which is the same as emphasizing only the “aspect of going” to the Pure Land and leaving out the “aspect of returning.” They claim that is only half of the meaning of “birth in the Pure Land” (ojo). In doing so, they claim, Master Rennyo completely ignored “saving” others, which is the aim of “merit-transference in the aspect of returning (from the Pure Land).”

This is, of course, a completely mistaken idea of Master Rennyo’s teaching.

Master Rennyo’s Position Regarding “Merit-transference in the Aspect of Returning.” Master Rennyo wrote about the “merittransference in the aspect of returning (from the Pure Land)” in many places. For example, in Letter 38 of the “Chogai Honorable Letters,” he wrote:

Truly, what receiving the treasure of the true and real world, long life, birth in the Pure Land of Peace and Happiness where life is immeasurable and without bounds, and where we will not grow old or even die, occurs when our shinjin is quickly settled and we are guaranteed life in the Pure Land of Ultimate Joy. Further, when we return to this “defiled world” (ekoku), we will be able to freely save “family members” (kenzoku) with “six-blood relationships” (rokushin) through the free exercise of transcendent power.

The reference to the “six-blood relationships” in the above passage is quite interesting and brings to mind the current idea of the “six degrees of separation” by which we are related to everyone in the world.

At any rate, after our shinjin is settled and our birth in the Pure Land is guaranteed, we will be born in the Pure Land where we attain Enlightenment and then return to “this world which is dirtied with ignorance and base desires” (ekoku), to save the people with whom we are related by “six-blood relationships.”

Again, in “Essence of the ‘Hymn of True Faith’” (Sho-shin-ge Tai’i), Master Rennyo wrote:

The “merit transference in the ‘aspect of returning (from the Pure Land)’” (genso eko) is what “... Manifesting transcend-ent powers while cavorting in the forests of blind passions/They assume suitable forms to guide others in the garden of birth and death...” refers to. If we go to Amida Buddha’s Pure Land, we will then return to this shaba world and freely benefit sentient beings using transcendent powers.