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Rimban
George Matsubayashi | Reverend Briones
BY RIMBAN GEORGE MATSUBAYASHI
JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2007
The falling cherry blossoms…
Even those that remain,
Are doomed to eventually fall.
Our Spring Ohigan Service
Every year about the third week of January when we have completed offering New Year’s greetings, the cherry tree in my front yard breaks our in full bloom. Cherry blossoms usually bloom during March or April so you may wonder about the timing of my tree.
That cherry tree was planted during October of 1983. It was just a sapling then, about three feet tall with a trunk about as thick as my thumb. After four or five years, flowers began blooming and for the past twenty years since then, they have bloomed every year at about the same time.
After enduring the cold of winter, cherry trees give birth to new life with the coming of spring, and beautiful flowers and leaves result. These growths are not defeated by the heat of the summer, but by the time of fall breezes, even the verdant green leaves begin changing colors, lose their vitality, and finally fall to the ground.
During the cold of winter, the trees patiently prepare for the coming of spring when it again brings forth new life. In the same way, although following a slightly earlier schedule, the cherry tree in my front yard begins sprouting buds from about the end of December, and by New Year’s Day about a quarter of those buds have fully blossomed. Every year I have brought a cherry-tree branch to decorate our New Year’s Day Service at our temple.
My Betsuin Jiho newsletter deadline for writing an article in time to meet our
Ohigan schedule is the third week of January, just when the cherry blossoms in my front yard are in full bloom.
This year, however, perhaps because of the unusual cold, the cherry blossoms were about two weeks late. As I write this (on January 23), the flowers have finally blossomed to the extent that they usually do on New Year’s Day. This year I brought a cherry-tree branch to decorate our
Hoonko Service on January 14.
But those cherry blossoms that have finally blossomed are already beginning to wither and fall. My tree will continue glowing new and beautiful flowers until the flowers are in full bloom, and then begin falling to the ground, one by one, until they cover the ground around the tree. That is their life.
This is a traditional Japanese poem: “The falling cherry blossoms…/Even those that remain, /Are doomed to eventually fall.” That is the sad fate of cherry blossoms: even those that remain must, sooner or later, also fall. But that sad plight of cherry blossoms, just as they are, will be repeated with the coming of spring. That’s when they will again express the joy of being cherry blossoms. How true that with the passing of time, all life changes. That is the transient nature of our world.
Traditionally in Japan, this sacred change in living things has been celebrated during the times of the year when weather is neither too cold nor too hot – during the spring and fall equinoxes. This period is referred to as
Ohigan, and because of the Buddhist religious sentiment that such a sacred period signifies, the following saying has come to be associated with this time of the year: “Today is
Ohigan, /A wonderful time/To plant the seeds of Enlightenment.”
Ohigan is believed to be a most suitable time to seek to cross from “this shore” (which is what
Ohigan means) of delusion to the “other shore” of Enlightenment. Our
Ohigan Service reminds of this. Moving from “this shore” of delusion to the “other shore” of Enlightenment is the purpose of Buddha-dharma in general. Crossing from one shore to the other is referred to as
to-higan, and in other Buddhist denominations is accomplished by performing the Buddhist practices such as Six
Paramitas: charity (fuse), observing precepts (jikai), perseverance
(ninniku), energy (shojin), meditation (zenjo), and wisdom
(chie).
In our Jodo-Shinshu teaching, however, we are constantly reminded that:
Lacking love and even a little compassion,
I cannot hope to benefit others.
Only because of the ship of Amida’s Vow,
Can I cross the ocean of painful existence.
(1)
For us “ignorant beings filled with base passions” (bonbu) who live in a world of birth and death, it is impossible to attain a pure mind through “self-centered effort” (jiriki). How much more difficult would it be for us to attain Enlightenment? That’s why we must rely on Amida Buddha’s Vow to cause all sentient being to be born in his Pure Land Ultimate Joy. That is where we are absolutely guaranteed to be born and where we will attain Enlightenment the same as a Buddha. That ship that transports us from “this shore” to the “other shore” of Enlightenment is
“Namo Amida Butsu.”
This is the state of mind that results in poems such as written by Asahara Saichi, a man looked up to as having been enlightened by Jodo-Shinshu teaching:
How fortunate I am!
