Why We Live (2016) - full transcript
An anticlerical peasant in the Japan from the feudal era, after the death of his mother and his wife, ends up contributing to the spread of Buddhism throughout the country after hearing the lecture of a Buddhist monk.
Production: "WHY WE LIVE" Production Team
500 years ago
Honganji Temple, Kyoto
Monk-warriors! An attack from Mt. Hiei !
Master…
Kotaro Satomi
Katsuyuki Konishi
Where's Rennyo!
Find him!
Ryoken, save Kyogyo Shinsho!
Hideyuki Tanaka
Ayumi Fujimura
Takaaki Seki
Yes, Master!
Music by Toru Hasebe
Catch him!
Directed by Hideaki Oba
Halt!
Script by Kentetsu Takamori
WHY WE LIVE:
Master Rennyo and the Fire at Yoshizaki
- Complete Version -
Hey, you two!
Bring it back!
Ryoken, won't this bring bad luck?
Nah ! Don't be superstitious!
Know what that priest said when my pa died?
"Can't make money off funerals for the poor."
I hate priests!
A dozen years later
Enough!
Hey, Ryoken!
Cut it out!
You're a… dirty fighter!
Ha! A victory by any means is still a victory!
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay, though I wear myself to bits.
The grace of the teachers who led me…
Welcome home!
Chiyo, your singing's too loud.
No temple songs, hear!
Sorry.
Sure is depressing with an invalid in the house.
How can you say that to your mother…
Shut up and make dinner!
Ryoken, isn't your baby due any day now?
Yep. I'll teach him sword fighting,
make a real man of him!
And what if it's a girl?
It's a boy.
I'll see he doesn't spend his life
working in fields and caring for horses!
Honganji
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay…
I'm back.
Hello, dear.
…though I wear myself…
Quit singing that, will you!
Oh…
Believe you me, priests are all
money-grubbers.
When Pa died they said
"Pay us a lot and we'll read a long sutra…"
"Then he'll go to the Pure Land." Bah!
But…
They always want your money.
The roof leaks or the gate collapsed…
it's always something.
Say no, and they'll threaten you:
"Take your family grave home!"
That's not true Buddhism.
Listen to Master Rennyo! You'll see.
Humph! So if I listened to that priest
Ma would be cured?
She'd be better off dead anyway,
out of her misery.
No…
Anyway, stay away from the temple.
Oh, but…
I said don't go! All you need to think about
is having a healthy baby!
Working outside today?
Better take these, in case it rains…
I don't need 'em.
Put your back in it!
What, no raincoat?
Wife's asleep on the job, eh.
You'll catch cold.
I don't care.
If I know him,
he'll stick it out from pride…
I know!
You okay?
Can't get any work done this way.
- What was that?
- Lightning! Right nearby!
Look, over there!
Hey! Ryoken!
Chiyo! Don't tell me…
you were bringing those to me…
Come on. Wake up.
Chiyo.
Chiyo, wake up!
Chiyo!
Working outside today?
Better take these, in case it rains…
I don't need 'em.
It's my fault…
With a baby coming, this should have been
the happiest time of their lives.
Human life is so fragile.
Yeah, a person who's fine in the morning
can be dead and gone by evening…
Welcome back, son.
How terrible. Chiyo, and the baby, too…
I wish it had been you, Ma.
Ryoken.
Oh, Hana, it's you…
First Chiyo and now your mother…
I don't know what to say.
How about going to hear
Master Rennyo's lecture tomorrow?
Listen to Master Rennyo…
you'll see!
I don't like priests…
Don't you want to know
what Chiyo wished for in life?
800 years ago,
Shinran clarified the path whereby
anyone at all can attain true happiness.
That is Pure Land Shin Buddhism.
200 years later, Rennyo spread
those teachings all around Japan.
200 years later, Rennyo spread
those teachings all around Japan.
When Ryoken first listened to Buddhism,
Rennyo was 44 years old.
So this is Rennyo.
Different from the priests I've seen before…
Everyone…
Master Shinran's teaching
consists of one thing only:
The answer to the question
"Why do we live?"
Why live?
Why are we born?
Why do we live our lives?
Why must we live on
despite our suffering?
Everybody wants to know this.
Master Shinran gave the answer.
"Amida's inconceivable Vow is a great ship"
"that carries us across
the sea that is difficult to cross."
The passage I just read is from
the beginning of his masterwork,
Kyogyo Shinsho…
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment.
"A great ship that carries us across
the sea that is difficult to cross"
What is "the sea that is difficult to cross" that
Master Shinran spoke of?
He is comparing life with its endless troubles
to a rough sea with endless waves.
Master Shinran taught that everyone
is thrown at birth into this sea.
Once tossed in the sea, we must
swim as hard as we can.
Swimming as hard as we can means
trying as hard as we can to live.
Then what should we swim toward?
With nothing in sight but sea and sky,
we have no sense of direction.
And yet, everyone…
we must swim or sink.
We must swim for all we are worth.
But suppose we swim and swim,
not knowing where… what then?
Eventually our strength will give out
and we are sure to drown.
Even knowing this,
we can only keep on swimming.
What's he saying?
When we tire, we can't help grabbing
onto anything nearby.
We latch onto apiece of drift wood
and catch our breath…
only to be swamped by a wave,
lose our grip, and choke on salt water
"That driftwood was too small,"
we tell ourselves,
and swim in search of a bigger log
When we find a log, we grab hold
in joyful relief
only to be swamped by a yet bigger wave,
and choke again on salt water
"If only it had been a bigger log,
this wouldn't have happened," we tell ourselves.
And so our whole life is spent chasing
a dream within a dream… a mid endless woe.
Logs?
Driftwood?
Yes, everybody.
We cannot live without something to rely on,
something to give life meaning.
Isn't that right?
All of you have something
that gives meaning to your life.
For me it's the money I've earned.
Couldn't live without it.
For me it's my child.
I have to raise him property
Master Shinran taught that
wife and child and property
are in fact planks and logs
floating in the sea.
I think you all know these words that
Master Shinran consistently taught.
"All is idleness and foolishness,
utterly devoid of truth."
He was very clear on this.
Wife and child… are logs?
Why did Master Shinran say that
family and wealth are logs and planks?
I'll tell you why.
Because parting is inevitable,
whether in life or in death.
No child, however lovingly brought up,
does exactly as the parents hope.
People suffer when the one they love
dies suddenly from sickness or catastrophe.
When the time comes for us to die,
we must be torn from all we hold dear.
We suffer, like a swimmer torn from
all planks and logs,
choking on salt water amidst
the sea of troubles.
But all you can do is
hope for the be stand swim!
