace4  #gf4 

,certain is it that ,ananda with        
,vaidehi1 ,devadatta and yet others1    
bearing their part in this great sorrow 
of the royal palace of ,magadha1 must   
needs so suffer that they might know the
 infinite pity of the ,blessed ,one1    
that ,lord who in this world made       
manifest the true teaching4  #gg4 ,and  
all these wise ones having so received  
instruction revealed unto us1 who are of
 all evil-doers worst1 the true way1 the
 refuge of ,his divine promise that     
absolveth all the sins of men4  #gh4    
,for when the full time was come that by
 the will of our ,lord and of ,vaidehi  
the teaching of the ,pure ,land should  
be made known here on ,earth1           
,ajta-atru1 her son1 sinned this sin1   
,varshakara his minister bearing        
testimony against it4  #gi4 ,it is      
needful that the heart of a man be      
opened unto the ,faith universal which  
,he who is ,blessed hath shown us1      
forsaking the belief that his own works 
shall save him1 for in every man the    

power to perform righteous deeds is     
differing4   ,,concerning ,,the ,,lesser
 ,,sutra  #hj4 ,the ,eternal ,father is 
called the ,buddha of ,infinite ,light1 
because very mightily ,he holdeth in    
safety all beings dwelling in the ,ten  
,regions of the world who1 by ,his      
merciful enlightenment1 recite ,his     
,holy ,name4  #ha4 ,the myriad ,buddhas1
 unnumbered as the sands of ,ganges1    
counsel all having life to trust in the 
,supernal ,virtue of the ,holy ,name1   
declaring that weighed against this even
 righteous deeds are the lesser good4   
#hb4 ,the innumerable ,buddhas1         
countless as the sands of ,ganges1 are a
 testimony and a shield to all that have
 life in this sorrowful and sinful      
world1 declaring unto them that teaching
 most high and difficult of acceptance1 
which is the true faith4  #hc4 ,whoso   
attaineth unto a ,soul clear and        
enduring as diamond shall testify unto  
his thankfulness for the limitless grace
 of the ,blessed ,one1 for even the     

testimony and the safeguarding that he  
hath of all the ,buddhas proceed only   
from the fulfilment of ,his most        
merciful promise4  #hd4 ,the innumerable
 ,buddhas1 countless as the sands of    
,ganges1 guide into a sure trust in the 
,holy ,name those sinful creatures and  
evil-hearted that wander in the darkness
 of this wicked world bearing the five  
signs of degeneration upon it4   ,,of   
,,the ,,many ,,sutras ,,concerning ,,the
 ,,infinite ,,one  #he4 ,having great   
pity1 our ,eternal ,father lighteneth   
the dark night of ignorance1 manifesting
 ,himself in that ,land of ,joy as the  
,buddha of ,infinite ,light which       
enlighteneth all the worlds with its    
immeasurable glory4  #hf4 ,that ,lord   
most compassionate1 the ,buddha of      
immeasurable ,light1 ,he who had        
attained unto the ,supreme ,wisdom even 
before the myriads of ,kalpas were1     
pitying them that know not1 made himself
 manifest in the ,palace of ,kapila as  
the ,lord ,sakya-muni4  #hg4 ,if a man  

had the duration of all the myriad      
,kalpas1 had he innumerable tongues and 
each of these tongues innumerable       
voices1 yet should he vainly essay the  
praises of that ,blessed ,one4  #hh4    
,the ,lord instructeth us that the way  
into ,paradise is straight and easy4    
,therefore whoso receiveth not this     
,truth is1 in verity1 called a man that 
hath not eyes to see nor ears to hear4  
#hi4 ,the ,one true freedom is the      
,highest1 and the ,absolute is perfect  
freedom4 ,and when we attain unto that  
freedom1 for us shall desire and doubt  
vanish away4  #ij4 ,when every man is   
beloved of us1 even as the son of our   
own body1 there is the ,universal ,mind 
made perfect in us4 ,and this shall be  
in ,paradise4  #ia4 ,he who is in all   
things supreme1 is ,himself ,nirvana1   
and ,nirvana is that true light that    
abideth in the ,land that is to come1   
but this world cannot know it4  #ib4    
,our ,lord instructeth us that he who   
rejoiceth in his faith is1 in so doing1 

in unity with the ,highest4 ,for true   
faith is the seed of light1 and the seed
 of true light is in itself the         
potentiality of that which is ,deity4   
#ic4 ,whoso trusteth not in the ,supreme
 ,wisdom of the ,enlightened ,one1      
clinging unto his own purblind          
knowledge1 must suffer by fire for long 
,kalpas of ages4   ,,concerning ,,the   
,,welfare ,,of ,,the ,,present ,,world  
#id4 ,he that hath unending pity1 the   
,buddha of ,infinite ,life1 hath given  
unto us in the ,sutra of ,golden ,light 
a teaching concerning long life1 that   
the way of long life and the welfare of 
the people might be made known unto     
them4  #ie4 ,dengyo-,daishi1 he who     
taught the ,tendai-shu in the mount of  
,hiye1 hath compassionately instructed  
us that we should recite                
,namuamida-butsu1 that ,holiest ,name1  
as a sure shield against the seven sorts
 of calamities4  #if4 ,whoso reciteth   
the ,holy ,name1 that is higher than all
 other virtues1 shall be set free from  

the fetters of the past1 the present1   
and the future4  #ig4 ,to him that      
reciteth the ,holy ,name shall be good  
unending even in this world1 for the sin
 of his former births is vanquished and 
his youth set free from death4  #ih4 ,to
 him that reciteth the ,holy ,name1     
shall ,brahma and ,chakra the great king
 bring homage1 and about him shall      
heavenly beings and benignant deities   
keep watch throughout the days and      
nights4  #ii4 ,that man that reciteth   
the ,holy ,name shall the four mighty   
,regents in ,heaven guard through the   
days and nights against the disturbance 
of all evil spirits4  #ajj4 ,to him that
 reciteth the ,holy ,name shall the     
,deity of the ,earth bring homage1      
watching over him throughout the day and
 night1 as the shadow follows its       
substance4  #aja4 ,to him who reciteth  
the ,holy ,name1 ,nanda and ,upananda   
the ,naga ,kings1 together with their   
attendant deities shall bring homage1   
watching over him throughout the day and

 night4  #ajb4 ,to him who reciteth the 
,holy ,name1 the ,king of ,death1       
together with his ministers in the five 
worlds1 shall do reverence1 guarding him
 throughout the days and nights4  #ajc4 
,mara1 the ,tempter1 he who is ,ruler of
 that heaven1 where pleasures are       
collected1 hath sworn unto the ,lord to 
shield him from temptation who reciteth 
the ,holy ,name4  #ajd4 ,all good       
deities in ,earth and ,heaven shall be  
gracious unto him who reciteth the ,holy
 ,name1 shielding him throughout the    
days and nights4  #aje4 ,all evil       
spirits in heaven and earth tremble     
before that believer who standeth upon  
the ,immutable promise4 ,for even in    
this world hath he the mind of ,divine  
,illumination4  #ajf4 ,kwannon and      
,seishi1 the ,bodhisattvas of incarnate 
,pity and ,wisdom1 together with their  
companions1 innumerable as the sands of 
,ganges1 shall be beside him who        
reciteth the ,holy ,name1 even as the   
shadow cleaves to the substance4  #ajg4 

,within the ,light of ,buddha of        
,infinite ,light are unnumbered         
,buddhas1 and of these1 each and every  
one shall shield him who hath within him
 the true ,faith4  #ajh4 ,whoso reciteth
 the ,holy ,name shall be surrounded    
himself by those ,buddhas who cannot be 
numbered1 who in the ,ten ,regions with 
joy protect and guide him4  ,upon the   
,sutra of ,suraigama-,samadhi1 ,i1      
,shinran ,shnin1 have uttered these     
eight lauds praising the virtue of      
,seishi the ,bodhisattva of ,wisdom4    
#aji4 ,seishi1 he who is the            
,bodhisattva of ,wisdom1 having         
comprehended the fullness of the        
,holiest ,name1 rising from his seat1   
prostrated himself beneath the feet of  
our ,lord1 worshipping ,him1 he and his 
fellowship1 and thus he spake3  #aaj4   
8,o my ,lord1 in the ancient time1      
before the ,kalpas innumerable as the   
sands of ,ganges1 there was manifest in 
this world a ,buddha1 and ,his ,name was
 called--,the ,buddha of ,infinite      

