The Six Aspects of the Shin Educational Process

Man is an empirical and finite being in the sense that he is con- fined to the sphere of sense-perceptions and his existence is limited to both temporal and spatial dimensions. Religious pursuit of truth starts with man’s encounter with the transcendent an infinite, in whatever meanings these terms may be interpreted. In Buddhism, the transcendent is seen in the light of personal and impersonal aspects, namely, Buddha and Dharma. The transcendent Buddha and Dharma constitute the content of enlightenment (satori), the goal for all Buddhists. The enlightenment-truth is not a static principle but a dynamic force which works spontaneously on both the plane of transcendent reality and that of empirical fact. In Shin, the infinite (amita) is represented by Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life. With transcendent wisdom (reality- knowledge) and all-embracing compassion (unrestricted assimi- lative power), Amida approaches man, making the encounter with the transcendent and the infinite possible. Though he has provided various ways of spiritual encounter for people of various propensities, they eventually lead to the ultimate path of salvation — the Nembutsu Faith