The Venerable Master always considered shinjin to be the “mind that accepts the Primal Vow without doubt.” If there is doubt, there cannot be shinjin.

Third, in the passage in the Tannisho where the Venerable Master responds to Yuiem-bo, he says: “I, Shinran, have also had the same question. Now, Yuiem-bo, you are in the same state of mind!” The passage, “have also had the same question,” is often mistakenly read, “still have the same question,” making it seem that the Venerable Master still had doubts about the Primal Vow when Yuien-bo asked him about it. This is easier to see in the English translation because in English you must state things explicitly. Because of the ambiguity of the Japanese language, however, this is often a problem for the Japanese.

Actually, there are many different opinions about this Article Nine of the Tannisho. Regarding the doubt expressed by Yuien-bo in the phrase, “Even when I recite the Nembutsu, I rarely have the mind of rapture and joy, nor do I desire to be born in the Pure Land in all haste,” the following can be said.

First, you can consider this to be the doubt before receiving shinjin, and that what Yuien-bo is asking is: “Although I recites the Nembutsu, the mind of rapture and joy does not rise within me, nor do I have the desire to hurry to the Pure Land. Can I really be born there with such an attitude?” That’s one way of understanding his doubt.

Another way of understanding this passage is that it is the doubt after receiving shinjin. Although Yuien-bo has no doubt regarding whether he can be born in the Pure Land, he seems to feel he should be happier about it and want to hurry there. Why is that so? You can interpret his doubt in that sort of selfreflective way too.

A scholar representative of those who believe that Yuien-bo’s doubt was the doubt that came before his shinjin was established, is Jinrei (1749 - 1842 AD). He wrote a work titled Tannisho Korin-ki (Lectures on the Tannisho) in which he advocated such a position, and incidentally, asserted that the author of the Tannisho was Master Nyoshin. A scholar representative of the position that Yuien-bo’sdoubt came after his shinjin was established, and was the doubt that arose from deep self-reflection, was Ryosho (1788 - 1842 AD). He wrote Tannisho Mon’ki (Notes on Listening to the Tannisho) to explain his position, and incidentally asserted that Yuien-bo was the author of the Tannisho.

The meaning of the Venerable Master’s reply, “I, Shinran, have also had the same question,” will differ, depending on whether you consider Yuien-bo’s doubt to be a question about birth in the Pure Land before shinjin, or whether you consider it not to be a question about birth in the Pure Land at all, but rather deep self-reflection after shinjin.