In the Contemplation Sutra, it talks about nembutsu samadhi. What exactly is nembutsu samadhi? How do you achieve it? How do you go about visualizing the Pure Land, the bodhisattva, and Amida?

Nembutsu Samadhi is Nembutsu Meditation, which takes several forms.

In the Contemplation Sutra, it refers to a type of meditation using visualization. In particular, one is supposed to meditate on “seeing” what the Pure Land is like—sights, sounds, smells and everything. The Pure Land is often described as the “Land” of utmost bliss.

By visualizing the Pure Land, one should desire, all the more, wanting to be born (or re-born) there. So, one tries to visualize the perfection of the Pure Land, which is so far beyond this world of Samsara (world of change).

Shinran acknowledged the role that the Contemplation Sutra plays in the development of Pure Land Buddhism, but he did not directly say that we should be concerned with things like Nembutsu Samadhi.

Shinran considered such practices as interesting, but had to be considered as selfpower practices which did not necessarily directly assist us in accepting the Wisdom and Compassion that is Amida Buddha.

Some of the other forms of Nembutsu Samadhi are:

• to continuously recite the Nembutsu (saying Namu Amida Butsu) and counting the number of times it is repeated
• to constantly walk around a statue of Amida Buddha for 100 days, with only one hour a day as rest while reciting the Nembutsu
• to perform certain esoteric rituals.

Gassho (with palms together), Rev. Ron

I was reading that you are not supposed to mix the Nembutsu with other Buddhist and other religious practices. I used to do tai chi and yoga. I would like to do them as exercises. I was wondering, if you didn’t follow their practices and beliefs, could you do them? Or do you have to give them up?

Shinran was very clear, the only practice is Nembutsu. Not only that, but a specific kind of Nembutsu practice. Only the Tariki (Other Power) Nembutsu— that was not mixed with meditative practices and non-meditative practices—would lead one to the Pure Land.

Only by acknowledging and accepting one’s own limitations can one ever hope to receive Shinjin (Awakening), and this is to realize all efforts and practices are fruitless.

One prepares to receive the gift of Wisdom and Compassion. However, in order to “best select” the pure Nembutsu practice of Shinran, one has to have many experiences and probably much experimentation.

For most people, it is only by having a lot of experiences that they are able to not only select “my practice” but also to have the wisdom to find my “best” practice.

I like the idea of “best select” because we come to make a choice only after much thought, experience and insight. And when one can discard the Ego-Self enough to receive.

Doing tai chi or yoga or anything is fine. It is part of making each of us a more wellrounded person. Of course, doing these kinds of exercise is fine, and it might add to your experiences in being more human, and more of an ordinary person.

Gassho (with palms together), Rev. Ron

What are some common examples of “self power” that you see from other people? If you keep Amida Buddha in mind and just live your life, is that considered “other power”? What should we watch out for to keep “other power” from becoming “self power”?

The most common examples of “self power” is probably those people who think something like Zen meditation will cause their Enlightenment. (Serious Zen teachers know that “other power,” or at least, something beyond ourselves is needed.)

The other common self power practice is just thinking that one can just practice something and become the next Buddha (the ultimate ego trip).

A Shin Buddhist knows that everything that we do is self power and, thus, just wasted energy. Only by admitting one’s limitations can we allow other power to even enter into our lives.

Other power enters our lives without any effort on our part. It just happens (thus shinjin is called a “crosswise transcendent” experience. It happens suddenly and without any effort, it just happens).

Another way of looking at it is: everything before shinjin is self power and, after shinjin, one can look back and see that it was meant to be because it led up to the experience of shinjin.

Maybe, all those self-power efforts were needed so that the causes and conditions could come about to accept shinjin.

To accept shinjin is so difficult because our ego keeps getting in the way, and we continue to reject the gift of shinjin.

As for the second part of your question—Is just living life considered other power—the answer is yes and no.

Yes, because when we live our lives naturally and freely, with mindfulness and kindness, then we are setting up the causes and conditions for shinjin.

No, because we are attached to our ego, and we seek shinjin. The more we seek, the more elusive.

Gassho (with palms together), Rev. Ron