Everyone.
Even though we are certain
to drown in the end,
we think of nothing but how to swim.
From the time we are born,
we are bent on finding out how to live.
If someone loses heart, we encourage them,
"Do your best and live life!"
But if you think about it, it's strange.
If we are to die anyway, then why
must we go on living despite our suffering?
Is this not strange?
Master Shinran gave the answer to this
vital question we all have.
He taught plainly that no matter how we suffer,
we must go on living,
because we have a most important
purpose in life.
Unless we know this crucial purpose,
then living has no point.
Isn't that so, everyone?
She's no log in the sea!
Abandoned by all…
Torn from all I held dear…
Dear,
I'll wash the diapers!
No, no, I need to help sometimes.
Thank you.
Oh, you came the other day.
I apologize for my outburst.
But I still don't really understand.
Recently I lost my wife.
I realized that she and the baby she carried
were my reason for living.
How can you call them "logs"?
Well, it's like this.
We all must die someday.
You don't hear of anyone living
thousands of years, do you?
When you die, you cannot take
your wife and child with you.
You cannot take anything
in this world with you.
We each must travel the mountain path
of death all alone.
Master Shinran declared that
there is a great ship
that takes us across the sea of suffering and
transports us to the Pure Land in good cheer.
This is the ship made by Amida Buddha's Vow
to lift us from the sea of troubles
and bear us to the land of utmost bliss.
And so Master Shinran calls it the
Vow-ship of Great Compassion.
But we, sadly, have neither eyes to see
the Vow-ship of Great Compassion
nor ears to hear the captain's voice
as he calls and calls to us.
Amida Buddha, knowing this,
tells us he has made a big ship
to take us on board as we are and
deliver us without fail to his Pure Land.
When by Amida's great compassion
we are taken aboard the Vow-ship,
in the same instant
our life of suffering is completely transformed
to a life of happiness.
Painful as life maybe, we must live it out
to be taken aboard this ship.
This and this alone is the reason
for listening to Buddhism.
When do we get to go on the
Vow-ship of Great Compassion?
The answer is now, while we are alive.
We are taken aboard this ship now and enter
into absolute, unchanging happiness.
Master Shinran calls this "heizei gojo"…
completion of life's purpose now, in life.
"Completion of life's purpose
now, in life…"
This is why we were born: for the
completion of life's purpose now, in this life.
Then how can we be taken aboard
the Vow-ship of Great Compassion?
Let me explain.
Both Sakyamuni Buddha and
Master Shinran taught that
we can be taken aboard this ship
only by listening to Amida's Vow.
Why? Because Amida staked
his very life on this vow:
"I will take you aboard my greats hip
in the instant of hearing"
That's why listening intently and carefully to
Amida's Vow is so crucial.
Huh? Can we really board the ship
just by listening?
Can I be taken aboard too?
Ah. You may well think
"Can someone like me really be taken aboard?"
Yes, that's it. Look over there.
See the hole raindrops made
in that stone?
Water is soft, but if drops hit the same place
again and again, they can drill a hole in stone.
Cast aside all your various deliberations, turn only
to Amida Buddha, and listen single-mindedly.
In the very moment of hearing, Amida Buddha
will take you aboard his greats hip as you are.
Master Shinran wrote the "Song of Praise for
Amida's Grace" to express his great debt.
The grace of compassion that I must repay
"though I wear myself to bits" refers to
the grace of Amida, who alone saved me
when all the other Buddhas of the universe
had given up on me.
Think of the profound gratitude you would feel
to a doctor who cured you completely
after every other doctor had abandoned
hope of your recovery.
The difference is that Amida's salvation
goes far beyond a physical cure.
It saves your eternal soul.
Gratitude for such grace can have no end.
"The grace of the teachers" that I must repay
though I work myself to the bone refers to
the profound debt of gratitude we owe to
those who taught us of Amida's existence.
In the previous example, those would be
the ones who introduced you
to the world's single most brilliant physician.
That's all for today.
Song of Praise for Amida's Grace
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay, though I wear myself to bits.
The grace of the teachers who led me
I must repay, though I work myself to the bone.
The grace of Amida's great compassion…
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay, though I wear myself to bits…
Hey, what's that song?
Mm?
Ah!
Chiyo was trying to tell me about
Amida's great ship!
So that was it, Chiyo!
After encountering true Buddhism,
Ryoken began listening regularly.
He discovered great joy
in listening deeply to the teachings.
And so he became Rennyo's disciple
and took the name Honko-bo Ryoken.
More and more youths found true Buddhism
and dedicated their lives to sharing it.
Around this same time, a man named Doshu
came from the mountains of Gokayama
tortured by the crucial question,
"Why do I live?"
I'm sorry. The Main Hall is full,
so please come this way.
Everyone, please walk slowly without pushing.
As Rennyo's talks drew more listeners,
the Main Hall was enlarged many times.
Hokyo-bo, I want as many people
as possible to listen to the teachings.
Yes, Master. But you know,
we enlarged the hall just last year.
I'm afraid there's no more room.
We've reached the limit, have we…
The long Onin War would soon give way
to the period of War ring States.
In those dark times,
the teachings of Shinran explaining
"why we live" were especially radiant.
Seekers of true salvation increased daily.
Besides his ardent teaching, Rennyo
found time to write to his followers.
He explained the true meaning of Shinran's
masterwork written to save humanity.
Kyogyo Shinsho
(Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment)
Rennyo's clear commentaries are known today
as "The Letters".
They played a great role in spreading
Shinran's teachings far and wide.
"The painful sea of birth and death
knows no bounds;"
"long have we been sinking in its waters."
"Only the ship of Amida's Vow will take
us aboard and carry us across without fail."
Master Shinran explained very plainly.
"The painful sea of birth and death
knows no bounds,."
"long have we been sinking in its waters."
This refers to us, who have drifted long
in the sea of suffering.
"Only the ship of Amida's Vow will take
us aboard and carry us across without fail."
This means that only Amida's
Vow-ship of Great Compassion
will lift us and take us
to the land of utmost bliss.
This is why before leaving this world
Sakyamuni Buddha said:
"Turn toward Amida Buddha alone.
Believe only in Amida."
"Believe only in Amida." Ha!
He said you can't be saved
by other Buddhas or deities.
I heard they take our sacred objects
and burn them to heat their bathwater!
They're heretics. Beyond the pale.
- I'm glad I came, aren't you?
- Oh yes!
Why are so many
attracted to such a devil?
There goes the town's leading merchant
and his main clerk!
They left us and went to Rennyo. Damn it!
He stole our members!
At this rate, our temples will attract
still fewer followers.
