— Matthew 27:46
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
— Luke 23:34
“The Light of the Buddha of unhindered light shines through the ten quarters, grasping
and never abandoning the being of the Nembutsu.”
— Hymns of the Pure Land
As November arrives, we enter what I still like to call the Holiday Season. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but for me that begins after Halloween. It’s a time of reflection and gratitude—a season when many of the world’s religions invite their followers to look deeply into their lives. It’s often called a season of peace, love, and joy, I think that’s something we all long for.
This fall, I was fortunate to attend the European Shin Buddhist Conference at Oxford University, where the theme of Shinjin—true entrusting—was discussed from many angles. During one conversation, a scholar asked, “Where and when did Shinran experience Shinjin?”
My immediate thought was, “I’m no scholar—and honestly, who cares?” As an ordinary person, I wondered why it should matter when or where someone else experienced Shinjin. What’s more important is how I come to understand and experience Shinjin myself.
In Jodo Shinshu, Shinjin is often translated as “true entrusting” or “faith-mind.” It isAmida Buddha’s boundless compassion reaching into our deluded lives. It is the meeting point between the self and the infinite—the moment my small, self-centered mind is embraced by immeasurable wisdom and compassion. Shinjin isn’t something I create; it’s the awakening of the heart through Amida’s working.
As I reflected on this, I thought of Jesus on the cross, and the transformation expressed in his final words. From “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” —a cry of anguish—to “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” —a voice of unconditional compassion.
To me, this movement is a profound expression of what we in Jodo Shinshu call Other Power (tariki). In that moment, Jesus moves from despair to compassion, from the self-centered to the selfless. In my own life, I’ve found that in moments of deepest despair, the Vow of Amida Buddha meets me—transforming my heart from isolation and fear into gratitude and peace. In Amida’s Light, we are never alone.
As we approach the Holiday Season—a time that began as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ—I too give thanks for his life and message. Without Jesus, there might never have been the cultural and spiritual foundation of America, or even my home in Salt Lake City. For me, the heart of the season is not limited by religion. It is the spirit of peace, love, and joy—a reminder that the infinite compassion of Amida Buddha, like the love of Christ, embraces us all without distinction.
May this season awaken in each of us a heart of gratitude, reflection, and kindness toward all beings. Just as that children’s song says, “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin
with me.”
Namo Amida Butsu