The Name and the Vow: Reflections on the Name of God in Light of Buddhist Teachings

The disclosure of the Name of God in Exodus 3 as YHWH has had a long history of effects in Christian tradition. The Name (YHWH) is based on ancient Hebraic notions of Being and figures prominently in the development of Christian ontotheol-ogy. Exodus 3 also figures prominently in current debates about ontotheology. This essay seeks to contribute to the discussion of ontotheology by interpreting Exodus 3 and the theology of the Name of God in light of Pure Land Buddhist teachings and practices regarding the Name of the Buddha understood as the nembutsu. The nem-butsu, as developed in the teachings of Shinran and Tan Luan, will be placed in com-parison with various readings of Exodus 3, including Talmudic and modern Jewish readings of this text. The work of comparison leads to affirmations of both similarity and differences, most notably Christian faith, understood as obedience to divine com-mand, and shinjin, understood as the mind of Amida Buddha arising in the practi-tioner of the nembutsu.