We can't let this pass.
We'll show them what we're made of!
The rapid growth of Pure Land Shin Buddhism
was a threat to other sects.
They saw Rennyo as a devil
luring the masses to Hell
In those days, at the temples on Mt. Hiei,
there were bands of armed monk-warriors
that carried lances and swords
and spread fear
Then a terrible incident took place.
1465 (Kansho 6)
On the 10th day of the first month of 1465,
monk-warriors of Mt. Hiei
attacked Honganji
This is known as
the "Kansho era persecution."
Rennyo was then 51.
Oh no! Monk-warriors from Mt. Hiei
are on the attack!
Master Rennyo!
Hokyo-bo! Protect
the object of reverence!
Yes, Master!
Ryoken, you carry out Kyogyo Shinsho.
Yes, Master!
I will protect it with my life!
Break it all down!
Where's Rennyo!
Find Rennyo!
Catch him!
Halt!
Ryoken.
Let's go.
The Honganji temple was utterly destroyed.
But people's desire to hear Rennyo speak
did not fade in the least,.
It burned brighter than ever
Rennyo responded to their wishes
and taught Buddhism, braving any danger
The monk-warriors! They're back!
Wherever he went, his listeners increased,
and monk-warriors went berserk.
Often he had to hide
beneath bridges Orin caves.
Though chased from place to place,
Rennyo never gave up.
WANTED - DEAD OR ALIVE:
RENNYO
Says they'll pay in gold
for Rennyo's head.
With that kind of money
you could live like a king!
In time, even mercenaries
went after Rennyo's life.
Master, are you all right?
I'm fine. This is nothing.
Please be careful, Master.
Once across this mountain,
they won't come after us.
Doshu. You know these mountain roads
like the palm of your hand.
All I have to offer is strength.
Ryoken, you and your wooden sword
are invincible!
It's six years now since
Honganji Temple was destroyed.
What suffering you have endured, Master!
No. All that counts is quickly conveying
Master Shinran's teachings to everyone!
You're Rennyo!
Who are you!
Step aside! It's Rennyo we want!
How dare you!
I won't let you lay a finger on the master!
Who do you think you are!
Why, you…
Fight on, and I won't show mercy!
Just you wait!
Master! I am so glad you are safe!
Hokyo-bo, are you hurt?
I'm fine.
It's just as Master Shinran said:
the world is degenerate.
Rife with slander and persecution.
It's unbearable to see you
undergo such hardship…
Hokyo-bo.
Back when Master Shinran was exiled, remember?
He rejoiced that Amida Buddha
had enabled him to share Buddhism
among the people of Echigo.
When I think of all he endured,
my sufferings are as nothing.
Master!
Everyone, I'd like to visit the Hokuriku district,
which has strong bonds with Buddhism.
What! Up north?
Yes. Once I visited there
following Master Shinran's footsteps.
Everywhere I went, people were
eagerly waiting for the true teaching.
If we can't preach in the capital, let's go
somewhere else where people want to hear.
The world is full of people
hungry for Master Shinran's teachings.
That's true!
Doshu. Weren't you born in Hokuriku?
Yes, I'm from the village of Akao, in Gokayama.
A place of heavy snow…
Yes, it piles up twice my height.
But if you go there, Master,
we'll clear a road for you!
Gokayama is that snowbound, is it?
However deep the snow,
if it comes to that, I'll carry you!
All right now. Don't treat me like an old man.
Let's be off!
Yes!
And so at age 57, Rennyo
set off for Hokuriku.
Yoshizaki is on the border
of Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures.
Yoshizaki (Fukui Prefecture)
It is a peninsula jutting into a lake.
The men climbed a hill and the view
opened up before them.
This is great!
Yes, Master, here we could build as
big a Main Hall as we wanted.
Big enough for everyone!
In the distance is the wide blue sea.
What a beautiful spot!
It's as if a great temple is
rising from the lake.
An environment where visitors
can listen to Buddhism
with quiet and focused minds
is most important.
Everywhere we've been, as listeners increased
the monk-warriors would rampage.
With water on three sides,
they won't bother us here.
If we fortify the remaining side,
it will be impregnable.
Everyone can listen in ease
as Master Rennyo tells of Amida's Vow.
Building the Yoshizaki complex
required vast funding and goods.
But thanks to contributions from
eager followers around the country,
The Yoshizaki complex
It was finished in no time.
On hearing that a great temple had been
erected in Yoshizaki,
Shinran followers who revered Rennyo
rejoiced, all across Japan.
Day by day, people flocked to Yoshizaki
wanting to hear Rennyo speak.
Ryoken, long time no see!
Doshu! You brought people from Etchu?
Yes. Everyone is thrilled at the prospect
of hearing the master's sermon.
Those people must have come
for the lecture, too.
Let's go greet them.
Welcome, everyone!
Where are you from?
We came from Dewa.
Dewa! That's very far.
You must be exhausted.
Please rest yourselves.
Ryoken, Doshu, and the other disciples
went to great pains
to make visitors comfortable so they
could listen carefully to Rennyo's sermons.
Master!
Hard at work, I see.
Yes!
May I have a taste?
Yes, Master!
Delicious!
Our visitors from afar will be worn out.
Perhaps a little more salt?
Yes, Master!
Continue cooking with care.
Certainly!
Special lodges called "taya"
were built for visitors from afar
They were named after Hokyo-bo,
Kuzen-bo, Honko-bo, and others.
The disciples looked after visitors
and talked with them about Buddhism.
Honko-bo
At night, a dozen people of all ages
gathered with Ryoken in his lodge.
He went over what Rennyo had taught
to see how they each understood the sermon.
Tell me… are Amida Buddha and
Sakyamuni Buddha one and the same?
No, completely different!
Really? I always thought they were the same.
Master Rennyo made it
clear today, remember?
There are countless Buddhas in the universe,
like Dainichi Buddha or Yakushi Buddha.
Amida Buddha is their master.
Then Sakyamuni Buddha is a disciple
of Amida Buddha?
That's right.
I can't see Amida, so I just can't feel
gratitude to him.
That's understandable.
But once taken aboard his Vow-ship,
everyone will be made clearly aware.
If you listen carefully to Master Rennyo,
you'll understand…
Just as any child, however ungrateful,
comes to appreciate his parents,
the infinite grace of Amida Buddha
will become clear, as in the song.
But Honko-bo, surely you
were never an ungrateful child?
I am, I am… the worst,
the most ungrateful child there ever was.
And yet, extremely evil as I am,
Amida Buddha has taken me aboard
the Vow-ship unconditionally!
Humph! So if I listened to that priest
Ma would be cured?
