Dharma Message Archive

	Dharma Message Archive
	Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones BY RIMBAN GEORGE MATSUBAYASHI JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2003 "Higan Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" To meet our temple newsletter deadline, I am writing this on January 23rd, not long after saying “Happy New Year” the last time for this year. This is also normally the coldest time of the year, and yet, as I write this, the cherry tree in my front yard is almost in full bloom. My cherry tree is called higan sakura. It gets its name from the fact that, at least in Japan, it blooms early, during higan--during the Spring equinox--which, as you know, is during the end of March. (Sakura means both “cherry tree” and “cherry blossom”) Since this species usually comes into bloom during the months of March and April, I wonder about that tree in my front yard blooming so early. It’s probably the mild southern California climate. At any rate, my tree was planted as a sapling, when it was about three feet tall and about as thick as my thumb, during October of 1983. From about four or five years after that, for some 16 or 17 years, it has come into bull bloom every year during the end of January. My higan sakura tree was given to me by Mrs. Yuriko Kanemoto to commemorate her successful operation for stomach ulcer. It is one of two--the other was donated to the Venice Buddhist Temple. Mrs. Kanemoto was born in Kumamoto, Japan, and she used to say that during the spring equinox, higan sakura trees planted by her great-grandfather completely surrounded the house in which she was born. * * * A traditional poem uses sakura to point out the transitory nature of life: The falling cherry blossoms... Even the blossoms that remain, Are doomed to eventually fall. Cherry blossoms are beautiful when in full bloom, but that beauty does not last very long. They decay and fall from the tree, but don’t worry, they will bloom again in the Spring just as beautifully as before. Five months after my tree was planted, on March 18, 1984, Mrs. Yuriko Kanemoto passed on to the Pure Land at the age of 66. Her homyo dharma name is Shakuni Myoren. * * * Four or five years later, the first year that the cherry blossoms in my yard bloomed, I laid some straw matting next to the tree and invited Mrs. Kanemoto’s widower, Sam Kanemoto, to a “flower viewing.” we reminisced about Mrs. Kanemoto while enjoying the view of the blossoms. Sam Kanemoto has now also passed on to the Pure Land. I still clearly recall, however, how sure he was that, “She’s waiting for me there...” The higan sakura tree that Sam Kanemoto sat under when he made that statement regarding his wife, has grown and is now taller than the roof of my house. Again, this year, the 20th since Mrs. Kanemoto’s passing, I nostalgically think about that couple. * * * After enduring the cold of Winter, a new life comes into being with the nurturing warmth of the Spring sun. A beautiful flower blooms. Not giving in to the heat of Summer, it lives fully the life it has been given, but in the Fall, the green leaves change color and losing strength like the setting sun, they dry up and drop to the ground. During the cold Winter period, the tree prepares to be born anew, and with the coming of Spring, pushes out buds, resulting in another round of beautiful flowers. Truly, that tree represents all living things in expressing the philosophy of nature. * * * We Japanese Buddhists have selected the times during the year when the days and nights are of equal length, and where life changes--Spring and Fall--as the ideal times to direct our eyes to that other shore, to the world of higan, the world of the Pure Land, the world of Enlightenment. The general way in which Buddhists are urged to move from this shaba world of delusion towards the world on enlightenment, is through performing the Six Paramitas: charity (fuse), observing