I was reading that he Primal Vow is excluded for people who commit the five grave offenses and slander the right Dharma. Is that true? The book I was reading said the people that are excluded are the people who slander the Dharma, due to denying the existence of Amida and the Pure Land, but the people who commit the five grave offenses are okay (not saying Amida approves of them).
[Editor’s note: The five grave offenses are killing one’s mother; killing one’s father; killing an arhat (saint); injuring the body of the Buddha; and causing a division in the Buddhist community.]
The ending passage about who is excluded remains in all the Vows and that is the way it was translated from the Sanskrit to the Chinese, and that is the way it was transmitted to Japan. There is no doubt that this exclusion passage is in the Vows.
As a scholar—and Shinran wanted to be recognized as a scholar— Shinran could not just drop or ignore the exclusion passage. He did get around it in subtle ways, and explained that everyone slanders the Dharma and may even commit the five grave offenses at one time or another.
But if the intent of the person was not purposeful (that is to slander and commit the five grave offenses on purpose) than these past acts could be forgiven. Additionally, if the slander and grave offenses were done out of ignorance (that is, before one came to understand the depth of Amida’s Wisdom and Compassion), then it could be forgiven.
In short, we can all be forgiven for slander and the five grave offenses, and so much more because of our ignorance. Certainly, if we were aware of Amida’s Wisdom and Compassion, we would not slander the Dharma nor would we commit the five grave offenses.
Gassho (with palms together), Rev. Ron