The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran’s Teaching of Other Power

The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran’s Teaching of Other Power

In this pioneering book, in turns poetic and philosophical, Nagapriya shows how the insights into the existential condition offered by Shinran can transform our understanding of what Buddhist practice consists in, and what it means to awaken to our ultimate concern.  Shinran (1173 – 1263) is one of the most important thinkers of Japanese Buddhist history, and founder of the Jōdo Shinshū Pure Land school. Nagapriya explores Shinran’s spirituality and teachings through close readings, confessional narrative, and thoughtful interpretation. This book is an invitation to reimagine Shinran’s religious universe, not for the sake of historical curiosity, but as an exercise that has the potential to remake us in the light of our ultimate concerns. “Nagapriya not only accurately captures the heart of Shinran’s spirituality and teachings, but conveys it in ways that are novel and easy to understand.” –  Kenneth K. Tanaka ,  Professor Emeritus, Musashino University, Tokyo; Past President, International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies; author of  The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine   “An astonishing, highly poetic, magical, mystical, personal, emotional, and even confessional encounter with Shinran, which strikes a brilliantly fresh note.” –  Galen Amstutz, Adjunct Instructor, Institute of Buddhist Studies/Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley   “This is a remarkable book that presents a clear overview of the core points in Shinran's teaching, well grounded in original sources and in the broader context of Pure Land Buddhism.” –  Caroline Brazier   is a priest in the Jodo Shinshu tradition, a psychotherapist, and the author of seven books on Buddhism and therapy. For Exploring Karma and Rebirth :  “An excellent introduction to the complex and frequently misinterpreted Buddhist doctrines of karma and rebirth.” – Stephen Batchelor , author of Buddhism Without Beliefs For Visions of Mahāyāna Buddhism :  “A very helpful introduction and overview of this complex, fascinating tradition.” – David R Loy , author of Money, Sex, War, Karma Nagapriya was born in the UK in 1969. While studying for a philosophy degree, he began practising with the Triratna Buddhist Community and was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1992. He later studied for a master’s degree in the history of religions. Since 2013 Nagapriya has been living in Mexico, where he is chair of the Cuernavaca Buddhist Centre.