On the occasion of our centennial commemorative service, we will chant “Shoya-raisan” on Sunday, October 10 at 2:00 p.m.
In English, “Shoya-raisan” is literally translated “First of Hymns of Praise Concerning Birth”. It is a series of six raisans. A raisan consists of six books, and this is a collection of passages and hymns with comments from Pure Land sutras and discourses, arranged to be used for chanting at six different times in a day. “Shoya-raisan” is the first one to be read. The preface urges people to seek refuge in Amida and to practice the prescribed method to attain birth in his pure land.
A monk called Shan-tao wrote Shoya-raisan”. Shan-tao (613-681) is the third of the five Pure Land masters and the fifth of the seven patriarchs in the tradition of the Jodo Shin sect. He entered the priesthood when he was young, and especially practiced meditation on Amida and his Pure Land. When he heard of Tao-cho’o, Shan-tao went to see him and received from him the Pure Land teaching. The rest of his life was dedicated to the practice and dissemination of this teaching. He is said to have copied the Amida-Kyo (Amida Sutra) more than 100,000 times and made more than 300 paintings of the Pure Land.
Until Rennyo-shonin (1415-1499), a descendant of Shinran-shonin and the eighth monshu (head priest) of the Hongwanji in Kyoto, it was traditional to chant raisan six times (12:00 am, 4:00am, 8:00am, 12:00pm, 4:00pm, 8:00pm) in a day. It was a daily routine for ministers. However, Rennyo changed the routine by chanting Shoshinge (“The Gatha of True Shinjin and the Nembutsu” written by Shinran-shonin) every morning. One reason behind the change was that it was difficult for lay people to chant raisan six times in a day. He simplified things for lay people having them chant “Shoshinge” once in a morning.
Chanting Shoya-raisan is not easy for everyone. Amida-kyo is chanted with only a single pitch while Shoya-raisan is chanted with 5 different pitches. It is difficult to chant, but if you hear and are even able to join the chanting, it is very beautiful.
Vancouver Buddhist Church is celebrating its centennial this year, and I would like to introduce Shoya-raisan. Let’s chant it together!
Namo Amida Butsu
Tatsuya Aoki