I am made to be Namo Amida Butsu,
And enjoy the Pure Land
From this world of delusion.
I am welcomed
By Namo Amida Butsu,
And brought to the Pure Land
By Namo Amida Butsu!
What Saichi is saying is that he is made to be “Namo Amida Butsu” just as he is. And because he is, he is awakened to the fact that this transient world of suffering is reflected in Amida Buddha’s Pure Land, and that Amida’s Pure Land shines on this
shaba world of birth and death. This is the truly “marvelously mysterious” (fukashigi) world of “oneness”
(ichinyo) that Saichi became aware of.
Saichi also informs us that the world we become aware of through “Namo Amida Butsu” is:
Both this world of delusion
And the Pure Land are one,
As are all the minute worlds
In the ten directions.
Namo Amida Butsu.
Namo Amida Butsu.
Namo Amida Butsu.
The Pure Land, just as it is, together with Namo Amida Butsu, becomes part of our shaba world of delusion. How that is possible, however, “cannot be expressed” (fukasho), “cannot be
explained” (fukasetsu), and “cannot even be thought of” (fukashigi). That’s the “marvelously mysterious” of it all.
The oneness of our shaba world of delusion and the Pure Land… That is what the world of the “single body of the Buddha and the
deluded” (butsu-bon ittai) is. That is the world in which the Buddha and Saichi live together as one. And that is how Saichi gave thanks for being blessed with the “’merit transference’ of ‘Buddha-centered power’ based on the Primal Vow” (hongan tariki eko).
The founder of our denomination, the Venerable Master Shinran, expressed this same feeling in the following way:
By listening
To the Compassionate Vow
That transcends our world,
We “ignorant beings
filled with base passions” (bonbu),
Though unable to leave our impure bodies
Are allowed to play in the Pure Land. (2)
Because of the activity of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, we are able to exalt in the joy of birth in the Pure Land even with our polluted and impure bodies.
The Pure Land is not a realm that I can even begin to reach through my own effort by performing religious practices, or in any wisdom I gain as a result. The only reason I can even conceive of such a realm is because of the activity of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow.
The fact that Amida Buddha takes me in, turns me around, and causes my birth in his Pure Land is not because I have “faith” in his Primal Vow, or the fact that I recite the Nembutsu. No, it is solely due to the activity of his Primal Vow, which includes allowing me to rely on it. That is the benefit of “’merit transference’ of ‘Buddha-centered power’ based on the Primal Vow.”
The cherry blossoms in my front yard are presently blooming beautifully, and also forlornly falling to the ground. Those blossoms, i.e., “The falling cherry blossoms…/Even those that remain, /Are doomed to eventually fall,” will fall to the ground and become nourishment for the tree. That’s how the cherry tree continues growing, and how that tree will continue bringing forth beautiful blossoms next spring and the spring after that, and after that… That what it means to cultivated within the greatness of the power of Nature, and how we are allowed to live.
This “ignorant being filled with base passions” that I am, is also cultivated within this great naturalness. Receiving the benefit of being allowed to “go to the Pure Land” (Oso) and also “returning from the Pure Land” (genso), I am again allowed to follow the path of
Ohigan today, tomorrow, and the day after that.
While conscious of the great joy in living such a life, we will hold an Ohigan Buddhist Seminar this coming March 17 (Saturday) starting at 9:00 AM. The following day, March 18 (Sunday) we will conduct a Spring
Ohigan Service in both English and Japanese, starting at 10:00 AM. This service will also commemorate past
Rimbans and Fuku-Rimbans of our Betsuin temple. I invite you to attend all these activities, and look forward to personally greeting you then.
Gassho…
__________________________
(1) Shozomatsu Wasan #98
(2) Chogai Wasan # 8
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George Matsubayashi | Reverend Briones
BY REV. WILLIAM BRIONES
JIHO MARCH-APRIL, 2007
Amida Buddha - The Embodiment of Truth-Reality
As Hanamatsuri approaches, it gives us yet another opportunity to not only reflect on the birth and life of Shakyamuni Buddha but also the meaning of Amida Buddha.
