Clearly, what both the Venerable Master Shinran and Master Rennyo wished for us was to become part of that group. In Chapter One I took up the views of various individuals who considered Master Rennyo to have distorted the Venerable Master’s teaching. I believe such individuals have absolutely no experience of the world of “those assured (of birth in the Pure Land) in our present life.”

The Venerable Master Shinran wrote the following in the Chapter on Transformed Land of his “Teaching, Practice, Faith and Attainment” criticizing those in the Imperial Court who tried to prohibit the Pure Land teaching:

The emperor and his ministers, acting against the Dharma and violating human rectitude, became enraged and embittered.

This is a criticism of those who censured and prohibited the “true teaching of the Pure Land” (jodo-shinshu) and has nothing to do with criticizing authority in general.

And yet those who criticize Master Rennyo consider the scant twelve characters used to write the above (in the kambunway of writing, only twelve kanji characters are used) to be all there is in the “Teaching, Practice, Faith and Attainment.” That is a delusion. It completely disre-gards the essence of the Venerable Master Shinran’s teaching of salvation based on the shinjin of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow.

Those who criticize Master Rennyo use these twelve kanji characters to imply that what the Venerable Master wanted to do was promote an anti-authoritarian policy. They try to imply that Master Rennyo’s statements, such as, “Do not disrespect the ‘magistrates’ (shugo) and ‘village elders’ (jito),” are distortions of the Venerable Master Shinran’s teaching, and completely miss the Venerable Master’s intent.

I believe such irresponsible opinions arise because of a complete lack of understanding regarding the “group of those assured (of birth in the Pure Land)” because of “settled shinjin.” And because they are unaware of the world of “settled shinjin,” they do not understand Master Rennyo’s words already quoted:

... the essential point transmitted by the founding Master of our school (the Venerable Master Shinran) is but one thing: shinjin. Not knowing this is what distinguishes other schools from our school; knowing it is the mark of those who participate in the ‘true teaching’ (shinshu).”

Accordingly, the opinions of those who consider Master Rennyo to have distorted the teaching of the Venerable Master Shinran must be considered the opinions of those about a teaching that has absolutely no connection with Jodo-Shinshu.