What are some common examples of “self power” that you see from other people? If you keep Amida Buddha in mind and just live your life, is that considered “other power”? What should we watch out for to keep “other power” from becoming “self power”?
The most common examples of “self power” is probably those people who think something like Zen meditation will cause their Enlightenment. (Serious Zen teachers know that “other power,” or at least, something beyond ourselves is needed.)
The other common self power practice is just thinking that one can just practice something and become the next Buddha (the ultimate ego trip).
A Shin Buddhist knows that everything that we do is self power and, thus, just wasted energy. Only by admitting one’s limitations can we allow other power to even enter into our lives.
Other power enters our lives without any effort on our part. It just happens (thus shinjin is called a “crosswise transcendent” experience. It happens suddenly and without any effort, it just happens).
Another way of looking at it is: everything before shinjin is self power and, after shinjin, one can look back and see that it was meant to be because it led up to the experience of shinjin.
Maybe, all those self-power efforts were needed so that the causes and conditions could come about to accept shinjin.
To accept shinjin is so difficult because our ego keeps getting in the way, and we continue to reject the gift of shinjin.
As for the second part of your question—Is just living life considered other power—the answer is yes and no.
Yes, because when we live our lives naturally and freely, with mindfulness and kindness, then we are setting up the causes and conditions for shinjin.
No, because we are attached to our ego, and we seek shinjin. The more we seek, the more elusive.
Gassho (with palms together), Rev. Ron