A Fistful of Sand

  On the morning, June 13, 2025, my wife and I were walking through downtown of our city. I spotted a small mouse on the sidewalk. It was shaking and seemed confused. We at once recognized the fragile beauty had fallen victim of the standard practice of poisoning rodents, a practice I vehemently oppose based on its inherent cruelty. A mouse wants happiness and tries to avoid pain and death every bit as much as you do or I do. Initially I thought having the mouse in peace would be a kind choice but seeing that there was a great deal of foot traffic, and it looked like rain. My wife and I decided to let put the mouse in the wooded area away from the sidewalk. I took her into my hands and lifted her up to the wooded green space away from the concrete. The wobbly little mouse wandered off into the leaves and disappeared to die in familiar surroundings and in peace, well, as peacefully as possible when one is dying of internal hemorrhage.   Once the experience of sadness dissi...

Art by Nembutsu Art Shinjin , often translated as "true entrusting" in the Pure Land tradition, is more than private faith; it is a radical inner liberation that resists external control. In a world governed by fear, manipulation, and power hierarchies, Shinjin affirms that salvation does not come from systems, authorities, or status—it arises from turning inward and entrusting fully in Amida Buddha’s boundless compassion. This simple, direct awakening undermines the authority of regimes that thrive on obedience, guilt, and conformity. Shinjin proclaims that liberation is freely given, not earned, and cannot be taken away. For the oppressed, this is an act of spiritual defiance: to entrust oneself to a Buddha beyond the reach of kings and tyrants. In Shinjin, one lives with dignity not granted by society but revealed through awakening. It says, “I am already saved,” and in doing so, breaks the illusion that worldly power holds the keys to worth or freedom. How does shinjin in...

Art by Lim Chung  Hee In the modern world, many identify as spiritual seekers. They read sacred texts, attend teachings, and speak of awakening, love, and truth. Yet the depth of spiritual transformation does not lie in seeking alone—it lies in consistent, courageous practice. It is possible to be a devoted seeker and still harbor deep fear, resentment, pride, and attachment. It is even possible to nurture disrespect for one’s own teachers—those who represent the very wisdom one claims to revere. When this happens, there is a fundamental misunderstanding at play. One has confused spirituality with religion, and practice with identity. The Danger of Identity-Based Religion When a person identifies with a religion rather than embodying its truth, they wear their spiritual path like a badge, not a mirror. They conflate knowing doctrines with knowing reality. This creates an ego that is harder to detect— the spiritual ego . Cloaked in conviction, this ego believes it already knows...

Artist — Lim Chung Hee When we sit in meditation, thoughts arise. That’s not a problem—it’s natural. Thoughts, feelings, and sensations are the raw material of our practice. They are not interruptions; they are the very field in which mindfulness and insight develop. Often, a practitioner has a session that feels clear, balanced, even luminous. There may be a sense of accomplishment, ease, or emotional release. Then, perhaps the very next day, the mind shifts. A wave of negative emotions appears—anger, jealousy, anxiety, irritation, or despair. The contrast can be jarring:  “Yesterday I was calm. Today I feel poisoned.” And then comes the fork in the path. The Habitual Move: Projection For many, the default response is projection. Instead of meeting these inner states directly, we unconsciously look outward for a cause. The discomfort is disowned and relocated onto someone or something else:  “It’s because of her.” “He made me feel this way.” “They are the problem.” This is no...

Courtesy of Nembutsu Art   Introduction: Trust Beyond Effort What if awakening wasn’t something to strive toward—but something already here, waiting to be realized? In the Pure Land tradition of Buddhism, this realization is known as  shinjin  ( 信心 )—a profound, transformative “true entrusting” that opens the heart to boundless compassion. More than belief, more than feeling,  shinjin  is the awakening of trust beyond self-effort. What Is Shinjin? At its core,  shinjin  is not about believing in a distant deity or reciting mantras for favor. It’s about  awakening to a truth that is already true : that Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow encompasses all beings, without exception. For Shinran Shōnin,  shinjin  was not a result of effort ( jiriki ), but a realization of  other-power  ( tariki ). It arises when we awaken to the truth that we are already grasped, never to be abandoned. “Shinjin is itself enlightenment.” —  Tannishō Moder...

