A Critique of Shinran's Pure Land Buddhism : A Deconstruction of Pure Land Buddhism is a Pluralistic Age(<Special Issue>Criticism of Religion)

Abstract

No one can escape, either consciously or unconsciously, from the pluralistic situation of religious diversity and, more ultimately, from the relativization of religious truth claims in the contemporary world. The purpose of this article lies in an attempt to indicate a direction towards the way in which the structure and essential doctrines of Shinran's "Jodo Shinshu" ought to be brought into urgent question under those historical circumstances with which we are now confronted in the 21st century. We have discussed four different angles from which Shinran's theoretical foundation of Pure Land Buddhist doctrines should be clearly placed in a new light on subjects of primary importance for pluralistic reality of world religions. Two angles will be summarized to express the point I wish to focus on here. First, Shinran's criterion of judging "all" religions and thoughts in and out of Buddha's teachings (dharma) as "true," "provisional," and "false" has been taken into serious consideration. Second, given my theoretical critique of John Hick's working hypothesis that one or single reality might be equally found within each one of world religions, I would like to assert as an alternative even more radical criterions: 1. Ultimate reality which seems to preexist at the basis of all great religions should not be presupposed even as a hypothesis. 2. We must stand on a post-modern Weltanschauung that true reality lies in a network where all things are mutually and organically related throughout past, present, and future. 3. Although all religions are conditioned by their traditions transmitted from the past, they must be always open to their unlimited possibilities towards the future. 4. All religions must not refuse self-transformation which is necessarily required through interfaith dialogue. 5. Participation in the dialogue and self-transformation brought from it should not be enforced by other religions, but they must be necessary results from the foundation of existence in which each religion has been originally rooted.