ABSTRACT
Although the central practice of Shin Buddhism is “mindfulness of the Buddha” or nenbutsu , understood as the saying or recitation of the Buddha's name, this recitation is one of the least ritualised aspects of the tradition, because an orthodox interpretation of the practice construes it as a spontaneous expression of gratitude. As such it is sometimes discussed as a non-practice, which is cut off from its historical roots as a form of mindfulness or meditation. This chapter explores some examples of contemporary attempts at engaging in nenbutsu recitation in a more meditative and practice-based manner, which, unavoidably, involves a certain degree of ritualisation. The controversies generated by this unorthodox approach to Jōdo Shinshū's central act and the appeal of the new ritual forms created are discussed at length through a variety of applied examples from across the world and in reference to a long history of doctrinal debates and controversies within the tradition.