  Vajrayāna Buddhism, often associated with Tibetan culture, is far more than a regional or culturally specific tradition. It is a profound and adaptable method of practice that transcends national, ethnic, and even religious frameworks, offering a direct path to awakening that is accessible to all who seek transformation. Just as Mikkyō developed in Japan as a Buddhist esoteric tradition with its own cultural expressions, Vajrayāna as a whole represents the Buddha’s teachings in their most direct and expedient form, tailored to the needs of different times and places. While various cultures have shaped its outer forms, its inner essence remains unchanged: the direct realization of ultimate reality through skillful means and profound wisdom. Vajrayāna as a Method, Not a Culture One of the most common misconceptions about Vajrayāna is that it is synonymous with Tibetan Buddhism. While Tibet preserved and developed Vajrayāna in a uniquely profound way, the method itself predates its ...

  Ah The Four Bodhisattva Vows are among the most well-known and profound commitments in Mahāyāna Buddhism. At first glance, they appear paradoxical, even impossible to fulfill: Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them all. Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them. Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to master them. The Buddha way is unsurpassable; I vow to attain it. Taken literally, these vows seem unattainable. How can one possibly save an infinite number of beings? How can one end delusions that continuously arise? How can one master all Dharma teachings or attain an unsurpassable path? However, these vows are not meant to be fulfilled in a linear or conventional sense. Instead, they serve as a profound  upāya  (skillful means) to dissolve self-centered limitations and awaken one to the nature of reality. Saving All Beings: The Non-Dual View The first vow, "Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all," seems impossible if we think of it in ter...

Pure Land Buddhism is often misunderstood as a devotional practice focused on faith and rebirth in a celestial paradise. However, at its deepest levels, Pure Land is one of the most advanced expressions of Buddhist thought, aligning with non-duality, Buddha-nature, and the direct realization of awakening. This article explores how Pure Land Buddhism transcends conventional religious paradigms, why it is an advanced tradition, and how Hongaku Mikkyō Jōdo represents an even further refinement of its teachings. The Depth of Pure Land Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism originates in the Mahayana tradition, where the concept of Other-Power ( tariki ) plays a central role. Unlike self-powered approaches ( jiriki ), which emphasize rigorous meditative discipline, Pure Land shifts the emphasis to complete reliance on Amida Buddha’s vow. This is often mistaken for passivity, but in reality, it embodies a profound realization of the inseparability of self and other, effort and grace, practice and enlig...

  One of the most pervasive misconceptions in spiritual practice is the belief that enlightenment or liberation is about becoming a perfected version of oneself. This belief, deeply ingrained in human psychology, is at odds with the core Buddhist insight that the self is an illusion. Even within advanced traditions such as Pure Land Buddhism and Vajrayāna, there is a tendency to interpret spiritual attainment as the evolution of an individual into a higher or more enlightened being. This article explores how this misconception arises and how it can be resolved through a deeper understanding of non-duality. The Ego as an Illusion From a Buddhist perspective, the ego is not an enduring entity but a construct, a fabrication — a temporary aggregation of thoughts, emotions, memories, and conditioned patterns. However, because it feels real, we instinctively try to preserve and enhance it. This manifests even in spiritual practice, where instead of deconstructing the self, many practitio...

Dohan's " Himitsu Nenbutsu Shō " doesn't discuss self-power and other power as Shinran does in his writings. Might this be because of esoteric pure hold holds to the idea of non-dualism? Just as there is no separation of samsara and nirvana, there can be no separation between self-power and other power. This does not mean they are the same, it only means they cannot be separated. Dōhan's  Himitsu Nenbutsu Shō  reflects the Esoteric Pure Land perspective, deeply rooted in non-dualism, which profoundly shapes how concepts like self-power ( jiriki ) and other power ( tariki ) are approached. In Esoteric Pure Land, the distinctions we often draw—such as samsara versus nirvana or self-power versus other-power—are ultimately seen as provisional or relative truths, existing only from the standpoint of conceptual duality. From a non-dual perspective, self-power and other power are not the same, but they are inseparable. This aligns with the Mahayana and Vajrayana understa...