River of Fire, River of Water by Taitetsu Unno

Author:Taitetsu Unno [Unno, Taitetsu]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Religion, Body; Mind & Spirit, Buddhism
ISBN: 9780385485111
Publisher: Image
Published: 1998-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

The evildoers are those who are guilty of the five transgressions, and Dharma-abusers are those who commit blasphemy against the teaching. Such people are considered to be “corpses”—the spiritually dead for whom enlightenment is an impossibility. But they are never forsaken, for the ocean of compassion eventually embraces them and transforms them into beings of enlightenment.

Shinran states that “People who look down on teachers and who speak ill of masters commit slander of the dharma. Those who speak ill of their parents are guilty of the five grave transgressions.” If this disqualifies us from the path of enlightenment, who among us is not already a “corpse”? How many of us can say that we have never criticized our teachers, or that we have never talked back to our parents? In spite of this, however, we are all transformed to become “one in taste with the water of virtue.” When embraced by the ocean of great compassion, all people, even the most hopeless, will achieve supreme enlightenment.

Regardless of our karmic histories, we will all be taken in by the ocean of the Primal Vow. This, of course, includes my friend who took his own life but now is part of the vast ocean of great compassion. No matter the short span of our destinies on this earth, the boundless compassion of Amida welcomes us and transforms our life into that of unexcelled, supreme enlightenment that is timeless.

When the many rivers of evil passion enter

Into the ocean of the Great Compassionate Vow

Of Unhindered Light, illuminating the ten quarters,

They become one in taste with the water of wisdom.

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