Comparative Religion: Buddha Mindfulness and Krishna Consciousness
I am a Pure Land Buddhist and a practitioner of the Nembutsu. For a while I have been intrigued by the similarities between the nembutsu (the main Pure Land Buddhist practice, Mindfulness of Amida Buddha) and certain practices in various religions worldwide. I was originally going to write one long post covering all of the religions and practices I want to compare. But then I realized I need to separate this subject into multiple posts if I do not want it to be bizarrely long. So I have decided that I am going to write several articles on this subject.
I would like to compare Buddha Mindfulness, specifically the nembutsu, with the Hare Krishna mantra of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Dhikr of Islamic Sufism, Christian practices such as the rosary and the Jesus Prayer, and Naam Japo and Waheguru of Sikhism. Since I am not an expert on these practices (and since I only practice Buddha Mindfulness), I will try to use as many sources and quotes as possible. The first practice I will compare to the nembutsu will be the Hare Krishna Mantra.
Nembutsu:
Hare Krishna Mantra:
Buddha Minfulness and the Nembutsu
So what is the nembutsu? The Nembutsu is a form of Buddha Mindfulness. Buddha Mindfulness is one of the oldest practices in Buddhism, recorded in both the Buddhist Agamas and the Nikayas. Every single Buddhist group in the world practices Buddha Mindfulness in one form when they take refuge in the Buddha. If you do not take refuge in the Buddha, then you are not practicing Buddhism. Besides basic refuge, Buddha Mindfulness can take many forms. It can also take the appearance of bowing and prostrating (especially while chanting), contemplation of the body of the Buddha, contemplation of the qualities of the Buddha and his awakening, and saying the name of the Buddha. The Mahanama Sutra [1] describes Buddha Mindfulness as:
(1) "There is the case where you recollect the Tathagata: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.' At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting the Tathagata, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on the Tathagata. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the disciple of the noble ones dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice; having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of the Buddha."
This version of Buddha Mindfulness is a contemplation of the virtuous qualities of the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, and his awakening, through reciting a set formula. The benefits of this practice include purifying the mind of passions, purifying the mind of aversions, and purifying the mind of delusion. In one who does this, joy is said to arise, along with a sense of understanding the Dharma and the goal of practice: Nirvana. Basically, by practicing Mindfulness of the Buddha, one comes into direct contact with ultimate reality, and over time one strengthens that connection, which brings the practitioner closer and closer to Nirvana.
The nembutsu of the Pure Land school is a direct development of this practice. Instead of focusing on the historical Buddha, the Pure Land school practices mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha through chanting his name.
The Sanksrit formula given in the Pure Land school is Namo Amitabhaya Buddhaya. One translation of this could be, "I take refuge in Amitabha Buddha." Amitabha Buddha is also called Amitayus Buddha. His names mean Buddha of Infinite Light and Buddha of Infinite Life. Light and life are symbols for wisdom and compassion respectively. So when you say "Namo Amitabha Buddha," you are saying "I take refuge in the Buddha of Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion." Here, wisdom and compassion describe the awakening of Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha's Buddha nature is the same as our own in that they are both empty and share the same attributes, so it could further be interpreted as saying "I take refuge in the Infinite Wisdom and Compassion of awakening, both within and without."
Krishna Consciousness and the Hare Krishna Mantra:
If Buddha Mindfulness is mindfulness of the Buddha, his awakening, and his qualities, then Krishna Consciousness is mindfulness of Krishna, his supreme godhood, and his qualities. One does this by chanting Krishna's mantra:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
This is a form of Bhakti Yoga [2].
Bhakti Yoga is a spiritual practice focused on loving devotion to a personal god. Bhakti Yoga can be contrasted with Karma Yoga, the fulfillment of duty in society in order to gain liberation, and Jnana Yoga, the pursuit of knowledge and meditation in order to gain liberation.
According to Wikipedia [3] the mantra can be interpreted as follows:
"Sanskrit is a polysemic language and as such, this mantra has multiple interpretations all of which may be considered as correct. 'Hare' can be interpreted as either the vocative form of Hari, another name of Vishnu meaning 'he who removes illusion.' Another interpretation is as the vocative of Harā a name of Rādhā Krishna's eternal consort or His energy (Krishna's Shakti). According to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Harā refers to "the energy/shakti of Supreme Personality of Godhead" while Krishna and Rama refer to Supreme Godhead Himself, meaning 'He who is All-Attractive' and 'He who is the Source of All Pleasure'. In the hymn Vishnu Sahasranama spoken by Bhishma in praise of Krishna after the Kurukshetra War, Krishna is also called Rama.
