Weekly Wasan - Episode 46 - Shōzōmatsu Wasan (Hymns of the Dharma-Ages) Introduction & 1-5

Hi Dharma-friends!

In this episode, you can listen to the opening verses of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan collection.  These poems are from the end of Shinran's life when he was around 85 years old.  There are 116 verses in the collection.  The core of the book consists of 56 wasan on the Dharma-Ages, "Pure Land Hymns on the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma Ages."  Shinran taught from the perspective that he was living at the beginning of the Last Dharma-Age, when only the teaching of Śākyamuni survived. Needless to say that this is the age in which we find ourselves as well. The practices and realization of the earlier ages are beyond the capacities of beings because of the defilements that mark the times.  Shinran wants us to understand exactly where we are and to rely on the only remaining sure path to awakening:  taking refuge in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and saying the Name-of-the-Buddha, Namo-Amida-Butsu.

Throughout this podcast, we have been using the translations found in The Collected Works of Shinran (CWS), published by the Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto.  Volume 2 of that set has invaluable introductory notes and explanations, and everyone is referred to that resource for a nuanced discussion of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan.

With palms together, Gary