淨土宗=Pure Land Buddhism=Shin Buddhsim; 日本佛教=Japanese Buddhism;
摘要
This book's title comes from a Pure Land parable which encapsulates the premise of faith in "other power"，namely that of Amida Buddha, which can best be described as the 'ur-Buddha' from whom all Dharmic wisdom and compassion springs. Specifically，Rev. Unno is writing here about the Jodo Shinshu school，one of the great schools of Japanese Buddhism which sprang from the Kamakura period of that nation's history，in the 12th and 13th centuries. Jodo Shinshu is, in fact，one of the largest sects of Mahayana Buddhism，but in the West is little-known outside of the Japanese ethnic community. But despite this ethnic concentration，the Shin faith is more or less a "Buddhism for Joe Average"，irrespective of ones' skin color or land of origin.
The book is very well-written，and also well-organized given the amount...and often，complexity...of the information it imparts. Rev. Unno deftly opens up the teachings of Jodo Shinshu to anyone who might wish to learn，or for that matter might simply be curious. He deals excellently with both the historical perspective of this school，as well as the more complex philosophical issues posed by the Nembutsu-faith as well as its place in the mainstream of Mahayana thought.
