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Rimban
George Matsubayashi | Reverend Briones
BY RIMBAN GEORGE MATSUBAYASHI
JIHO MAY-JUNE, 2007
“Indebtedness for the Venerable Master’s
Birth…”
CELEBRATING THE VENERABLE MASTER’S BIRTH AND
INFANTS’ ‘FIRST ATTENDANCE’ TO OUR TEMPLE (May
20th)
A statue of the founder of
our Jodo-Shinshu teaching, the Venerable Master Shinran dressed in
pilgrimage garb, stands sedately at the eastern edge of our temple
compound. How inspiring and natural he looks in the midst of the
wisteria blossoms now in full bloom!
This statue was donated to our temple 34 years ago by Mr. Seiichi
Hiirose of Takarazuka City in Japan. This was during 1973, which marked
the 800th year since the Venerable Master’s birth. Mr. Hirose also
donated the images of the Venerable Master and two disciples, which are
located to the left of our temple main entrance. This is an image of the
Venerable Master when he landed
at Kotagahama on his way to his place of exile.
As I am sure most of you are aware, construction of our present temple
was completed during 1969. That was when we moved to our present
location. How vividly I remember the then Rimban, Reverend Ryuei Masuoka,
as he stood in front of our newly constructed temple. He seemed humbled
by the great efforts of all of you members that resulted in our new
structure.
“How deeply indebted we are that the Venerable Master Shinran was born!”
Rev. Masuoka had said then. “Only because of him the Jodo-Shinshu
teaching take root in this land of the United States…” He repeated those
words again and again, expressing his deep gratitude for our
indebtedness to the Venerable Master.
But actually, it is only because all you members of our Los Angeles
Betsuin Buddhist Temple individually also rejoice in the same teaching
left to us by Venerable Master, and sense the same indebtedness to him,
that our temple continues to prosper as it does today.
The Jodo-Shinshu teaching of the Nembutsu was officially brought to the
United States during 1899 – 108 years ago. Our Los Angeles Betsuin
Buddhist Temple was established during 1905 – 102 years ago. That’s how
long we here in the United States have been indebted to Venerable Master
for appearing in this world. Only because of him, the many “good and
virtuous teachers” (Zenjishiki), and fellow followers who have
cultivated us along the way, are we here in the United States able to
share in the great joy of living within the Nembutsu based on Amida
Buddha’s Primal Vow.
This gratitude was expressed by Master Rennyo, the Eighth Spiritual
Leader of the Hongwanji, in a basic document of our teaching, the
Ryogemon (which is often translated as “The Creed”):
“That we are able to hear this teaching is solely due to the
Venerable Master Shinran
appearing in this world and the untiring efforts of succeeding masters
(of the Hongwanji) to
whom we are most grateful.”
Truly, only because of the great benevolence of the Venerable Master and
the multitudes of “good and virtuous teachers” have we been blessed to
be cultivated as we have.
The founder of our Jodo-Shinshu teaching, the Venerable Master Shinran,
was born on May 21st (according to our modern calendar), 834 years ago
in the village of Hino, which is located on the outskirts of the capital
city of Kyoto. Both his parents passed away when he was very young, so
he determined to become a Buddhist monk when he was only nine years of
age. He was initiated as a monk at Shoren Temple, climbed Mt. Hiei (then
the center of Buddhist studies), and studied Buddhist doctrines and
performed religious practices there for twenty years.
During that time, he repeatedly read a large number of sutras and
engaged in the severest of religious practices. But because he did not
attain the level of Enlightenment that he desired (though others thought
he did), he left Mt. Hiei and sought guidance from Master Honen who was
then teaching at a place named Yoshimizu. That is where the Venerable
Master came in contact with the teaching of the “Selected Nembutsu based
on (Amida Buddha’s) Primal Vow” (senjaku hongan nembutsu).
Abandoning all practices and a mind of “self-centered effort” (jiriki),
he became a “doer” (gyoja) of Shinjin based on the
“Buddha-centered power” (tariki) of the Primal Vow.
From that time on, until his passing from this world at the age of
ninety, the Venerable Master lived a life based on the teaching of
“merit-transference based on the Primal Vow” (hongan eko). He
constantly repeated that “I do not teach something strange or exotic;
all I do is accept the Dharma of Amida Buddha and share it with others.”
He wanted all to be “fellow followers along the same Dharma path” (ondobo
ondogyo), and to be aware that we are in the embrace of the same
Great Compassion that leads to Buddhahood.
The way he taught was how those living an average life – of marrying and
eating meat (which is prohibited for monks) – can follow naturally. His
teaching does not distinguish between young and old, between male and
female, the good and the bad, wise and ignorant, or noble and commoner –
all are taken in by Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, never to be abandoned. We
will all attain the same “immeasurable wisdom” (immeasurable light) and
“unbounded compassion” (unbounded life) as Amida Buddha. That’s why the
Venerable Master’s teaching is also referred to as the “teaching of
merit-transference based on the power of (Amida Buddha’s) Primal Vow” (zettai
tariki eko no oshie).
In his master work, “Teaching, Practice, Shinjin, and
Realization” (Kyogyoshinsho), the Venerable Master taught that
this “merit-transference based on the power of (Amida Buddha’s) Primal
Vow” has two aspects:
1) the aspect of “going
(to the Pure Land)” (Oso) and 2) the aspect of “returning
(from the Pure Land)” (genso).
The aspect of “going (to the
Pure Land)” refers to the merit-transference of the “Teaching,”
“Practice,” and “Shinjin) towards all sentient beings which
results in our “Realization” (becoming a Buddha). The aspect of
“returning (from the Pure Land)” is the merit-transference of those who
have “Realized” (become Enlightened) their true nature acting with Great
Compassion to save all the sentient beings they left behind. That’s how
they are able to do what they were unable to do before birth in the Pure
Land.