"It is sometimes believed that 'Rama' in 'Hare Rama' means 'Radharamana' or the beloved of Radha (another name for Kṛṣṇa). The more common interpretation is that Rāma refers to Rama of the Ramayana, an earlier avatar of Krishna. 'Rama can also be a shortened form of Balarama, Krishna's first expansion.' The mantra is repeated, either sung out loud (bhajan), congregationally (kirtan) or to oneself aloud or mentally (japa). A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami describes the process of chanting the Maha Mantra as follows:
"Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived ...[]... This chanting of 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare' is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness - namely sensual, mental, and intellectual ...[]... As such anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification."
If Hari is meant to be a name of Vishnu, then this mantra has the effect of removing illusion, similar to the nembutsu. Notice that this describes quote Krishna as all attractive. I will bring this up later.
So in both of these practices one chants the name/names of what one considers to be ultimate reality. By chanting the name, one gains a connection with that ultimate reality, which in turn naturally brings about the awakening of the practitioner. Therefore, in order to understand the difference between these practices, one needs to understand the difference between ultimate reality in Buddhism and ultimate reality in Hinduism.
Ultimate Reality in Buddhism vs. Hinduism
The best contrast between ultimate reality in Buddhism and Hinduism that I have ever read was something posted by a Redditor named Krodha [4]. I am not sure if Krodha is the original writer of this quote, or if he is quoting someone else, but he says:
"An ontological non-duality [advaita] is monistic, we find this type of non-dualism in teachings like Advaita Vedanta. Buddhism has a different type of non-duality [advāya], which is epistemic instead of ontological.
"An ontological non-duality is where everything is reduced to a single substance that exists alone by itself, which is the definition of monism. For example if subject and object were merged and we then held a view that the union of the two as a single X is truly substantial and valid.
"On the other hand, an epistemological non-duality is simply a recognition that the nature of phenomena is free from the dual extremes of existence and non-existence, hence "non-dual". This is a non-reductive non-duality because it does not leave anything in its wake, there is no X left over once the nature of phenomena is recognized.
"In epistemic non-duality the nature of a conditioned phenomenon [dharma] and its non-arisen nature [dharmatā] are ultimately neither the same nor different, hence they are 'non-dual,' because the misconception of a conditioned entity is a byproduct of ignorance, and therefore said entity has never truly come into existence in the first place. This means that the allegedly conditioned entity has truly been unconditioned from the very beginning. And to realize this fact only requires a cessation of cause for the arising of the misconception of a conditioned entity, i.e., a cessation of ignorance. If dharmins and dharmatā were not non-dual then it would be impossible to recognize the unborn nature of phenomena because that nature would be rendered another conditioned entity.
"TL;DR:
"Non-duality in Hinduism and sanatanadharma in general is a view that promulgates an ontological, transpersonal, homogenous, unconditioned existent. Which means that non-duality in the sanatanadharma is a substantial and reductive non-duality.
"Whereas one's (ultimate) nature in the buddhadharma is epistemic, personal, heterogeneous and free from the extremes of existence and non-existence. This means that one's so-called "non-dual" nature in Buddhism is an insubstantial and non-reductive non-duality."
So Advaita Vedanta takes everything to be part of the same super-soul, which is god or the transcendent self. Everything is part of the same being and the same substance. This transcendent self is contrasted with the ego-self, which is the belief that one's own current body and mind are the self.
Now, Advaita Vedanta is a specific Hindu sect, distinct from Gaudiya Vaishnava (a major school of Krishna devotees), but the Gaudiya Vaishnavan view of ultimate reality is mostly the same.
