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.
£14.99
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.
Endorsements
‘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. Such is the quality and tenor of this book, which I believe will contribute enormously to the accurate presentation of Shinran’s teaching of Other Power.’ – 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
‘Nagapriya offers one of the richest appreciations of Shinran to date. The book is an astonishing, highly poetic, magical, mystical, personal, emotional, and even confessional encounter with Shinran, which strikes a brilliantly fresh note. It should become a foundational stepping stone into a new era of engagement in the English-language world with this seminal Japanese thinker.’ – Galen Amstutz, Adjunct Instructor, Institute of Buddhist Studies/Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, USA
‘In order to understand Shinran, you need a guide, and Nagapriya is an excellent one. There were many times when I was so struck by an idea, a phrase, a truth, that I stopped reading, closed my eyes, and allowed it to reverberate through me. At those times I experienced faith, gratitude, and joy.’ – Ratnaguna, author of The Art of Reflection, and Great Faith, Great Wisdom