,light4  #aaa4 8,in ,his footsteps      
twelve ,buddhas followed1 and twelve    
long ,kalpas have rolled away4 ,and of  
these ,buddhas the last was ,he that is 
called that ,buddha in whose glory the  
,sun and ,moon are even as darkness4    
#aab4 8,unto me hath that ,buddha       
revealed the ,path of the meditation of 
the ,supreme--that meditation wherein   
,he instructeth us that all the ,buddhas
 of all the ,ten ,regions compassionate 
as even as a father pitieth his child4  
#aac4 ,whoso seeketh refuge in ,buddha1 
as a child in the bosom of his mother   
shall verily perceive ,him now or in the
 time that shall be4 ,and it shall be   
soon4  #aad4 8,as a man encompassed by  
the cloud of incense casteth sweet      
odours about him1 so he that trusteth in
 the ,holy ,promise is spiritually      
endued with the ,divine ,essence4  #aae4
 8,when ,i was initiate in right doing1 
,i attained unto the high way of that   
assurance that freed me from birth and  
death1 through the teaching of the      

,noble ,doctrine of the ,holy ,name4    
8,therefore in this world1 rejoicing1 ,i
 guide the faithful believer into the   
way of ,purity40  #aaf4 ,now with all   
praise let us give thanks unto the      
merciful goodness of the ,bodhisattva of
 ,wisdom4   ,,of ,,thanksgiving ,,for   
,,nagarjuna1 ,,the ,,great ,,teacher    
,,of ,,india  #aag4 ,nagarjuna1 the     
great teacher1 setting forth in many    
excellent writings the praise of the    
,kingdom of ,purity1 hath instructed us 
to recite the ,holy ,name4  #aah4 ,for  
the ,lord ,buddha declared in prophecy  
that in ,india1 in the ,southern ,parts1
 should arise a great ,teacher1         
trampling upon the false teachings of   
affirmation and denial4  #aai4          
,nagarjuna1 the ,great ,teacher1 he who 
mightily set forth the noble doctrine of
 the greater ,vehicle1 and himself      
attained unto that height whereon a man 
rejoiceth eternally in the ,faith1 hath 
very sweetly persuaded men that they    
should receive the teaching of the ,holy

 ,name4  #abj4 ,nagarjuna1 that great   
priest1 setting forth the two ways--the 
way that is straight and plain1 and the 
way of high austerity1 leadeth very     
gently to the ,ark of the ,divine       
,promise such as are driven through the 
weariness of births and deaths4  #aba4  
,he who receiveth this teaching of      
,nagarjuna the ,great ,teacher1 should  
recite always the ,holy ,name1 believing
 the ,divine ,promise of the ,buddha of 
,infinite ,light4  #abb4 ,whoso would   
quickly attain unto that resting-place  
where illusion ceaseth1 should recite   
the ,holy ,name holding his mind in     
steadfast piety4  #abc4 ,one ,ark only1 
that ,ark of the ,divine ,promise of our
 merciful ,father1 doth voyage and bear 
us unto the shore of the eternal        
peace--even us who so long have drifted 
hither and thither in the ocean of birth
 and death4  #abd4 ,this great priest   
hath in one utterance set forth that the
 ,lord is ,ruler indeed of the sacred   
teaching1 and that herein are the holy  

,bodhisattvas ,his ministers4 ,therefore
 should we bring homage unto our ,lord4 
#abe4 ,the mighty company of the        
,bodhisattvas utter these words1 8,when 
we became wise in holiness1 yea1 we who 
have striven through ,kalpas unnumbered1
  #abf4 8,yet could we not root out our 
earthly desires which are the very seed 
of birth and death4 ,but through that   
only way of the meditation of the       
,highest did we attain unto the final   
deliverance that hath destroyed all our 
sin40   ,,of ,,thanksgiving ,,for       
,,vasubandh1 ,,the ,,great ,,teacher    
,,of ,,india  #abg4 ,among those        
doctrines taught of our ,lord           
,vasubandh1 the great priest hath       
persuaded us who are full of sinful     
desires to accept the ,divine ,promise  
of our infinite ,father4  #abh4 ,only to
 ,him who is above all things is known  
the glory of the ,land of ,peace4 ,wide 
as the sky and boundless is it spread   
forth4  #abi4 ,whoso believeth in the   
power of the ,divine ,promise shall     

verily be at one with the holy ,essence1
 even as the turbid stream is clear and 
pure within the ocean depth when they   
have flowed together4  #acj4 ,when the  
assemblage of the believers in the holy 
faith is born within that ,land of      
,purity that hath sprung from the lotus 
of the true enlightenment1 soon shall   
their heart's desire be fulfilled in    
them4  #aca4 ,the heavenly spirits and  
those souls freed from illusion1 they   
who are born in the land of purity from 
the wisdom deep as the ocean of the     
,divine ,promise1 differ not the one    
from the other in their powers4 ,pure   
are they as the air is pure4  #acb4     
,vasubandh1 that exalted master of      
excelling works1 who himself hath found 
refuge in the ,buddha of ,infinite      
,light1 hath declared that whoso is     
borne in the ,vehicle of the ,divine    
,promise shall without doubt attain unto
 the ,promised ,land4  #acc4 ,whoso     
taketh refuge in the ,buddha of         
,infinite ,light1 that light that       

shineth unto all the worlds of the ,ten 
,regions1 shall be called1 according to 
the teaching of that master of excelling
 works1 a man whose heart is great1 and 
to him shall the ,true ,light be shown4 
#acd4 ,he whose heart is great and who  
shall attain unto the true enlightenment
 is he also that desireth the salvation 
of all living1 and verily the true faith
 given of that ,blessed ,one is         
salvation4  #ace4 ,the single heart     
perceiveth the true faith1 and so doing 
is strong and clear as the diamond1 and 
this strength is the wisdom of the      
supreme that strengthened us4  #acf4    
,when we shall attain1 unto the         
,promised ,land1 which is that ,nirvana 
past all understanding1 there shall we  
labour abundantly for the salvation of  
all living things4 ,for so the ,sutra   
teaches us in these words3 8,a heart    
that inclineth to the succour of        
others40   ,,of ,,thanksgiving ,,for    
,,donran1 ,,the ,,great ,,teacher ,,of  
,,china  #acg4 ,donran1 that great      

teacher of ,china1 being instructed of  
,bodhi-ruci1 the priest of ,india1      
sought refuge in the ,land of ,purity1  
and thus doing he burned with fire the  
books of the ,taoist teaching which he  
had aforetime held in honour4  #ach4    
,having thus cast from him the writings 
that he had so many years diligently    
studied1 he preached unto all men the   
doctrine of the ,divine ,promise1 and1  
so teaching1 he led men that are fast   
bound in the fetters of illusion1 in at 
the ,gate of the ,great ,peace4  #aci4  
,a mighty ,king of this world brought   
homage unto him in his monastery and put
 unto him this question1 saying3 8,if so
 it is that the ,land of ,purity should 
be in all the ,ten ,regions1 how then is
 it declared unto us in the ,sutra that 
it is in the ,western ,heaven80  #adj4  
,and with humble piety he replied3  8,of
 this matter can ,i not tell thee4 ,it  
is too high for me4 ,still am ,i in the 
lower rank of wisdom1 even still small  
is my knowledge4 ,i cannot fathom this  

great mystery40  #ada4 ,all men in the  
priesthood or the people who know not   
the rock of their trust1 did ,donran the
 ,great ,priest guide unto the sure     
refuge of the doctrine of the ,land of  
,bliss4  #adb4 ,he abode in the ,temple 
of the ,great ,rock1 being favourably   
bidden thereto by the ,king of the ,gi  
,dynasty1 and in the evening of his days
 he travelled into the district of ,dun4
  #adc4 ,and this ,king of the ,gi      
,dynasty reverently offered unto him the
 holy title of ,shinran 7,ran of        
,divinity7 and the honourable name of   
8,rock of the ,venerable ,ran0--that his
 dwelling-place should be called by it4 
#add4 ,great and mighty upon the people 
was his spiritual power in the temple of
 ,genchu and in the fourth year of      
,kokwa of the ,gi ,dynasty the ,temple  
of ,yosen became his beloved dwelling4  
#ade4 ,and when he had reached          
sixty-seven years1 he sought his final  
refuge in the ,eternal ,kingdom4 ,and at
 that departing were vouchsafed many    

