Comparative Analysis of Shinran's Shinjin and Calvin's Faith

Abstract

Although in Shinran: An Introduction to His Thought, Ueda and Hirota prefer the translation of the term “shinjin” as “entrusting” over the meaning “faith,” the concept of shinjin in Shinran still seems to echo some similar concepts that are reflected in the Christian notion of faith. In both traditions, the concept of shinjin and faith is central in the salvific and redemptive process of Amida and Jesus Christ, respectively. By advancing the teaching of the Absolute Reliance on Other-power (tariki) for salvation, Shinran brings to focus the importance of the practitioner’s realization of shinjin in order attain birth into the Pure Land. However, as we will discover from our comparative analysis, we will see that Shinran’s shinjin, though it may share some similar ideas with the Christian faith, particularly in the idea of the utter futility of beings to become saved by self-power ( jiriki), is a concept that remains faithful to the Mahayana teaching of emptiness and the transcendence of duality. But interestingly, Shinran seems to de-emphasize the notion of emptiness in order to emphasize the necessity of dichotomous mental activity to bring the practitioner to realize his incapacity of attaining enlightenment by self-power and dependence on Other-power. Understanding the underlying process of shinjin and faith involves understanding the tension between being and becoming vis-a-vis the state between the realization and the actualization of shinjin or faith. For Shinran, the realization of shinjin is just the beginning of one’s birth into the Pure Land where one’s evil karma becomes absorbed and purified in the ocean of Amida’s purity. But the actualization of shinjin, which begins upon the realization of shinjin, involves a continual purification process of the practitioner’s karmic evil until the practitioner reaches enlightenment. That is, through the realization of shinjin, the practitioner attains birth in the Pure Land, which begins the actualization process toward guaranteed enlightenment, but that realization of shinjin is not to be equated with enlightenment itself. Hence, throughout the whole process of realization and actualization, it seems important that the relationship between the practitioner and Amida Buddha be maintained by shinjin on the basis that the practitioner is totally dependent on the Other-power for the actualization of enlightenment since this is impossible through self-power by relying on Amida’s compassion and fulfillment of the Vow. Hence, shinjin serves as the practitioner’s vehicle for attaining “complete” enlightenment, since enlighten-