American Buddhist Study Center

Hoshina Seki interviews Priya Kumari, author and publisher of children's books. In this interview, Priya talks about how she started writing children's books and then setting up her own publishing company Eternal Tree Books. Even though her books are for kids 3 to 8, she adds a workbook at the end for parents and teachers. Take a listen; I think you will enjoy it. 

Hoshina Seki interviews Priya Kumari, author and publisher of children's books. Priya's books are all beautifully illustrated, heartwarming stories about Buddha and Indian culture. These books are meant to teach children the values of gratitude and compassion. Please take a listen, I think you will enjoy it.

Hi Dharma-friends! Welcome back for the conclusion of our traversal of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan or Hymns of the Dharma-Ages.  , These verses are among Shinran's last public thoughts and are particularly trenchant, even for such a fearless guy as Shinran.  In these verses, Shinran looks directly into the mirror and identifies himself as a fellow foolish being of this last dharma-age, our dharma-age, the time when the teaching alone remains, but the self-power practices and realization have become extinct.  Shinran, our great teacher, does not exempt himself from his understanding of Amida's Primal Vow to bring to the Pure Land (Awakening or Enlightenment) foolish beings who call the Name, Namo-Amida-Butsu.  To me, these are powerful verses, and they perplexed me many years ago when I first read them.  But now, I have come to understand them as real teaching, not only as a religious construct but for me personally.  How many other religious teachers won't let themselves off the hook?  Speaking for myself, this is precisely what makes Shinran the greatest teacher.  I hope these verses resonate with you as well. Our audio series of Shinran's 3 main Wasan collections is now complete in 68 episodes.  Congratulations if you have stayed with us from the beginning!  I believe the American Buddhist Study Center will keep the Wasan series online as an audio resource.  We read the Jōdo Wasan (Hymns of the Pure Land), the Kōsō Wasan (Hymns of the Pure Land Masters) and the Shōzōmatsu Wasan (Hymns of the Dharma-Ages), letting Shinran speak to us across the centuries in his own voice, even if only in translation, with minimal commentary. Please check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org for more great Dharma content.  Please be happy, well, and peaceful! Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends, This episode is a little different than others in the series because it is a prose passage inserted into the collection instead of verses.  It is like a little Dharma talk or message from Shinran himself.  It is known as "On Jinen Hōni"  Jinen Hōni is often rendered into English as "naturalness."   By way of introduction to this very basic Shin Buddhist concept of "naturalness," a definition by Rev. Mark Unno found online is very helpful:  "The foolish being is always contriving or calculating to reach a goal dualistically, whether that goal is material, such as worldly success or health, or is spiritual such as enlightenment or birth.  The one who becomes aware of this foolishness and is receptive to the compassion of Amida is led beyond this contrivance to a realm of spontaneous freedom.  This spontaneity, in contrast to the contrivance of the foolish being, is called jinen hōni, the suchness of spontaneity, or more simply, naturalness."  Let's enjoy listening to Shinran's take on Jinen Hōni  in his own words, even if only in translation. Next time we'll wind up our journey through the Shōzōmatsu Wasan with Shinran's concluding verses.  Until then, please be well!  For more Dharma content, be sure to check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center, ambuddhist.org Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends, In this episode we continue with 5 more verses of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan known as "Additional Hymns of Lament on the Term Hotoke."  Hotoke commonly means "Buddha."  According to the commentary found in The Collected Works of Shinran (CWS), "Probing into the origins of the term, Shinran traces it back to an early critic of Buddhism, Mononobe no Moriya (d. 587), who opposed its introduction into Japan.  According to Shinran, Moriya applied the term, with the meaning "sick with fever," to a statue of Amida that was discovered in Naniwa Bay (present Osaka) and later enshrined in a temple known as Zenkō-ji.  In using the term, Moriya implied that the foreign image was the cause of an epidemic.  Although Shinran's etymology is not currently accepted by scholars of Japanese, his concern is that the use of the term leads to widespread disparagement of the teaching, and in his own writings, he avoids it." CWS, II, 101. We're in the home stretch of our traversal of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan.  