Product Description

Renowned scholar Alfred Bloom presents the life and teachings of Shinran Shonin, the founder of Shin (or Pure Land) Buddhism, the most populist form of Buddhism in Japan, drawing extensively on the writings of this influential Japanese religious reformer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #388681 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 280 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781933316215
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Review
For those who are looking to go deeper into Shinran's thought but are intimidated by the complexity of works like Kyogyoshinsho, The Essential Shinran is a highly useful tool, particularly for understanding how Shinran approached specific topics, such as Buddha-nature, the Pure Land, and practice. Bloom has lined up everything Shinran wrote about each topic, eliminating the need to hunt through his extensive writings for relevant passages. Thus the reader can discover, for example, the nuances of shinjin--the mind that awakens to the falsity of the ego and relies instead on power beyond the self, leading to Buddhahood. As Bloom's quotes make clear, shinjin is neither a dogmatic adherence to faith nor a dry acknowledgment of no-self but a deeply transformative moment of overwhelming joy, leading to a fresh approach to religion through the practice of gratitude and humility.

Like The Collected Works, Bloom's Essential Shinran has the potential to dramatically increase Western appreciation of one of the largest, yet least understood forms of Buddhism. As such, the book ranks among the most important publications on Pure Land Buddhism of the past decade, valuable to scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike. -- Tricycle Magazine

"Guidance from the former dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, CA."

This volume offers annotations and translations of important writings of the monk and teacher Shinran Shonin (1173-1262), who founded the Jodo Shinshu Pure Land Buddhist tradition in Japan, during the turbulent Kamakura period. This movement, writes Bloom, became the largest Buddhist sect in Japan, spreading to the West by the end of the 19th century. --Colloquy Alumni Quarterly -- Library Journal

From the Publisher
Foreword Book of the Year Awards, 2007, Religion (Finalist)

About the Author
Alfred Bloom, former professor at the University of Hawaii and Dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California, is the author of Shinran's Gospel of Pure Grace and editor of Living in Amida's Universal Vow. He lives in Kailua, HI

Customer Reviews

Excellent "must-read" primer
Edited by Alfred Bloom, one of only a few Shin Buddhist scholars based in the United States, The Essential Shinran: A Buddhist Path of True Entrusting is a selection of core writings by Shinran (1173-1262 C.E.), the founder of the of the Jodo Shinshu Pure Land tradition of Buddhism in Japan, which eventually became the largest Buddhist sect in the nation. The Essential Shinran also includes background information about Shinran's life and spiritual legacy, the better to facilitate understanding of his texts. Extensive notes reflect the copious effort to make the fundamentals of Shin Buddhism as taught by the originator accessible to readers of all backgrounds. A glossary, select bibliography, and index of selections round out this excellent "must-read" primer recommended for anyone interested understanding in the fundamentals of Shin Buddhism.

A Great Work on Shinran and Shin Buddhism
The primary purpose of this book is to introduce to the people outside Japan the life and thought of Shinran (1173 - 1262), founder of the Japanese Buddhist school called "Jodo Shinshu" (True Pure Land Sect), or Shin Buddhism. The author Dr. Alfred Bloom is professor emeritus of the University of Hawaii and perhaps the first American scholar of religion who academically introduced Shin Buddhism to the Western world. In the Introduction he gives a brief history of Shin Buddhism through the present day. In the first chapter "Shinran's Life and Legacy," Bloom gives an in-depth description of Shinran's life, thought, and its tradition. Ruben L. F. Habito's Foreword not only introduces the author and the book, but also refers to the core of the Shin Buddhist teaching and discusses its relevance to the present day. The bulk of the book is spent for quotations from English translations of various original documents, which are arranged according to different themes. One can, therefore, have direct access to this 13th-century religious leader. This book is useful for those who are interested in a new perspective in religion, English-speaking Shin Buddhists and students of religion.


Reviewed by Dr. Toshikazu Arai
Soai University, Osaka, Japan

Not just "by" Shinran, also "about" Shinran
This is not just a "primer" of Shin Buddhism. It is a first-rate resource on the thought of Shinran and those who came after him who helped found and foster the True Pure Land Teaching. In addition to writings by Shinran there are writings about him, including that of his great-grandson Kakunyo (the Third Abbot of Jodo Shinshu) whose Kudensho is a very compelling story highlighting significant events in Shinran's life. The book is also beautifully produced, a sewn softcover with very readable typeface.

Incidentally, the editor of this volume, Dr. Alfred Bloom, is also an ordained Jodo Shinshu priest who has written or edited several books on Shin Buddhism. The book draws extensively on the Collected Works of Shinran, a huge tome of Shinran's formal and informal writings, but it selects passages that are especially revelatory of Shinran's thought. Rev. Dr. Bloom has done it again, kudos!