Here we have a sequence of 7 wasan, ending the final four of the wasan on Nagarjuna, and beginning the first 3 on Vasubandhu. These primarily refer to comparing our current situation as limited beings to the Buddha's wisdom, and asking us to awaken to the latter.

7

The ocean of birth-and-death, of painful existence, has no bound;
Only by the ship of Amida’s universal Vow
Can we, who have long been drowning,
Unfailingly be brought across it.

In the first line we hear that the ocean of birth-and-death, i.e. samsara, has no bound. That means, that if we simply endure it, we will not leave it, and in fact anything we do within it will not help us reach a limit of it. The ocean of birth-and-death is also our mind as foolish, limited beings, and therefore nothing we can do from our own limited perspective can lead to an escape from that ocean of birth-and-death, since it is itself the ocean. However, if the greater light of the Buddha's wisdom shines in, then we are unfailingly saved, since it is not itself the boundless ocean of birth-and-death.

8

The Commentary on the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra states:
The Tathagata is the supreme dharma-king;
With bodhisattvas as dharma-vassals,
The person to be deeply revered is the World-honored one.

Here we see a monarchical relationship established from Nagarjuna's Commentary on the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra. That sutra is primarily about prajnaparamita, that is, the perfection of wisdom, and thus discusses the wisdom-eye of a bodhisattva. However, we are instead directed to consider it in a primarily reverential way here, placing practitioners of the Dharma, bodhisattvas, as subjects of Buddha, the king of the truth. Therefore we are asked to place our ultimate respect in the Buddha himself, as the ultimate principle, rather than any of his various followers.

9

All the bodhisattvas state:
“When we were in the causal stage,
We passed through countless kalpas
Performing the myriad good acts and practices,

10

But the attachments of affection were extremely hard to sever,
And birth-and-death was extremely difficult to exhaust.
Only by practicing the nembutsu-samadhi
Could we eliminate the obstructions of karmic evil and gain liberation.”

Myriad good acts and practises refers to attempting to attain the mind of the Buddha by actions within the limited, foolish self. Only by letting the light of the Buddha-wisdom shine in from the outside were any of the bodhisattvas able to actually attain enlightenment.

Here ends the Hymns on
Bodhisattva Nagarjuna

Bodhisattva Vasubandhu

Ten Hymns based on his Writings

11

Sakyamuni’s teachings are numerous,
But Bodhisattva Vasubandhu compassionately urges us,
Who are possessed of blind passions,
To take refuge in Amida’s universal Vow.

Even though Shakyamuni taught many various methods and paths, we are still urged to take the easy way. Shakyamuni only established those other paths for the sake of those who cannot yet take refuge in the easy way, and insist on making various efforts to try and move from the limited mind into the Buddha-mind.

12

The adornments of the Pure Land of peace
Are perceived only through the wisdom shared by Buddhas.
That land is infinite, like space,
Vast and without bounds.

Once again with our limited mind we can't grasp the Pure Land (enlightenment), and if it were not for the light penetrating in from the outside due to Amida's compassion, we would be forever stuck in a finite perspective based on false discriminations. This penetrating light allows us to receive the Buddha's wisdom, thereby allowing us to see the nirvana.

13

Of those who encounter the power of the Primal Vow,
Not one passes by in vain;
They are filled with the treasure ocean of virtues,
The defiled waters of their blind passions not separated from it.

When we become aware of the Other Power of Amida Buddha, that is, the compassionate working of the truly enlightened mind on our troublesome daily lives, we don't lose our daily lives. That is, the Buddha is reaching into our lives, to make us aware of the greater working. Therefore, even though we swim in the defiled waters of blind passions, of our limited self, when the light shines in we don't depart from those waters. Instead, our water is contained in the greater ocean of Buddha-wisdom, "the treasure ocean of virtues".

This is the meaning of the nembutsu, "namo amida butsu". Namo is the small, limited self, one person's perspective based on needs, greeds, delusions, illusions. "amida butsu" means the Buddha Amida, the reality of wisdom beyond our limited self. In the nembutsu namo is not negated by the Amida. It is not "cast off the limited self, attain Buddhahood". Instead, it is namo and Amida together, conjoined by the indiscriminating wisdom-mind, bestowed upon all by the Name itself.