jinen　自然 A term for the ultimate reality of Buddhism, expressing suchness, or things-as-they-are, free from the bondage of birth-and-death. Jinen thus signifies that which is beyond form and time and beyond the domain of human intellect and will. It is dharma-body as suchness, which “fills the hearts and minds of the ocean of all beings (Notes on ‘Essentials of Faith Alone’).” To awaken to dharma-body as suchness is to become Buddha.
　Although other forms of Buddhism speak of “attaining the Buddhahood of dharma-body as suchness with the present body”, Shin Buddhism, recognizing the nature of man’s condition as a living being, places complete attainment with birth in the Pure Land of the dharma-body as com­passionate means at death. Persons cannot realize dharma-body as suchness through human calculation, but it works in them as dharma-body as compassionate means to make itself known. Shinran calls this working “jinen”, which literally means, “it is not through the practicer’s calculation; one is made to become so.” Jinen works in persons constantly, and to experience this working (i.e., to realize shinjin) is also a kind of awakening. Shinran calls it “the dawning of the long night of ignorance”. Thus, when Shinran says that “from the very beginning one is made to become so”, “becoming so” can be viewed in terms of several aspects of a process.
　Jinen, as Amida’s Vow, works “to have each person entrust himself [to the Vow] in Namo-amida-butsu and be received in the Pure Land (Lamp for the Latter Ages).” That is, it brings us to the realization of shinjin, in which we attain nonretrogression. In other words, “’To be made to become so’ means that without the practicer’s calculating in any way whatever, all that practicer’s past, present, and future evil karma is transformed into the highest good. . . . We are made to acquire the Tathagata’s virtues through entrusting ourselves to the Vow-power (Notes on ‘Essentials of Faith Alone’).” Jinen has therefore in passages been translated the “spontaneous working of the Vow”. Further, the person of shinjin is necessarily brought to birth in the Pure Land through the wisdom of jinen. To attain birth is to “return to the city of dharma-nature”, to realize nirvana and become the supreme Buddha. Moreover, “when persons attain this enlightenment, with great love and great compassion immediately reaching their fullness in them, they return to the ocean of birth-and-death to save all sentient beings (Notes on ‘Essentials of Faith Alone’).” Shinran characterizes all this as jinen. From the standpoint of the practicer, jinen―through which one is liberated without ridding oneself of blind passions―means becoming completely free of calculation and design.