Shinran (1173-1263) is one of the most important thinkers of Japanese Buddhist history and is regarded as the founder of its largest sect, the True Pure Land School (Jodo Shinshu). His teaching of 'Other Power' is a deep meditation on the place of human will and receptivity in spiritual practice and on the path towards liberation. Nagapriya gives a contemporary audience access to Shinran's thirteenth-century religious perspective. He offers close readings of Shinran's writings, places him in the context of his imagined Pure Land lineage, and brings alive Shinran's perspective on 'Other Power' as embodied in the myth of Amida Buddha and the Pure Land scriptures. Stimulating greater interest in Shinran and 'Other Power', this book gives new ways to think about contemporary Buddhism.
Nagapriya was born in the UK in 1969. While studying for a philosophy degree, he began practising with the Triratna Buddhist Community and was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1992. He later studied for a master's degree in the history of religions. Since 2013 Nagapriya has been living in Mexico, where he is chair of the Cuernavaca Buddhist Centre.
Title: The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran's Teaching of Other Power
Author: Nagapriya
ISBN: 9781911407904
Binding:
Publisher: Windhorse Publications
Publication Date: 2022-08-25
Number of Pages: 272
Weight: 0.4801 kg
Nagapriya not only accurately captures the heart of Shinran's spirituality and teachings, but conveys it in ways that are novel and easy to understand. Kenneth K. Tanaka, Professor Emeritus, Musashino University, Tokyo; Past President, International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies; author of The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine; An astonishing, highly poetic, magical, mystical, personal, emotional, and even confessional encounter with Shinran, which strikes a brilliantly fresh note. Galen Amstutz, Adjunct Instructor, Institute of Buddhist Studies/Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, USA; This is a remarkable book that presents a clear overview of the core points in Shinran's teaching, well grounded in original sources and in the broader context of Pure Land Buddhism. Caroline Brazier is a priest in the Jodo Shinshu tradition, a psychotherapist, and the author of seven books on Buddhism and therapy.