holy marvels unto which all men1 both of
 the priests and people1 came and did   
reverence4  #adf4 ,and when ,donran the 
,great ,high ,priest had departed into  
the ,peace1 the ,king of the ,gi        
,dynasty by a royal order commanded     
there should be built for him a holy    
monument in the lands of ,dun4  #adg4   
,what man could know the unsearchable   
mystery of the faith and deeds of the   
,divine ,promise were it not for that   
most excelling commentary of ,donran the
 wise ,priest1 which he wrote concerning
 the teaching of ,vasubandh that had    
lived aforetime4  #adh4 ,he who         
believeth that the ,sole ,vehicle of the
 ,divine ,promise1 most perfect1 most   
mighty1 receiveth within itself the     
,greatest of ,sinners1 and this because 
it is its chief will so to do1 will     
receive the depth of this essential     
teaching--namely1 that before the eyes  
of the ,instructed1 illusion and wisdom 
are in their ,essence ,one4  #adi4      
,among the ,five ,mysteries that are    

preached in this ,sutra1 the mystery of 
the ,divine ,power of the ,enlightened  
,one is highest1 and this is the holy   
vow of our ,blessed ,one1 this and this 
only4  #aej4 ,unto us hath our ,father  
given those two spiritual gifts4 ,of    
these the first is the ,virtue whereby  
we attain unto ,his ,kingdom1 and the   
second is the ,virtue whereby having so 
attained we return into this world for  
the ,salvation of men4 ,by the merit of 
these two gifts are we initiates of the 
true faith and of its deeds4  #aea4     
,when we shall have attained unto the   
faith and the deeds of the ,merciful    
,promise through our ,father that is in 
all things able to give them unto us1   
birth and death are henceforward as     
,nirvana4 ,and this is called the ,gift 
of ,departure4  #aeb4 ,and when we shall
 have attained unto that height which is
 desire for the ingathering of all      
beings into ,paradise1 shall we return  
again into this world that we may be    
,saviours of ,men4 ,and this is called  

the ,gift of ,returning4  #aec4 ,that   
8,single ,mind0 expounded unto us by    
,vasubandh1 the ,master of ,writings    
that excel1 is nothing other than the   
faith of us that are now fast bound in  
illusion4 ,so teacheth ,donran the      
,great ,teacher in his ,commentary4     
#aed4 ,the ,buddha of that inexpressible
 ,light that shineth into the worlds of 
the ,ten ,regions1 being for ever       
enlightened in the night of ignorance1  
hath most certainly opened the way of   
,nirvana to every man who even for one  
moment rejoiceth in receiving ,his      
,divine ,promise4  #aee4 ,by the merit  
of ,his ,infinite ,light1 when we attain
 unto that faith divine and omnipotent1 
the ice of illusion shall melt into the 
water of perfect wisdom4  #aef4 ,sin is 
made one with virtue in its essence1    
even as ice is one with water4 ,the more
 there is ice1 so much the more water is
 there4 ,so also is the binding up of   
sin with virtue4  #aeg4 ,in the         
unbounded ocean of the ,holy ,name is   

not seen even one single death of a     
blasphemer4 ,for the myriad streams of  
sin are on purity with the ocean of     
righteousness when they have flowed into
 the impurity thereof4  #aeh4 ,when the 
streams of illusion have flowed into the
 ,great ,sea of the ,merciful ,promise  
of the ,enlightened ,one1 whose light   
shineth into all the worlds of the ,ten 
,religions1 then shall they too become  
the pure water of the ,perfect ,wisdom4 
#aei4 ,no other way is there of         
attaining unto the ,perfect             
,enlightenment save only by birth into  
the ,land of ,gladness1 and therefore   
have all the ,enlightened ,ones exhorted
 men that they should receive the       
,doctrine of the ,kingdom ,purity4      
#afj4 ,the ,great ,priest hath well     
taught us that in order to cleanse our  
deeds1 words1 and thoughts of           
deceitfulness1 our ,father hath         
performed the three of ,his pure and    
universal4  #afa4 ,there is no way unto 
the ,kingdom of ,gladness save only by  

attaining unto the true faith through   
that ,holy ,name1 the very ,jewel of    
,wonder4  #afb4 ,when the new birth     
through the clearness of the ,divine    
,promise is attained in the ,eternal    
,kingdom1 it is not like unto the birth 
of this world2 then is there no         
inferiority even in those that in this  
world were sinners1 for they have       
entered into ,paradise4  #afc4 ,the     
,holy ,name of the ,buddha of that      
,boundless ,light that shineth into all 
the worlds of the ,ten ,regions1 and the
 glory of ,his ,wisdom1 destroy the     
darkness of ignorance in the ,eternal   
,night1 thus fulfilling all the desires 
of men4   ,,concerning ,,unrighteous    
,,deeds  #afd4 ,these three things are  
expounded unto us by ,donran ,daishi4   
,first1 that faith is not holiness1 for 
faith is not abiding4 ,at one time it   
abideth1 at another it is gone4  #afe4  
,and second3 ,this faith is not ,single 
,minded1 for it hath not resolution4    
,and third3 ,it continueth not1 for the 

other thoughts of the heart divide it   
against itself4  #aff4 ,the three ways  
of this faith lead the one to the other 
one4 ,on this must the believer fix his 
eyes4 ,if his faith is not in holiness1 
then hath he not the faith of           
resolution4  #afg4 ,and having not the  
faith that is resolute1 that faith      
cannot endure1 and because it endureth  
not1 how can he attain unto the faith of
 determination8 ,and attaining not unto 
the faith of determination1 the faith is
 not sanctified in him4  #afh4 ,for the 
attainment of ,right ,practice expounded
 by the ,master of the ,written ,word is
 according unto the true faith and this 
alone4  #afi4 ,if a man return into the 
,great ,way of the ,divine ,promise1    
eschewing the narrow ways of deeds and  
works1 in him shall the true light of   
,nirvana be made manifest4  #agj4 ,the  
mighty king ,so1 he of the ,ryo line1   
worshipped the ,great ,teacher ,donran  
,daishi1 naming him the ,bodhisattva of 
,ran1 turning his face in worship unto  

the dwelling-place of his ,teacher4     
,,concerning ,,doshaku-,,zenji  #aga4   
,having cast away from him all trust in 
the righteous deeds of the sages1       
,doshaku-,zenji1 the ,great ,teacher1   
hath taught us to enter in at the only  
gate that is the ,gospel of the ,pure   
,land4  #agb4 ,having thus cast away    
from him the laborious study of the     
,doctrine of ,nirvana1 ,doshaku1 the    
,great ,teacher1 himself trusted only in
 the power of the ,divine ,promise1 and 
he persuaded men to follow after him4   
#agc4 ,in this world of sin that is so  
far removed from the blessed day of our 
,lord1 is there no man who attaineth    
unto the wisdom ,supreme1 yea1 not      
though he should compass all righteous  
doing4 ,so teacheth our ,lord of ,great 
,teaching4  #agd4 ,he who succeeded unto
 the teaching of ,donran-,daishi1       
,doshaku-zenji1 the ,great ,priest1 thus
 declareth3 8,to toil and labour after  
righteous deeds in this life is the     
unavailing toil of self-effort40  #age4 

,in this world1 the doing of evil and   
the sin that is wrought of men is       
violent and furious as the storm wind   
and rain4 ,therefore have the           
compassionate ,buddhas exhorted men to  
seek their refuge within the ,land of   
,purity4  #agf4 ,from him that sinneth1 
throughout his life shall the fetters of
 illusion fall away1 if he shall recite 
the ,holy ,name with love and adoration4
  #agg4 ,that he might lead men into the
 ,eternal ,kingdom--those men who are in
 this life fast bound unto the evil     
thing1 our ,father teacheth us1 saying1 
8,recite my name10 and hath promised    
further1 8,doing this1 if they be not   
born again1 ,i myself will not attain   
unto ,wisdom40   ,,concerning           
,,zendo-,,daishi  #agh4 ,rising like    
unto an incarnation of the ,mighty      
,ocean1 ,zendo1 the great teacher1 came 
into the world4  ,and for the sake of   
mankind in this sinful place1 he called 
unto all the ,buddhas of the ,ten       
,regions to be his testimony unto his   

commentary on the ,sutra4  #agi4 ,two   
interpreters of ,zendo-,daishi were     
there in the age that followed his own1 
and these were ,hosh and ,shk4 ,they1 it
 is1 who have opened the ,treasury of   
teaching that the inward purpose of the 
,blessed ,one should be wholly made     
known4  #ahj4 ,how should women turn    
their hearts unto wisdom--they who are  
fast bound with the five fetters8 ,no1  
not through the ages of myriads of      
,kalpas1 until they seek refuge in the  
,divine ,promise of ,him who is mighty4 
#aha4 ,having thrown open the ,gate of  
,righteousness1 our ,lord hath          
instructed mankind in every sort of     
righteous deed4 ,he hath set before us  
how the five right deeds differ from the
 confused deeds that are outside the    
,five1 so that mankind may enter the way
 of the ,sole ,practice4  #ahb4 ,to     
mingle the right action with the action 
that is not akin to it is called the    
confused practice4 ,the man that erreth 
therein hath not attained unto the      