In Gaudiya Vaishnavaism Krishna is taken to be this transcendent self, the god that everyone is ultimately part of. This is why Krishna Consciousness is described as "the original energy of the living entity." Now, what is unique in Gaudiya Vaishnavaism is that everyone has their own soul. Each of these souls is essentially a shard of the universal soul that falsely believes itself to be separate from the super-soul. Thus the ego-self in Gaudiya Vaishnavaism is not just the belief in an individual self. It is the belief that this material body is the self, separate from the universal soul. Each material body simply contains within it a piece of the universal soul. This is referred to as illusion (maya). Thus everyone is part of God, but no single person can be said to absolutely be God. Under the influence of maya, one's original consciousness is clouded over by wrong views and delusions. Because the ego-self is an illusion of separateness, it is not really separate, and is not individually existent. Because Krishna Consciousness is the original consciousness, it is the true self and the only truly existing thing.
The Bhagavad Gita describes the Universal Self as:
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 [5]
"42. The senses are said to be superior (to the body); the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and that which is superior to the intellect is He (the Atman).
43. Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect, and restraining The self by the Self, destroy, O mighty-armed, that enemy, the unseizable foe, desire."
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11:
"5. Behold, O son of Prithâ, by hundreds and thousands, My different forms celestial, of various colours and shapes.
6. Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the twin Ashvins, and the Maruts; behold, O descendant of Bharata, many wonders never seen before.
7. See now, O Gudâkesha, in this My body, the whole universe centred in one,—including the moving and the unmoving,—and all else that thou desirest to see."
Chapter 11 then goes on to briefly describe the practice of uniting with this ultimate reality:
"52. Very hard indeed it is to see this Form of Mine which thou hast seen. Even the Devas ever long to behold this Form.
53. Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be seen as thou hast seen Me.
54. But by the single-minded devotion I may in this Form, be known, O Arjuna, and seen in reality, and also entered into, O scorcher of foes.
55. He who does work for Me alone and has Me for his goal, is devoted to Me, is freed from attachment, and bears enmity towards no creature—he entereth into Me, O Pândava."
Note that the practitioner is described as entering into Krishna. This means that when they die, they will become one with the universal consciousness and will no longer be reborn. This is different than the nembutsu, because the goal of the nembutsu is rebirth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. Some Pure Land Buddhists interpret rebirth in the Pure Land as a place you are born into where you can pursue enlightenment in the perfect conditions. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists interpret rebirth into the Pure Land as attaining Buddhahood, where you return to emptiness.
Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita elaborates on how to unite with the universal-soul:
"2. Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever-steadfast, and endowed with supreme Shraddhâ, they in My opinion are the best versed in Yoga."
...
"6-7. But those who worship Me, resigning all actions in Me, regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, meditating on Me with single-minded Yoga,—to these whose mind is set on Me, verily, I become ere long, O son of Prithâ, the Saviour out of the ocean of the mortal Samsâra.
8. Fix thy mind on Me only, place thy intellect in Me: (then) thou shalt no doubt live in Me hereafter.
9. If thou art unable to fix thy mind steadily on Me, then by Abhyâsa-Yoga do thou seek to reach Me, O Dhananjaya.
10. If also thou art unable to practise Abhyâsa, be thou intent on doing actions -for My sake. Even by doing actions for My sake, thou shalt attain perfection.
11. If thou art unable to do even this, then taking refuge in Me, abandon the fruit of all action, self-controlled."
So Hinduism and Buddhism both say that the ego-self arises through ignorance (maya). The difference is that Buddhism says that there is no self at all--not an ego-self, and not an ultimate self. In Buddhism, everything is not of the same substance. There is no universal soul or consciousness. You and I are different.
So if we are not part of the same super-soul, what makes the separation of subject and object an illusion? Because Buddhism says that the nature of ultimate reality is empty of both existence and non-existence, there is no self that ultimately arises, and no self that ignorance arises from. I am neither different, nor not different than you, because ultimately we lack both existence and non-existence. The ultimate nature of reality is empty, and because it is empty it can manifest anything. But these manifestations neither exist, nor don't exist either. They are simply stirred up by ignorance. Ignorance is neither the same as nor different from emptiness. To visualize this, think of how air is stirred up by the wind. Emptiness is the air, wind is the ignorance.
Everyone's emptiness, or dharmadhatu, is separate but has the same attributes the way two rocks are separate but share the same attributes that make them rocks. If you dip a bucket in a river and lift it out, empty it, and then repeat the process, you are not picking up the same exact water each time. But the water you pick up each time does have the same attributes.
