Hymn of True Faith and the Nembutsu

An English translation with the original Japanese script and Romanized Japanese
by Hisao Inagaki

[1]  歸　命　無　量　壽　如　來　 Kimyo Muryoju Nyorai
　　I take refuge in the Tathagata of Infinite Life;
 

　　南　无　不　可　思　議　光 　Namo Fukashigiko
　　I take refuge in the Buddha of Inconceivable Light.
 

　　法　藏　菩　薩　因　位　時 　Hozo Bosatsu inni ji
　　Dharmakara, at the outset of his career as a Bodhisattva,
 

　　在　世　自　在　王　佛　所　 Zai Sejizaio Bussho
　　Was in the presence of Lokeshvararaja, the Enlightened One.
 

[2]  覩　見　諸　佛　淨　土　因 　Token shobutsu jodo in
　　He saw the pure lands of many Buddhas, observed how they had been established,
 

　　國　土　人　天　之　善　惡 　Kokudo ninden shi zenmaku
　　And examined everything, good and bad, about the humans and devas inhabiting them.
 

　　建　立　無　上　殊　勝　願 　Konryu mujo shusho gan
　　He then brought forth the unsurpassed and most excellent Vows,
 

　　超　發　希　有　大　弘　誓 　Chohotsu keu daiguzei
　　The Great Vows, immeasurable in scope and depth, which the world had never known.
 

[3]  五　劫　思　惟　之　攝　受　Goko shiyui shi shoju
　　Dharmakara chose and cherished his Vows after contemplation for five kalpas.
 

　　重　誓　名　聲　聞　十　方 　Ju sei myosho mon jippo
　　He further vowed that his Name would be heard throughout the ten quarters.
 

　　普　放　無　量　無　邊　光　 Fu ho muryo muhen ko
　　Amida sends forth universally the immeasurable and boundless Light,
 

　　無　礙　無　對　光　炎　王 　Muge mutai koenno
　　The unimpeded, incomparable and majestically flaming Light,
 

[4]  清　淨　歡　喜　智　慧　光 　Shojo kangi chie ko
　　The pure Light, the Light of Joy, the Light of wisdom,
 

　　不　斷　難　思　無　稱　光 　Fudan nanji musho ko
　　The unceasing, inconceivable and ineffable Light,
 

　　超　日　月　光　照　塵　刹 　Chonichigakko sho jinsetsu
　　And the Light outshining the sun and the moon; with these Lights he illumines the innumeasurable worlds.
 

　　一　切　群　生　蒙　光　照　 Issai gunjo mu kosho
　　All sentient beings are shone upon by his Light.
 

[5]  本　願　名　號　正　定　業　Hongan myogo shojogo
　　The Name promised in the Primal Vow is the Act of Right Assurance;
 

　　至　心　信　樂　願　爲　因 　Shishin shingyo gan niin
　　The Vow of Sincere Mind and Joyful Faith provides the cause of our Birth;
 

　　成　等　覺　證　大　涅　槃 　Jo togaku sho dainehan
　　To attain the state next to the Buddha and realize Great Nirvana
 

　　必　至　滅　度　願　成　就 　Hisshi metsudo gan joju
　　Is due to the fulfillment of the Vow which assures our unfailing attainment of Nirvana.
 

[6]  如　來　所　以　興　出　世　Nyorai shoi koshusse
　　The reason for the Buddha's appearance in the world
 

　　唯　説　彌　陀　本　願　海 　Yui setsu Mida hongan kai
　　Is, above all, to expound the Primal Vow of Amida, wide and deep as the ocean.
 

　　五　濁　惡　時　群　生　海 　Gojoku akuji gunjo kai
　　All beings in the evil age of the five defilements
 

　　應　信　如　來　如　實　言 　O shin nyorai nyojitsu gon
　　Should believe in the truth of the Buddha's words.
 

[7]  能　發　一　念　喜　愛　心 　No hotsu ichinen kiai shin
　　If the single thought of Joy and Gratitude is awakened in us,
 

　　不　斷　煩　惱　得　涅　槃 　Fudan bonno toku nehan
　　We shall realize Nirvana without severing our blind passions.
 

　　凡　聖　逆　謗　齊　廻　入　 Bon sho gyaku ho sai enyu
　　When ordinary people and sages as well as those who commit the gravest offenses and abusers of the Dharma are taken into the Vow,

　　如　衆　水　入　海　一　味 　Nyo shusui nyu kai ichimi
　　They become one in spiritual attainment, just as many rivers become of one taste upon entering the sea.