She'd be better off dead anyway,
out of her misery.
Only when I was taken aboard the Vow-ship
did I see how much I owed my mother.
But it was too late.
She was no longer alive…
But it's because she gave birth to me
and raised me
that the Vow-ship took me aboard and
I could know of Amida's vast grace.
When you're saved by Amida,
is it really that clear?
I wanted to ask that, too.
A very important point.
When Master Shinran was saved by Amida
and attained absolute happiness, he said:
"Ah, Amida's Vow is real, it's true!"
How genuine, the Vow of Amida Buddha!
How genuine, Amida's promise!
"How genuine, Amida's promise!"
Why do you suppose Master Shinran said this?
We have been sinking
in the dark sea from ages past.
Knowing this, Amida promised to
take us aboard his great ship in an instant,
and carry us to the Pure Land without fail
But we doubt this vow of Amida's and
suffer without ever boarding his ship.
The instant that doubt is dispelled,
great joy arises.
"How genuine, the Vow of Amida!"
expresses that joy.
That is what Master Shinran meant by the words,
"How genuine, the Vow of Amida!"
He could not help crying out in joy:
"It is real, it is true!"
"Song of Praise for Amida's Grace"
is Master Shinran's song of gratitude to Amida.
Until you are taken aboard
the Vow-ship of Great Compassion
make sure you listen intently and carefully
to Master Rennyo's sermons.
Namu Amida Butsu
People came to Yoshizaki
from nearby Hokuriku, Kinki, and Tokai,
as well as far-off Kanto and Tohoku,
to join the flourishing complex.
The lonely fishing village
was quickly transformed into
a great Buddhist city.
This shows the wondrous power
of Buddhism.
But once again, other sects
were filled with jealousy.
Since Rennyo came to Yoshizaki,
our following has shrunk.
Our alms and prayer fees are drying up.
The monk-warriors in Kyoto went after him, but
he hasn't learned his lesson.
Are we going to sit by and do nothing?
No! We have to act!
But Yoshizaki is a natural fortress,
surrounded by a lake.
There is a way.
Tell us.
Come closer…
The 28th day of the third month,
1474.
At Yoshizaki a strong wind blew,
a harbinger of spring
Rennyo was now 60.
That evening, a suspicious fire
broke out by the South Gate.
Fanned by the wind, flames spread quickly
and destroyed nine lodges.
Soon the Main Hall was threatened
by a raging fire.
Rennyo was reading the "Enlightenment" chapter
of Kyogyo Shinsho,
written in Shinran's own hand.
Oh no!
Fire! Fire!
It's heading for the Main Hall!
Save the object of reverence!
Get it out!
Master! Master!
There is a fire. A great fire!
Hurry! Hurry!
You must escape!
A fire, you say?
Yes, Master!
Fire broke out by the South Gate
and is spreading to the Main Hall!
Quickly! Save the object of reverence
and Kyogyo Shinsho!
Yes, Master!
Go do it.
Yes!
It's not safe here, Master.
Come with me!
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
Master!
- Master Rennyo!
- The master…
You're safe!
Thank goodness.
Master!
The object of reverence and
Kyogyo Shinsho are both safe.
Thank you.
But how awful…
After all the members' work that went into
building this complex…
I feel terrible.
Don't say that, Master.
Whatever else we may lose,
as long as you are safe…
That's right!
Oh no!
What is it? Master!
What's wrong?
Master!
Let go of me.
I've made a terrible blunder.
I can't let you go, Master.
Calm yourself.
No, Hokyo-bo. I left the "Enlightenment"
chapter on my desk!
The flames are too strong.
You can't go back.
Let me go!
How could I do this to Master Shinran!
Let me go!
Allow me, Master.
I, Ryoken, swear to you… I'll protect
the "Enlightenment" chapter with my life!
Ryoken…
Honko-bo!
Ryoken!
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
Ah, how wonderful!
Amida Buddha protected it!
I must keep my vow to the master,
protect Kyogyo Shinsho at any cost!
But how?…
Blood! That's it! Instead of water
I can protect it with my blood!
Master Rennyo…
Knowing you was the greatest honor
of my life! I've been truly fortunate!
All life ends. I could wish for nothing
more than to give my life for Buddhism.
I'll meet you in the Pure Land.
Namu Amida Butsu
This is great!
Honko-bo!
Ryoken!
As day dawned, the fire finally subsided.
How dreadful!
To have lost the "Enlightenment" chapter
in the master's hand, and Ryoken too…
Master.
Even if the worst has happened to Ryoken,
it was his own choice.
He would surely have no regrets.
Hey! Anything yet?
Honko-bo!
Ryoken!
Honko-bo!
Anything?
Here he is! It's Ryoken!
Oh, Ryoken, my error led to this…
I'm sorry. Forgive me!
Master! He… he…
What!
M-master! Look…
inside him!
Oh, Honko-bo. How brave of you!
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
You did what I, Rennyo,
ought to have done.
You are the true Buddhist.
You willingly sacrificed your life for truth…
a model for all Shinran followers,
a beacon for humanity
for all time!
And so the Yoshizaki complex
burned down.
But the scripture Ryoken saved by
inserting it into his body…
Shinran's answer to the question "Why live?"…
survives to this day.
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
It is known as "The Blood-stained Scripture."
Many more young followers of Shinran
gathered around Rennyo.
Like Ryoken, they learned true Buddhism,
gained absolute happiness,
and worked for the eternal salvation
of all humanity.
The Vow-ship of Great Compassion
The End
Master Rennyo: Kotaro Satomi
Ryoken: Katsuyuki Konishi
Hokyo-bo: Hideyuki Tanaka
Chiyo: Ayumi Fujimura
Doshu: Takaaki Seki
Narrator: Hiroko Suzuki
Original Work: Naze Ikiru
(Published in English as You Were Born for a Reason)
- Planning -
Kentetsu Takamori
Yutaka Yamazaki (Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc.)
Takashi Nishida (Tulip Planning)
Kunihiro Okabe (Toko Ai)
Shiro Oiwake (Paradise Cafe)
Script: Kentetsu Takamori
Producer: Shiro Oiwake
Director: Hideaki Oba
Character Design: Masaaki Kannan
Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba
Animation Production: Studio DEEN
Sound Director: Yasunori Honda
Music: Toru Hasebe
Audio Production: Miracle Bus Corp.
- Planning Committee -
Koshiro Yoshimura
Takashi Watanabe
Chise Kanda
Hiros hi Makino
His as hi Ota
Aoi Kurosawa
Title Calligraphy: Taizan Kimura
Thanks to the many people who
contributed to the making of this film
Production: Paradise Café Inc.
