This Month’s Shoshinge –
Beyond the Self
Ki myo mu ryo ju nyo rai
Na mo fu ka shi gi ko
【English Translation】
I take refuge in the Tathagata
of Immeasurable Life!
I entrust myself to the Buddha
of Inconceivable Light!
March has begun. From this month onward, we will begin reading Shoshinge’s text itself. We start with the opening two lines, which are familiar to many of you. These two lines may be understood as Shinran Shonin’s confession of entrusting heart, and at the same time, as the lines that express the very heart of the Shoshinge.
As I write this article, the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics are now underway. It is a joy to witness the remarkable performances of athletes from around the world each day. I have loved sports since childhood. In Japan, I played baseball and volleyball, and here in Toronto, I now enjoy curling. Even today, I continue to follow and appreciate various sports. Last year, when the Blue Jays advanced to the World Series, the entire city of Toronto was filled with excitement. This year, with a new Japanese player joining the team, many of us are once again looking forward to the start of the new season.
During such a sports-filled life, when listening to interviews with professional athletes, we often hear phrases such as, “I’m glad I believed in myself.” For athletes, believing in oneself is a crucial psychological factor that enables them to perform under intense pressure and to take on difficult challenges. Through steady daily practice and an awareness of their own growth, confidence is gradually cultivated. That confidence becomes the source of courage, allowing them to take responsibility and act without fear of making mistakes.
This self-focused way of living is not limited to professional athletes. In our relationships with others, and in our lives at work and at home, we constantly ask ourselves: “Am I doing the right thing?” “Am I being responsible enough?” Society encourages us to “be ourselves” and to “take care of ourselves.” These are important values. At the same time, however, many of us grow weary from having to depend on and support “myself” at every moment.
I sometimes feel that a few words sound as harsh as “personal responsibility.” When we are suffering over a past decision or life choice, being told, “That was your decision, wasn’t it?” can cut deeply into the heart.
In the opening lines of the Shōshinge, the words “Immeasurable Life” and “Inconceivable Light” point to a reality that transcends the self—something far greater than “me.”
“Immeasurable Life” means life without limit. It is working that penetrates all time: past, present, and future. Those of us who came to this country as immigrants, children who were born and raised here, our ancestors who lived far away and long ago, and those who will be born in the future—all these lives, across all time, are already embraced by Amida Buddha.
“Inconceivable Light” refers to a light that cannot be grasped or measured by our thinking. In our daily experience, we do not encounter such light. Toronto winters offer a familiar image. The days are short, and by five o’clock in the evening, it is already starting to get dark. Yet even on the darkest nights, there is always some light somewhere in the city. However, the light we know always creates shadows. If I stand in front of it, I block it for someone else. Even the sun’s light leaves half of the earth in darkness. Amida Buddha’s light is not like that. It is never obstructed. It illuminates every aspect of who we are—even when we fail, even when we have no emotional space, even when we cannot be kind. Nothing is excluded.
The terms Tathagata and Buddha both refer to the awakened one, yet they reflect different perspectives: Buddha, originally a Sanskrit word, simply means “the awakened one,” while Tathagata is a more deeply religious expression, suggesting tathā —suchness or truth as it is, and gata or āgata— one who has gone or one who has come. Tathagata may thus be understood as truth itself appearing in our world. Although this truth transcends us, it is not something distant or separate.
Because it continuously works within us, it can truly be called something greater than ourselves.
In his writings, Shinran Shonin carefully clarifies the meaning of take refuge (kimyo) and concludes: “Thus, kimyo is the command of the Primal Vow calling to and summoning us.” In other words, Amida Buddha is calling to us—here and now.
We cling to the self and try to make it our foundation. To take refuge, or to entrust oneself, is to let go of that self and be embraced by something greater. And when we are embraced, we come to realize that what we thought was “my decision” was not accomplished by our own power. It was made possible only through the working of the Primal Vow. It is not that we move toward Amida Buddha. Rather, the Primal Vow has already been turning toward us, continually calling out: “You are just as you are.” “Come, just as you are.”
In the opening two lines of the Shoshinge, Shinran Shonin expresses that he entrusts both his awakening and all his suffering to the Amida Buddha—the Amida Buddha (Tathagata) who is with him right now.
In the end, these two lines are no different from the Namo Amida Butsu we recite. For this reason, they may be said to express the very essence of the teaching made clear by Shinran Shōnin in Jodo Shinshu.
As I watch the inspiring performances of so many athletes at the Olympics, I am reminded of Amida Buddha—beyond my own efforts and abilities, continually supporting and embracing me just as I am.
Namo Amida Butsu
Rev. Kensho Hashimoto
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