Shinjin: Entrusting in the Awakening That Already Is
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...