the precepts (jikai), perserverence (ninniku), concentration (shojin), meditation (zenjo), and wisdom (chie). In our Jodo Shinshu understanding of Buddha-dharma, however, as the Venerable Master Shinran taught us: The ocean of birth-and-death, of painful existence, has no bounds; Only by the ship of Amida’s Universal Vow Can we, who have long been drowning, Unfailing be brought across it. This recognition of our ignorant and deluded nature in which we do not even have the mind to dislike that delusion, nor harbor a desire to aspire for the Pure Land. rather, it is the sad, even pathetic awareness that, “Since I am incapable of performing any practice (leading to Enlightenment)...” That is why the only way I can leave the delusion of “this world” for the enlightenment of “that world” (the Pure Land) is to rely on the Nembutsu of the Primal Vow that Amida Buddha established solely for me. That is why, as the Venerable Master Shinran pointed out, we must be aware of two things about the Pure Land. the first is that it is a world without color or form, and without discrimination, that transcends human language. the second is that it is a world of “immeasurable life,” where we can be reunited with those from whom we parted in this world. The world of humans is a world in which we take leave of each other, a world in which our body eventually disappears, a world in which we die. The world of the Pure Land, however, is a world in which we are born and live, a world in which we are reunited with those we left in the world of delusion. That’s the sort of teaching that a myokonin, a person enlightened by the Jodo shinshu teaching, named Asahara Saichi of Ishimi, wrote about in his uncultivated and even illiterate but profound poems: How fortunate I am... The Pure Land That I go to without dying, That I go to while still alive... Namo Amida Butsu. Again, This body of mine... If you wanna die, Then die. Cause even if (my body) dies, I ain’t gonna die. I’m gonna go (to the Pure Land). Namo Amida Butsu If you don’t wanna die, Then recite the living Nembutsu: Namo Amida Butsu And again, Saichi has finished dying, Had his funeral, And lives in this world As Namo Amida Butsu. Saichi becomes Amida And Amida becomes Saichi. As Saichi says, the Pure Land is where “I go to while still alive.” It is the world we go to after leaving this world but it is also where we go without dying, a world where we live with “immeasurable life.” And having “finished dying,/Had his funeral,/And lives in this world/As Namo Amida Butsu,” Saichi senses the wonderful world in which both his shaba world and the Pure Land are one within Amida Buddha’s Nembutsu of the Primal Vow. That’s why, although the Pure Land is the “other shore” (higan) described as being millions and billions of Buddha worlds to the West, within the Nembutsu of the Primal Vow, it becomes our present world. That’s why it becomes the way in which our life, our lives, is shined upon to reveal the true way to live this moment. That’s what higan points out to us. As the Venerable Master Shinran also indicated in another wasan Japanese poem: By listening to the Compassionate Vow That transcends this world, We “ignorant beings filled with base passions” (bombu), Though unable to leave this impure body, Are allowed to play in the Pure Land. Although our physical body is trapped in this shaba world of delusion, because of the activity of Amida Buddha’s vow to cause our birth in his Pure Land, we take the greatest of joy in the world of “oneness.” * * * The higan sakura blossoms now in full flower in my yard glorifies new life, reminding me of a world in which there is no death. It calls out to me that the Pure Land where I will be able to live forever is Namo Amida Butsu itself. Let’s accept the world where we can rejoin our loved ones, just as Sam Kanemoto so confidently expressed: “She’s waiting for me there...” That’s what our Spring Higan Service is all about.
