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Rimban George Matsubayashi | Reverend Usuki | Reverend Briones BY RIMBAN GEORGE MATSUBAYASHI Last year I wrote an article titled, "Higan Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" for the Spring Ohigan edition of our temple newsletter, I began that article by witting: To meet our temple newsletter deadline, I am writing this on January 23rd, not long after saying "Happy New Year" for the last time this year. This is also normally the coldest time of the year, and yet I write this, the cherry tree in my front yard is almost in full bloom. My cherry tree is a species called "higan zakura." 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… And what do you know, just a year later – just as I am writing this article for the Ohigan season on January 23rd, the higan zakura in my front yard is again in full bloom. Now that I think about it, however, there really isn’t any reason for me to wonder about that sakura. It has been blooming during this same time of the year for the past 17 or 18 years. At any rate, a person who read my article last year corrected me. "Sensei," he said, "sakura that bloom during the cold January are not ‘higan zakura.’ They’re called ‘kan-zakura’(cold-(weather) sakura)." Apparently there are many different types of sakura. They include yama-zakura (mountain sakura), sato-zakura ("home-town" sakura), soi-yoshino-zakura, higan-zakura, oshima zakaura, oyama zakura, shu-zakura (red sakura), haru-zakura (spring sakura), ume-zakura (plum sakura) and many others. (The sakura names that I didn’t translate above, are place names.) I was told that there are more than 300 varieties of sakura, each with their individual characteristics, expressions of beauty and season when they blossom. Accordingly, although they are the same species of sakura, they all have their differences. What they have in common, however, is expressed in traditional Japanese poem: The falling cherry blossoms— The sole reason cherry trees stoically endure the four seasons—especially the cold of winter and the heat of summer—is to prepare a new generation of cherry blossoms. And with the coming of the warm spring sun, we are blessed with the beautiful sight that is the fruit of their labor. Truly, isn’t this an awesome manifestation of the austere and yet dignified power of nature? Traditionally in Japan this sacred and constantly-changing nature of life was celebrated during the spring and fall equinoxes. During that period, all Japanese, individually, considered how to move from shigan (this shore of delusion) to higan (the other shore of enlightenment). That was the feeling with which Ohigan Buddhist Services are held. In all Buddhist denominations other than Jodo-Shinshu, moving from "shigan" to "higan" is referred to as to-higan ("going to" or "approaching" higan). In those denomination, the Six Paramitas (ropparamitsu) are considered necessary to accomplish this movement. The Six Paramitas are "giving"(fuse), "observing precepts"(jikai), "perseverance"(ninniku), "diligence"(shojin), "meditation"(zenjyo) and "wisdom"(chie). In our Jodo-Shinshu teaching, however, as the Venerable Master Shinran taught us: The ocean of
birth-and-death, We "ignorant beings filled with base passions"(bonbu) who live in this transient world of birth-and-death, are absolutely unable to cross over to the higan shore of enlightenment through our own efforts. What is most important for us to realize is that our puny efforts to purify our minds and hearts to the extent necessary to reach a Buddha-like state, are absolutely no avail. That’s why we must abandon attachment to "self-centered effort"(jiriki) and accept the "Buddha-centered power"(tariki) that vows to cause our birth in Amida Buddha’s world (the Pure Land of Ultimate Joy) where we are guaranteed Enlightenment equal to the Buddha’s. That’s what Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow is. Only by being allowed to ride the ship that is Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow are we able to cross the boundless ocean of delusion and arrive at the shore of enlightenment which is the Pure Land. This is how Saichi, revered as myokonin, a person enlightened by the Jodo-Shinshu teaching, expressed this feeling: The darkness can hardly
become moonlight. In this poem, Saichi expresses his joy about the fact that although he is absolutely incapable of attaining birth in the Pure Land through his own efforts, he is completely taken in by Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow that guarantees his birth there "just as he is" when he is shined on by the "marvelously mysterious" (fushigi) myogo (name of Amida Buddha). Saichi expresses how
even that joy is deepened That’s is how Saichi expresses the fact that he, just as he is, is turned into Namo Amida Butsu and within that recitation of Namo Amida Butsu, the world of delusion that he finds himself in is reflected in the Pure Land, and Amida Buddha’s Pure Land is reflected in this shaba world. Within the Nembutsu of Namo Amida Butsu: Both this world of
delusion and Saichi clearly sensed the world of "suchness" in which he identified with everything around him. That’s what gave him such joy. The world of higan—the world of enlightenment—is absolutely not a world that I can arrive at through my own effort. The world that I can reach with my impure mind and my attachments isn’t even close to the borders of the world. Saichi expressed this as follows: There is no
"self-centered effort" (jiriki) That’s how Saichi expressed how what is impossible becomes possible, how our "self-centered effort" is taken in by "Buddha-centered power," and how "marvelously mysteriously" we are able to live in "oneness" with the world that we find ourselves in. Misuzu Kaneko(1903-1929), a contemporary of Saichi’s, was a writer of children’s poems who was greatly influenced by the Jodo-Shinshu teaching. The 512-poem collection of her work is presented a Japanese publishing phenomenon. One of the poems is that work is titled, "Lotus Blossoms and Baby Chicks": Lotus blossoms Whether a lotus blossom or a baby chick, they do not come into being through their own "self-centered effort" (jiriki)—nor does realization of that fact. All things come into being by the providence of nature. The fact that we are able to live within the "marvelously mysterious" workings of the Buddha’s activity is what brings about our transformation. My acceptance of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, my recitation of his name (Namo Amida Butsu), are all due to the workings of the Buddha. Everything is due to the "marvelously mysterious" beauty of the "Buddha-centered power" (tariki) activity of the Primal Vow. After reading Misuzu-san’s
poem quoted above and while looking at the sakura cherry blossoms
in my front yard, the following suddenly popped into my head: The sakura cherry
blossoms The petals of the fallen
cherry blossoms nourish the earth to cultivate blossoms again next
Spring, and the next and the next. Every year sakura cherry
blossoms will continue blooming beautifully during this time of the
year. Similarly, that’s how we are allowed to live and be cultivated.
