I will repeat myself in order to avoid any misunderstanding: There are many problems about the responsi-bility of the Hongwanji organization during World War II which the Hongwanji must reflect upon very carefully. But I absolutely cannot agree with those who assert that the essence of the Venerable Master Shinran’s teaching is anti-establishment, that Master Rennyo taught “the two truths of the ultimate and the conventional” which does not exist in the Venerable Master Shinran’s thought, in order to curry favor with the authorities, and that therefore Master Rennyo distorted the Venerable Master’s teaching.

If, for some reason, Master Rennyo did try to curry favor with the authorities, then why was he pressured by the soldier/monks of Mt. Hiei and been in such discord with local authorities?

I believe those scholars who criticize Master Rennyo do so because they are able to speak about religion only from the “conventional truth” position, i.e., from a level of ethics and morality. I have no problem in saying that because they have no experience of the Primal Vow, they are absolutely unable to understand the world of “ultimate truth.” Criticizing Master Rennyo for expressing “the two truths of the ultimate and the conventional” with absolutely no understanding of “ultimate truth” is absurd.

I cannot help repeating that I believe these are the views of those who have no “turning of the mind” (eshin) experience which is what shinjin is.