	Back to: Top \| Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones BY REV. FUMIAKI USUKI JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2003 "Everyday Reflection" The gesture of bringing flowers to adorn the memorial of a loved one is a wonderful tradition that allows all of us to remember someone and, as Buddhists, to understand the frailty and transience of human existence. It is also a way of expressing gratitude for all things to which we are indebted. Such reflection gives us an opportunity to reinforce our ties with all life, both past and present, and to wish for its safe and happy continuity from generation to generation. In my work as a minister at Los Angeles Betsuin, I am constantly reminded of the fragile nature of life. My day begins as I come to the temple and open up the facility to get ready for the morning service. During this time, I also tidy up the Nokotsudo where the ashes of our members and friends are kept for those who love them. On Mondays and after a major holiday or service, the room is filled with beautiful flowers placed there by visitors. Each morning it is necessary to remove the flowers that are no longer fresh and presentable. Along with the flowers, there are candies and other items that people have placed in memory of the deceased. It is while cleaning that I come to realize the irony of human life. Flowers that were cut and arranged but a few days before are no longer presentable, for they have wilted and the leaves and petals have fallen. The mess on the floor quickly ends up in the trash. In the vases, the water that was once fresh and sustained the flowers’ lives is now murky and foul, no longer useful. The flowers that were once symbols of all things beautiful and a natural expression of the best of life are now garbage to be cleaned up. As I throw away the wilted flowers and wash the smelly flower vases, I am often reminded that I am going through a denial of the impermanent nature of all things. The act of cleaning the vases so they can be used for fresh new flowers tells me that I am constantly looking forward to the next moment of life filled with beauty and happiness. Is beauty only to be found in the past and in the future? In our habitual way of operating, it is easy to become oblivious to the present, to the reality and beauty of all life going on around us. The families who offered the flowers do not usually see the process or the change in the life of the flowers. When brought to the temple, the flowers are used as a traditional symbol or object of the memorial but they are not often recognized as being living things themselves. Each day, as I throw away the flowers, I feel a sense of sadness in the Nokotsudo. This cycle of beauty and ugliness is repeated over and over again each day, week, month and year in the Nokotsudo just as it has been done for many years. It as an irony of life as well as the truth of life, for what we saw as most beautiful is no longer beautiful and yet our mind is always reaching for the next object of beauty while being blind to change as it occurs right in front of our eyes. After this daily cleaning, a morning service is held with the Nishi Center children and teachers. Nishi Center is our day care facility with approximately 45 little children up to preschool age. We chant a sutra, recite Kokun and sing a song together. Often parents join the service, pleased to watch their children offer Oshoko and sing with other children. What a sight! In stark contrast to the flowers in Nokotsudo, the service with the little children is a refreshing and happy occasion that uplifts my attitude for the rest of the day. Everyone walks out with a smile and sense of sincere joy. In my job, there is no other moment in the day when the reflection of life is so real and so profound; a moment in which no calculated thought or word is required, in which I simply let my body go through its motions. During this time, as I sit in the Onaijin in front of Amida Buddha, there is constant expression of Gratitude and Joy, a time beyond the form of reflection, meditation and calculation. It is a time when everything indescribable in life seems to simply come together. It is the time when the children, parents, teachers and I can chant the words of the Buddha as one. Taking a brief quiet moment during a busy day for reflection or meditation is always good, but we do not have to be attached to the form, just as we need not be attached only to the form of beautiful flowers. Simply sitting down for a quiet breakfast or feeling the morning sun on our backs as we survey the garden provides us with the same deep encounter with the beauty of life right in this moment. All of us can enjoy special times like this everyday if we care to notice here and now rather than letting our minds focus only on past and future. It is a great opportunity to take a true reality check, a moment to give the body and mind a short time out and perhaps wake up to the bigger matter of Life. For no purpose at all, please give yourself a break once in a while and take the time to notice the dew on the spider webs, to appreciate both the buds and the falling petals, or to contemplate the clouds. See what Buddha is telling you about life itself. Namo Amida Butsu.
