Relics – Salvation Is What We Receive, Not What We Achieve

The Relics series are throwback articles from previous years. They seem timeless enough to be relevant today.

Try as you will, you cannot annihilate that eternal relic of the human heart, love. – Victor Hugo 

Salvation Is What We Receive, Not What We Achieve

I recently drove by a church on the way to work and saw a sign that said “Salvation is What We Receive, Not What We Achieve“. What a great message, even from a Buddhist point of view.  Grace is a concept that I think is universal.  It is the message of Pure Land Buddhism in a nutshell.

The Christian concept of grace is a source of division across various denominations, but is persistent throughout the entire faith.  Catholics and Protestants have very differing opinions on grace, as do liberal and conservative theologians.  Some Christians consider free will part of the equations others do not. Some believe we we may be able to choose to accept or reject grace.  Some feel it depends on the faith of the individual, while others believe humans are completely hopeless but for the grace of God.

Pure Land Buddhism reflects a similar notion in our reliance on Other Power. In his book How to Read the Tannisho by Dr. Taitetsu Unno, he describes the Pure Land practice of reliance on Other Power :

The nembutsu (reciting the name of the Buddha), works in different ways at various junctures in one’s life. Awakening to Namu-amida butsu (Chinese: Namo Amitofo) solves difficulties in human relationships, ameliorates hardships and sufferings, provides wise counsel when confronted with difficult choices, inspires timely and compassionate action, transforms sorrow into joy, and gives us the power to see and criticize false social constructs. Living the nembutsu with full awareness of human limitedness leads us not to denigrate but to celebrate life within the boundless wisdom and compassion of Amida Buddha.

Embedded in this is the core teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha – anatta – or Not Self.  When we look and act through the prism of the Self, we suffer.  When we embrace interdependence, not self and Nirvana, we are taking refuge in Other Power, in Buddha Amitabha. If we surrender to the truth that we are utterly reliant upon others, gratitude and abundance arises.  The weight of being lifts and we are enlightened.

Grace is there for all of us. We only need to choose to get out of its way.

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