The Larger Sutra: Second Volume
In contrast to the first volume of the Sutra of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (or the “Larger Sutra”) that talks about the liberating side—the Buddha, the Pure Land, and the Name (i.e., the doctor, hospital, and medicine), the second volume of the sutra talks about the liberated side—the three types of practitioners to be liberated (i.e., the three types of patients).
In the first lecture about Shinran’s “Three Stage (or Three Vow) Transition,” I discuss the three types of practitioners that Shinran experienced in his life. In the second lecture, “Shinran’s View of Birth in the Provisional Land,” I discuss the Provisional Birth that the first two types of practitioners experience. In the third lecture, “Shinran’s View of Birth in the True Land,” I discuss the True Birth that the third type of practitioner experiences. In the fourth lecture, “Shinran’s View of the True Land: The Land of Immeasurable Light,” I discuss the two aspects of True Birth, i.e., wisdom and compassion.
Nobuo Haneda