Pre- Chomon Reflections 2

thinking some more about the question and having talked it through with friends, i'm left wondering if this feeling and urge that i could be doing more or that i'm not doing enough or that there's a conclusion i must come to lying cruelly just beyond my reach is born out of mistakenly viewing Amida's light as constrained or bound by a fixed point in time, missing the crucial point that he is the Buddha of Infinite Light. holding the idea that if i could just find an answer then i will be able to bring this light closer towards me and keep a hold of it in my day to day life. but in being distracted by looking for an answer i'm thus failing to realise there's no need to bring this light closer to me because in the words of  Shinran -

with the light of the sun or moon, when something has come between, the light does not reach us. Amida's light, however, being unobstructed by things, shines on all sentient beings; hence the expression, "Buddha of unhindered light." Amida's light is unhindered by sentient beings' minds of blind passions and karmic evil; hence the expression, "Buddha of unhindered light."

- Mida Nyorai Myogotoku


but that still leaves the admonishment of Rennyo to make Buddhadharma fundamental to one's life. how does this fit? in Seikaku's Yuishinsho we find the following -


Suppose that there is a man at the bottom of a tall cliff unable to climb it, but there is a strong man on the cliff above who lowers a rope and, thinking to have the man at the bottom take hold of it, tells him he will draw him up to the top. However, the man at the bottom holds his arms back and refuses to take the rope, doubting the strength of the man pulling and fearing that the rope is weak. Thus it is altogether impossible for him to climb to the top. If he unhesitatingly followed the man's words, stretched out his hands and grasped the rope, he would be able to climb at once. It is difficult for people who doubt the Buddha's power and who do not entrust themselves to the power of the Vow to climb the cliff of enlightenment. One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.

One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.


namu amida butsu