In stressing this attitude, Shinran is rehabilitating a theme first advocated by Vasubandhu and, after him, Tan-luan, but largely ignored by subsequent Pure Land masters. Shinran was concerned to bring out the ramifications of the 'bodhisattvic' idea that one's desire for personal enlightenment is tantamount with one's desire to liberate all beings from the woeful shackles of this saha world. Amida, as the supreme and merciful manifestation of the uncreated Dharmakaya, is the only true and absolute reality there is, and surely no other recourse than the very highest is necessary for our final ends. In other words, in attaining the same Buddhahood as Amida, we become Amida. If we can accept this, then it becomes difficult to envisage, literally, the traditional notion of the Pure Land as a place populated by compassionate bodhisattvas who are constantly returning to the garden of birth-and death in order to save ignorant and suffering beings.
Absolute reality is a dynamic entity.
This, of course, is who we know as Amida. During our sojourn in this defiled world, this wonderful treasure we harbour deep within us remains veiled not only by our skandhas which determine our individual constitution, particularity and karma but also our klesha , the myriad of blind passions that obscure our dharma-nature and keep us firmly bound to the wearisome wheel of Samsara. There can no longer be any room for individuality or 'personality' here. If not for this essential identity, there would be no means of communion between ourselves and Amida. None of the foregoing observations should come as any real surprise.