hen with the evolution of the True Pure Land sect, the significance of faith came more and

more to be
stressed. "To be reborn in the Pure Land, one must have faith above all and not concern himself with
anything else. A matter of such magnitude as rebirth in Pure Land cannot be arranged by the ordinary
mortal. He must yield absolutely to the Buddha."129 In the Chinese T'ien t'ai sect, Buddhism was
generally considered under three aspects: doctrine, practice, and illumination.130 The Tendai sect in
Japan also accepted this point of view.131 The doctrine of the True Pure Land sect is an off-shoot of this
essential Tendai doctrine. For this reason the basic scripture of the True Pure Land sect is called
Kenjodo-shinjitsu* Kyogyosho* monrui (abbreviated title, Kyogyoshinsho*;132 Kyogyosho-doctrine*,
practice, enlightenment or illumination). In the short title the shin, "faith," is added. That the word faith
is absent from the complete title is due to the relationship with the old Tendai doctrine. However, in the
book itself, faith is the principal matter considered. In Buddhism as a whole, after "faith" has been
affirmed, one devotes himself to "practice"; while in the True Pure Land sect, the two are identical: faith
accompanied by practice, and practice accompanied by faith. The believing heart is the "true heart." In
this way faith comes to stand at the very center of Buddhism. Shinran, consequently, tends to regard a
skeptic or one who relies upon his own resources as more despicable than a great sinner. Rennyo
(1415–1499), who popularized the True Pure Land sect, expresses absolute devotion to Amitabha in
terms which still more call to mind human relationships. The use of such expressions as "rely upon'' and
"help me!" seem to date from Rennyo. Such expressions appeal to popular sentiment. That the Japanese
Pure Land sect emphasizes faith and esteems the 18th of the 48 vows of Amida, i.e. the vow which
exalts faith, is a peculiarly Japanese phenomenon, completely different from the case of the Pure Land
sect in China. Yang Jen-shan (1837–1911), the promoter of the Buddhist revival in modern China,
criticized the exclusive emphasis on the 18th vow characteristic of the Japanese True Pure Land sect. He
main- Previous Released By -TSJ5J- Next Previous Released By -TSJ5J- Next Page 457 tains that this is an
affront to Amitabha *, for each and everyone of the 48 vows is true.133 Here a problem arises. It is
natural that the Pure Land sects, which preach absolute dependence upon another's strength, should
emphasize faith in a specific individual or in Buddha. However, this should not be true of the Zen sect,
which maintains a contrary (doctrinal) position. Nonetheless, Dogen* does emphasize the significance of
faith just as do the partisans of Pure Land Buddhism. The very name, Dogen, comes from Volume XIV of
the Chinese translation of the Avatamsaka-sutra*, which reads: "Faith is the origin of the Way (dogen*),
the mother of virtue; it nourishes all the various good practices."134 "Therefore it is said, 'Faith permits
us to enter into the great sea of the Buddha-law.' The actuality of faith is the actuality of the Buddha
himself."135 Without faith it is difficult to achieve perfection in the practice of Buddhism. "One may
teach a man who has not faith, but it is difficult for such a one to accept the teaching."136 According to
Dogen, rather than achieve enlightenment through one's ascetic practices, one should, in the final
analysis, have absolute devotion to the Buddha as an ideal person, and be saved by him. It is better to
rely upon "another's strength" than upon one's own. ''One detaches himself from his body and mind
and flings himself into the house of the Buddha, there to be activated by the Buddha and follow in his
footsteps. Then, without effort, physical or mental, of one's own, one escapes the cycle of rebirth and
becomes a buddha."137 Dogen's teaching in this regard is the exact opposite of that of the Zen sect in
China (or at least of its principal representatives). Chinese Zen priests are continually pointing out that
illumination is achieved through one's own efforts. Hui-hai (550–686) says: "This you should know:
sentient beings save themselves; Buddha cannot save them. Strive hard! Strive hard! Perfect yourselves,
and depend not upon the Buddha. In scripture it says, he who seeks the law does not seek it in the
Buddha."138 In other words, one must not rely even upon the Buddha. Nonetheless, Dogen fervently
depends upon Buddha's strength. The following is Dogen's prayer: "Even if my past sins are piled high
and there are obstacles to my enlightenment, I beg all the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas who have
achieved perfection through the way of Buddha to take pity on me, deliver me from the chains of
Karma, remove the impediments to my enlightenment. May their virtue fill and embrace the infinite
world of the Buddha-law. May they extend to me their pity."139 In the Chinese Zen sect, faith is merely
the portal of Buddhism. Therefore one must not become attached to the Buddha. Thus, the Chinese Zen
monk Tan-hsia (?–834) in ord