Next time, we'll cover a prose section in this collection, "On Jinen Hōni."  After that, our final episode will feature Shinran Shōnin's two powerful concluding verses. Please be well!  Check out more good Dharma content on the American Buddhist Study Centers home page, ambuddhist.org Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! Today let's conclude the section entitled "Gutoku's Hymns of Lament and Reflection" by listening to the last five verses.  These are poems of a very personal nature by Shinran, reflecting his awareness of himself as someone sharing the deepest weaknesses of his age.  This is the Last Dharma-Age, and we are in the same boat.  Shinran calls out high-ranking monks and dharma teachers of his time who are said to be so in-name-only.  Showing no self reflection, they often give themselves over to worldliness and seek honors and status, all the while paying lip-service to the Buddhist teachings.  Shinran is that rare religious master who does not exclude himself from his diagnosis. Shinran's universal remedy:  rely on Amida Buddha's directing of virtue exclusively in Namo-Amida-Butsu. Next time, we'll continue the Shōzōmatsu Wasan with the next section, "Additional Hymns of Lament on the Term Hotoke."  For more good Dharma content, please visit the homepage of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! Today you can hear 6 more verses of "Gutoku's Hymns of Lament and Self-Reflection," part of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan.  Shinran wrote these verses toward the end of his life, when he was around 85 years old.  They are profound expressions of his own self-reflection.  He also calls out the various deficiencies, as he sees them, of this own age.  Particularly, he laments a superficial adoption of the Buddhist Teaching by both monks and laity.  Significantly, he recognizes these same deficiencies in himself.  The commentary on this section in The Collected Works of Shinran (CWS) explains: "Shinran expresses his own awareness of himself as a person sharing the deepest weaknesses of his age."  Shinran encourages all to rely exclusively on Amida's directing of virtue - the only sure way to cut through our seemingly intractable self-delusion. Next time we will conclude this section.  Until then, please be well.  You can find more good Dharma content on the American Buddhist Study Center's website ambuddhist.org Palms together, Garyself-reflection

Hi Dharma-friends! Welcome back after a brief hiatus!  This episode is the start of the next section of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan.  It is called "Gutoku's Hymns of Lament and Reflection" in sixteen verses.  This episode contains the first five of these.  These sixteen verses as a whole are a particularly deep personal self-reflection by Shinran.  Please recall that the Shōzōmatsu Wasan are the product of Shinran's final years, written when he was about 85 years old.  The commentary in The Collected Works of Shinran (CWS) explains:  "Shinran expresses his own awareness of himself as a person sharing the deepest weaknesses of the age."  Shinran also calls out and owns specific criticisms of this Last Dharma Age - particularly the superficial adoption of the Buddhist teaching by monks and laity alike.  Shinran relies exclusively on the Vow of Amida Buddha as the only reliable path cutting through self-delusion. Next time, we'll continue with five more verses in this section.   Until then, please be well!  Check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org for more good Dharma content. Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we conclude the section of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan called "Hymns in Praise of Prince Shōtoku" with six more verses.  As you know, Prince Shōtoku (574-622 CE) promoted Buddhism in Japan throughout his life and was greatly revered because of this.  Shinran was personally very devoted to him.  Shinran associates Prince Shōtoku with Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and believed that he appeared in Japan providentially as the world was entering the last dharma-age.  In the last dharma-age, as you already know, only the teachings remain.  The various Buddhist practices have become futile because beings lack the capacity to bring them to fruition using self-power.  The Great Vow of Amida Buddha is directed precisely toward beings in this last dharma-age.  Beings calling the Name-of-the-Buddha, Namo-Amida-Butsu, can attain liberation through Amida's directing of virtues in its two aspects. Please check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org for more Dharma content.  Please be well and stay safe! Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we begin the next section of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan called "Hymns in Praise of Prince Shōtoku" in eleven verses.  This episode covers the first 5 Wasan in this section.  Prince Shōtoku (574-622 CE) is fondly remembered in Japan as having established the imperial government on a firm footing and also for vigorously promoting Buddhism there in his lifetime.  Shinran had a profound personal devotion to Prince Shōtoku.  The commentary in the Collected Works of Shinran tells us, "Prince Shōtoku's importance in the Hymns of the Dharma-Ages stems from Shinran's view of him as a manifestation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara who compassionately appeared in Japan to deliver the nembutsu teaching just as the world was entering the last dharma-age." CWS, II, 100. I hope you have been enjoying the Wasan readings.  Please check out ambuddhist.org for more great Dharma content. Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! This episode contains the concluding 7 verses of the section "Hymns on the Offense of Doubting the Primal Vow"  Throughout this section, Shinran has been encouraging us to entrust wholeheartedly, without any reservations at all, in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha to bring all beings to awakening in his Pure Land.  Clearly, Shinran is trying very hard to make an impression about having absolutely no doubts or reservations!  But, as foolish beings, we always have such reservations when we try to achieve liberation using our own steam.  Fortunately, knowing our foolishness, Amida's Light & Life grabs us and brings us along anyway.  Shinran is telling us that we should just rely on that in gratitude and get over ourselves. Next time, we will cover the next section of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan called "Hymns in Praise of Prince Shōtoku." Check out more good Dharma content on the American Buddhist Study Center's webpage, ambuddhist.org Until next time, peace!  Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, let's continue with eight more verses in the section entitled "Hymns on the Offense of Doubting the Primal Vow."  Shinran's purpose in this entire section is to encourage us to wholeheartedly entrust in Amida's Primal Vow to bring all beings, especially those of us living in this last Dharma-Age, to liberation in the Pure Land. We will conclude this part next time.  Until then, please be well, always saying -- following Shinran's advice -- Namo-Amida-Butsu. Check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org for more good Dharma content. Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we begin the next section of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan entitled "Hymns on the Offense of Doubting the Primal Vow."  There are 23 verses in this part, and today you can hear the first eight. In this section, Shinran is focusing on "doubt," which is a key feature of his understanding. Shinran teaches that in this last Dharma-Age, only the teachings of the Buddha remain. Ordinary beings lack the capacity and conditions to put these teachings into practice by their own efforts. Amida Buddha, having great compassion for ordinary beings, established the Primal Vow calling all who call on Amida's Name to the Pure Land.    The important point is that the merit and practice is Amida's, not our own. If we rely on our own efforts, we cannot avoid doubting - fortunately, our situation is anticipated by the Primal Vow. Shinran encourages us in these verses to wholeheartedly entrust in the Buddha's great compassion. Hope you are well! Please check out the American Buddhist Study Center's webpage for more Dharma content. ambuddhist.org With palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we conclude the first part of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan, the collection known as "Hymns on the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma-Ages."  Shinran encourages us ordinary beings of this Last Dharma-Age to take refuge in Amida's Great Vow and say the Name and, thereby, attain liberation through Power-Beyond-Self.  Shinran teaches that awakening or liberation through self-power practices is futile in this Last Dharma-Age in which we find ourselves.  Note the last verse, No. 59, is the famous "Ondokusan" recited or sung by Shin Buddhists everywhere as an expression of deep gratitude for this wonderful teaching of Amida's compassion and for those who have transmitted it to us across the centuries. Next time, we will continue with the next group of gathas or hymns in the Shōzōmatsu Wasan.  Please be well!  For more good Dharma content, please check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center, ambuddhist.org Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! Today you can listen to five more verses by Shinran in the collection Pure Land Hymns of the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma Ages.  