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Shōzōmatsu Wasan 32–37

24th of November 2023

32
The Buddha of Unhindered Light declared:
“To benefit the sentient beings of the future,
I entrust the nembutsu of wisdom
To Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta.”

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of wisdom, explained that he attained enlightenment through the nembutsu. That is, he attained enlightenment according to the "entrusting of the nembutsu of wisdom" from Amida to him.

33
Full of compassion for the sentient beings of this defiled world,
Mahasthamaprapta encourages us to say the nembutsu;
He embraces the people of shinjin
And brings them into the Pure Land.

Embraces: takes in and holds.

Further we hear of Mahasthamaprapta encouraging us to recite the nembutsu according to the sutra. This is directly an expression of Amida's compassionate vow, the 17th vow, where all bodhisattvas and Buddhas will preach the Other Power nembutsu. The hymn says that Mahasthamaprapta brings us into the Pure Land, rather than Amida. The reason for this is because in the realm of shinjin, i.e. true reality, which is the Other Power nembutsu teaching received through the 18th vow, non-dualism between all Buddhas and sentient beings is totally realised. Note I was also just informed that Mahasthamaprapta is one of Amida's attendants, but I will leave my explanation. Embraces, is also an interesting point, "takes in and holds" means we can't break free.

34
Through the compassion of Sakyamuni and Amida,
We have been brought to realize the mind that seeks to attain Buddhahood.
It is by entering the wisdom of shinjin
That we become persons who respond in gratitude to the Buddha’s benevolence.

l.1: know that we receive true shinjin through their guidance.
Mind that seeks to attain Buddhahood: the mind that entrusts to [Amida’s] Vow to become Buddha; the aspiration for supreme enlightenment in the Pure Land path.
Wisdom of shinjin: know that since Amida’s Vow is wisdom, the emergence of the mind of entrusting oneself to it is the arising of wisdom.

Shakyamuni preached the teaching, but he was caused to do so by Amida. We are brought to realise the mind that aspires to realise the nembutsu teaching, somehow brought to it through their compassion? Why? Is it simply because without the vow we would not have heard of it? Or are we actually pushed to our entrusting? How does onw "enter the wisdom of shinjin"? The note explains that the vow itself is shinjin.

35
It is by the power of Dharmakara’s Vow
That we realize the nembutsu that is wisdom;
Were it not for the wisdom of shinjin,
How could we attain nirvana?

Nembutsu that is wisdom: this is said because one attains Buddhahood through Amida’s Vow.
Attain nirvana: become true Buddha.

This passage highlights the futility of trying with our own efforts to attain the cosmically difficult perfect enlightenment. In the nembutsu teaching there are never hurdles, challenges, or obstacles, since Dharmakara's power is so great that Amida is totally unobstructed. Nembutsu is equated with wisdom, but the note takes away some punch from it.

36
It is a great torch in the long night of ignorance;
Do not sorrow that your eyes of wisdom are dark.
It is a ship on the vast ocean of birth-and-death;
Do not grieve that your obstructions of karmic evil are heavy.

Great torch: Amida’s Primal Vow is likened to a torch.

The note says the vow is likened to a torch bu also Amida is infinite light. Of course his vow is also an expression of this light. Is the vow the torch or is Amida, or both? Even sorrowing for our own lack of wisdom eyes is possible because the Dharma was dispensed, but we are told not to sorrow for this, because really we are seeing Amida even when we see the darkness. True darkness is not even possible anymore, now Amida's vow is in action. The ship analogy reminds us of Nagarjuna's "easy path". Amida's boat is so excellent that no matter how big the waves of karmic evil, the boat cannot be rocked. It is like Christ walking on the water.

37
The power of the Vow is without limit;
Thus, even our karmic evil, deep and heavy, is not oppressive.
The Buddha’s wisdom is without bounds;
Thus, even those of distracted minds and self-indulgence are not abandoned.

l.1: the Buddha’s power is without limit.
l.2: we should not think the obstructions of our karmic evil to be too deep and heavy.
l.3: know that the Buddha’s wisdom is vast and without limit.
l.4: we should know that we will go to the Pure Land regardless of the distraction and evil of our minds.

This is already fully commentated by the notes. Again, the theme is how Amida cannot be obstructed.

Joe Bentley