	Back to: Top \| Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones BY REV. WILLILAM BRIONES JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2003 “What the World Needs Now...” Presently there is an abundance of material and technological wealth with in the world… whether or not it is equally distributed is another story. There are brilliant authors, philosophers, scientists, psychologists, politicians and yes even religious people. In spite of the great wealth and all these wonderful people, there is no real peace and happiness in the world … what’s wrong with this picture? During the 60’s there was a song written by Burt Bacharach and sung by Dionne Warwick entitled “What the World Needs Now Is Love”. What the world needed than is just what it needs now “ Love…Sweet Love”, But perhaps not the love that we are so familiar with, the love that we use so loosely to describe our affection towards people or things. The word love takes on many different meanings. What is love? Love is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “warm affection, attachment, and affectionate devotion”. They all refer to sentimental worldly love. When we use the word “love” we may have different ideas in the interpretation of it. I love my cat, I love my car, I love my country, I love my children. As you can see love covers a whole spectrum of beneficiaries. The common denominator of this kind of love is that they’re all conditional. And you know from your own experience that your love relationships with family, friends, with spouses, are all very fragile. Any small incident and love disappears. Even that brand new car you loved the first couple of months, as soon as the “new car smell” dissipates, you’re ready to trade it in. Not only does love disappear, it changes into the opposite. Friends become adversaries, allies become enemies, husband and wives divorce. This change is centerpiece of Buddhism. It is the First of the Four Characteristics of Buddhism. All things are impermanent: it is the truth that all things must undergo change. Which brings us to the Second Characteristic of Buddhism: All is Suffering. It is the truth that explains that everything must undergo change, but because we are so attached to desires, because we desperately cling to our passions in this case love, we suffer when we are confronted with lose. This is why Buddhism rarely speaks of the emotional love. In Buddhism there is a word in Pali that when translated means love…not the ordinary sensual, emotional, sentimental kind of love that I described earlier. The Pali word metta literally means loving-kindness, also love without a desire to posses but a desire to help, to sacrifice self-interest for the welfare and well-being of humanity. This love is without condition or exclusion. Loving-kindness is what true compassion is. It is built on wisdom. Wisdom, in itself, includes compassion. Thus, wisdom and compassion are necessary for loving-kindness to exist. The state of mind of loving-kindness is a move toward Enlightenment, because it is non retrogressive and nondiscriminatory. Metta … is pure loving kindness- embraces all beings everywhere. It embraces all beings high or low. This loving-kindness is total fulfillment in yourself, at the same time we feel a deeper appreciation for that which sustains our lives, we become truly human. We see the need to make life better for all things, not just for the living. For a person with this awareness, love becomes his very nature, with every thought, word, and action. This state of being love is truly the height consciousness. Shakyamuni Buddha awakened to this. He is the epitome of love. He does nothing on his part … just his presence radiates love. This love is not directed to anyone in particular, just as the sun rays are not directed to any particular flower, or any particular person. It reaches all those who are available to receive it. What the world needs now more than ever is metta.
	Back to: Top \| Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones Copyright © 2003 by Nishi Hongwanji L.A.

	Dharma Message Archive
	Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones BY RIMBAN GEORGE MATSUBAYASHI JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2003 "Higan Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" To meet our temple newsletter deadline, I am writing this on January 23rd, not long after saying “Happy New Year” the last time for this year. This is also normally the coldest time of the year, and yet, as I write this, the cherry tree in my front yard is almost in full bloom. My cherry tree is called higan sakura. It gets its name from the fact that, at least in Japan, it blooms early, during higan--during the Spring equinox--which, as you know, is during the end of March. (Sakura means both “cherry tree” and “cherry blossom”) Since this species usually comes into bloom during the months of March and April, I wonder about that tree in my front yard blooming so early. It’s probably the mild southern California climate. At any rate, my tree was planted as a sapling, when it was about three feet tall and about as thick as my thumb, during October of 1983. From about four or five years after that, for some 16 or 17 years, it has come into bull bloom every year during the end of January. My higan sakura tree was given to me by Mrs. Yuriko Kanemoto to commemorate her successful operation for stomach ulcer. It is one of two--the other was donated to the Venice Buddhist Temple. Mrs. Kanemoto was born in Kumamoto, Japan, and she used to say that during the spring equinox, higan sakura trees planted by her great-grandfather completely surrounded the house in which she was born. * * * A traditional poem uses sakura to point out the transitory nature of life: The falling cherry blossoms... Even the blossoms that remain, Are doomed to eventually fall. Cherry blossoms are beautiful when in full bloom, but that beauty does not last very long. They