“The Evil Person is the True Object (of Amida’s Salvation)”

In Article Three of the Tannisho (Notes Lamenting Differences), it states:

Since even a good person will be born in the Pure Land, how much more so will an evil person! Most people, however, say, "Since even an evil person will be born in the Pure Land, how much more so will a good person." This view seems reasonable at first sight, but it is contrary to the purport of the Primal Vow of "Buddha-centered power."

In other words, the object of Amida Buddha's Primal Vow are those who are aware of their evil nature, rather than those who are able to do good. This is referred to as "the evil person is the true object (of Amida's salvation)" (akunin shoki).

In Article One of the Tannisho, it also states:

Know that Amida's Primal Vow does not distinguish between those who are young or old, or good or evil. Shinjin (the "faith" mind, "true" mind) alone is necessary to receive the Vow that saves all sentient beings who are weighted down by their base passions.

As can be determined from this passage, the purpose of the Primal Vow is to save all who are burdened by base passions such as greed and anger.

Here, it is extremely important to understand just what is meant by "evil person." Generally, there are three ways of considering what might be considered "evil." They are:

• Legally
• Morally
• Religiously

What is intended by "evil" are not those who have committed robbery or murder and broken laws (legal evil), nor those who have committed immoral acts (moral evil). Rather, what is intended in this passage is "evil" in the religious sense.

As already mentioned, the Venerable Master was a person who reflected deeply on what he was. I have already quoted his poem from the Shozomatsu Wasan (Japanese Poems on the Three Periods (of the True, Semblance, and Decay of the Dharma):

My mind is like snakes and scorpions,
And since even the good I try to do
Is tainted with the poison
(of self-centered effort),
It must be called the practice of an idiot.

That is how deeply he looked into himself, and realized how "evil" he was. Following the part of Article Three of the Tannisho quoted above, the Venerable Master is further quoted as saying:

Amida made His Vow out of compassion for us who are so filled with passions
that we cannot free ourselves from samsara by any practice...