Now that I have compared the views of ultimate reality in these systems, let's compare how both of these practices are supposed to provide liberation. How does it work?
How it Works
Nembutsu:
As I said earlier, in both of these practices one chants the name/names of what one considers to be ultimate reality. So first you have to decide what you believe ultimate reality is, and then you use a symbol, such as a name, to connect with it. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism this symbol is literally Krishna, as the vibration of the mantra is a manifestation of universal soul. In Buddhism the symbol is literally Amida, in that the name is empty just like anything else, and thus it contains the aspects of Amida. Furthermore, It is Amida because people have injected the symbol with the meaning of Amida for thousands of years.
On one level, Amida Buddha is a Buddha outside of us who we receive help from to achieve rebirth in his Pure Land. This is the compassion and wisdom outside of us that we rely on constantly whether we know it or not. In one way, Amida exists as the name. There could also be an actual individual being who has absolutely perfected these traits and became a Buddha. That "being" could be considered Amida Buddha. But the Amida outside of us could also be the individual moments when we experience compassion and wisdom outside of us--no matter who or what manifests it. We also contain the same the characteristics that constitute Amida Buddha's Buddha nature, so on another level Amida Buddha's Buddha nature is the same as our own Buddha nature, so we are Amida Buddha. Although this has to be carefully contrasted with the karmic-self. The karmic self is not Amida Buddha.
Amida Buddha is the Buddha of Infinte Wisdom and Compassion. Wisdom and Compassion are the attributes of Amida Buddha's Buddha nature. These are the aspects of Amida that everyone and everything has. So Amida Buddha is simultaneously all of the Wisdom and Compassion outside of us in life, as well as within us. He is the food that we eat as well as all of the circumstances and sentient beings that brought that food to us. Amida Buddha is also the love of our parents and even the love of our dog. Amida Buddha is also the love that you feel for others.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Amida Buddha is one of the 5 Dhyani Buddha. Each Dhyani Buddha represents an aspect of both the enlightened mind and the ignorance that covers it.
A Lion's Roar article [6] describes Amida as follows:
"In the west of the mandala is Amitabha, buddha of the Padma (lotus) family, who is red and represents discriminating-awareness wisdom and its opposite, passion or grasping. The intense desire of passion is transmuted into an attention to the fine qualities of each and every detail. Padma is associated with the element fire, with spring, with façade and color."
Amida Buddha's wisdom is specifically the wisdom to discern the reality of desire and passion. When one's Amida nature is covered in ignorance, it wants everything and it wants to belong. Thus it has a magnetizing quality. The enlightened version of this is a sense of belonging to everything, which results in attention to and appreciation of tiny details, as well as empathy and charm. The article continues:
"The padma family glows with the vitality of red energy. Padma sanity is a finely-tuned intuition that discriminates subtle experiences without bias. When people manifest the wisdom aspect of padma, they are engaging, magnetizing and charming. This energy listens deeply and speaks from the heart. Padma also can have an obsessive desire to magnetize and grasp the most pleasurable and ideal situations. When people manifest its confused quality, they can cling to what gives pleasure, are overly emotional, and perpetually seek confirmation."
The article begins with a description of a dinner party and the participants. Each of the participants manifests an enlightened or confused aspect of enlightenment. Andrea represents the Padma family:
"Andrea is all fun and engagement. People contact is very important to her. She has lots of friends and makes connections with people easily. She is dominantly padma but also loves the richness, expansiveness and caring for others that is her ratna side."
So Amida Buddha specifically represents the "energy" of padma, which is magnetizing. It makes us want to join other people and participate with them. It makes us desire pleasant experiences. When this aspect of enlightenment is covered by ignorance it manifests as longing and desire. When it is clear it manifests in empathy and charm.
It is important that Amida Buddha's aspects of compassion and wisdom are described as magnetizing. Krishna was described as all attractive. Both Krishna and Amida are associated with desire, which draws people to things, people and ideas. They draw us to them through our desire to chant their names. That is why Shinjin is described as a spontaneous moment of joy, and the Hare Krishna Mantra is supposed to bring joy that results in spontaneous dance. The nembutsu has also been associated with dancing. When associated with dancing, it is known as the Nembutsu Odori [7]:
"Contemplation of Amida with the repetition of the words Nama- Amida-Buddha’ was believed to be one of the ways of attaining salvation in Amida’s Pure Land. However it was Kuya Shonin (903-972) who first introduced Nembutsu Odori as a ritual dance and recitation of Nembutsu to obtain salvation, and who, for this purpose, travelled all over the country instructing the people.