single heart4 ,he knoweth not           
thankfulness for the grace of the       
,enlightened ,one4  #ahc4 ,if he entreat
 in prayer the good things of this      
world1 even though he recite only the   
,blessed ,name1 he is condemned therein1
 being also a man of the confused       
practice4 ,he shall not be born into the
 ,land of ,purity4  #ahd4 ,not one1     
indeed1 but not far asunder are the     
confused deed and the confused practice4
 ,the teachings that are not the        
teachings of the ,land of ,purity are to
 be condemned as confused deeds4  #ahe4 
,having invoked the testimony of all the
 ,buddhas1 ,zendo-,daishi hath set      
before us the story of the two rivers1  
the one1 the river of fire1 the other   
the river of water1 that he might       
incline the heart to righteous deeds1   
and guard the true faith of the ,divine 
,promise4  #ahf4 ,verily a simple man   
may attain unto the true ,illumination1 
if he believe the ,holy ,promise that is
 the spirit of the teaching of ,shinshu4

 ,because for this only was the ,lord   
made manifest in this world1 and not    
according to those other teachings which
 shall pass away and be no more4  #ahg4 
,before the ,almighty ,power of the     
,divine teaching do all the fetters of  
evil deeds fall away4 ,therefore is the 
,divine ,promise of our ,father invoked 
as that ,holy ,thing which giveth unto  
us omnipotent strength4  #ahh4 ,yet1 to 
whomsoever would enter the ,promised    
,land1 created in the power of ,his     
,divine ,vow1 is belief in his own      
strength impotent4  ,and because they   
are needless1 therefore the wise who    
have received the ,great and ,lesser    
,vehicles must trust unto the promise of
 the ,almighty ,one4  #ahi4 ,whoso hath 
known himself the slave of illusion     
shall yet1 relying on the ,power of the 
,holy ,promise1 enter into the immortal 
joy of the ,truth1 and all his earthly  
body shall fall from him4  #aij4        
,merciful and compassionate parents unto
 us are the ,blessed ,one and the ,lord 

,buddha4 ,for they have opened before us
 the ways of good1 having so purposed   
that the great ,faith shall be4  #aia4  
,he who is one with the ,true ,soul hath
 attained unto a heart clear and hard as
 diamond4 ,therefore is he at one with  
that man who hath the three excellent   
forms of ,penitence4 ,this hath the     
,great ,teacher shown us4  #aib4 ,by    
that faith alone1 like unto a jewel of  
price1 we who in this sinful world have 
our being1 may enter into the ,eternal  
,kingdom1 being eternally freed from the
 yoke of birth and death4  #aic4 ,at    
that moment when faith in the           
,enlightened ,one is perfected1 pure and
 lasting as the diamond1 then shall the 
,spiritual ,light shine upon us and     
guard us1 the light which for ever      
guideth us from rebirth and death4      
#aid4 ,whoso attaineth not unto the     
,true ,faith hath not in him one of the 
,trinity of ,virtues1 that are          
,sincerity1 ,faith1 and ,hope1 and the  
man that hath not one of these three    

holdeth not the perfect faith4  #aie4   
,whoso attaineth unto the ,true ,faith  
given of ,him is freed from all let and 
hindrance1 for his heart is at one with 
the ,divine ,promise1 and he is obedient
 unto the true teaching that is the     
,very ,word of the ,buddha4  #aif4      
,whoso hath comprehended the truth of   
the ,holy ,name is at that very moment  
freed from doubt4 ,he hath possessed the
 ,right thought1 and he is commended as 
excellent and rare in his attainment4   
#aig4 ,he shall be let and hindered that
 is not at one with the ,divine         
,promise1 and therefore he whose faith  
is not full of ,peace is a man who      
holdeth not the ,divine ,thought4  #aih4
 ,the attainment of the ,divine ,wisdom 
shall come unto him who reciteth the    
,holy ,name1 for his faith cometh from  
the ,divine ,promise of ,him that       
leadeth him into the ,promised ,land4   
,he shall not fail to attain unto the   
,great ,nirvana4  #aii4 ,at this time   
when the five ,signs of ,degeneration   

are manifest1 many men are there who    
doubt and blaspheme the ,holy ,doctrine4
 ,yea1 even the ,priests1 together with 
the people1 are enemies unto him who    
walketh in the right way4  #bjj4 ,he who
 blasphemeth the ,divine ,promise is a  
man born blind4 ,he shall sink into     
three evil worlds for age-long myriads  
of ,kalpas4  #bja4 ,though the way into 
the ,land that is in the ,west hath been
 made plain before us1 yet the age-long 
,kalpas have rolled away without good   
fruit thereof1 for we have hindered     
ourselves and our brethren that we might
 not enter therein4  #bjb4 ,without the 
,almighty ,strength of the ,divine      
,promise how should we leave this sinful
 world8 ,wherefore we should live in    
hearty thanksgiving for the ,grace of   
our ,father1 thinking ever upon the     
ocean deeps of his love4  #bjc4 ,for it 
is by the marvellous mercy of our ,lord 
that we may cast aside the anguish of   
birth and death1 in the shining hope of 
our ,eternal ,kingdom4  ,therefore      

should we return unto the ,lord         
righteous deeds in thanksgiving for ,his
 grace and mercy4   ,,concerning        
,,genshin-,,sozu  #bjd4 ,genshin the    
,great ,teacher declareth3 8,in this    
world have ,i1 even ,i1 appeared as an  
incarnation of the ,buddha1 and now1 my 
work of ,salvation being accomplished1  
,i return unto the ,eternal ,kingdom    
that is my home4  #bje4 ,from the       
teaching of our ,lord hath ,genshin1 the
 ,great ,teacher1 tenderly opened unto  
us the gate of the ,doctrine of the     
,holy ,name1 and hath so taught mankind 
in this evil world that is far removed  
from the ,golden ,day of our ,lord4     
#bjf4 ,genshin-,sozu1 he who sat in the 
,assemblage on the ,peak of ,vultures in
 the time of our ,lord1 hath taught us  
that there are two ,paradises1 that     
which is eternal and that which is      
temporal1 and thus setteth forth the    
merit and the defect of the ,right      
,practice and of the ,mingled ,deed4    
#bjg4 ,acharya ,genshin1 the ,great     

,teacher1 considering one of the ,sutra 
with the commentary of ,ekanzenji1 hath 
made plain the attributes of the ,land  
of ,outermost ,places4  #bjh4 ,for he   
said3 8,not one man is there of         
thousands who may not be born into the  
,land of ,purity40 ,and thus saying1 he 
commendeth the followers of the ,right  
,practice4  ,and again3  8,there is not 
even one among tens of thousands who may
 enter it40 ,and so saying1 he          
condemneth the doers of the mingled     
deed4  #bji4 ,further he setteth forth  
how few are the men who can enter into  
the ,true ,land of ,purity4 ,and very   
solemnly he warneth us that more are    
they that are born into the ,temporal   
,paradise4  #baj4 ,wheresoever men or   
women1 be they noble or lowly born1     
recite the ,holy ,name of our ,father1  
there is no pre-eminence of place or    
time4 ,freely may they do this1 whether 
walking1 resting1 sitting1 or lying4    
#baa4 ,though our eyes are so blinded by
 illusion that we discern not the light 

whereby ,he embraceth us1 yet that great
 mercy for ever shineth upon us and is  
not weary4  #bab4 ,whatsoever may be his
 ,visible ,deed that would be born into 
the ,promised ,land1 he shall not forget
 day or night to hold fast unto the name
 of the ,divine ,promise4  #bac4 ,to us 
that in this world are sinners most     
sinful1 there is none other way of      
,salvation save that we should enter    
into the ,land of ,purity1 by reciting  
the holy name of ,him who is our        
,father4    ,,concerning ,h,,nen        
,,sh,,nin  #bad4 ,since the day when    
,hnen ,shnin appeared in the world1 and 
set forth the single ,ark of the ,divine
 ,promise1 hath the ,doctrine of the    
,pure ,land gloriously shone upon the   
hearts of all men in the land of ,nihon4
  #bae4 ,for from the strength of the   
wisdom of light1 ,hnen1 the ,great      
,teacher1 came into the world and hath  
taught the chosen doctrine of the       
,divine ,promise1 and he hath built     
,jodo-,shinshu upon the rock4  #baf4    

