10.29.2021 - By Hoshina Seki
Hi Dharma friends! Today we begin the series of Wasan verses written by Shinran Shonin on Master T'an-luan, who lived in China 476-542 CE. Shinran wrote 34 verses based on T'an-luan's writings, regarding him as the clarifier and teacher of Other Power, a very important part of the Jōdo Shinshū understanding of Buddhism. Other Power has been sometimes misunderstood or criticized by those unfamiliar with it as being "non-dualistic." However, for Shinran, that was not the case at all. T'an-luan is the Master who takes the lid off the box of Other Power, as it were, and shows us what it really is, why it is essential for us, and how it works. Cool stuff! This episode covers the first six of Shinran's verses about T'an-luan and Other Power. The next few episodes will continue with this collection six verses at a time.
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Palms together, Gary