The Impact of Unlocking Tannisho
At the Risk of Their Lives to Kyoto?
Why did they go to Kyoto tosee Master Shinran at therisk of their lives?
“We just live transiently,and disappear. Is that all? For what purpose do human be-ings live? I can’t stand it ifmy life goes on like this.There should be something more..."
”A doubt about the mean-ing of life came to Inoe Inada(age 70), when her husbandpassed away eight years ago after 40 years of marriage.She deeply felt the evanes-cence of life, and sought the light in the teachings of Mas-ter Shinran. She says, “Some-how the name of Master Shinran greatly touches me.It is very familiar to me, different from any other name.
”Her hometown is Shiso city, Hyogo prefecture, where True Pure Land Buddhism is popular. Every day she saw a frame saying “Shinran.”When she was a child, hermother took her to the temple and chanted Shoshingeevery morning and evening.After her husband passed away, she began to read articles about Master Shinran carefully in newspapers and magazines. She has more than 10 books about him because she bought everynew release. She was moved to tears to read novels which describe stern and yet kind-hearted Master Shinran.
In August 2009, the advertisement of Unlocking Tannisho in the newspaper grabbed her eyes. She boughtthe book at once. She carried it around and turned pages again and again in the intervals between work. It was Section II of Tannisho that moved her the most. Shinran followers in Kanto district left for Kyoto at the risk oftheir lives. The journey would take a month. “Why did they make such a risky journey in order to listen to Shinran’s words? I wonder what power made them do so.” She was also puzzled about the profound content of this book, which she couldn’t understand even after reading many times.
Salvation in This Life
This year in March, a flyer came into her mailbox. It said that a lecture about Tannisho would be held in her city. Carrying UnlockingTannisho, she visited the place and was able to listen to Takamori Sensei’s lecture on the video. She realized that the other power faith was bestowed on 29-year-old Shinran by Amida Buddha.That made her enthusiastic about listening to Buddhism continuously. “Master Shinran, who engaged himself in ascetic training and Buddhist study, says ‘I have no other possible destination but hell.’But at the same time, he is also thankful for Amida Buddha’s salvation. I didn’tknow there’s such an un-imaginable world.
”Being revealed what thepurpose of life is, the more she listens to Buddhism, the more grateful she feels for having encountered it. “I’m always looking forward to the next lecture of Buddhism. Nothing makes me happier than listening to Master Shinran’s teachings.All I want is Buddhism.”
Source: The Buddhist Village Times #08 | 2011, The Impact of Unlocking Tannisho
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