decay and fall from the tree, but don’t worry, they will bloom again in the Spring just as beautifully as before. Five months after my tree was planted, on March 18, 1984, Mrs. Yuriko Kanemoto passed on to the Pure Land at the age of 66. Her homyo dharma name is Shakuni Myoren. * * * Four or five years later, the first year that the cherry blossoms in my yard bloomed, I laid some straw matting next to the tree and invited Mrs. Kanemoto’s widower, Sam Kanemoto, to a “flower viewing.” we reminisced about Mrs. Kanemoto while enjoying the view of the blossoms. Sam Kanemoto has now also passed on to the Pure Land. I still clearly recall, however, how sure he was that, “She’s waiting for me there...” The higan sakura tree that Sam Kanemoto sat under when he made that statement regarding his wife, has grown and is now taller than the roof of my house. Again, this year, the 20th since Mrs. Kanemoto’s passing, I nostalgically think about that couple. * * * After enduring the cold of Winter, a new life comes into being with the nurturing warmth of the Spring sun. A beautiful flower blooms. Not giving in to the heat of Summer, it lives fully the life it has been given, but in the Fall, the green leaves change color and losing strength like the setting sun, they dry up and drop to the ground. During the cold Winter period, the tree prepares to be born anew, and with the coming of Spring, pushes out buds, resulting in another round of beautiful flowers. Truly, that tree represents all living things in expressing the philosophy of nature. * * * We Japanese Buddhists have selected the times during the year when the days and nights are of equal length, and where life changes--Spring and Fall--as the ideal times to direct our eyes to that other shore, to the world of higan, the world of the Pure Land, the world of Enlightenment. The general way in which Buddhists are urged to move from this shaba world of delusion towards the world on enlightenment, is through performing the Six Paramitas: charity (fuse), observing the precepts (jikai), perserverence (ninniku), concentration (shojin), meditation (zenjo), and wisdom (chie). In our Jodo Shinshu understanding of Buddha-dharma, however, as the Venerable Master Shinran taught us: The ocean of birth-and-death, of painful existence, has no bounds; Only by the ship of Amida’s Universal Vow Can we, who have long been drowning, Unfailing be brought across it. This recognition of our ignorant and deluded nature in which we do not even have the mind to dislike that delusion, nor harbor a desire to aspire for the Pure Land. rather, it is the sad, even pathetic awareness that, “Since I am incapable of performing any practice (leading to Enlightenment)...” That is why the only way I can leave the delusion of “this world” for the enlightenment of “that world” (the Pure Land) is to rely on the Nembutsu of the Primal Vow that Amida Buddha established solely for me. That is why, as the Venerable Master Shinran pointed out, we must be aware of two things about the Pure Land. the first is that it is a world without color or form, and without discrimination, that transcends human language. the second is that it is a world of “immeasurable life,” where we can be reunited with those from whom we parted in this world. The world of humans is a world in which we take leave of each other, a world in which our body eventually disappears, a world in which we die. The world of the Pure Land, however, is a world in which we are born and live, a world in which we are reunited with those we left in the world of delusion. That’s the sort of teaching that a myokonin, a person enlightened by the Jodo shinshu teaching, named Asahara Saichi of Ishimi, wrote about in his uncultivated and even illiterate but profound poems: How fortunate I am... The Pure Land That I go to without dying, That I go to while still alive... Namo Amida Butsu. Again, This body of mine... If you wanna die, Then die. Cause even if (my body) dies, I ain’t gonna die. I’m gonna go (to the Pure Land). Namo Amida Butsu If you don’t wanna die, Then recite the living Nembutsu: Namo Amida Butsu And again, Saichi has finished dying, Had his funeral, And lives in this world As Namo Amida Butsu. Saichi becomes Amida And Amida becomes Saichi. As Saichi says, the Pure Land is where “I go to while still alive.” It is the world we go to after leaving this world but it is also where we go without dying, a world where we live with “immeasurable life.” And having “finished dying,/Had his funeral,/And lives in this world/As Namo Amida Butsu,” Saichi senses the wonderful world in which both his shaba world and the Pure Land are one within Amida Buddha’s Nembutsu of the Primal Vow. That’s why, although the Pure Land is the “other shore” (higan) described as being millions and billions of Buddha worlds to the West, within the Nembutsu of the Primal Vow, it becomes our present world. That’s why it becomes the way in which our life, our lives, is shined upon to reveal the true way to live this moment. That’s what higan points out to us. As the Venerable Master Shinran also indicated in another wasan Japanese poem: By listening to the Compassionate Vow That transcends this world, We “ignorant beings filled with base passions” (bombu), Though unable to leave this impure body, Are allowed to play in the Pure Land. Although our physical body is trapped in this shaba world of delusion, because of the activity of Amida Buddha’s vow to cause our birth in his Pure Land, we take the greatest of joy in the world of “oneness.” * * * The higan sakura blossoms now in full flower in my yard glorifies new life, reminding me of a world in which there is no death. It calls out to me that the Pure Land where I will be able to live forever is Namo Amida Butsu itself. Let’s accept the world where we can rejoin our loved ones, just as Sam Kanemoto so confidently expressed: “She’s waiting for me there...” That’s what our Spring Higan Service is all about.