The Nembutsu of Kuya may still be seen in some parts of Japan, notably in Aizu district."
Since we are believed to live in the Age of Desire, or Mappō in Buddhism and the Age of Kali in Hinduism, these practices are believed by their followers to be specially suited for people of the present day, who are said to be trapped in their own desires and passions.
Before Amida Buddha became a Buddha, he made his Bodhisattva Vows. These vows are what makes the nembutsu suited for people of today. Of his 48 vows, Amida vowed that [8]:
"12. If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment."
So Amida Buddha vowed that his Light would shine everywhere. Light, again, is a symbol of wisdom, so this means that his wisdom can manifest itself anywhere. We are also protected and held by this light, which means rebirth in the Pure Land is assured.
"13. If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life-span should be limited, even to the extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment."
He also vowed that his life-span would be unlimited. Life is a symbol of compassion. It is unlimited, so it can also manifest anywhere at any time.
"18. If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment."
He then vowed that if anyone chants his name, they will be saved. "Even ten times" means that the number doesn't matter. It is connecting to Amida Buddha that counts. In order to make this connection, one has to:
1. Joyfully entrust oneself to Amida
2. Desire to be reborn in his Pure Land
3. And say the name
These constitute the three minds, which are the aspects of the One Mind, which is Shinjin. The three aspects of the One Mind, can further be described as Sincere Mind, Deep Mind, and the Mind of Aspiration for Birth In the Pure Land. The Sincere Mind is basically what it sounds like--a sincere mind free of double-mindedness and doubt. Deep Mind refers to recognizing oneself as a karmic-being incapable of self-power practice, while simultaneously recognizing the need for other-power, which is Amida. The Mind of Aspiration is the mind that desires to be reborn in the Pure Land in order to pursue enlightenment. When these three aspects of mind are together they constitute the One Mind. When one chants with the One Mind, one receives Shinjin, or other power faith. The moment of Shinjin can also be described as hearing the name--not just in the sense of arbitrarily hearing the sound, however. It is the moment when the nembutsu resonates deeply and causes a change of heart.
It is the result of letting go of one's ego-self and relying on what is not ego--one's own Buddha nature as well as the compassion, wisdom and Buddha nature of others. This Shinjin is roughly equivalent to Kensho in Zen practice. One then must continue a chanting practice for the rest of one's life. This is roughly equivalent to post-Kensho practice in Zen. This post-Shinjin nembutsu is a nembutsu of gratitude to Amida Buddha.
So first one makes the initial connection to Amida Buddha and their own Buddha nature, and then one spends the rest of their life strengthening that connection. The Jodo Shinshu Shoshinge [9] describes Shinjin as follows:
"The Name embodying the Primal Vow is the act of true settlement,
The Vow of entrusting with sincere mind is the cause of birth;
We realize the equal of enlightenment and supreme nirvāņa
Through the fulfillment of the Vow of attaining nirvāņa without fail."
"True settlement" is the stage of non-retrogression, when you are assured of eventually attaining Buddhahood without losing progress. In the Pure Land school it is associated with receiving Shinjin. It is caused by the Primal vow (Amida Buddha's 18th vow), which is embodied by "the Name" which is the nembutsu. The Shoshinge continues:
"We, an ocean of beings in an evil age of five defilements,
Should entrust ourselves to the Tathagata’s words of truth.
When the one thought-moment of joy arises,
Nirvāņa is attained without severing blind passions;
When ignorant and wise, even grave offenders and slanders of the dharma,
all alike turn and enter shinjin,
They are like waters that, on entering the ocean, become one in taste with it."