Distribution: Suurkiitos Inc.
Subtitles by
Juliet Winters Carpenter
500 years ago
Honganji Temple, Kyoto
Monk-warriors! An attack from Mt. Hiei !
Master…
Kotaro Satomi
Katsuyuki Konishi
Where's Rennyo!
Find him!
Ryoken, save Kyogyo Shinsho!
Hideyuki Tanaka
Ayumi Fujimura
Takaaki Seki
Yes, Master!
Music by Toru Hasebe
Catch him!
Directed by Hideaki Oba
Halt!
Script by Kentetsu Takamori
WHY WE LIVE:
Master Rennyo and the Fire at Yoshizaki
- Complete Version -
Hey, you two!
Bring it back!
Ryoken, won't this bring bad luck?
Nah ! Don't be superstitious!
Know what that priest said when my pa died?
"Can't make money off funerals for the poor."
I hate priests!
A dozen years later
Enough!
Hey, Ryoken!
Cut it out!
You're a… dirty fighter!
Ha! A victory by any means is still a victory!
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay, though I wear myself to bits.
The grace of the teachers who led me…
Welcome home!
Chiyo, your singing's too loud.
No temple songs, hear!
Sorry.
Sure is depressing with an invalid in the house.
How can you say that to your mother…
Shut up and make dinner!
Ryoken, isn't your baby due any day now?
Yep. I'll teach him sword fighting,
make a real man of him!
And what if it's a girl?
It's a boy.
I'll see he doesn't spend his life
working in fields and caring for horses!
Honganji
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay…
I'm back.
Hello, dear.
…though I wear myself…
Quit singing that, will you!
Oh…
Believe you me, priests are all
money-grubbers.
When Pa died they said
"Pay us a lot and we'll read a long sutra…"
"Then he'll go to the Pure Land." Bah!
But…
They always want your money.
The roof leaks or the gate collapsed…
it's always something.
Say no, and they'll threaten you:
"Take your family grave home!"
That's not true Buddhism.
Listen to Master Rennyo! You'll see.
Humph! So if I listened to that priest
Ma would be cured?
She'd be better off dead anyway,
out of her misery.
No…
Anyway, stay away from the temple.
Oh, but…
I said don't go! All you need to think about
is having a healthy baby!
Working outside today?
Better take these, in case it rains…
I don't need 'em.
Put your back in it!
What, no raincoat?
Wife's asleep on the job, eh.
You'll catch cold.
I don't care.
If I know him,
he'll stick it out from pride…
I know!
You okay?
Can't get any work done this way.
- What was that?
- Lightning! Right nearby!
Look, over there!
Hey! Ryoken!
Chiyo! Don't tell me…
you were bringing those to me…
Come on. Wake up.
Chiyo.
Chiyo, wake up!
Chiyo!
Working outside today?
Better take these, in case it rains…
I don't need 'em.
It's my fault…
With a baby coming, this should have been
the happiest time of their lives.
Human life is so fragile.
Yeah, a person who's fine in the morning
can be dead and gone by evening…
Welcome back, son.
How terrible. Chiyo, and the baby, too…
I wish it had been you, Ma.
Ryoken.
Oh, Hana, it's you…
First Chiyo and now your mother…
I don't know what to say.
How about going to hear
Master Rennyo's lecture tomorrow?
Listen to Master Rennyo…
you'll see!
I don't like priests…
Don't you want to know
what Chiyo wished for in life?
800 years ago,
Shinran clarified the path whereby
anyone at all can attain true happiness.
That is Pure Land Shin Buddhism.
200 years later, Rennyo spread
those teachings all around Japan.
200 years later, Rennyo spread
those teachings all around Japan.
When Ryoken first listened to Buddhism,
Rennyo was 44 years old.
So this is Rennyo.
Different from the priests I've seen before…
Everyone…
Master Shinran's teaching
consists of one thing only:
The answer to the question
"Why do we live?"
Why live?
Why are we born?
Why do we live our lives?
Why must we live on
despite our suffering?
Everybody wants to know this.
Master Shinran gave the answer.
"Amida's inconceivable Vow is a great ship"
"that carries us across
the sea that is difficult to cross."
The passage I just read is from
the beginning of his masterwork,
Kyogyo Shinsho…
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment.
"A great ship that carries us across
the sea that is difficult to cross"
What is "the sea that is difficult to cross" that
Master Shinran spoke of?
He is comparing life with its endless troubles
to a rough sea with endless waves.
Master Shinran taught that everyone
is thrown at birth into this sea.
Once tossed in the sea, we must
swim as hard as we can.
Swimming as hard as we can means
trying as hard as we can to live.
Then what should we swim toward?
With nothing in sight but sea and sky,
we have no sense of direction.
And yet, everyone…
we must swim or sink.
We must swim for all we are worth.
But suppose we swim and swim,
not knowing where… what then?
Eventually our strength will give out
and we are sure to drown.
Even knowing this,
we can only keep on swimming.
What's he saying?
When we tire, we can't help grabbing
onto anything nearby.
We latch onto apiece of drift wood
and catch our breath…
only to be swamped by a wave,
lose our grip, and choke on salt water
"That driftwood was too small,"
we tell ourselves,
and swim in search of a bigger log
When we find a log, we grab hold
in joyful relief
only to be swamped by a yet bigger wave,
and choke again on salt water
"If only it had been a bigger log,
this wouldn't have happened," we tell ourselves.
And so our whole life is spent chasing
a dream within a dream… a mid endless woe.
Logs?
Driftwood?
Yes, everybody.
We cannot live without something to rely on,
something to give life meaning.
Isn't that right?
All of you have something
that gives meaning to your life.
For me it's the money I've earned.
Couldn't live without it.
For me it's my child.
I have to raise him property
Master Shinran taught that
wife and child and property
are in fact planks and logs
floating in the sea.
I think you all know these words that
Master Shinran consistently taught.
"All is idleness and foolishness,
utterly devoid of truth."
He was very clear on this.
Wife and child… are logs?
Why did Master Shinran say that
family and wealth are logs and planks?
I'll tell you why.
Because parting is inevitable,
whether in life or in death.
No child, however lovingly brought up,
does exactly as the parents hope.
People suffer when the one they love
dies suddenly from sickness or catastrophe.
When the time comes for us to die,
we must be torn from all we hold dear.
We suffer, like a swimmer torn from
all planks and logs,
choking on salt water amidst
the sea of troubles.
But all you can do is
hope for the be stand swim!
Everyone.
Even though we are certain
to drown in the end,
we think of nothing but how to swim.
From the time we are born,
we are bent on finding out how to live.
If someone loses heart, we encourage them,
"Do your best and live life!"
