Abstract

Why is it that the Tannisho, a religious text written about 700 years ago, continues to be read and popular among people today? The era in which Shinran lived was a time of war, and there were many calamities such as disease, famine, and great earthquakes. People living in such times sought a way to live with even a little peace of mind. The teachings of Shinran, expounded in this context, were based on "other-power," stating that "anyone can attain enlightenment and be reborn in the Pure Land simply by chanting the Nembutsu." In recent years, there has been a growing trend to propose a way of life that is "based on one's own values." Living based on one's own values means "acting based on the idea of how one wants to be." While this way of thinking is wonderful, there are things in the world that cannot be controlled by one's own power or will alone. "Other-power" has often been thought of as somewhat irresponsible, like "leaving it to others" or "leaving it to fate," but it is a state of mind in which one steps away from the powerlessness of oneself and entrusts things to something greater than oneself. In a sense, adopting an objective perspective and entrusting things to a greater power beyond one's own can feel like a weight has been lifted from one's heart. The teaching of "other-power" conveyed in the Tannisho is not about giving up or relying on others, but rather about a way of thinking that allows one to live flexibly even in situations beyond one's control. I believe that this is precisely why the Tannisho continues to attract people today. This book contains the complete first half of the original text, its translation, and advice to help you better understand and apply the content of the Tannisho. Furthermore, by actually reading it aloud and tracing it, the words will permeate your body and soul. I sincerely hope that the teachings of the Tannisho will be useful in your lives.

Author’s Information

Takashi Saito was born in Shizuoka City in 1960. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and completed his doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Education at the same university. He is currently a professor in the Faculty of Letters at Meiji University. His specialties are education, body theory, and communication theory. He received the Shincho Academic Award for "Reclaiming Bodily Sensation" (NHK Publishing). In 2001, he received the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award Special Prize for "Japanese You Want to Read Aloud" (Soshisha). The series became a bestseller with 2.6 million copies sold and created a boom in Japanese language learning. He has also written many other bestsellers, and his total book sales exceed 10 million copies.