And as indicated by Esshinni’s words, “.. to escape the suffering of birth-and-death, only single-minded reliance on the Nembutsu is necessary,” he accepted Master Honen’s words about the way to transcend this world of “birth-and-death,” without doubt. This is recorded in Article Two of the “Notes Lamenting Differences”:

As for me, Shinran, there is nothing other than accepting what my revered teacher told me, “Just say the Nembutsu and be saved by Amida.” Nothing else is involved.

As indicated by the words, “nothing other than accepting what my revered teacher told me,” we can infer that he continued listening to Master Honen’s words.

Further, the Venerable Master placed great importance on the following words in the “Larger Sutra”:

...hearing the “name and title,” and joyfully thinking of (Amida Buddha) even once with shinjin...

This passage is considered to be so important, it is referred to as the “fulfillment text of the Primal Vow” (hongan joju-mon). The Venerable Master considered the phrase, “listening to the ‘name and title’” of this passage to be especially important. The “name and title” (myogo) of course, is the name and title of Amida Buddha (Namo Amida Butsu). He commented on these words in the Chapter on Faith of his “Teaching, Practice, Faith and Attainment” in the following way:

The word “hear” in the passage from the “Larger Sutra” means that sentient beings, having heard how the Buddha’s Vow arose—its origin and fulfilment—are completely free of doubt. That is what “to hear” means.

From this we see that “hearing” (mon) means listening to and accepting the reason Amida Buddha established his Primal Vow and the extraordinary amount of time he spent performing religious practices to fulfill it.

Regarding this, Master Rennyo wrote the following in Letter 15 of Fascle I:

Further, we are not saved simply by repeating the “name and title” with no understanding of it. The “(Larger) Sutra” teaches that when we hear the “name and title,” we realize “shinjin and joy” (shinjin kangi). Hearing the “name and title” is not hearing the six-characters of na-mo-a-mi-dabutsu unreflect-ively. Rather, it refers to meeting a good teacher, receiving his teaching, and entrusting ourselves (namu) to the “name and title” of Namo Amida Butsu.