	Back to: Top \| Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones BY REV. FUMIAKI USUKI JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2003 "Everyday Reflection" The gesture of bringing flowers to adorn the memorial of a loved one is a wonderful tradition that allows all of us to remember someone and, as Buddhists, to understand the frailty and transience of human existence. It is also a way of expressing gratitude for all things to which we are indebted. Such reflection gives us an opportunity to reinforce our ties with all life, both past and present, and to wish for its safe and happy continuity from generation to generation. In my work as a minister at Los Angeles Betsuin, I am constantly reminded of the fragile nature of life. My day begins as I come to the temple and open up the facility to get ready for the morning service. During this time, I also tidy up the Nokotsudo where the ashes of our members and friends are kept for those who love them. On Mondays and after a major holiday or service, the room is filled with beautiful flowers placed there by visitors. Each morning it is necessary to remove the flowers that are no longer fresh and presentable. Along with the flowers, there are candies and other items that people have placed in memory of the deceased. It is while cleaning that I come to realize the irony of human life. Flowers that were cut and arranged but a few days before are no longer presentable, for they have wilted and the leaves and petals have fallen. The mess on the floor quickly ends up in the trash. In the vases, the water that was once fresh and sustained the flowers’ lives is now murky and foul, no longer useful. The flowers that were once symbols of all things beautiful and a natural expression of the best of life are now garbage to be cleaned up. As I throw away the wilted flowers and wash the smelly flower vases, I am often reminded that I am going through a denial of the impermanent nature of all things. The act of cleaning the vases so they can be used for fresh new flowers tells me that I am constantly looking forward to the next moment of life filled with beauty and happiness. Is beauty only to be found in the past and in the future? In our habitual way of operating, it is easy to become oblivious to the present, to the reality and beauty of all life going on around us. The families who offered the flowers do not usually see the process or the change in the life of the flowers. When brought to the temple, the flowers are used as a traditional symbol or object of the memorial but they are not often recognized as being living things themselves. Each day, as I throw away the flowers, I feel a sense of sadness in the Nokotsudo. This cycle of beauty and ugliness is repeated over and over again each day, week, month and year in the Nokotsudo just as it has been done for many years. It as an irony of life as well as the truth of life, for what we saw as most beautiful is no longer beautiful and yet our mind is always reaching for the next object of beauty while being blind to change as it occurs right in front of our eyes. After this daily cleaning, a morning service is held with the Nishi Center children and teachers. Nishi Center is our day care facility with approximately 45 little children up to preschool age. We chant a sutra, recite Kokun and sing a song together. Often parents join the service, pleased to watch their children offer Oshoko and sing with other children. What a sight! In stark contrast to the flowers in Nokotsudo, the service with the little children is a refreshing and happy occasion that uplifts my attitude for the rest of the day. Everyone walks out with a smile and sense of sincere joy. In my job, there is no other moment in the day when the reflection of life is so real and so profound; a moment in which no calculated thought or word is required, in which I simply let my body go through its motions. During this time, as I sit in the Onaijin in front of Amida Buddha, there is constant expression of Gratitude and Joy, a time beyond the form of reflection, meditation and calculation. It is a time when everything indescribable in life seems to simply come together. It is the time when the children, parents, teachers and I can chant the words of the Buddha as one. Taking a brief quiet moment during a busy day for reflection or meditation is always good, but we do not have to be attached to the form, just as we need not be attached only to the form of beautiful flowers. Simply sitting down for a quiet breakfast or feeling the morning sun on our backs as we survey the garden provides us with the same deep encounter with the beauty of life right in this moment. All of us can enjoy special times like this everyday if we care to notice here and now rather than letting our minds focus only on past and future. It is a great opportunity to take a true reality check, a moment to give the body and mind a short time out and perhaps wake up to the bigger matter of Life. For no purpose at all, please give yourself a break once in a while and take the time to notice the dew on the spider webs, to appreciate both the buds and the falling petals, or to contemplate the clouds. See what Buddha is telling you about life itself. Namo Amida Butsu.