Let us become more clearly aware of how we are allowed to live, today
and tomorrow, and the day after that, and during this Ohigan
period, savor the deep happiness of just being alive. |
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Back to: Top | Rimban George Matsubayashi | Reverend Usuki | Reverend Briones
"Money" To Buddhists, especially in Jodo Shinshu, it seems to be taboo to talk about money openly and many of us have a phobia about it. We’ve been taught that money is evil and having too much is not good for us. Certainly, we’ve been taught to treat money with humility. But at the same time we were brought up to succeed in life and for many of us this means having a good career with the highest possible income. But no one told us that it is okay to make lots of money. So, what are we to do? How do we deal with our need to live in this society that centers on money and still live as Buddhists? Well, I think it is important to discuss this issue and talk openly about it. Someone should say that it is okay to make lots of money and to enjoy the fruits of our labor and have a good life. This may only confirm what we are already doing. The problem with money is not something new to the 21st century and does not have a unique relationship to the current trend in the economy. It has to do with our human nature and the problem is more acute than ever because of the tremendous success and excess that makes us even more materialistic. We have come to worship money like a religion through which we try to redeem ourselves – and because money is easier to attain than spiritual redemption, we devalue the worth of our human lives. When we think we don’t have enough love and happiness in our lives and when we are full of anxiety and frustration, we often dream of having enough money so we can go to live on an island alone without worries or bothers. It is an easy solution and escape for we do not have to confront tensions of personal value. So, as we dream unconsciously of what money can bring, it becomes a symbol rather than a tool of exchange, and it gives a false sense of human happiness. When we’re incapable of attaining happiness through the natural processes of life, we become preoccupied with this symbolic kind of happiness. Money is one of mankind’s greatest icons because there is nothing like it. Money in itself is a just a worthless piece of paper. You can’t eat or drink it, plant it, ride in it or sleep under it, and you can’t hug it. Yet, it has more material value than anything else because it has the power to transform into anything you wish, especially in a wishful dream. The problem for us is that when we get hooked on the desire to have money instead of its means to buy things, then we have succumbed to its symbolism. And when we lose focus of what we can do with money to live in our community, we end up losing a real appreciation of life. Instead of feeling good about having done a good job at work or meeting a friend, or hearing a bird sing – of really enjoying the naturalness in our lives – we look at happiness as accumulating pieces of paper. In this respect money has become a symbol of freedom but in a different way and to those who are trapped in this scenario, money has replaced the value system in our life and it becomes another form of religion. The problem with money is not the money itself but rather our love of money. Shinran Shonin used the word “money” only once in his writing and it was to acknowledge receiving “money” that was sent to him. But he used terms such as “fame and profit,” to address the same problem we have with money. He says that there is no quick solution that can be conditioned into us and that the true remedy is in the personal transformation that occurs when we follow Amida Buddha’s path. Shinran reminds us that we’re all subject to getting caught up in self-praise, ego and other self-serving thoughts rather than relying on and feeling gratitude toward Amida Buddha. If he was alive today he would probably be amazed at this world but I don’t think he would be surprised with the problem of money. To this, he would scorn us as he did 700 years ago:
Gassho, |
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Back to: Top | Rimban George Matsubayashi | Reverend Usuki | Reverend Briones
Now that I’ve been in the Los Angeles area for almost three years, I found that one of the big differences between the South Land and the Bay Area, besides the traffic, is that the seasons here really do not change that drastically. In many parts of the country, there are defined seasons of winter, summer, spring and fall. You need only look at the news on television or read in the newspaper that the East Coast is experiencing yet another harsh winter, while we’re enjoying 70 –75 degree temperatures. Be that as it may, after going through a somewhat cold and darken winter, the spring weather has an invigorating effect on me. I can’t help but feel a sense of growth, and the experience the joy of living when I see the mountain sides turn green, flowers bloom and fruit trees blossom. Life seems to be abound. I even find myself re-dedicating myself to what is most important in my life. It is this same sense of awareness that Ohigan services began. For Ohigan, has been observed since the time of Prince Shotoku. It was held for one week in the spring and fall, during the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox, respectively. These weeks were considered to be auspicious occasions, since the weather was neither too hot nor too cold and the length of day and night were equal. Therefore it was considered to be an ideal time to contemplate on the Buddha’s Teachings. And so today, although we do not experience the harsh winters or hot, dry summers, and even though we change our clocks forward and back to accommodate our work and play time, we can still appreciate and understand the spirit in which Ohigan began. So as we find ourselves enjoying being outdoors in the coming months in our short sleeves and shorts, it is also an opportunity to re-dedicate ourselves to Buddha’s teachings. The invigorating feeling of spring should make us even more compelled to listen to the Dharma. Namo Amida Butsu |
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Back to: Top | Rimban George Matsubayashi | Reverend Usuki | Reverend Briones Copyright © 2003 by Nishi Hongwanji L.A.
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