[8]  攝　取　心　光　常　照　護 　Sesshu shinko jo shogo
　　The Light of All-embracing Compassion always illumines and protects us;
 

　　已　能　雖　破　無　明　闇 　I no sui ha mumyo an
　　The darkness of ignorance has already been destroyed by it,

　　貪　愛　瞋　憎　之　雲　霧 　Tonnai shinzo shi unmu
　　But still the clouds and mists of greed, desire, anger and enmity
 

　　常　覆　眞　實　信　心　天 　Jo fu shinjitsu shinjin ten
　　Continually cover the sky of True Faith;
 

[9]  譬　如　日　光　覆　雲　霧　 Hi nyo nikko fu unmu
　　Yet, just as the sunlight is obstructed by clouds or mists,
 

　　雲　霧　之　下　明　無　闇 　Unmu shi ge myo mu an
　　Below them it is light and there is no darkness.
 

　　獲　信　見　敬　大　慶　喜 　Gyaku shin ken kyo daikyoki
　　When we receive Faith, regard and revere the Dharma, and attain Great Joy,
 

　　即　横　超　截　五　惡　趣　Soku o chozetsu goakushu
　　We immediately transcend the five evil realms.
 

[10]  一　切　善　惡　凡　夫　人 　Issai zenmaku bonbunin
　 　If ordinary people, whether good or evil,
 

　　 聞　信　如　來　弘　誓　願 　Mon shin nyorai guzeigan
　 　Hear the Dharma and trust Amida's Universal Vow,
 

　 　佛　言　廣　大　勝　解　者　 Butsu gon kodai shoge sha
　 　Shakyamuni praises them as 'men of great and superior understanding';

　 　是　人　名　分　陀　利　華 　Ze nin myo fundarike
　 　Such people are called 'white lotus-flowers'.
 

[11] 彌　陀　佛　本　願　念　佛 　Mida butsu hongan nembutsu
　　 The Nembutsu promised in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha
 

　 　邪　見　ｱ　慢　惡　衆　生 　Jaken kyoman aku shujo
　 　 Is difficult for evil people who have wrong views and are arrogant
 

　　信　樂　受　持　甚　以　難　 Shingyo juji jin ni nan
　 　To receive and retain with Joyful Faith;
 

　　難　中　之　難　無　過　斯 　Nan chu shi nan mu ka shi
　　 Of all difficulties nothing is more difficult than that.
 

[12] 印　度　西　天　之　論　家 　Indo saiten shi ronge
　 　The discourse-writers of India, the land in the west,
　　 中　夏　日　域　之　高　僧　 Chuka jichiiki shi koso
　　 And noble masters of China and Japan
 

　　顯　大　聖　興　世　正　意　 Ken daisho kose shoi
　 　Revealed the true purpose of the Great Sage's appearance
 

　　明　如　來　本　誓　應　機 　Myo nyorai honzei o ki
　　And clarified that Amida's Primal Vow responds to our need.
 

[13] 釋　迦　如　來　楞　伽　山 　Shaka nyorai Ryogasen
　　 Shakyamuni, the Tathagata, while dwelling on Mount Lanka,
 

　 　爲　衆　告　命　南　天　竺 　I shu gomyo Nantenjiku
　　Prophesied to the assembly of monks that in Southern India
 

　 　龍　樹　大　士　出　於　世　 Ryuju daishi shutto se
　　 A Great Being named Nagarjuna would appear in the world
 

　　悉　能　摧　破　有　無　見 　Shitsu no zaiha umu ken
　　 And destroy all the wrong views on 'existence' and 'non-existence'.
 

[14] 宣　説　大　乘　無　上　法　 Senzetsu daijo mujo ho
　　 Proclaiming the unsurpassed teaching of Mahayana;
 

　　 證　歡　喜　地　生　安　樂 　Sho kangiji sho Anraku
　　 He would reach the Stage of Joy and attain birth in the Land of Peace and Bliss.
 

　 　顯　示　難　行　陸　路　苦 　Kenji nangyo rokuro ku
　　 He taught that the difficult practices are toilsome like traveling by land,
 

　　 信　樂　易　行　水　道　樂 　Shingyo igyo shido raku
　　 And urged us to believe that the Easy Practice is pleasant like sailing on water.
 

[15] 憶　念　彌　陀　佛　本　願 　Okunen Midabutsu Hongan
　　 When a thought of mindfulness of Amida's Primal Vow arises,
 

　　 自　然　即　時　入　必　定　 Jinen sokuji nyu hitsujo
　　 At that instant we spontaneously enter the Stage of Assurance.
 

　 　唯　能　常　稱　如　來　號 　Yui no jo sho nyorai go
　 　Always reciting only the Name of the Tathagata,
 

　 　應　報　大　悲　弘　誓　恩 　O ho daihi Guzei on
　　 We should seek to repay our indebtedness to his Great Compassion.
 