,though ,zendo and ,genshin1 those great
 teachers1 have well instructed us1 yet 
had ,hnen ,shnin kept silence1 wherewith
 should we know the holy teaching of    
,shin-,shu1 we who dwell in remote      
country and in an evil day8  #bag4      
,throughout the long1 long ,kalpas of my
 lives that are overpast could ,i never 
find the way of ,deliverance1 and if    
,hnen ,shnin1 the ,great ,teacher1 had  
not arisen in this world1 vainly had ,i 
spent the precious hours of my life4    
#bah4 ,when his years were but fifteen1 
,hnen ,shnin entered into the ,way of   
,illumination1 for in departing from    
worldly life he fulfilled his heart's   
desire1 and by him was clearly          
understanded the doctrine of the        
transience of life4  #bai4 ,the         
excellent righteousness of ,hnen ,shnin1
 his deeds and the wisdom that was in   
him1 drew unto him for refuge many even 
of chief priests of the heretics that   
seek ,nirvana through the way of the    
sages4 ,yea1 they sought him even as    

their appointed teacher1 radiant and    
stray of soul as the diamond4  #bbj4    
,even while ,hnen ,shnin yet walked in  
this world1 there issued from his body  
rays of a golden shining1 and this1 so  
it is said1 hath ,kanezane ,fujiwara    
beheld with his own eyes4  #bba4 ,the   
people passed it from mouth to mouth    
that this ,hnen ,shnin was the living   
incarnation of ,doshaku ,zenji1 or yet  
again of ,zendo ,daishi4  #bbb4 ,before 
the eyes of men ,hnen ,shnin stood as   
the ,boddhisattva of ,wisdom1 or1 yet   
more1 as the ,blessed ,one again made   
flesh4  ,the ,emperor and all his       
ministers did homage unto him1 yea1 and 
the men of the chief city and of the far
 countries4  #bbc4 ,he who had been     
,emperor1 in the time of ,jokyu1 brought
 homage to ,hnen ,shnin4 ,all the       
priests and scholars of the word of     
,confucius had understanding of the     
doctrine of ,shin ,shu4  #bbd4 ,a chosen
 vessel of the ,blessed ,one that men   
might be saved1 ,hnen ,shnin was        

manifested in the world1 and he opened  
wide the gate of perfect wisdom1 having 
instructed mankind in the ,holy ,faith4 
#bbe4 ,of all rare things it is the     
rarest that we should ourselves meet    
with the ,true ,teacher1 yet verily the 
chain of doubt in the ,divine ,mercy is 
the true cause of unending birth and    
death4  #bbf4 ,hnen ,shnin issued forth 
from the mysterious ,light and his      
disciples beheld it4 ,in his eyes was   
there nought of disparity between the   
wise and them that know not1 between the
 noble and the lowly born4  #bbg4 ,and  
now1 his time being at hand1 ,hnen      
,shnin spake3  8,thrice have ,i taken   
birth in the ,land of ,purity1 and of   
these three times the last hath given   
unto me the fullness of peace40  #bbh4  
,once did ,hnen ,shnin speak1 saying3   
8,in the glorious day of our ,lord was  
,i among the holy ,assemblage on the    
,peak of ,vultures1 and my ,spirit was  
rapt in self-instruction and in the     
doctrine of salvation40  #bbi4 ,having  

taken birth in that small and remote    
island1 ,hnen ,shnin spread abroad the  
doctrine of the ,holy ,name for the sake
 of all men's salvation4 ,and thus had  
he done not only then1 but many times in
 ages gone by4  #bcj4 ,that ,buddha1    
whose light is infinite1 was made flesh 
in this world as ,hnen ,shnin1 and when 
his merciful work was accomplished1 he  
returned into the ,land of ,purity4     
#bca4 ,when his life was drawing to a   
close1 light was manifested about him as
 a cloud of glory1 yea1 and music of the
 heavenly places1 sweet and excelling in
 harmony1 and sweet odours scattered    
about him4  #bcb4 ,following steadfastly
 after the ensample of the ,nirvana of  
the ,lord1 he laid himself upon his     
right side1 his head inclined unto the  
north1 his face turned unto the west4   
,and the crowding people attended upon  
him1 even the priests and men and women 
of the nobles and of the lowly born4    
#bcc4 ,now the time when ,hnen ,shnin   
departed from this life was the         

twenty-fifth day of the young spring4   
,in the second year of ,kenriyaku he    
returned in peace unto the ,land of the 
,father4  ,on the ninth day of ,february
 and the second of ,ko-,yen1 the        
revelation that here followeth was sent 
unto me in a dream of morning4  #bcd4   
,it is necessary that men should believe
 the divine promise of ,him who is      
,infinite4  ,whoso believeth shall      
attain unto ,perfect ,wisdom1 by the    
virtue of that ,light which embraceth   
him and shall never forsake him4   ,,of 
,,the ,,three ,,periods  #bce4 ,two     
thousand years and yet more are departed
 since the day when our ,lord entered   
into ,nirvana4 ,ended are the two       
glorious periods--the orthodox and the  
representative4 ,lament1 ,o ye          
disciples1 who in this closing age would
 follow after the ,lord4  #bcf4 ,the    
teachings of our ,lord have entered into
 the ,dragon ,palace1 for in this       
closing age they are too high for men4  
,men are impotent to follow after their 

practice or to attain unto them4  #bcg4 
,throughout the three periods hath the  
,divine ,promise of the ,buddha of      
,infinite ,light prospered and grown4   
,but in this period of the closing age  
all righteous deeds are hidden within   
the ,dragon ,palace4  #bch4 ,in a       
certain ,sutra are we thus instructed1  
since the age that now is a part of the 
fifth in this closing age wherein men   
are fast bound in warfare1 all righteous
 deeds have disappeared from the world4 
#bci4 ,since the ancient days the life  
of men1 whose age counted as #hj1jjj    
years1 hath declined and lessened4 ,and 
when they could live but #bj1jjj years1 
they were men living in an evil world1  
and with the five signs of degeneration 
upon them4  #bdj4 ,and since time itself
 hath decayed1 the bodily frame of man  
hath waxed smaller and feebler1 and they
 are as furious serpents or as wicked   
dragons1 for the decay of time worketh  
within them4  #bda4 ,the illusion that  
is bred of ignorance increaseth1 and is 

driven over the world like dust4 ,hatred
 great and unbreakable as the high      
mountains is in the stead of love4      
#bdb4 ,the perversity of man is as      
strong and piercing as the thorn of the 
jungle4 ,with eyes of suspicion and     
venomous anger do they accuse and       
persecute them who believe upon the     
,holy ,name4  #bdc4 ,it is a mark of the
 degeneration of time that man's life is
 brief and death cometh upon him early  
and with iron hands breaketh up his body
 and that which surrounds him wherein he
 dwelleth4 ,and they who leaving justice
 turn to wickedness do destroy one      
another by their evil deeds4  #bdd4 ,no 
hope is there that the men now living in
 these last days shall escape the       
fetters of birth and death if they      
refuse the merciful promise of the      
,blessed ,one4  #bde4 ,of heretics in   
the faith are there ninety sorts that   
defile the world and only the teaching  
of the ,enlightened ,one cleanseth it4  
,by him alone that attaineth unto wisdom

 shall true joy to man be fulfilled     
according to nature and in peace4  #bdf4
 ,in these last times of decay the      
priests1 together with the people1 do   
evil unto him that trusteth in the      
doctrine of the ,holy name4  #bdg4      
,whoso attaineth not unto wisdom is     
eager to harm that man who1 with single 
heart1 accepted the exalted promise4    
,there is no end to the infinity of the 
ocean of birth and death for those men  
who raven to destroy the doctrine that  
is mighty to save them if they would    
have it so4  #bdh4 ,though the days of  
our present time are those that are     
called orthodox1 we1 in whom ignorance  
is fulfilled1 have not within us the    
heart that is pure and true4 ,how1 then1
 can we of our own help attain unto the 
deeds that shall gain the wisdom that is
 made perfect4  #bdi4 ,the strong heart 
that is able to attain unto wisdom by   
self-help is beyond human knowledge and 
speech4 ,how is it possible that men    
full of ignorance1 fettered unto birth  