The "evil age of the five defilements" is the current age, Mappō or the degenerate dharma age, when self-power practice is difficult to impossible to complete for most people. Thus it says we should "entrust ourselves to the Tathagata's (a title of the Buddha) words." Entrusting represents Sincere and Deep Mind, which sincerely recognizes oneself as a karmic-being in need of the help of other-power, the aspect of wise and compassionate awakening within and without. "Karmic-being" is a description of the ego-self. Because other-power is in contrast to our normal experience, the karmic-being, it is described as other-power. Because Shinjin is joyful entrusting to these aspects, it is called other-power faith. It arises naturally when one goes beyond the ego-self. When one entrusts in this way, "one-thought moment of joy arises." This one thought moment of joy is Shinjin. It is a spontaneous moment of joy resulting from transcending one's karmic-self and submitting to other-power. It doesn't matter if you are a smart or foolish person. It doesn't matter what you have done in your life, because Shinjin is a change of heart. It is described as "entering the ocean, become one in taste with it," not in the sense of joining a super-soul like in Hinduism, but in that when you turn to emptiness/the dharmadhatu/Buddha nature, your own begins to manifest.
The Shoshinge then describes post-Shinjin experience:
"The light of compassion that grasps us illumines and protects us always;
The darkness of our ignorance is already broken through;
Still the clouds and mists of greed and desire, anger and hatred,
Cover as always the sky of true and real shinjin.
But though light of the sun is veiled by clouds and mists,
Beneath the clouds and mists there is brightness, not dark."
As soon as one receives Shinjin they are described as always being illuminated and protected by Amida's light. This means that one's birth is already assured as long as one continues a chanting practice throughout their life. This is like relying on a bus to take you to work. First you have to go to the bus stop (the initial contact, Shinjin), and then you have to actually get on the bus (post-Shinjin practice). While a person of Shinjin has come into contact with Buddha nature and Amida, it is a weak connection that is constantly clouded over by one's karmic-nature. This is because Shinjin is described as "one thought moment of joy." It happens, it makes the initial connection, and then one has to keep making that connection over and over, this time with gratitude for already being saved.
This is how Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect of the Pure Land school, explains this "clouding over by karmic-nature" which prevents joy from arising [10]:
"'Even when I call the nenbutsu, I rarely feel like dancing for joy, nor do I have any fervent longing to be reborn in the Pure Land. Why is this so?' I asked"
"'There was once a time when I, Shinran, also had doubts on this question. Now, Yuienbō, I find you sharing the same doubts. But when I reflect
on this more deeply, I realize that our rebirth in the Pure Land is all the more assured because we cannot feel like dancing for joy as we would wish. That is how you should think of this problem. It is defilement by evil passions that oppresses our hearts and prevents us from rejoicing. But since Amida Buddha, knowing this already, has called us 'common beings defiled by ignorance,' I realize that the compassionate vow of the other-power was made for the benefit of just such defiled beings as ourselves, and so I feel it all the more worthy of trust.'
"'Moreover, when we have no longing to be reborn instantly in the Pure
Land, if we fall even slightly ill, we feel helpless with the fear of death. This is likewise because of our evil passions. How strong indeed must they be when we find it so hard to leave our native land of suffering, where we have been wandering through birth and death for numberless kalpas, and when we can feel no longing for Amida's Pure Land, where we have yet to be reborn! We are reborn into that land when we have exhausted, even though reluctantly, our karmic relations to this world of suffering and end our lives helplessly. So Amida pities above all those who feel no urgent longing to go to the Pure Land. Reflecting on this, we realize all the more how trustworthy is Amida's great compassionate vow and how firmly our rebirth is assured. If, on the contrary, our hearts were to rejoice with an eager aspiration for rebirth in the Pure Land, we might believe that we had no evil passions at all.'"
Therefore, post-Shinjin chanting is a grateful response to these spontaneous moments of joy, which reaffirm the connection with other-power again and again. Thus the Shoshinge describes post-Shinjin practice:
"He teaches that the moment one thinks on Amida’s Primal Vow,
One is naturally brought to enter the sage of the definitely settled;
Solely saying the Tathāgata’s Name constantly,
One should respond with gratitude to the universal Vow of great compassion."
All of this happens because one has right understanding (understanding oneself to be a karmic-being in need of Amida's help, Deep Mind), right intent (the Sincere mind and Mind of Aspiration which seek single-mindedly to be reborn in the Pure Land), and right mindfulness (chanting of the nembutsu, constant mindfulness of the Buddha). This is different than the Hare Krishna method because the act of simply being sincerely and intently mindful of Amida Buddha brings about the awakening.