	Back to: Top \| Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones BY REV. WILLILAM BRIONES JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2003 “What the World Needs Now...” Presently there is an abundance of material and technological wealth with in the world… whether or not it is equally distributed is another story. There are brilliant authors, philosophers, scientists, psychologists, politicians and yes even religious people. In spite of the great wealth and all these wonderful people, there is no real peace and happiness in the world … what’s wrong with this picture? During the 60’s there was a song written by Burt Bacharach and sung by Dionne Warwick entitled “What the World Needs Now Is Love”. What the world needed than is just what it needs now “ Love…Sweet Love”, But perhaps not the love that we are so familiar with, the love that we use so loosely to describe our affection towards people or things. The word love takes on many different meanings. What is love? Love is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “warm affection, attachment, and affectionate devotion”. They all refer to sentimental worldly love. When we use the word “love” we may have different ideas in the interpretation of it. I love my cat, I love my car, I love my country, I love my children. As you can see love covers a whole spectrum of beneficiaries. The common denominator of this kind of love is that they’re all conditional. And you know from your own experience that your love relationships with family, friends, with spouses, are all very fragile. Any small incident and love disappears. Even that brand new car you loved the first couple of months, as soon as the “new car smell” dissipates, you’re ready to trade it in. Not only does love disappear, it changes into the opposite. Friends become adversaries, allies become enemies, husband and wives divorce. This change is centerpiece of Buddhism. It is the First of the Four Characteristics of Buddhism. All things are impermanent: it is the truth that all things must undergo change. Which brings us to the Second Characteristic of Buddhism: All is Suffering. It is the truth that explains that everything must undergo change, but because we are so attached to desires, because we desperately cling to our passions in this case love, we suffer when we are confronted with lose. This is why Buddhism rarely speaks of the emotional love. In Buddhism there is a word in Pali that when translated means love…not the ordinary sensual, emotional, sentimental kind of love that I described earlier. The Pali word metta literally means loving-kindness, also love without a desire to posses but a desire to help, to sacrifice self-interest for the welfare and well-being of humanity. This love is without condition or exclusion. Loving-kindness is what true compassion is. It is built on wisdom. Wisdom, in itself, includes compassion. Thus, wisdom and compassion are necessary for loving-kindness to exist. The state of mind of loving-kindness is a move toward Enlightenment, because it is non retrogressive and nondiscriminatory. Metta … is pure loving kindness- embraces all beings everywhere. It embraces all beings high or low. This loving-kindness is total fulfillment in yourself, at the same time we feel a deeper appreciation for that which sustains our lives, we become truly human. We see the need to make life better for all things, not just for the living. For a person with this awareness, love becomes his very nature, with every thought, word, and action. This state of being love is truly the height consciousness. Shakyamuni Buddha awakened to this. He is the epitome of love. He does nothing on his part … just his presence radiates love. This love is not directed to anyone in particular, just as the sun rays are not directed to any particular flower, or any particular person. It reaches all those who are available to receive it. What the world needs now more than ever is metta.
	Back to: Top \| Rimban George Matsubayashi \| Reverend Usuki \| Reverend Briones Copyright © 2003 by Nishi Hongwanji L.A.