and death1 should possess such a heart4 
#bej4 ,though we were masters of the    
strong will of self-effort1 even should 
we have seen face to face the ,buddhas1 
myriad as the sands of ,ganges--they who
 in this world were manifested the one  
after the other1 yet were we drifted on 
the torrent of birth and death1 in      
self-effort were no rescue for us4      
#bea4 ,in these sinful days that are    
called the representative and last times
 all the teachings of the ,lord ,buddha1
 the ,sakiya-,muni have vanished away1  
but the ,divine ,promise of the ,buddha 
of ,infinite ,light1 shining greatly    
over the world1 prosperously leads      
mankind unto the ,eternal ,kingdom4     
#beb4 ,after choice that is peerless and
 beyond the world's understanding1 after
 five ,kalpas of musing1 the ,blessed   
,one builded up the ,divine ,promise of 
the ,light and ,life ,infinite4 ,and    
this is the ,essence of ,his ,mercy     
showed upon us4  #bec4 ,the noble mind  
that shall attain unto wisdom in the    

doctrine of the ,pure ,land is the mind 
that fain would become ,buddha1 and it  
is named3 8,the mind that shall save men
 who suffer40  #bed4 ,the mind that     
shall save men is that mind given by the
 high promise of the ,blessed ,one4     
,whoso attaineth unto the faith ,he     
giveth shall be lord of the great       
,nirvana4  #bee4 ,whoso attaineth unto  
the mind that would fain become ,buddha1
 having sought refuge in the gift of the
 ,blessed ,one1 hath no term in his own 
gift of welfare to mankind1 having for  
ever laid down all self-righteousness4  
#bef4 ,according to the all-seeing      
promise of the ,blessed ,one when the   
water of the faith ,he giveth entereth  
the soul1 illusion passeth straight-way 
into wisdom through the virtue of that  
true land of the ,divine ,promise4      
#beg4 ,that man who trusteth in the two 
gifts granted by the ,buddha of         
,infinite ,light1 is raised up into the 
sphere of the ,lesser ,enlightenment1   
and thence hath he the heart that       

dwelleth always on the perfection of the
 ,blessed ,one4  #beh4 ,he that         
attaineth unto the faith that is true   
gift of the promise of wisdom from the  
,blessed ,one1 cometh unto the sphere of
 the ,lesser ,enlightenment1 for he is  
embraced in the arms of the spiritual   
light that is of the ,father ,eternal4  
#bei4 ,fifty-six thousand and seventy   
years shall pass before the ,bodhisattva
 that is ,maitreya shall attain unto the
 ,perfected ,wisdom4 ,but whoso         
embraceth the true faith shall at this  
very time be lord of the great          
,enlightenment4  #bfj4 ,he that hath    
ascended unto the height of the ,lesser 
,enlightenment1 accepting the ,divine   
,promise of the ,holy ,name1 shall enter
 into the ,great ,nirvana1 being made   
equal unto the ,bodhisattva ,maitreya4  
#bfa4 ,he that receiveth the true       
,faith1 and is one with them that return
 no more to birth and death1 shall      
receive the ,perfected ,wisdom1 even as 
that ,bodhisattva ,maitreya that is     

called1 8,he that shall come40  #bfb4   
,and the wise in the age which is called
 ,representative1 having utterly        
renounced all the doctrine of           
self-dependence1 have entered in at the 
gate of the ,holy ,name4 ,for this is   
the way chosen for that ,age4  #bfc4 ,he
 who reciteth the ,holy ,name1 having   
attained unto the true faith1 shall     
unceasingly adore the ,eternal ,father1 
that he may make a return unto ,him for 
,his ,grace4  #bfd4 ,inexplicable and   
unutterable merit shall be given unto   
him who1 living in this sinful world1   
believeth the ,divine ,promise that     
proceedeth from ,his will4  #bfe4 ,for  
the true welfare of men that shall be   
the ,buddha of the ,great ,light hath   
given the holy name of ,wisdom unto the 
,bodhisattva of ,wisdom4  #bff4 ,and    
with great compassion for mankind in    
this evil world the ,bodhisattva of     
,wisdom persuadeth them to believe upon 
the ,holy ,name1 and sweetly welcometh  
the believer that he may lead him into  

the ,land of ,purity4  #bfg4 ,by the    
mercy of our ,lord and of the ,blessed  
,one we are able to attain unto the     
heart that desireth ,buddhahood4 ,at    
that time alone1 when we enter into the 
wisdom of the faith1 shall we be        
ourselves like unto them that would     
return good unto the ,buddha for ,his   
,grace4  #bfh4 ,it is by the strength of
 the ,divine ,promise that we can reach 
unto the holy name of ,wisdom4 ,without 
the wisdom of the faith1 how is it      
possible that we should attain unto the 
,nirvana8  #bfi4 ,the ,divine ,light    
shineth over the ,deep ,night of        
ignorance1 therefore sorrow not that the
 wisdom of your eyes is darkened4 ,the  
holy ,ark is at hand that voyageth over 
the great ocean of birth and death2     
therefore fear not because your sin is  
heavy4  #bgj4 ,great as is the night of 
the ,divine ,promise of our ,salvation1 
so light is the heaviest of our sins4   
,immeasurable is the wisdom of our      
,father1 and therefore they that are    

strong1 as also they that weary1 shall  
never be forgotten4  #bga4 ,our ,father 
hath perfected ,his mercy by uttering   
the ,divine ,promise that giveth all    
,his merit unto man1 that ,he might save
 them that are fast bound unto birth and
 death4  #bgb4 ,yea1 the recitation of  
,his ,holy ,name is given of the        
,blessed ,one4 ,therefore we must not   
offer this unto ,him for the acquirement
 of merit4 ,for this will ,he most      
surely disdain4  #bgc4 ,yea1 verily1    
when the water of the mind of man       
floweth into the great ,ocean of the    
,divine ,promise of the ,perfect ,wisdom
 it is changed and becometh the mind of 
infinite compassion4  #bgd4 ,and the    
,lord saith1 speaking through a certain 
,sutra3  8,my disciples that shall be1  
they that are sinners because of the    
lost way and love of evil things1 it is 
they that shall destroy my holy         
doctrine40  #bge4 ,whoso blasphemeth the
 doctrine of the ,holy ,name shall      
suffer without ceasing1 for he shall    

fall into the depth of the ,hell of     
,avichi for eighty thousands of ,kalpas4
  #bgf4 ,he to whom is given the true   
entrance into the ,true and ,promised   
,land1 by the grace of our ,lord and of 
the ,blessed ,one1 shall be one with    
those men who return no more unto birth 
and death1 and after this transitory    
life attain unto the ,great ,peace4     
#bgg4 ,well may we understand from the  
teaching of the myriad ,buddhas in the  
,ten ,regions--they that protect        
mankind--that the strong mind that      
seeketh enlightenment by self-effort is 
vain and impotent4  #bgh4 ,the ,buddhas 
in the ,ten ,regions1 innumerable as the
 sands of ,ganges1 bear witness that    
very few are there of men in this sinful
 world and decaying time that attain    
unto the true faith4  #bgi4 ,if we      
accept not the two divine gifts1 the    
gift of entering the ,promised ,kingdom1
 and the gift of return into this evil  
world1 then shall the wheel of birth and
 death turn with us for ever4 ,and how  

shall we endure to sink into the sea of 
suffering8  #bhj4 ,whoso believeth the  
marvellous wisdom of that ,blessed ,one1
 shall be joined unto them that return  
no more unto birth and death4 ,and when1
 possessed of excelling knowledge1 such 
a man is born into ,paradise1 soon shall
 he attain unto the ,perfected ,wisdom4 
#bha4 ,it is the sole way unto the      
,promised ,land that man should believe 
the wisdom that is beyond human         
knowledge1 of the ,enlightened ,one4    
,yet it is of all hard things hardest to
 attain unto the ,faith1 the true way   
that leadeth to ,paradise4  #bhb4       
,casting aside the sorrow of birth and  
death1 that sorrow which is timeless in 
its beginning1 ,i hope now solely for   
the ,great ,nirvana4 ,there is no end to
 my thankfulness for the two mighty     
gifts of our ,eternal ,father4  #bhc4   
,few are the believers that shall be    
born into the ,land that is promised1   
but many are they that shall be born    
into the ,temporal ,paradise4 ,because  