The Hare Krishna Mantra:
The Hare Krishna Mantra is used to develop Krishna Consciousness, similar to how the nembutsu is used to develop Buddha Mindfulness. Both practices seek to transcend the ego. Krishna Consciousness seeks to transcend the ego by identifying Krishna as an universally-existing super-soul. When one understands this, one chants the Hare Krishna Mantra to connect with Krishna. By chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra, one develops a connection to this ultimate-reality, and the continued chanting throughout one's life strengthens this connection. This connection is made through the vibration of the mantra. When one dies, one merges back with the mind of Krishna. It is like an instrument being tuned with a tuning fork.
So we already see a difference here. In Buddhism the mindfulness and intent itself brings about the awakening. But in Gaudiya Vaishnava the mantra's vibration is what brings about the awakening. The vibration of the chant itself is Krishna, ultimate reality, and the super-soul. So through mantra chanting, one is saved by the vibration of sound. That is why it is said "When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived."
The Bhagavad Gita describes Bhakti yoga focused on Krishna as "meditating on Me with single-minded Yoga." Single-minded Yoga roughly corresponds to the Single Mind or One Mind of Shinjin in the Pure Land school. Krishna practice is described as: "fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever-steadfast, and endowed with supreme Shraddhâ."
Shraddhâ is one of the original words later translated into Japanese as "shinjin." It basically means faith, but, as with Sanskrit in general, can be interpreted many ways. In the context of the Hare Krishna Mantra, it means to have faith in Krishna, the super-soul. It basically means to have faith that the vibration of the chant will merge you with a universally existing soul.
In the Pure Land Buddhist school Shraddhâ refers to an awakening experienced when one submits their karmic-self to the enlightened aspects of compassion and wisdom outside and within onself.
However, on some level, both practices require a similar sacrifice of the karmic-self to ultimate reality, and both require admitting to being a foolish, karmic being the same way an addict must first admit to being an addict. Notice that practictioners of the Hare Krishna Mantra are described as being "endowed" with Shraddhâ. So this faith is not faith on part of the practitioner. This faith is "given" to the practitioner. The same can be said of Shinjin in Pure Land Buddhism. That is why Shinjin is described as being "received."
This video describes the Gaudiya Vaishnava process of uniting with the Universal Self very well:
At 2:10 the mantra is described as being packed with all of the potencies of the Lord. Thus it naturally causes an awakening the same way putting your hand in fire burns you.
At 4:05 it is described as the cry of the soul, similar to a child crying for its mother, with Krishna being compared to a mother. The mother always responds to the call of the child.
Amida is also frequently described as a loving parent. When one is mindful of Amida, Amida is described as mindful of the person as well. Because both are aware of each other, they find each other, similar to how a parent and a child will find each other if they are both looking. However, if one isn't looking for the other, then they could pass each other without one of them noticing at all. The mother could call the child's name, and the child would just ignore the voice and walk on by. But if both want to connect with each other, they will respond to each other's cries.
At 5:10 the mantra is described as having a mystical and magical effect on you. At 7:30 the awakening associated with the mantra is described as an on-going process. At 12:30, the words Hare, Krishna and Rama are interpreted as eternal energy, all-attractiveness, and eternal pleasure. Thus, when you chant your are drawn to Krishna and want to chant more and more.
The sacrifice of the karmic-self in Krishnaism is described at the 15 minute mark. The Hare Krishna chant and its vibration is said to be too tasty much for a thousand material tongues to taste, or too beautiful for a thousand material ears to hear. Because of this, one is supposed to listen with their "spiritual ears" and chant with their "spiritual tongue." This spiritual ear is the Jiva (individual soul) of the person, which is supposed to be a piece of Krishna, the super-soul. But one's spiritual ears are said to be "covered" by their material ears. Material ear corresponds to the karmic being, and is literally the physical body which is mistaken to be the self. Since the spiritual ear corresponds to the piece of Krishna within the person, this is described as Krishna incarnating as the spiritual ears and spiritual tongue of the person.