Shinran reinforces his understanding of Power-Beyond-Self as Amida's directing of virtue for going forth and return.  How fortunate for us to hear this teaching!  Amida, though great love of sentient beings, directs virtue for our going forth.  We attain great compassion thereby which, Shinran explains, is Amida's directing of virtue for our return.  We are told that Amida (Light and Life), Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Wisdom), and Avalokiteśvara (Compassion) sail together on the ship of the Great Vow on the ocean of birth-and-death.  They call out to beings like us and bring us on board. Next time we'll finish this first section of the Shōzōmatsu Wasan.  Please be well.  For more Dharma content, be sure to check out the home page of the American Buddhist Study Center, ambuddhist.org With palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! In this episode, we read five more verses of the Pure Land Hymns on the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma Ages.  Shinran further explains his understanding of how only by completely relying (in Shinjin) on Amida's Vow to Liberate All can beings in this Last Dharma Age realize awakening.  It is Amida's directing of virtue for going forth from the Pure Land and returning that makes this possible.  How grateful we are! Next time we'll continue with five more verses by Shinran Shonin.  Until then, please be well!  For more Dharma content, please visit the American Buddhist Study Center's home page: ambuddhist.org With palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends, Welcome back to Weekly Wasan!  Today, continue listening to the Shōzōmatsu Wasan or Hymns of the Dharma Ages with five more verses.  Shinran reflects in this group on the present age - the Last Dharma Age - and its difficulties and challenges.  Mired, as we are, in an endless and futile go-round of striving for Awakening through our own limited efforts, we find ourselves stuck.  However, Shinran says that, when we receive the true cause of birth in the Pure Land from Śākyamuni and Amida, we will unfailingly attain Nirvana.  All the Buddhas, countless as the sands of the Ganges, attest to this. Hope you are enjoying the podcast.  Please check out ambuddhist.org the website of the American Buddhist Study Center, for more good Dharma content. With palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! This episode's verses from the Pure Land Hymns on the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma Ages are very powerful and are among my favorite expressions of the Dharma by Shinran Shonin.  Shinran is telling us not to worry that our own limitations due to distractions and self-indulgence are too heavy for Liberation.  The Light of Amida's Vow of Wisdom is like a great torch illuminating a dark place.  That Light is boundless and reaches everywhere.  Because saying the Name, Namo-Amida-Butsu, in Shinjin is Amida's own practice, it overcomes literally every obstacle.  Through the working of the wisdom of Amida's Vow, our limited good and evil minds are transformed into Amida's mind of great compassion.  Namoamidabutsu. Hope you have been enjoying the podcast.  Check out the website of the American Buddhist Study Center ambuddhist.org for more good Dharma content. Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! Today let's listen to five more verses in the collection "Pure Land Hymns on the Right, Semblance, and Last Dharma Ages."  in today's group, Shinran explains how the Nembutsu teaching is a function of Wisdom.  Our own aspiration for Awakening is in itself caused by the compassion of Śākyamuni and Amida for sentient beings.  Amida entrusts his selected Primal Vow (the Nembutsu) to the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Mahāsthāmaprāpta.  It is Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Wisdom) who nurtures us on the Pure Land path.  Shinran says that "...since Amida's Vow is wisdom, the emergence of the mind of entrusting oneself to it is the arising of wisdom." Please be well! Palms together, Gary

Hi Dharma-friends! Today we hear 5 more verses from this collection by Shinran Shonin.  A striking image in these verses is Shinran's comparison of those who now follow the Nembutsu path with Maitreya Bodhisattva.  Maitreya Bodhisattva is the next fully enlightened Buddha after Śākyamuni who will appear in the world when causes and conditions are right to do so.  Nembutsu followers, saying the Name of Amida Buddha through Shinjin, realize the same Awakening or Enlightenment as Maitreya when this present life has run its course through the power of the Vow.  Amazing stuff!! Until next time, please be well!  Check out the American Buddhist Study Center website ambuddhist.org for more good Dharma content. Palms together, Gary