Shinjin, literally “faith mind,” is probably best expressed as “entrusting mind.” The Venerable Master Shinran indicated it should be understood as “true mind” (makoto no kokoro).

Some scholars say that the shinjin that the Venerable Master Shinran spoke of and the anjin (literally “peace of mind”) that Master Rennyo spoke of, are completely different in nature. They further state that the shinjin Master Rennyo taught was different from the shinjin that the Venerable Master Shinran taught. But is that true?

This is what Master Rennyo is quoted as saying in Article 185 of “Heard and Recorded During Master Rennyo’s Lifetime”:

“Neither the term shinjin nor anjin is meaningful to those who are ignorant or illiterate. If we use such terms, they may feel the teaching of Jodo-Shinshu is something completely different from what it actually is.

“That’s why all we should teach such people is that we ‘ignorant beings filled with base passions’ (bombu) can become Buddhas. Just tell them to rely upon Amida regarding their birth in the Pure Land. If you do, they will receive shinjin no matter how ignorant or how illiterate.

“There is nothing to our Jodo-Shinshu teaching other than this.”

This is what Master Rennyo said.

As can be determined from the above, although Master Rennyo used both the terms shinjin and anjin, he was not referring to two different things. These terms refer to complete reliance on Amida Buddha, and specifically, to the shinjin of “Buddhacentered power” (tariki).

Further, some say that the term anjin was used only by Master Rennyo and that the Venerable Master Shinran never used it, but that also is not correct.