the hope that we shall see ,light by our
 own strength is vain1 having no        
foundation1 we have therefore drifted on
 the ocean of birth and death for many  
myriads of ,kalpas4  #bhd4 ,because in  
the gift of the ,holy ,name is a grace  
great and wonderful1 if man attain unto 
the gift of departing1 that of itself   
shall guide him unto the gift of        
returning4  #bhe4 ,through the great    
mercy of the gift of departing shall we 
attain unto the compassion of the gift  
of returning4 ,if it were not the free  
gift of the ,blessed ,one1 how should we
 attain unto wisdom in the ,land of     
,purity4  #bhf4 ,the ,buddha of the     
,infinite ,light1 together with the     
,bodhisattvas of ,compassion and        
,wisdom1 having taken the ,ark of the   
,divine ,promise1 that is voyaging on   
the ocean of birth and death1 have      
gathered and saved mankind therewith4   
#bhg4 ,whoso in heart and soul believeth
 the ,divine ,promise of the ,buddha of 
,infinite ,light must diligently recite 

the ,holy ,name both sleeping and       
waking4  #bhh4 ,those men in the        
hierarchy of ,sages that have trusted   
unto self-effort for the means of       
attaining wisdom1 on entering into the  
heritage of the ,divine ,promise believe
 in it as in the ,reason that           
transcendeth all reason4  #bhi4 ,though 
the teachings of the ,lord stand for    
ever1 yet unto none is it possible to   
follow them in exactness1 and therefore 
is there none that may attain unto      
supreme enlightenment in these last days
 of the falling away4  #bij4 ,in ,india1
 in ,china1 and the land of ,japan1 may 
the many teachers of the doctrine of the
 ,land of ,purity1 with compassion and  
tender acceptance1 persuade mankind to  
strive unto the true faith that they may
 be joined unto those that return no    
more unto birth and death4  #bia4 ,even 
as ,his friends the ,lord commendeth    
those men that1 having attained unto the
 true faith taught of the ,blessed ,one 
unto us1 dwell within the joy of        

holiness4  #bib4 ,it is very meet that  
our souls rejoice exceedingly in the    
grace of the great compassion of the    
,buddha4 ,yea1 even to the extinction of
 the body4 ,and for the gracious giving 
of our spiritual teachers we must in    
like manner rejoice1 yea1 though our    
very bones be broken4   ,,concerning    
,,belief ,,and ,,doubt  #bic4 ,whoso    
comprehendeth not the wisdom of the     
,enlightened ,one1 and doubteth         
concerning ,his illumination1 shall rise
 no higher than the ,outermost ,places1 
for he hath trusted in the power of     
,reward1 and hath relied upon the       
principle of morality4  #bid4 ,whoso    
doubteth the wisdom of the ,enlightened 
,one--that wisdom beyond all human      
understanding--and reciteth the ,holy   
,name1 trusting in the merit of himself1
 shall not rise beyond the outermost    
bounds of the ,pure ,land that is the   
,temporal ,paradise1 for he hath not the
 grace of right thankfulness for ,his   
,compassion4  #bie4 ,whoso shall accept 

the doctrine of rewards and doubteth the
 wisdom of ,him that hath ,light that   
surpasseth all knowledge of man1 shall  
be made captive in ,doubting ,castle1   
and the three jewels of the faith shall 
no more be his4  #bif4 ,for his sin1 in 
that he hath doubted the wisdom of the  
,enlightened ,one1 shall he remain in   
the ,outermost ,places of the ,land of  
,purity4 ,and for as much as we are     
taught that the sin of doubt is         
grievous1 we are also instructed that he
 must there dwell for many ,kalpas4     
#big4 ,if the prince committeth a sin   
against his ,father1 even the           
,chakravarti1 the ,king1 he is fettered 
as a prisoner1 though the chain be of   
gold4  #bih4 ,whoso reciteth the ,holy  
,name1 and so doeth as a work of        
self-merit1 shall be bound in the prison
 of the sevenfold gems1 for he believeth
 not right by the divine promise of that
 ,holy ,one1 and heavy is the sin of his
 doubting4  #bii4 ,yet he even that hath
 a doubting soul and sinneth the sin of 

self-merit1 must needs strive to        
comprehend the merciful goodness of the 
,blessed ,one1 and he shall recite the  
,holy ,name if he would at all be       
equalled unto him that holdeth the true 
faith4  #cjj4 ,it is the ,law that he   
who soweth shall reap what he soweth1   
therefore the man that is full of       
righteous deeds for the sake of         
self-merit shall enter into the prison  
of the sevenfold gems1 for he doubteth  
the marvellous wisdom of ,him that hath 
the ,light4  #cja4 ,whoso doubteth of   
the wisdom of ,him that hath ,light     
beyond the imagining of man1 and        
trusteth to the root of goodness and    
virtue--he shall not attain unto the    
,soul of ,great ,mercy1 for he is born  
into the ,outermost ,places of          
,paradise1 and slow and dull of heart is
 he4  #cjb4 ,among those men that doubt 
the ,holy ,word1 some are imprisoned in 
the shut bud of the ,lotus4 ,and they   
shall be despised as they that in       
illusion are born into the outermost    

,paradise or are held captive within the
 narrow walls of the womb4  #cjc4 ,whoso
 doubteth the omniscience of the wisdom 
of the ,light-,bearer1 but holdeth to   
his belief in ,reward1 excellent        
ofttimes in making the root of goodness 
to grow1  #cjd4 ,because he doubteth the
 wisdom of the ,eternal ,wisdom1 and is 
held captive as in the strait prison of 
the womb1 hath neither knowledge nor    
wisdom1 and is compared unto a man      
straitly bound in captivity4  #cje4 ,he 
that is born into the outermost place1  
all glorious with the sevenfold jewels1 
shall not in five hundred years behold  
that three-fold jewel1 the ,tri-ratna1  
for there is in him no spiritual        
well-doing1 that he should give it unto 
his fellow-men4  #cjf4 ,to him who is   
born into the ,palace1 glorious with the
 seven jewels1 for five hundred years   
there shall befall many sorts of sorrows
 from his own evil doing4  #cjg4 ,whoso 
hopeth reward and maketh to flourish the
 root of goodness1 shall remain in the  

transitory ,paradise1 for though he be a
 good man1 yet hath he a doubting heart4
  #cjh4 ,because he accepteth not the   
,divine ,promise of ,him who is the     
,light unspeakable1 and carrieth his    
doubt with him unto ,paradise1 therefore
 the shut flower of his heart openeth   
not1 therefore is he unshapen as a child
 in the womb4  #cji4 ,when he perceiveth
 the ,land of ,purity1 the ,bodhisattva 
,maitreya thus questioneth the ,holy    
,one1 saying1 8,what is the cause and   
what the circumstance of that man who1  
having been born1 yet remaineth as it   
were straitened in the womb8  #caj4 ,and
 thus spake the ,lord unto the          
,bodhisattva ,maitreya saying1  8,whoso 
trusteth in the root of goodness that he
 himself maketh to grow and hath a      
doubting soul1 he it is that is in the  
outermost places of the ,paradise1 he it
 is that is said to be straitened still 
in the womb of ignorance40  #caa4 ,he   
who doubteth the wisdom of ,him that is 
all ,light1 shall for his sin be made   

captive until five hundred years be     
gone1 and this is called the conception 
within the womb of ignorance4  #cab4    
,whoso doubteth the wisdom that is      
beyond man's understanding1 and hath    
believed the doctrine of reward1 shall  
of a certainty be born within ,doubting 
,castle1 and this is called conception  
within the womb of ignorance4  #cac4    
,whoso trusteth upon self-righteousness 
rather than upon the wisdom of the      
,enlightened ,one that is beyond man's  
knowledge1 shall be conceived within the
 womb of ignorance1 and to him shall the
 mercy of the ,three ,jewels be unknown4
  #cad4 ,whoso doubteth the wisdom of   
the ,enlightened ,one that surpasseth   
all knowledge of man and trusteth in the
 hope of reward1 and would attain unto  
birth in ,paradise by making the root of
 goodness to grow1 shall be straitened  
in the womb of ignorance4  #cae4 ,heavy 
is the sin of doubting the wisdom of the
 ,buddha4 ,he who is instructed taketh  
refuge in the wonderful wisdom of the   

