Okaru (1801 - 1857 AD), considered a myokonin, a person enlightened by the Jodo-Shinshu teaching, expres-sed her understanding of this in the following way:

Why not listen to the Way of Truth...
It isn’t an unreasonable teaching at all.
Don’t you want to hear what is true and real?
Makes me wonder what you want to hear...
Though you are entitled to walk freely,
Why not give up all attachments
And leave it all to Amida?

The last lines, “Why not give up all attachments/And leave it all to Amida?” is an expression of a world in which everything is left to the Primal Vow without the least bit of doubt.

Accordingly, in Jodo-Shinshu, and particularly in Master Rennyo’s teachings, “Regardless of your ‘lack of shinjin,’ if you have the mind/heart to listen, you will receive shinjin because of Amida Buddha’s Great Compassion. The teaching of Buddha-dharma ends with listening.” And also, as in the passage, “Even the most complaining sentient being will receive shinjin as a result of listening,” the way to shinjin is by way of listening.

It goes without saying, however, that it is not the “listening” that we do that allows us to receive shinjin. From first to last, it is the shinjin:

• that is “given to us by the Tathagata” (nyorai yori tamawaru shinjin)
• of “merit transference” of the “power of the Primal Vow” (hongan-riki eko no shinjin).

This is also indicated in a passage in Master Zonkaku’s “Seen and Heard (Regarding the ) Pure Land” (Jodo Ken-mon-shu):

Hearing is hearing with “Buddha-centered power.” Settlement of my shinjin is determined by Amida’s Vow Power. Both of the above have not the least bit of “self-centered effort” in them.

The important point here is, “Hearing is hearing with ‘Buddha-centered power.’”

Another poem by Okaru expresses it in the following way:

After “hearing” Amida’s Great Compassion
(I see) that his salvation
Comes even before hearing.
There’s absolutely no requirement to list en.
And since it’s not required,
All that’s left is “listening”...

There is no virtue in listening, regardless of how hard we try. But when we hear, we are cultivated to the fullest by “Buddha-centered power.” Accepting that is what the Jodo-Shinshu teaching is all about.

(The difference between “listening” and “hearing” can be made clearer by the phrases, “I’m listening,” where we express the feeling of being open to what the other wishes to say, and “I hear you,” in which we express the feeling of understanding what the other said.)