Jishin - Confidence

JISHIN-GE (FULFILLMENT OF DEVOTION)

JI SHIN KYO NIN  SHIN

自  信   教  人   信　   

NAN  CHU TEN  KYO  NAN

難  中   轉   更   難

DAI  HI  DEN  BUTSU KE   

大  悲   傳  普   化　   

SHIN JO HO  BUT    TON

眞  成  報   仏   恩

To believe in the Buddha's Teaching and to enable others 

to believe in it, is a very difficult task.

If we could transmit His Teaching to others and enable them to rejoice in it, we would be paying our respect to His boundless mercy and truly fulfilling our obligation.

(Ojuo-Raisan by Master Shandao)

This short verse is called "Jishin-ge" which is written on "The Hymns in Praise of Birth in the Pure Land (Ojuo-Raisan)" by the Pure Land Buddhist Master Shandao (613-681).

This short verse could represent our difficult but most rewarding task to teach Buddha's teaching.  Therefore when we Jodo Shu ministers get together for the occasions such as workshops and lecturers, we recite this Jishin-ge together to realize our important mission.   Also we offer this verse to our Pure Land Masters during special services.

The word "Jishin" which literally means "to believe self"

is now understood as "confidence."  So this title of verse "Jishin-ge" could be translated as "Verse of Confidence."

Needless to say, it is impossible to make others to believe without your believing.  In other words, you cannot be confident if you cannot believe yourself.

So this verse is actually stressing the importance of "your believing" which can be called "Faith." As we have faith, we can be confident.   

To believe in Pure Land is actually not easy but it is definitely much more difficult to make people believe.  However if we are truly successful in our mission to transmit Buddha's great compassion, it is our great reward which could repay a deep obligation from the Buddha and our Buddhist masters.