,enlightened ,one1 being in contrition  
for his foolishness4  ,these            
twenty-three psalms above-written are   
made by me that men should know the     
heaviness of their sin in doubting the  
,divine ,promise of the ,buddha of      
,infinite ,light4   ,,in ,,praise ,,of  
,,prince ,,shotoku  #caf4 ,through the  
compassion of ,shotoku the great prince 
we1 having accepted the ,divine ,promise
 sprung from the unsearchable wisdom of 
the ,illuminated ,one1 are made equal   
unto ,maitreya4 ,bodhisattva--the       
,buddha that shall be--having been      
united unto those men who return no more
 to birth and death4  #cag4 ,the mighty 
,bodhisattva of ,compassion1 he who is  
the ,saviour1 was made manifest in this 
world as ,shotoku the ,prince1 who1 like
 a father1 hath not forsaken us1 and    
like a mother is ever amongst us4  #cah4
 ,from that past where was no beginning 
until the day that now is1 hath ,shotoku
 the great prince1 the ,compassionate1  
dwelt among us like unto a father and a 

mother4  #cai4 ,shotoku the ,prince1    
from his ,compassion1 hath persuaded us 
to enter in at the ,divine ,promise of  
the wondrous wisdom of the              
,light-,bearer4 ,and through this are we
 joined unto those men who return no    
more unto birth and death4  #cbj4 ,whoso
 attaineth unto the holy faith that is  
the power of divinity1 must1 in the ,ten
 ,regions of the world1 find the twofold
 gift of the ,enlightened ,one1 that he 
may live in thankfulness for ,his grace4
  #cba4 ,shotoku1 he who is mercy's     
self1 the ,compassionate1 he who is like
 unto a father1 and the ,bodhisattva of 
,mercy1 the divine tenderness1 his      
succour is merciful as the pity of a    
mother4  #cbb4 ,testimony is there that 
,shotoku the prince hath mercy upon us1 
from the myriads of ,kalpas even unto   
this day1 because the wondrous wisdom of
 ,him who is ,light beareth the load of 
his debt for the believer4  ,therefore  
before the eyes of ,his wisdom is the   
evil as the good1 the pure as the       

unclean4  #cbc4 ,shotoku1 the ,prince1  
he that is in ,japan called the ,lord of
 ,teaching1 he whose great mercy        
overtops all spoken words of gratitude1 
must we therefore praise for evermore1  
having with single heart sought refuge  
in him4  #cbd4 ,he who hath pitied the  
dwellers in the lands of ,japan1 the    
,prince of ,jogu1 he whose ways are     
merciful1 hath spread abroad the ,divine
 ,promise of the ,enlightened ,one4     
,therefore let us praise him with great 
rejoicing4 ,throughout the many myriads 
of ,kalpas1 birth after birth fell      
hitherto upon us4  #cbe4 ,we to whom he 
showed forth his compassion must be     
swift to praise him1 having continually 
sought refuge in him1 and with a single 
mind4  #cbf4 ,the high ,prince ,shotoku1
 he who hath guarded us and with great  
carefulness led us upwards from remotest
 times1 hath lovingly entreated us to   
seek our refuge in the two-fold gift of 
the ,enlightened ,one4   ,,wherein      
,,with ,,lamentation ,i ,,make ,,my     

,,confession  #cbg4 ,though ,i seek my  
refuge in the true faith of the ,pure   
,land1  ,yet hath not mine heart been   
truly sincere4  ,deceit and untruth are 
in my flesh1  ,and in my soul is no     
clear shining4  #cbh4 ,in their outward 
seeming are all men diligent and truth  
speaking1  ,but in their souls are greed
 and eager and unjust deceitfulness1    
,and in their flesh do lying and cunning
 triumph4  #cbi4 ,too strong for me is  
the evil of my heart4 ,i cannot overcome
 it4  ,therefore is my soul like unto   
the poison of serpents1  ,even my       
righteous deeds1 being mingled with this
 poison1 must be named the deeds of     
deceitfulness4  #ccj4 ,shameless though 
,i be and having no truth in my soul1   
,yet the virtue of the ,holy ,name1 the 
gift of ,him that is enlightened1  ,is  
spread throughout the world through my  
words being as ,i am4  #cca4 ,there is  
no mercy in my soul4  ,the good of my   
fellow-man is not dear in mine eyes4    
,if it were not for the ,ark of ,mercy1 

the divine promise of the ,infinite     
,wisdom1  ,how should ,i cross the      
,ocean of ,misery8  #ccb4 ,i1 whose mind
 is filled with cunning and deceit as   
the poison of reptiles1 am impotent to  
practise righteous deeds4  ,if ,i sought
 not refuge in the gift of our ,father1 
,i should die the death of the          
shameless4  #ccc4 ,it is a token of this
 evil age that in this world the        
priests1 together with the people1  ,in 
secret serve strange gods1  ,while      
bearing the appearance of the devout    
sons of ,buddha4  #ccd4 ,sad and corrupt
 is it that the priests and people1     
following after the superstitions of    
auspicious times and days1 seek         
sooth-saying and festivals  ,and worship
 the gods of heaven and earth4  #cce4   
,though ,i have heard that the names of 
priest and monk are honourable1  ,yet   
now are they held as light as the five  
shameless precepts of ,devadatta4  #ccf4
 ,being of one accord with the many     
minds of the heathen1  ,they bow in     

worship before devils1  ,while yet      
wearing the robe of the ,buddha4  #ccg4 
,sad and sorrowful is it that all the   
priests and people now in the land of   
,yamato should worship the devils of    
heaven and earth1 in the name of the    
holy mysteries of the ,buddha4  #cch4   
,it is a mark of the downward way of    
this evil age that men despise the name 
of priest or monk as a mean thing1      
considering them like unto slaves4      
#cci4 ,may they yet bring offerings with
 homage unto the priests1 even as you do
 unto ,saliputra or ,mahamonugalyayana1 
those two great servants of the ,lord2  
though they are priests but in name and 
without discipline1 for this is the time
 of degeneration and of the last days4  
#cdj4 ,though sin hath no substance in  
itself1 and is but the shadow of our    
illusion1 and soul is in itself pure1   
yet in all this world is there no       
sincere man4  #cda4 ,great sorrow is it 
that1 in the wicked world of this age   
now so near its end1 the high priests   

who are born in the palankin1 and the   
monks who bear it now in ,nara and      
,mount ,hiyei1 desire high secular rank 
as the greatest honour4  #cdb4 ,that    
they consider the monk and nun as their 
slaves1 and mock at the honourable title
 of priest and minister1 even as at the 
mean name of slave1 gives testimony that
 they despise the teaching of the       
,buddha4  ,these sixteen psalms written 
above are written by me1 ,gutoku1 with  
lamentation1 to be a record4 ,to me even
 the honourable priests and monks of the
 ,central ,temples seem now to be       
despised4   ,,additional ,,psalms  #cdc4
 ,having fulfilled forty and eight of   
the ,divine ,promise1  ,he attained unto
 the supreme enlightenment1 and was     
manifest as the ,buddha of ,infinite    
,light4  ,whoso seeketh refuge with ,him
 shall be certainly born into the ,land 
of ,purity4  #cdd4 ,into the ,promised  
,land--the ,paradise of the ,great      
,calm4  ,he who practiseth the righteous
 deeds of the mingled motive hath no    

claim of birth1  ,therefore ,he that is 
,infinite would have us follow the deeds
 of the single practice that is chosen  
of ,him as teaching that is at the root4
  #cde4 ,the merit of ,his holy         
austerities throughout the myriads of   
,kalpas is fully declared in his name of
 ,amida 7the ,infinite74  ,and the ,holy
 ,name1 after the consideration of five 
,kalpas1  ,will be accorded unto us who 
are alive in this degenerated age4      
#cdf4 ,because action1 speech1 and mind 
of the ,infinite ,life and the believer 
in the ,holy ,name are welded as into a 
diamond1 therefore shall he certainly be
 one with the men that return no more   
unto birth and death4  #cdg4 ,he that   
hath much knowledge and keepeth the     
,pure ,land is not chosen1  ,and whoso  
breaketh the ,holy ,law and sinneth is  
not disdained4  ,only he that seeketh   
refuge in the ,eternal ,father shall    
enter into ,buddhahood as a pebble is   
transmuted into gold4  #cdh4 ,our faith 
that endureth as the diamond cometh from

 the mind of the ,buddha that eternally 
endureth4  ,lacking the aid of the      
,divine ,power1 how should we attain    
unto the unchanging mind8  #cdi4 ,in the
 great ocean of the ,divine ,promise    
,is there no ripple of illusion4  ,if we
 enter into the ark of the ,holy ,vow1  
,the spirit of mercy shall take part    
with our self-endeavour4  #cej4 ,since  
we have believed the ,divine ,promise1  
,how is it possible we should be in the 
power of life or death8  ,unchanged may 
be our sinful body1  ,but our heart is  
in the ,paradise for ever4              
,transcriber's ,note3 ,numbering went   
#cjg1 #cjh1 #cjg1 #caj 4 4 4 fixed