But if you think about it, it's strange.
If we are to die anyway, then why
must we go on living despite our suffering?
Is this not strange?
Master Shinran gave the answer to this
vital question we all have.
He taught plainly that no matter how we suffer,
we must go on living,
because we have a most important
purpose in life.
Unless we know this crucial purpose,
then living has no point.
Isn't that so, everyone?
She's no log in the sea!
Abandoned by all…
Torn from all I held dear…
Dear,
I'll wash the diapers!
No, no, I need to help sometimes.
Thank you.
Oh, you came the other day.
I apologize for my outburst.
But I still don't really understand.
Recently I lost my wife.
I realized that she and the baby she carried
were my reason for living.
How can you call them "logs"?
Well, it's like this.
We all must die someday.
You don't hear of anyone living
thousands of years, do you?
When you die, you cannot take
your wife and child with you.
You cannot take anything
in this world with you.
We each must travel the mountain path
of death all alone.
Master Shinran declared that
there is a great ship
that takes us across the sea of suffering and
transports us to the Pure Land in good cheer.
This is the ship made by Amida Buddha's Vow
to lift us from the sea of troubles
and bear us to the land of utmost bliss.
And so Master Shinran calls it the
Vow-ship of Great Compassion.
But we, sadly, have neither eyes to see
the Vow-ship of Great Compassion
nor ears to hear the captain's voice
as he calls and calls to us.
Amida Buddha, knowing this,
tells us he has made a big ship
to take us on board as we are and
deliver us without fail to his Pure Land.
When by Amida's great compassion
we are taken aboard the Vow-ship,
in the same instant
our life of suffering is completely transformed
to a life of happiness.
Painful as life maybe, we must live it out
to be taken aboard this ship.
This and this alone is the reason
for listening to Buddhism.
When do we get to go on the
Vow-ship of Great Compassion?
The answer is now, while we are alive.
We are taken aboard this ship now and enter
into absolute, unchanging happiness.
Master Shinran calls this "heizei gojo"…
completion of life's purpose now, in life.
"Completion of life's purpose
now, in life…"
This is why we were born: for the
completion of life's purpose now, in this life.
Then how can we be taken aboard
the Vow-ship of Great Compassion?
Let me explain.
Both Sakyamuni Buddha and
Master Shinran taught that
we can be taken aboard this ship
only by listening to Amida's Vow.
Why? Because Amida staked
his very life on this vow:
"I will take you aboard my greats hip
in the instant of hearing"
That's why listening intently and carefully to
Amida's Vow is so crucial.
Huh? Can we really board the ship
just by listening?
Can I be taken aboard too?
Ah. You may well think
"Can someone like me really be taken aboard?"
Yes, that's it. Look over there.
See the hole raindrops made
in that stone?
Water is soft, but if drops hit the same place
again and again, they can drill a hole in stone.
Cast aside all your various deliberations, turn only
to Amida Buddha, and listen single-mindedly.
In the very moment of hearing, Amida Buddha
will take you aboard his greats hip as you are.
Master Shinran wrote the "Song of Praise for
Amida's Grace" to express his great debt.
The grace of compassion that I must repay
"though I wear myself to bits" refers to
the grace of Amida, who alone saved me
when all the other Buddhas of the universe
had given up on me.
Think of the profound gratitude you would feel
to a doctor who cured you completely
after every other doctor had abandoned
hope of your recovery.
The difference is that Amida's salvation
goes far beyond a physical cure.
It saves your eternal soul.
Gratitude for such grace can have no end.
"The grace of the teachers" that I must repay
though I work myself to the bone refers to
the profound debt of gratitude we owe to
those who taught us of Amida's existence.
In the previous example, those would be
the ones who introduced you
to the world's single most brilliant physician.
That's all for today.
Song of Praise for Amida's Grace
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay, though I wear myself to bits.
The grace of the teachers who led me
I must repay, though I work myself to the bone.
The grace of Amida's great compassion…
The grace of Amida's great compassion
I must repay, though I wear myself to bits…
Hey, what's that song?
Mm?
Ah!
Chiyo was trying to tell me about
Amida's great ship!
So that was it, Chiyo!
After encountering true Buddhism,
Ryoken began listening regularly.
He discovered great joy
in listening deeply to the teachings.
And so he became Rennyo's disciple
and took the name Honko-bo Ryoken.
More and more youths found true Buddhism
and dedicated their lives to sharing it.
Around this same time, a man named Doshu
came from the mountains of Gokayama
tortured by the crucial question,
"Why do I live?"
I'm sorry. The Main Hall is full,
so please come this way.
Everyone, please walk slowly without pushing.
As Rennyo's talks drew more listeners,
the Main Hall was enlarged many times.
Hokyo-bo, I want as many people
as possible to listen to the teachings.
Yes, Master. But you know,
we enlarged the hall just last year.
I'm afraid there's no more room.
We've reached the limit, have we…
The long Onin War would soon give way
to the period of War ring States.
In those dark times,
the teachings of Shinran explaining
"why we live" were especially radiant.
Seekers of true salvation increased daily.
Besides his ardent teaching, Rennyo
found time to write to his followers.
He explained the true meaning of Shinran's
masterwork written to save humanity.
Kyogyo Shinsho
(Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment)
Rennyo's clear commentaries are known today
as "The Letters".
They played a great role in spreading
Shinran's teachings far and wide.
"The painful sea of birth and death
knows no bounds;"
"long have we been sinking in its waters."
"Only the ship of Amida's Vow will take
us aboard and carry us across without fail."
Master Shinran explained very plainly.
"The painful sea of birth and death
knows no bounds,."
"long have we been sinking in its waters."
This refers to us, who have drifted long
in the sea of suffering.
"Only the ship of Amida's Vow will take
us aboard and carry us across without fail."
This means that only Amida's
Vow-ship of Great Compassion
will lift us and take us
to the land of utmost bliss.
This is why before leaving this world
Sakyamuni Buddha said:
"Turn toward Amida Buddha alone.
Believe only in Amida."
"Believe only in Amida." Ha!
He said you can't be saved
by other Buddhas or deities.
I heard they take our sacred objects
and burn them to heat their bathwater!
They're heretics. Beyond the pale.
- I'm glad I came, aren't you?
- Oh yes!
Why are so many
attracted to such a devil?
There goes the town's leading merchant
and his main clerk!
They left us and went to Rennyo. Damn it!
He stole our members!
At this rate, our temples will attract
still fewer followers.
We can't let this pass.
We'll show them what we're made of!
The rapid growth of Pure Land Shin Buddhism
was a threat to other sects.
