Shinran’s Intent – Never Say the Nembutsu as Filial Piety
― From the Perspective of Buddhist Views on Morality

On November 13th, we will participate in the Eitaikyō (Perpetual Sutra) Memorial Service, inviting Rev. Ryuta Furumoto as a speaker from the Senshin Buddhist temple. Eitaikyō is a contraction of a longer word (Eitai-dokkyō) that means “perpetual (eitai) chanting (doku) of sutras (kyō).” During this special service, we wish the sutras to be chanted perpetually and the Buddhist teaching to carry on to the next generations. At the same time, we appreciate our loved ones who left before us to share the joy of Nembutsu with us. If a Buddhist family raised you, you saw your grandparents chanting and placing their palms together for gassho in front of the family Obutsudan (altar). 

In the Tannishō, Chapter Five, Shinran makes an astounding statement. He said he has never said the Nembutsu as an expression of filial piety. What does this mean about his feelings toward his parents? He explains below:

I, Shinran, have not once said the Nembutsu for the sake of fulfilling my obligation of filial piety toward my late parents.

The reason is that all sentient beings have been my parents and my brothers and my sisters during my innumerable part lives. When I become a Buddha in the next life, I must save every one of them.

If the Nembutsu were a good act which we could perform by our own efforts, we could direct the merit that we acquire by saying it toward saving our parents. But since this is not the case, we should discard self-power and attain Buddhahood quickly. Then, through supernatural abilities and expedient means, we will be able to save all beings, beginning with those with whom we have past bonds, no matter what kind of karmic suffering they may be experiencing in the six realms of mortal existence and the four modes of birth.

(Tannishō, Chapter Five)

Attaining birth in Buddha’s realm after physical death was a big deal in the Japanese medieval religious world and Pure Land Buddhism. How could people accomplish that? There have been various practices. A professional monk could take a challenging path, such as a 90-days constant meditation samadhi practice or 1,000-day marathon monk practice, aiming at emancipation and enlightenment while alive. They could also accumulate their meritorious virtues to ensure their Buddhahood and share their virtues with their parents, relatives, and friends.

What about ordinary people in the secular world? Were they completely locked out of birth in the Buddha’s realm? Shinran and his teacher Honen have guided ordinary people to the Amida’s universal vow promising to liberate all sentient beings non-discriminately and equally, and attain birth in the Amida’s realm of immeasurable wisdom and compassion.

In the early Kamakura era in the 12th century, Confucianism and Taoism were introduced in Japan, influencing Honen and Shinran. Both teachings believed that the family unit was incredibly important, and parents must have piety towards their children and their parents. Parents and children have complementary positions and responsibilities within the family. 

Shinran questioned restricting religious filial piety to family, reflecting the Amida’s universal vow to liberate all regardless of relatedness. Here is the quote from the Discourse Discerning the Right (Benshōron) written by Fa-lin (法琳, 572-640) that questioned this aspect of Taoism, referencing Shinran’s Transformed Buddhas and Lands volume in the Kyogyoshinsho.

A Buddhist Sutra states that the roots of consciousness transmigrate through the six paths. There are none who at some times are not father or mother. Transforming through the three worlds of birth and death, who will distinguish enemy or friend? It also states that while they still travel through birth and death and commit acts in their comings and goings, because ignorance covers the eyes of wisdom, beings are mutually fathers and sons, and acquaintances are often friends or enemies, while enemies and friends are often acquaintances. Therefore, the monk abandons secular life and betakes him to the truth. 

This was the underlying meaning when Shinran stated that he had never once said the Nembutsu to his parents. He wanted to emphasize the Buddhist universalism that transcends all societal, political, and cultural barriers. We are all one in Amida’s universal vow. Shinran also went further than the traditional Buddhism of his time, stressing that we cannot liberate others even though we wish to do so because the final liberation is the work of Amida Buddha. It is essential to see the relationship between those two reasons that Shinran rejects reciting the Nembutsu in filial piety. 

Many Buddhist ceremonies support the transfer of merit to loved ones in the three worlds. However, Shinran is saying that we must keep our human limits in mind in striving for ultimate goals. Only in this way can we avoid the pride and presumption we cultivate in acts of piety. The ultimate goal of religion lies in liberating others. We can share that goal when we attain Buddhahood. For Shinran, the ultimate way to honor parents is not the limited religious act of transferring the merit of a good deed but the development of deep faith and universal compassion. This is the true source of spiritual liberation and the path to Buddhahood.

In Gassho,
Rev. Dr. Mutsumi Wondra