A Study of Tanni-shō Chapter VII as the Key to Interpret “Nenbutsu-sha”

Abstract

Tanni-shō, as indicated by the title, was written by Yuien who grieved over the differences in faith in the religious community after the death of Shinran, because he wanted to make everyone's faith the same and get rid of doubt. The text is concise and intimate. It is read widely not only by people of the Shin denomination but also those with an interest in philosophy and ethics, and there are diverse interpretations. One of the problems in the interpretation of Tanni-shō is that Shinran and Yuien were in a different situation, and their viewpoints are not necessarily of one piece. Noting these differences, this paper attempts a unified interpretation of “Nenbutsu-sha” which is currently divided into two meanings, reaffirm the significance of Chapter VII, and clarifies Shinran's intents concerning the absolute other-power of Amitābha.