Because of birth in the Pure Land, those with limited lives are able to
express “immeasurable wisdom” (immeasurable light) and “unbounded
compassion” (immeasurable life) in this world and save those they left
behind in the same way that Amida Buddha does. That is the teaching the
Venerable Master left for us.
Celebrating the 834th year since the Venerable Master’s birth today here
in Los Angeles really means celebrating the fact that he has already
become an unparalleled Buddha and is now uninterruptedly engaged in
Buddha-like activities in our world. That is what I am always lead to
feel when we sing the gatha “Shinran-sama” which has the
following lyrics:
“The gentle morning breeze wafts through the
window…
When I place the palms of my work-worn hands together
Reciting Namo-amida-butsu,
I find Shinran-sama beaming brightly by my side.
Though the starry skies are darkened by a storm,
When I recite Namo-amida-butsu,
I find Shinran-sama lighting my way.
Overcome with grief as I travel through life,
When I recite Namo-amida-butsu,
I find Shinran-sama walking beside me,
Seeking to hold my hand.”
The Venerable Master is also considered to
have said:
“When you rejoice
alone
In the Sacred Teachings,
Know that there are two.
And when two rejoice,
Know that there are three.
And that other shall be Shinran.”
That’s how the Venerable
Master expressed the joy and conviction of living together with and
becoming one with all of life. Truly that’s what a life based on “fellow
followers following the same Dharma path” is. And that is the blessed
teaching the Venerable Master left us, and why we feel so indebted to
him.
On May 20th (Sunday) at 10:00 AM we will celebrate the 834th year since
the Venerable Master was born. At the same service, we will conduct a
“first attendance” (hatsumairi) ceremony for infants born since
last year to honor and celebrate their births to this world. The speaker
for English Service will be Rev. Masao Kodani of Senshin Buddhist
Temple, and the speaker for the Japanese service will be
Minister-Emeritus Rev. Koju Terada. I hope to personally greet all of
you then.
Gassho
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George Matsubayashi | Reverend Briones
BY REV. WILLIAM BRIONES
JIHO MAY-JUNE, 2007
Questions
In the search for truth there
are certain questions that are immaterial. Of what material is the
universe constructed? Is the universe eternal? Are there limits or not …
to the universe? In what way is this human society constructed? What is
the ideal form of organization of human society? If a man were to
postpone his search and practice for Enlightenment until such questions
were solved, he would die before he found the path.
Recently, Nobuko and I accepted an invitation to attend a gathering at
someone’s home. To make a very long story very short, the invitation was
extended to us by a college student who had visited both Nishi and
Higashi Betsuin to do research paper. Unbeknownst, to both of us the
gathering that we walked into was a Pentecostal meeting. If you are not
familiar with the Pentecostal Church, they can be very persistent in
their beliefs and are convinced their way is the only way.
So when we told the student that we did not believe in a god, the story
of creation, or the existence of a heaven or hell, she was taken aback.
At that point she began quoting the Bible to prove that such things did
in deed exist and proceeded to try and “save” us.
The reading I began with is from the Culamalunkya Sutta, the
story continues:
A warrior is riding on his horse and is shot with a poisoned arrow, his
compatriots call for the medic to have the arrow pulled out and the
wound treated against the poison.
If the wounded warrior stops them and says “wait a little, before you
pull it out, I want to know who shot this arrow. Was it a man or a
woman? Was it someone of noble birth or was it a peasant? What was the
bow made of? Was it a big bow, or a small bow, that shot the arrow? Was
it made of wood or bamboo? What was bow string made of? Before you take
the arrow out I want to know all about these things. If he said this ..
what would happen?
You can imagine that before all his questions are answered the poison
will have spread though out his system and the man will surely die. The
first thing one should do is to pull the arrow out to prevent the poison
from spreading and to tend to the wound.
And so to, questions of whether there is life after death?, Who made
us?, Where did we come from?, What is the nature of the universe? Is
there a God? Is there a Buddha? Is there a Pure Land? These questions
can wait until some way is found to extinguish the suffering of birth,
old age, sickness and death. One should first search for a way to solve
these problems. These problems are not out side of us, rather with our
own self. The source of suffering is our personal attachment rooted in
greed, hatred and ignorance.
So the main focus of Buddhist teachings and practices is the elimination
of all suffering.
The Buddha clearly stated that suffering exists because our ego-centered
ignorance blinds us to the flow of Truth in our lives. That is why we
are caught in the self-centered ignorance that destroys any sense of
peace and harmony within us.
To become aware of this truth of life is a very liberating insight.
Buddhism is a Religion of awareness, an awareness of now, being
in the present. Take the poison arrow out now …no need to ask such
irrelevant questions.
To a large degree, our awareness is determined by how much we are able
to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday
or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present
moment is where you are…. Always!
Without a question, many of us spend our lives worrying about either
what’s going to happen next or regret what we just did all at the same
time. We allow past problems and future concerns consume our present
moment, so much that we end up anxious, angry, frustrated, depressed and
sad.
Are the answers that we seek really that important? If there is life
after death … If there was a God…would we change the way we live, would
we act differently. I don’t think it would stop me from being the
foolish, self-centered person that I am.
So, as I reflect upon my encounter with my new friend, I feel truly
fortunate to have encountered the Nembutsu Teachings. I’ve come to
realize that when we are fully aware of the present, we’ll find that
many of our questions aren’t as relevant as we thought they were.
Namu Amida Butsu
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