[16] 天　親　菩　薩　造　論　説　 Tenjin bosatsu zo ron setsu
　　 The Bodhisattva Vasubandhu composed a discourse, in which he professed
 

　 　歸　命　無　礙　光　如　來 　Kimyo Mugeko nyorai
　　 That he took refuge in the Tathagata of Unhindered Light;
 

　　依　修　多　羅　顯　眞　實 　E shutara ken shinjitsu
　　 In accordance with the sutras he expounded the true merits,
 

　　 光　闡　横　超　大　誓　願　Kosen ocho Daiseigan
　　 And clarified that the Great Vow enables us to leap over Samsara crosswise.
 

[17] 廣　由　本　願　力　廻　向 　Ko yu Honganriki eko
　　 He revealed One Mind in order to emancipate multitudes of beings
 

　　爲　度　群　生　彰　一　心　 I do gunjo sho Isshin
　　 Through Amida's transference of merits by the Power of his Primal Vow.
 

　　 歸　入　功　徳　大　寶　海　 Kinyu kudoku daihokai
　　 Upon entering the Great Treasure-Ocean of Merits,
 

　 　必　獲　入　大　會　衆　數 　Hitsu gyaku nyu daieshu shu
　　 We will unfailingly join the Great Assemblage.
 

[18] 得　至　蓮　華　藏　世　界 　Toku shi Rengezo sekai
　　 Upon reaching the World of Lotus-store,
 

　 　即　證　眞　如　法　性　身　 Soku sho Shinnyo Hosshojin
　　 We will realize True Suchness and attain Dharma- body.
 

　 　遊　煩　惱　林　現　神　通 　Yu bonno rin gen jinzu
　　 Then, playing in the forests of evil passions, we will display supernatural powers;
 

　　入　生　死　園　示　應　化　 Nyu shoji on ji oge
　　 Entering Samsaric states, we will manifest accommodative and transformed bodies to save beings.
 

[19] 本　師　曇　鸞　梁　天　子　 Honshi Donran Ryo tenshi
　　 Master T'an-luan was venerated by the King of Liang;
 

　　 常　向　鸞　處　菩　薩　禮 　Jo ko Ransho bosatsu rai
　　 Facing toward his place, the king worshiped him as a Bodhisattva.
 

　　 三　藏　流　支　授　淨　教 　Sanzo Rushi ju jokyo
　　 When Bodhiruci, the Tripitaka master, gave him a Pure Land scripture,
 

　　 焚　燒　仙　經　歸　樂　邦 　Bonjo sengyo ki Rakuho
　　 T'an-luan burned his Taoist texts and took refuge in the Land of Bliss.
 

[20]  天　親　菩　薩　論　註　解　 Tenjin bosatsu ron chuge
　　  He wrote a commentary on the Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's discourse, explaining in it:
 

　 　報　土　因　果　顯　誓　願 　Hodo inga ken Seigan
　　 Both the cause and the effect of our birth in the Land of Recompense come from Amida's Vows;
 

　　 往　還　廻　向　由　他　力 　Ogen eko yu Tariki
　　 The karmic energy for our birth and returning to this world originates from the Other-Power.

　　正　定　之　因　唯　信　心 　Shojo shi in yui Shinjin
　　 The cause of attaining the Stage of Right Assurance is Faith alone.
 

[21]  惑　染　凡　夫　信　心　發 　Wakuzen bonbu Shinjin potsu
　　  When Faith is awakened in the minds of deluded and defiled ordinary people,
 

　 　 證　知　生　死　即　涅　槃 　Shochi shoji soku Nehan
　 　 They are made aware that birth-and-death is Nirvana.
 

　 　 必　至　無　量　光　明　土 　Hitsu shi Muryo Komyo do
　　　After they unfailingly reach the Land of Infinite Light,
 

　 　 諸　有　衆　生　皆　普　化　 Shou shujo kai fu ke
　　　They will save sentient beings everywhere, so says T'an-luan.
 

[22]   道　綽　決　聖　道　難　證 　Doshaku ketsu shodo nan sho
　　　Master Tao-ch'o determined that by the Path of Sages Bodhi is difficult to attain
 

　　　唯　明　淨　土　可　通　入　 Yui myo Jodo ka tsunyu
　　　And clearly presented the Pure Land Path as the only way of salvation.
 

　　　萬　善　自　力　貶　勤　修 　Manzen jiriki hen gonshu
　　　He disparaged practicing thousands of acts of merits with self-power
 

　　　圓　滿　徳　號　勸　專　稱　 Enman tokugo kan sen sho
　　　And urged us to recite exclusively the Name of perfect virtues.

[23]   三　不　三　信　誨　慇　懃 　Sanpu sanshin ke ongon
　　　He kindly cautioned against imperfect faith, which has three aspects.
 

　　　像　末　法　滅　同　悲　引 　Zo matsu hometsu do hiin
　　　He compassionately guided those of the ages of Semblance Dharma, Decadent
Dharma and Extinct Dharma alike.
 

