I'm from a Buddhist family, so technically I'm a Buddhist, specifically from the Jodo Shinshu or True Pure Land school. This school (hereinafter "the True Pure Land school") was founded by Shinran (1173-1263) during the Kamakura period (late 12th century to 1333) and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. The school teaches that enlightenment can be realized only through "tariki," which literally translates into "other power."
You thought something was wrong with Shinran's preaching, didn't you? I did when learning about this sect in a junior high school history class but his preaching is not wrong but is insufficient for people today and therefore is misunderstood by many Japanese people to mean something completely different from what Shinran meant. I, as a translator, therefore, did some research to find out what "tariki or other power" really means.
According to the website of Otani University (a private Buddhist university in Kyoto), in the True Pure Land school, "tariki" means the power of not just other but the absolute other or what is the farthest from you, that is, Amitabha or more specifically, Amitabha's power to save all living things that is obtained through the achievement of his Original Vow. In other words, by preaching that people should live based on "tariki," Shinran, the founder of the school, meant that people should listen to the Original Vow of Amitabha, who is the absolute "other" for you and whose vow is the farthest from your wish, and live based on the vow.
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Today, however, "tariki (other power)" is misunderstood to mean "relying on others" or "leaving things to others" by most Japanese people, including politicians, which has resulted in protests by True Pure Land temples and on some occasions official apologies from the politicians.
The True Pure Land school and Zen (or more correctly the Buddha Mind school) are the two most widely practiced branches of Buddhism in Japan and the two schools account for 60% of Buddhists in Japan. The former emphasizes tariki or other power, i.e., Amitabha's power, while the latter emphasizes jiriki, which literally translates into "own power," to realize enlightenment but interestingly and confusingly, according to Engakuji temple's website, "tariki ('other power')" and "jiriki ('own power') mean the same, which is BEYOND MY UNDERSTANDING!!!
Japanese is my first language but sometimes puzzles me most. Another Buddhism/Zen term "mushin" is another example, i.e., it literally means "no mind" but doesn't mean so (which rather means nearly the opposite). Japanese is intriguing...
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