What if you were offered an approach to Buddhism that did not require long hours of meditation? What if, instead, you discovered a method that could be practiced anywhere, at any time, without any special preparation or indoctrination , a method so simple it could be summed up in a single hand-written page? "Nembutsu is not meditation, nor does it come from study. It is nothing but reciting namu-amida-butsu and believing in our birth in the Pure Land." @tagital = ,Honen's "One-Page Testament" On January 23, 1212, two days before his death at the age of 80, the Japanese monk Honen composed the "One-Page Testament," a revolutionary document that changed the course of Buddhist history. Its message was simple: A Buddhism that could save only a few people was not the true Buddhism; only a Buddhism that could save all beings , including householders with little time for meditative practice , was real and true. In other words, Buddhism was not just a practice for monks. In this practical, thought-provoking workshop, former Buddhist monk Clark Strand will guide you through a radical revision of contemporary American Buddhism, based on the teachings of Honen-bo Genku, the founder of the Japanese Pure Land School, with an emphasis on its core practice of nembutsu (chanting Amida Buddha's name). Amida is the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life, and the Pure Land is the enlightened abode into which he welcomes, without exception, all those who sincerely call upon his name. In Japan, nembutsu has been called "easy practice" because, unlike "hard practices" such as Zen, it can be done by anyone. It has been compared to the ease one feels in floating downstream on a raft, trusting the water to do its work, as opposed to swimming vigorously alongside the raft. A practice of ever-deepening surrender to the boundless wisdom and compassion of Amida Buddha, the nembutsu excludes no one. Monk and layman alike can practice it optimally in any set of circumstances. Through a series of short talks, followed by practice sessions and open discussion, you will learn the basic teachings of Pure Land Buddhism. Clark provides a hands-on approach to the ancient practice of nembutsu , how to do it, how to maintain it, and how to extend its influence into all areas of ordinary life. He'll discuss Honen's "One-Page Testament," showing how it can be used as a training manual for spiritual liberation through the practice of nembutsu. You will receive a copy of the document for personal practice and reflection, as well as information and resources for further study.
Clark Strand is a former Senior Editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and the author of The Wooden Bowl: Simple Meditation for Everyday Life and Seeds from a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey. Trained as a Zen Buddhist monk, in recent years he has written and taught extensively on the need for a more radical, faith-based approach to practice in American Buddhism. Clark lives with his wife, two children, and numerous pets in Woodstock, New York and appreciates a practice that doesn't require silence, solitude, and seated meditation. We welcome him back to Rowe as the vanguard of this revolutionary approach to Buddhism in America.