Shinran clarified the meaning of “birth in the Pure Land” and “realization of Buddhahood.” I think that his understanding is based on his distinctive perspective on the Buddha-bodies and Buddha-lands.
Shinran mentions three Buddha-bodies in Notes on Essentials of Faith Alone. There he states, “The Tathāgata of the dharma-body as suchness has neither color nor form; thus, the mind cannot grasp it nor can words describe it … . The Tathāgata of the fulfilled body (報身) has fulfilled the vows which are the cause of Buddhahood.” He also states, “From this fulfilled body innumerable personified and accommodated bodies are manifested.”
Among the three Buddha-bodies, Shinran considered the fulfilled body to be the most important for sentient beings’ salvation. But why did Shinran focus on the fulfilled body? I think that each of the three Buddha-bodies has a different concept of time. By paying attention to the concept of time, we can solve the question how Shinran understood the Buddha-bodies and Buddha-land. This is because Shinran clarified that the time to the fulfillment of Amida’s vows is closely related to our attainment of faith. In this study, I discuss the concept of time found in the three Buddha-bodies and Buddha-lands.
