Two Kinds of Doubt
Thank you so much for your sermon in the 2000 Tatami Mat Hall. I listened to it via the Internet. I learned that there are two types of doubt: worldly doubt and the doubting mind. Worldly doubt means doubting in people and things. As we are all masses of blind passions and this type of doubt is one of those passions, we have this type of doubt until we die.
However, the doubting mind does not mean doubt in people and things. Rather, it is the mind that doubts in Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow. It is precisely because we doubt in the Primal Vow that we continue to suffer in the painful cycle of birth and death. Unlike worldly doubt, the doubting mind is dispelled in a split-second of ichinen by the power of Amida Buddha. Once it has been dispelled, it will never arise again. However, if we do not listen to Buddhism, the doubting mind will not arise within us. It is impossible for something that has not arisen within us to be dispelled. Therefore, it is incredibly important to listen seriously to Buddhism.
Recently I have had the privilege of working on the translation of the animated movie explanation videos. How marvellous it is that we have the animated movies on Master Shinran’s life, and that now we also have these videos giving detailed explanations of them. I look forward to seeing more and more people learn about Master Shinran through these videos.
In order to repay my debt of gratitude to you, I will use all means that I can to share the teachings of Master Shinran. I will continue to move towards the light. Please take good care of yourself.
Nicola Gant, Britain
Thought of the Day
Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, teaches us with absolute clarity the laws that determine whether we will be happy or unhappy. These laws are summed up in the well-known Buddhist saying, “What you get is the result of what you have done,” or “You reap what you sow.”
Source: The Buddhist Village Times #56 | 2015, Two Kinds of Doubt
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