They saw Rennyo as a devil
luring the masses to Hell
In those days, at the temples on Mt. Hiei,
there were bands of armed monk-warriors
that carried lances and swords
and spread fear
Then a terrible incident took place.
1465 (Kansho 6)
On the 10th day of the first month of 1465,
monk-warriors of Mt. Hiei
attacked Honganji
This is known as
the "Kansho era persecution."
Rennyo was then 51.
Oh no! Monk-warriors from Mt. Hiei
are on the attack!
Master Rennyo!
Hokyo-bo! Protect
the object of reverence!
Yes, Master!
Ryoken, you carry out Kyogyo Shinsho.
Yes, Master!
I will protect it with my life!
Break it all down!
Where's Rennyo!
Find Rennyo!
Catch him!
Halt!
Ryoken.
Let's go.
The Honganji temple was utterly destroyed.
But people's desire to hear Rennyo speak
did not fade in the least,.
It burned brighter than ever
Rennyo responded to their wishes
and taught Buddhism, braving any danger
The monk-warriors! They're back!
Wherever he went, his listeners increased,
and monk-warriors went berserk.
Often he had to hide
beneath bridges Orin caves.
Though chased from place to place,
Rennyo never gave up.
WANTED - DEAD OR ALIVE:
RENNYO
Says they'll pay in gold
for Rennyo's head.
With that kind of money
you could live like a king!
In time, even mercenaries
went after Rennyo's life.
Master, are you all right?
I'm fine. This is nothing.
Please be careful, Master.
Once across this mountain,
they won't come after us.
Doshu. You know these mountain roads
like the palm of your hand.
All I have to offer is strength.
Ryoken, you and your wooden sword
are invincible!
It's six years now since
Honganji Temple was destroyed.
What suffering you have endured, Master!
No. All that counts is quickly conveying
Master Shinran's teachings to everyone!
You're Rennyo!
Who are you!
Step aside! It's Rennyo we want!
How dare you!
I won't let you lay a finger on the master!
Who do you think you are!
Why, you…
Fight on, and I won't show mercy!
Just you wait!
Master! I am so glad you are safe!
Hokyo-bo, are you hurt?
I'm fine.
It's just as Master Shinran said:
the world is degenerate.
Rife with slander and persecution.
It's unbearable to see you
undergo such hardship…
Hokyo-bo.
Back when Master Shinran was exiled, remember?
He rejoiced that Amida Buddha
had enabled him to share Buddhism
among the people of Echigo.
When I think of all he endured,
my sufferings are as nothing.
Master!
Everyone, I'd like to visit the Hokuriku district,
which has strong bonds with Buddhism.
What! Up north?
Yes. Once I visited there
following Master Shinran's footsteps.
Everywhere I went, people were
eagerly waiting for the true teaching.
If we can't preach in the capital, let's go
somewhere else where people want to hear.
The world is full of people
hungry for Master Shinran's teachings.
That's true!
Doshu. Weren't you born in Hokuriku?
Yes, I'm from the village of Akao, in Gokayama.
A place of heavy snow…
Yes, it piles up twice my height.
But if you go there, Master,
we'll clear a road for you!
Gokayama is that snowbound, is it?
However deep the snow,
if it comes to that, I'll carry you!
All right now. Don't treat me like an old man.
Let's be off!
Yes!
And so at age 57, Rennyo
set off for Hokuriku.
Yoshizaki is on the border
of Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures.
Yoshizaki (Fukui Prefecture)
It is a peninsula jutting into a lake.
The men climbed a hill and the view
opened up before them.
This is great!
Yes, Master, here we could build as
big a Main Hall as we wanted.
Big enough for everyone!
In the distance is the wide blue sea.
What a beautiful spot!
It's as if a great temple is
rising from the lake.
An environment where visitors
can listen to Buddhism
with quiet and focused minds
is most important.
Everywhere we've been, as listeners increased
the monk-warriors would rampage.
With water on three sides,
they won't bother us here.
If we fortify the remaining side,
it will be impregnable.
Everyone can listen in ease
as Master Rennyo tells of Amida's Vow.
Building the Yoshizaki complex
required vast funding and goods.
But thanks to contributions from
eager followers around the country,
The Yoshizaki complex
It was finished in no time.
On hearing that a great temple had been
erected in Yoshizaki,
Shinran followers who revered Rennyo
rejoiced, all across Japan.
Day by day, people flocked to Yoshizaki
wanting to hear Rennyo speak.
Ryoken, long time no see!
Doshu! You brought people from Etchu?
Yes. Everyone is thrilled at the prospect
of hearing the master's sermon.
Those people must have come
for the lecture, too.
Let's go greet them.
Welcome, everyone!
Where are you from?
We came from Dewa.
Dewa! That's very far.
You must be exhausted.
Please rest yourselves.
Ryoken, Doshu, and the other disciples
went to great pains
to make visitors comfortable so they
could listen carefully to Rennyo's sermons.
Master!
Hard at work, I see.
Yes!
May I have a taste?
Yes, Master!
Delicious!
Our visitors from afar will be worn out.
Perhaps a little more salt?
Yes, Master!
Continue cooking with care.
Certainly!
Special lodges called "taya"
were built for visitors from afar
They were named after Hokyo-bo,
Kuzen-bo, Honko-bo, and others.
The disciples looked after visitors
and talked with them about Buddhism.
Honko-bo
At night, a dozen people of all ages
gathered with Ryoken in his lodge.
He went over what Rennyo had taught
to see how they each understood the sermon.
Tell me… are Amida Buddha and
Sakyamuni Buddha one and the same?
No, completely different!
Really? I always thought they were the same.
Master Rennyo made it
clear today, remember?
There are countless Buddhas in the universe,
like Dainichi Buddha or Yakushi Buddha.
Amida Buddha is their master.
Then Sakyamuni Buddha is a disciple
of Amida Buddha?
That's right.
I can't see Amida, so I just can't feel
gratitude to him.
That's understandable.
But once taken aboard his Vow-ship,
everyone will be made clearly aware.
If you listen carefully to Master Rennyo,
you'll understand…
Just as any child, however ungrateful,
comes to appreciate his parents,
the infinite grace of Amida Buddha
will become clear, as in the song.
But Honko-bo, surely you
were never an ungrateful child?
I am, I am… the worst,
the most ungrateful child there ever was.
And yet, extremely evil as I am,
Amida Buddha has taken me aboard
the Vow-ship unconditionally!
Humph! So if I listened to that priest
Ma would be cured?
She'd be better off dead anyway,
out of her misery.
Only when I was taken aboard the Vow-ship
did I see how much I owed my mother.
But it was too late.
