Shinjin
Shinjin (信心) is a central concept in Japanese Pure Land Buddhism which indicates a state of mind which totally entrusts oneself to Amida Buddha's other-power (Japanese: tariki), having utterly abandoned any form of self effort (J: jiriki) or calculation (J: hakarai).
[3][4] Shinran's concept of shinjin is rooted in the concept of faith found in Indian Pure Land scriptures and in the teachings of the Chinese Pure Land Buddhist masters Tanluan and Shandao, who also emphasized the importance of faith in Amitābha Buddha.
The term prasanna-cittā appears in a key passage of the Amitayus Sutra which discusses the 18th vow of Amitabha Buddha (when he was Dharmakara bodhisattva).
[10]In Bodhiruci's translation of Vasubandhu's Upadeśa on the Sūtra of Amitāyus Buddha (無量壽經優波提舍), the term 信心 is used in the following passage:How does one contemplate?
[15] According to Tanluan, reciting the names of the Buddha Amitabha has the power to eliminate ignorance and satisfy all of one's aspirations.
[16] The "Three Minds" are found in Shandao’s extant works, like his commentary on the Amitayus Contemplation Sutra (Guan Wuliangshou Jing 觀無量壽經) and in his Hymns in Praise of Birth (Wangsheng Lizan Ji, 往生礼讃).
According to Shandao, the "Three Minds" represent three qualities necessary for practitioners seeking birth in the Pure Land of Amitābha Buddha.
Hōnen 法然 (1133–1212), the founder of Jōdo-shū and Shinran's teacher, discussed the idea of Shinjin basing himself on the teaching of Shandao about the threefold mind (sanshin 三心 ).
[2] However, the term Shinjin is particularly associated with the Jōdo Shinshū teaching of Shinran, in which it becomes the central and singular element of a person's liberation.
[19] Hōnen explains the threefold mind as follows: Put succinctly, the Three-fold Devotional Heart is nothing more than just the earnest desire for birth in the Pure Land.
One's desire to be born in that Pure Land and to transfer one's accumulated merits of practice and wholesome deeds for Ojo (birth in the Pure Land) are called the "Heart Aspiring Ojo through the Transference of Merit."
[20]Furthermore, according to Hōnen, the triple mind is "the heart of the essential vow, which Amida Buddha made when he was a bodhisattva Dharmakara".
[21] He also writes that it is not necessary to have some deep scholarly understanding to develop this faith, since:The threefold devotional heart was designed for even the most ignorant.
"[22] The threefold heart of faith which encompasses wisdom is developed gradually through study of the Pure Land scriptures.
The threefold heart of practice meanwhile is "devotion in the recitation of nembutsu, unshakable faith, and aspiration for birth in the Pure Land.
[23] For Shinran, Shinjin represented a radical interpretation of faith as total reliance on Amitābha (Jp: Amida) Buddha’s saving vow, contrasting with the traditional Buddhist emphasis on self-power (jiriki 自力) practices such as meditation and ethical perfection.
In Shinran's Jōdo Shinshū tradition of Pure Land, shinjin denotes an absolute and singular entrustment in Amitābha’s Primal Vow (Jp: hongan), which promises salvation to all beings who sincerely call upon his name (Nembutsu).
[4][25] Thus, Shinjin has other dimensions besides devotion and trust, including a joyful aspect, aspiration, lack of doubt, and wisdom or discernment.
Shinran taught that true Shinjin is not self-generated but rather is a gift of grace granted by Amitābha, who is always calling out to beings to guide them to the Pure Land.
[27] Shinran emphasized that Shinjin is not something that can be cultivated or forced through personal effort; rather, it is an expression of Amitābha’s compassion and power (tariki 他力, "other-power").
[4] Thus, on hearing the Pure Land teachings, shinjin can arise as a complete surrender to Amitābha's vow as a sense of relying solely on other-power without any calculation, contrivance (Jp: hakarai) or self effort on the devotee's part.
[26] This means that making strenuous effort to perform Buddhist practices (such as good works, precepts, intensive chanting of nembutsu, etc) are not actually helpful in attaining shinjin and birth in the Pure Land.
[26] Indeed, for Shinran, once Shinjin is attained, further practices or rites are not necessary for rebirth in the Pure Land, as the practitioner’s liberation is already assured through Amitābha’s vow.
This teaching diverges significantly from traditional Buddhist practice models and emphasizes a form of Pure Land Buddhism that is available to all, regardless of their spiritual capacity, since it does not rely on personal effort or skill.
It only means that those with Shinjin perform traditional Pure Land practices, like recitation of nembutsu and chanting sutras, out of a sense of gratitude to Amitabha.
They therefore practice spontaneously and naturally, not out of a sense of calculation or out of a feeling that they need to do so to attain some kind of result like birth in the Pure Land.
According to Shinran, for a person with shinjin, the act of saying the nembutsu is actually done by the Buddha's vow power, not by their own intent.
[30] Regarding what kind of attitude one should have while reciting the nembutsu, Shinran also writes that the Pure Land Buddhist should "thinking of the Buddha's benevolence, devote himself to the nembutsu in order to respond with gratitude for that benevolence, and should hope for peace in the world and the spread of the Buddha Dharma.
[27][30] This inner transformation is described by Shinran who writes "when we entrust ourselves to the Tathagata's Primal Vow, we, who are like bits of tile and pebbles, are turned into gold".
This is expressed as “the oneness in ‘namu- amida-butsu’ of the person and dharma [ki-hō ittai no namu-amida-butsu 機法一体の南 無阿弥陀仏 ].
