Further, in the Saiho Shinanho (Notes on Instructions to the Western Direction), it states:

Those who commit the “ten evils” and “five deadly evils” believe they will be “saved” but they should try to not commit any of these evil actions. Still, since even an evil person will be “saved,” how much more so will a good person.

From these passages, we can determine that while Master Honen, on the one hand says that the evil person can be “saved,” on the other hand also indicates that, “the good person is the true object (of salvation).”

Further, the following passage is found in Wago Toroku:

Although we consider ourselves to be evil persons, we do not consider ourselves to be so evil that we commit the “five deadly evils” and that is why we will be “saved” even a hundred years after the start of the mappo period. Because we live in the present period and have not committed the (five deadly evils), how much more so will we be saved (because we have only committed the “ten evils”).

Here we see that although Master Honen refers to himself as “Honen-bo of the Ten Evils,” there is no realization that he was the even worse perpetrator of the “five deadly evils.” There is thus a difference between himself and the Venerable Master who said he was “absolutely destined for hell.”

Again, in the Wago Toraku and Sanbukyo-tai’i (Essence of the Pure Land Sutras), Master Honen recommends, “birth in the Pure Land in the highest grade”(jobon-ojo), but in this regard the Venerable Master said:

When I carefully consider Amida’s Vow that he established after five kalpas of contemplation, I see that it was solely for me, Shinran, alone,

indicating that Amida Buddha’s Great Compassion is directed to him, who was “absolutely destined for hell” (i.e., in the “lowest rank of the lowest grade”).

Further, I believe Article Nine of the Tannisho makes very clear the difference between Master Honen’s and the Venerable Master’s position. In that article, the author Yuien-bo complains that,

Even when I recite the Nembutsu, I rarely have the mind of rapture and joy, nor do I wish to be born in the Pure Land in all haste. Why is this so?

In response to this statement expressing doubt, the Venerable Master replies:

I, Shinran, also had the same question. Now, Yuiem-bo, you are in the same state of mind!

Some people understand the statement, “also had the same question” in the above passage to mean, “still have the same doubt,” but I believe it really means, “had such doubts in the past.” (I plan to go into this in greater detail later in this book.) And then, as the Venerable Master continues:

... don’t you think our birth in the Pure Land is all the more assured because we cannot rejoice and dance up to in heaven and down to earth? It is our evil passions that prevent us from rejoicing when we should. Knowing this, the Buddha referred to us as, “common mortals filled with evil passions.” That is why (evil) beings such as we are able to accept the Compassionate Vow of “Buddha-centered power” as being all the more trustworthy.