She was no longer alive…
But it's because she gave birth to me
and raised me
that the Vow-ship took me aboard and
I could know of Amida's vast grace.
When you're saved by Amida,
is it really that clear?
I wanted to ask that, too.
A very important point.
When Master Shinran was saved by Amida
and attained absolute happiness, he said:
"Ah, Amida's Vow is real, it's true!"
How genuine, the Vow of Amida Buddha!
How genuine, Amida's promise!
"How genuine, Amida's promise!"
Why do you suppose Master Shinran said this?
We have been sinking
in the dark sea from ages past.
Knowing this, Amida promised to
take us aboard his great ship in an instant,
and carry us to the Pure Land without fail
But we doubt this vow of Amida's and
suffer without ever boarding his ship.
The instant that doubt is dispelled,
great joy arises.
"How genuine, the Vow of Amida!"
expresses that joy.
That is what Master Shinran meant by the words,
"How genuine, the Vow of Amida!"
He could not help crying out in joy:
"It is real, it is true!"
"Song of Praise for Amida's Grace"
is Master Shinran's song of gratitude to Amida.
Until you are taken aboard
the Vow-ship of Great Compassion
make sure you listen intently and carefully
to Master Rennyo's sermons.
Namu Amida Butsu
People came to Yoshizaki
from nearby Hokuriku, Kinki, and Tokai,
as well as far-off Kanto and Tohoku,
to join the flourishing complex.
The lonely fishing village
was quickly transformed into
a great Buddhist city.
This shows the wondrous power
of Buddhism.
But once again, other sects
were filled with jealousy.
Since Rennyo came to Yoshizaki,
our following has shrunk.
Our alms and prayer fees are drying up.
The monk-warriors in Kyoto went after him, but
he hasn't learned his lesson.
Are we going to sit by and do nothing?
No! We have to act!
But Yoshizaki is a natural fortress,
surrounded by a lake.
There is a way.
Tell us.
Come closer…
The 28th day of the third month,
1474.
At Yoshizaki a strong wind blew,
a harbinger of spring
Rennyo was now 60.
That evening, a suspicious fire
broke out by the South Gate.
Fanned by the wind, flames spread quickly
and destroyed nine lodges.
Soon the Main Hall was threatened
by a raging fire.
Rennyo was reading the "Enlightenment" chapter
of Kyogyo Shinsho,
written in Shinran's own hand.
Oh no!
Fire! Fire!
It's heading for the Main Hall!
Save the object of reverence!
Get it out!
Master! Master!
There is a fire. A great fire!
Hurry! Hurry!
You must escape!
A fire, you say?
Yes, Master!
Fire broke out by the South Gate
and is spreading to the Main Hall!
Quickly! Save the object of reverence
and Kyogyo Shinsho!
Yes, Master!
Go do it.
Yes!
It's not safe here, Master.
Come with me!
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
Master!
- Master Rennyo!
- The master…
You're safe!
Thank goodness.
Master!
The object of reverence and
Kyogyo Shinsho are both safe.
Thank you.
But how awful…
After all the members' work that went into
building this complex…
I feel terrible.
Don't say that, Master.
Whatever else we may lose,
as long as you are safe…
That's right!
Oh no!
What is it? Master!
What's wrong?
Master!
Let go of me.
I've made a terrible blunder.
I can't let you go, Master.
Calm yourself.
No, Hokyo-bo. I left the "Enlightenment"
chapter on my desk!
The flames are too strong.
You can't go back.
Let me go!
How could I do this to Master Shinran!
Let me go!
Allow me, Master.
I, Ryoken, swear to you… I'll protect
the "Enlightenment" chapter with my life!
Ryoken…
Honko-bo!
Ryoken!
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
Ah, how wonderful!
Amida Buddha protected it!
I must keep my vow to the master,
protect Kyogyo Shinsho at any cost!
But how?…
Blood! That's it! Instead of water
I can protect it with my blood!
Master Rennyo…
Knowing you was the greatest honor
of my life! I've been truly fortunate!
All life ends. I could wish for nothing
more than to give my life for Buddhism.
I'll meet you in the Pure Land.
Namu Amida Butsu
This is great!
Honko-bo!
Ryoken!
As day dawned, the fire finally subsided.
How dreadful!
To have lost the "Enlightenment" chapter
in the master's hand, and Ryoken too…
Master.
Even if the worst has happened to Ryoken,
it was his own choice.
He would surely have no regrets.
Hey! Anything yet?
Honko-bo!
Ryoken!
Honko-bo!
Anything?
Here he is! It's Ryoken!
Oh, Ryoken, my error led to this…
I'm sorry. Forgive me!
Master! He… he…
What!
M-master! Look…
inside him!
Oh, Honko-bo. How brave of you!
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
You did what I, Rennyo,
ought to have done.
You are the true Buddhist.
You willingly sacrificed your life for truth…
a model for all Shinran followers,
a beacon for humanity
for all time!
And so the Yoshizaki complex
burned down.
But the scripture Ryoken saved by
inserting it into his body…
Shinran's answer to the question "Why live?"…
survives to this day.
Teaching, Practice, Faith, Enlightenment
"Enlightenment" Chapter
It is known as "The Blood-stained Scripture."
Many more young followers of Shinran
gathered around Rennyo.
Like Ryoken, they learned true Buddhism,
gained absolute happiness,
and worked for the eternal salvation
of all humanity.
The Vow-ship of Great Compassion
The End
Master Rennyo: Kotaro Satomi
Ryoken: Katsuyuki Konishi
Hokyo-bo: Hideyuki Tanaka
Chiyo: Ayumi Fujimura
Doshu: Takaaki Seki
Narrator: Hiroko Suzuki
Original Work: Naze Ikiru
(Published in English as You Were Born for a Reason)
- Planning -
Kentetsu Takamori
Yutaka Yamazaki (Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc.)
Takashi Nishida (Tulip Planning)
Kunihiro Okabe (Toko Ai)
Shiro Oiwake (Paradise Cafe)
Script: Kentetsu Takamori
Producer: Shiro Oiwake
Director: Hideaki Oba
Character Design: Masaaki Kannan
Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba
Animation Production: Studio DEEN
Sound Director: Yasunori Honda
Music: Toru Hasebe
Audio Production: Miracle Bus Corp.
- Planning Committee -
Koshiro Yoshimura
Takashi Watanabe
Chise Kanda
Hiros hi Makino
His as hi Ota
Aoi Kurosawa
Title Calligraphy: Taizan Kimura
Thanks to the many people who
contributed to the making of this film
Production: Paradise Café Inc.
Distribution: Suurkiitos Inc.
Subtitles by
Juliet Winters Carpenter