In other words, the karmic-self is held to be incapable of true faith or true practice and must ultimately be sacrificed to and replaced by the true faith and true practice of Krishna Consciousness within the being. It is like a child relying on the help of a mother. This is described in the Bhagavad Gita [5] as:
9. If thou art unable to fix thy mindsteadily on Me, then by Abhyâsa-Yoga do thou seek to reach Me, O Dhananjaya.
10. If also thou art unable to practise Abhyâsa, be thou intent on doing actions -for My sake. Even by doing actions for My sake, thou shalt attain perfection.
11. If thou art unable to do even this, then taking refuge in Me, abandon the fruit of all action, self-controlled.
Here it describes the capacities of different people. Those of extremely low capacity are instructed to give up all self-power and control to other-power (in this case the universal soul). This is held to be particularly true in the Age of Kali, which is considered to be the present age. The Age of Kali, is an age when most living beings are incapable of self-power practice. It is difficult to impossible to become liberated by any other means because of the capacities of karmic beings of this age.
Since the theory of the Age of Kali is a nearly identical concept to the idea of Mappō (or the degenerate dharma age) in Pure Land Buddhism, which says that the karmic beings of today are largely incapable of self-power practices such as meditation and precepts. This means nembutsu practice corresponds to Bhakti Yoga in Hinduism. Meditation and precepts correspond to Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga respectively--the self-power practices.
So both of these practices specifically require the practitioner to give up self-power for faith in other-power.
One of the main effects of both of these practices is supposed to be boundless joy. Texts and teachers specifically mention dancing with joy. But at the same time, this boundless joy is held back from arising by the karmic-self. So instead of constantly feeling joy when you chant, you spontaneously experience moments of joy.
This spontaneous moment of Joy is Shinjin in Buddhism. Post-Shinjin practice is experienced as spontaneous gratitude for Amida Buddha saving you, thus post-Shinjin practice seeks to connect again and again with this joy, making the connection stronger.
The description of material ears and spiritual ears in Gaudiya Vaishnavism is basically the same. One's karmic or material self gets in the way of the joy that spontaneously arises through Krishna Consciousness. When the vibration breaks through the material self, one experiences this joy.
Conclusion:
The Krishna Consciousness method of chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra and the Buddha Mindfulness method of chanting the nembutsu are extremely similar in practice and theory. Both require chanting. Both require discarding the karmic-self and self-effort. Both require faith in an other-power, which is considered magnetizing or attractive. Because of the qualities of magnetism and reliance on other power, both practices are considered especially appropriate for the age that they both say we live in (the age of desire), when self-powered practice is difficult to accomplish. Both are said to bring about great joy that makes you want to dance. And both admit that that joy is held back by the karmic-self that is rooted in illusion.
Two key differences separate these methods:
1. The nature of ultimate reality is different. One holds that ultimate reality is a universally present super-soul or self that can absolutely be said to exist. The other holds that reality is empty and free of both extremes of existing and non-existing. One requires faith in and reunion with a single existing soul that everyone shares. The other requires faith in certain enlightened traits that everyone has the potential to exhibit.
2. How the practice brings about liberation is different. One holds that the vibration of chanting the mantra is itself Krishna, and thus the vibration slowly purifies the karmic-being and brings them into harmony with the super-soul. The other holds that you gain liberation through your intent and mindfulness.
Both require connecting with what one believes to be ultimate reality and strengthening that connection throughout life. But what that ultimate reality is, and thus the goal of practice, is extremely different. The interpretation of and reason for the practice is thus what ultimately separates them.
Sources:
[1]: Bhikku, Thanissaro, Mahanama Sutta. Access To Insight, 1997.
[2]: Wikipedia.
[3]: Bhakti Yoga. Wikipedia.
[4]: Krodha. Reddit.
[5]: Swarupananda, Swami, Bhagavad Gita.
[6]: Rockwell, Irini, The Five Buddha Families. Lion's Roar, Aug. 4, 2016.
https://www.lionsroar.com/the-five-buddha-families/
[7]: Moriarty, Elisabeth, Nembutsu Odori.
[8]: On Mark Productions, Fourty-Eight Vows of Hōzō Bodhisattva.
[9]: Nishi Hongwanji L.A., Shoshinge.
https://www.nishihongwanji-la.org/teachings/sutras/shoshinge/
[10]: Shōjun Bandō, TANNISHŌ: PASSAGES DEPLORING DEVIATIONS OF FAITH. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series, 1996.