When I began my path in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism over 35 years ago, I was a bit confused about the Historical Buddha, Shakyamuni and Amida Buddha, the Buddha that the Pure Land Buddhist revere as the main object of reverence. I didn’t know the difference. If Shakyamuni was the historical Buddha then who was Amida Buddha, was he a real person, a god, a deity?
Shakyamuni Buddha, who’s life story is depicted on the murals in the Betsuin’s
hondo, is the historical Buddha that lived over 2500 years ago. At the age of 29 the Prince, Siddhartha Gautama gave up his worldly possessions, and set out on a long journey in search of a path that would lead to the end of suffering of birth, old age, illness and death. For six long years he sought teachers who might give him the answers. He followed the difficult disciplines, and when he took up ascetic practices it almost killed him. But all was in vain. He failed to find the means by which to liberate man from the suffering.
He then retreated to what is now called Budhgaya, and sat under a Bodhi tree, making a firm resolution that he would not rise from this seat until he attained enlightenment. He then entered quiet meditation to realize the true nature of himself. After conquering Mara's evil temptations, the Prince at 35 years of age, became the Awaken One, Shakyamuni Buddha. He then ministered and taught the Dharma for the next forty-five years.
The story of Shakyamuni, is one that we're all familiar with … it’s relatively easy to understand. Shakyamuni is the historical Buddha. He was the one who pointed out the possibilities of enlightenment through his own quest for religious liberation and truth.
This is the foundation for all Buddhist Tradition. The goal for all Buddhist is to be awaken. After all Buddha does mean “the awaken one”. All Buddhist use Shakyamuni’s teachings as the foundation of their doctrine … the four noble truths the eightfold noble path, the three characteristics of Buddhism and the teaching of dependent origination.
All Buddhist revere Shakyamuni as the main object of reverence. As Jodoshin Buddhist we too revere Shakyamuni. However, according to our founder Shinran Shonin, Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in the world to tell us about Amida Buddha.
Within our Pure Land tradition of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, the main object of reverence is Amida Buddha. Amida is the single Buddha found on the altars of a Jodoshinshu Temples. And while the statue or portrait of Amida Buddha is in human form, we must understand that it is only a symbol. It’s only a symbol to help us try to comprehend the abstract. It’s a way of guiding us to the truth. Amida is not a divine being, but only a symbol of compassion and wisdom.
Amida Buddha comes from the Sanskrit, Amitabha and Amitayus.
Amitabha means Infinite Light, it is boundless light that permeates space and embraces all things.
Amitiyus means Infinite Light, it is existence without beginning and end.
The content or the essence of Shakyamuni's Enlightenment is none other than infinite, inconceivable, Immeasurable Light and Life. These are the very words that describe the essence of Amida Buddha. Then Amida Buddha, being Immeasurable Light and Life is a Buddha who manifests the meaning of ultimate Enlightenment.
Amida then, is the embodiment of all the realities that we consider basic Buddhist tenets; impermanence, interdependence, non-duality these are very dynamic in trying to awaken us to the reality of human life. Amida Buddha is the content of Shakyamuni’s Enlightenment.
So how are we to understand Amida Buddha?
When a small child ask or your child, “Where is Buddha”, we can either point to the statue on the
naijin or we might even pick a flower, and explain to the child that the flower expresses the life of Buddha. Neither of these answers are wrong, but neither makes clear the deeper meaning that Amida Buddha is but a symbol pointing to the True and Real Life flowing through our existence. They are representations of Amida as the embodiment of Truth-Reality.
In Buddhism, it is said that Amida Buddha has no form, shape, color, odor, nor taste; but it can manifest itself into a drop of dew on blade of grass to Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. Amida Buddha can manifest itself into any form, shape or thing to lead us to ultimate Enlightenment.
Whether we realizes reality of life and self through other beings or whether they be animal, human, evil person, material, or mineral, it is the working of Amida Buddha in such manifestations to awaken us from our ignorance.
To entrust our life in Amida Buddha, we must realize that Amida Buddha goes beyond the symbol, goes beyond the statue, the portrait and even the Name. We must encounter that experience. We can’t become attached to the symbol as if it were the Buddha itself.
Amida Buddha is everywhere for those who are able to taste the Dharma in realizing this true self and reality of life in what ever form or shape one faces in daily life.
Namo Amida Butsu |
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