RELG 253 Lecture Notes - Lecture 35: D. T. Suzuki, Nianfo, Jiriki

• School: McGill University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELG 253
• Professor: Lisa M.Blake, Jingjing Li

Document Summary

Shinran"s theory of salvation: assumption: we are in the time of final dharma. Impossible for us to realize emptiness and attain enlightenment on our own. We need to rely on other-power: amida"s universal compassion (grants us all salvation, sincere faith and chanting amida"s name will save us, we are all guilty of the five sins and we must repent them to the buddha. The traditional view: you must do good and eschew evil. Dualistic (poses good and evil as polar opposites) Reinforces that we are all living in the time of final dharma. Egoism is not very mahayana (emptiness and compassion; there is still duality and self- centered actions do not imply compassion) The evil ones are the true object of amida"s compassion. The evil person has given up to be good; it is a mental state, given up hope to be good. They have given up an egoistic hope of being good.