　　　一　生　造　惡　値　弘　誓　Issho zoaku chi Guzei
　　　Whatever evils we may commit throughout our lives, if we encounter the Universal Vow,
 

　　　至　安　養　界　證　妙　果 　Shi Annyogai sho myoka
　　　We shall reach the Land of Peace and Provision and realize the Supreme Fruition.
 

[24]   善　導　獨　明　佛　正　意 　Zendo doku myo Busshoi
　　　Shan-tao alone clarified the true intent of the Buddha Sakyamuni.
 

　　　矜　哀　定　散　與　逆　惡　 Koai josan yo gyakuaku
　　　Out of compassion for those who practice meditative or non-meditative good
as well as those who commit the five gravest offenses and the ten transgressions,
 

　　　光　明　名　號　顯　因　縁 　Komyo Myogo ken innen
　　　He clarified that the Light and the Name are the cause and condition for birth in the Pure Land.
 

　　　開　入　本　願　大　智　海 　Kainyu Hongan daichikai
　　　When aspirants are led into the Sea of Great Wisdom of the Primal Vow,
 

[25]   行　者　正　受　金　剛　心 　Gyoja shoju Kongoshin
　　　They are endowed with Faith, indestructible as diamond;
 

　　　慶　喜　一　念　相　應　後　 Kyoki ichinen soo go
　　　After attaining a single thought of Joy of oneness with Amida,
 

　　　與　韋　提　等　獲　三　忍 　Yo Idai to gyaku sannin
　　　They obtain the three insights, as did Vaidehi,
 

　　　即　證　法　性　之　常　樂 　Soku sho Hossho shijoraku
　　　And will realize the Eternal Bliss of Dharma-nature.
 

[26]   源　信　廣　開　一　代　教 　Genshin kokai ichidaikyo
　　　Genshin widely expounded the Buddha's lifetime teachings;
 

　　　偏　歸　安　養　勸　一　切　 Hen ki Annyo kan issai
　　　While he devoutly sought refuge in the Land of Peace and Provision, he urged all to follow him.
 

　　　專　雜　執　心　判　浅　深　 Sen zo shushin han senjin
　　　He distinguished between deep faith in practicing the Nembutsu exclusively and shallow faith in doing miscellaneous acts of merits,
 

　　　報　化　二　土　正　辨　立 　Hoke nido sho benryu
　　　And so clarified the different states of attainment: birth in the Land of Recompense and birth in the Transformed Land.
 

[27]   極　重　惡　人　唯　稱　佛 　Gokuju akunin yui sho Butsu
　　　Those with extremely heavy evil karma should only recite Amida's Name.

　　　我　亦　在　彼　攝　取　中　 Ga yaku zai hi sesshu chu
　　　Although I, too, am in his embracing Light,

　　　煩　惱　障　眼　雖　不　見　 Bonno sho gen suifu ken
　　　My evil passions hinder me from perceiving it,

　　　大　悲　無　倦　常　照　我 　Daihi muken jo sho ga
　　　But his Light of Great Comnpassion never ceases to shine on me untiringly.

[28]   本　師　源　空　明　佛　教 　Honshi Genku myo bukkyo
　　　Honen, the master of our school, was well-versed in Buddhism;

　　　憐　愍　善　惡　凡　夫　人 　Renmin zenmaku bonbunin
　　　He was compassionately mindful of both good and wicked ordinary people.

　　　眞　宗　教　證　興　片　州 　 Shinshu kyo sho ko henshu
　　　Disseminating the teaching of the True Way throughout Japan,

　　　選　擇　本　願　弘　惡　世　　Senjaku Hongan gu akuse
　　　He spread the selected Primal Vow in this evil world.

[29]   還　來　生　死　輪　轉　家 　　Genrai shoji rinden ge
　　　Transmigration in the house of Samsara
 

　　　決　以　疑　情　爲　所　止　　 Ketsu i gijo i shoshi
　　　Is definitely caused by the fault of doubt;
 

　　　速　入　寂　静　無　爲　樂 　　Soku nyu jakujo mui raku
　　　Quick entry into the Capital of Uncreated Tranquility
 

　　　必　以　信　心　爲　能　入 　　Hitsu i Shinjin i nonyu
　　　Is necessarily realized by Faith.
 

[30]   弘　經　大　士　宗　師　等 　　Gukyo daiji shushi to
　　　The bodhisattvas and masters of this school who spread the teaching of the Pure Land sutras
 

　　　拯　濟　無　邊　極　濁　惡 　　Josai muhen gokujoku aku
　　　Have saved innumerable beings, totally defiled and evil.
 

　　　道　俗　時　衆　共　同　心 　　Dozoku jishu gu doshin
　　　People of the present age, both priests and laymen, should with one accord
 

　　　唯　可　信　斯　高　僧　説 　　Yui ka shin shi koso setsu
　　　Only accept in faith the teachings of those virtuous masters.