"[...]But when I reflect it seems to me that Amida is foolish because Amida is never apart from us, who are foolish, and all the world, which is foolish too. Amida participates in our foolishness in order to relieve it. Amida doesn't cast out sinners in anger. Those who are hardest to reach are given the lion's share of Amida's compassionate attention."
- Jeff Wilson, Buddhism of the Heart
namu amida butsu
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Friday, 20 November 2009
Pre- Chomon Reflections 2
thinking some more about the question and having talked it through with friends, i'm left wondering if this feeling and urge that i could be doing more or that i'm not doing enough or that there's a conclusion i must come to lying cruelly just beyond my reach is born out of mistakenly viewing Amida's light as constrained or bound by a fixed point in time, missing the crucial point that he is the Buddha of Infinite Light. holding the idea that if i could just find an answer then i will be able to bring this light closer towards me and keep a hold of it in my day to day life. but in being distracted by looking for an answer i'm thus failing to realise there's no need to bring this light closer to me because in the words of Shinran -
with the light of the sun or moon, when something has come between, the light does not reach us. Amida's light, however, being unobstructed by things, shines on all sentient beings; hence the expression, "Buddha of unhindered light." Amida's light is unhindered by sentient beings' minds of blind passions and karmic evil; hence the expression, "Buddha of unhindered light."
- Mida Nyorai Myogotoku
but that still leaves the admonishment of Rennyo to make Buddhadharma fundamental to one's life. how does this fit? in Seikaku's Yuishinsho we find the following -
Suppose that there is a man at the bottom of a tall cliff unable to climb it, but there is a strong man on the cliff above who lowers a rope and, thinking to have the man at the bottom take hold of it, tells him he will draw him up to the top. However, the man at the bottom holds his arms back and refuses to take the rope, doubting the strength of the man pulling and fearing that the rope is weak. Thus it is altogether impossible for him to climb to the top. If he unhesitatingly followed the man's words, stretched out his hands and grasped the rope, he would be able to climb at once. It is difficult for people who doubt the Buddha's power and who do not entrust themselves to the power of the Vow to climb the cliff of enlightenment. One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.
One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.
namu amida butsu
with the light of the sun or moon, when something has come between, the light does not reach us. Amida's light, however, being unobstructed by things, shines on all sentient beings; hence the expression, "Buddha of unhindered light." Amida's light is unhindered by sentient beings' minds of blind passions and karmic evil; hence the expression, "Buddha of unhindered light."
- Mida Nyorai Myogotoku
but that still leaves the admonishment of Rennyo to make Buddhadharma fundamental to one's life. how does this fit? in Seikaku's Yuishinsho we find the following -
Suppose that there is a man at the bottom of a tall cliff unable to climb it, but there is a strong man on the cliff above who lowers a rope and, thinking to have the man at the bottom take hold of it, tells him he will draw him up to the top. However, the man at the bottom holds his arms back and refuses to take the rope, doubting the strength of the man pulling and fearing that the rope is weak. Thus it is altogether impossible for him to climb to the top. If he unhesitatingly followed the man's words, stretched out his hands and grasped the rope, he would be able to climb at once. It is difficult for people who doubt the Buddha's power and who do not entrust themselves to the power of the Vow to climb the cliff of enlightenment. One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.
One should simply put out the hand of trust and take hold of the rope of the Vow.
namu amida butsu
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Heavy Cross To Bear
night-shifts are, as per, slooow at the moment. but a site i'm really enjoying, killing the buddha, is helping the time pass more quickly. reading several articles is also causing me to look back and reflect on my own religious upbringing as the son of a Rector and subsequent shift to Buddhadharma.
it's stating the obvious to say that Buddhadharma is still relatively new to the West and i think many like myself come to it with a certain amount of religious baggage and quite probably several misconceptions too.
even mentioning Buddhism and religion in the same breath will sometimes bring up waves of protest and subsequent debate that the former can't be classed as the latter. along similar lines some will say that the concept of God is entirely absent within Buddhism, and while this may be true in the sense of an almighty Alpha and Omega, the suttas and sutras frequently mention devas, indras, asuras and other heavenly beings. this being so, it's not uncommon to hear the claim such examples amount to cultural baggage which Buddhadharma has aquired since early times in its history and at the extreme end of the debate the implication that one of the great tasks facing Buddhadharma in the West is to purge it altogether of these "superstitions".
the Kalama Sutta has become an oft quoted favourite to support the arguement that Buddhism favours an approach where if what is read or heard does not sit with one's own experience (or in some cases, one's preference) then one must dismiss it altogether and carry on regardless. but we need only read Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu's introduction to the sutta to see that this is a mistaken interpretation -
many new to Buddhism have left behind their Christian faith (such as i myself) and in certain cases this "conversion" has created some tension between themselves and their family members. part of the appeal perhaps of Buddhism, are the radical differences - rebirth, not-self, emptiness, enlightenment and so on and so forth. and thus anything within Buddhadharma that appears even remotely similar to the religion they have come from, or even religion in itself, appears to threaten the sense of conversion to a radically different way of seeing the world which they have just begun to undertake.
so we will sometimes hear either blatently or subtly, an attack on their old outlooks and faith. a derision and perhaps a certain sense of anger directed to that which they have turned away from. and its at this point that i realise i have not always been so exempt from such a tendency. but i believe that in order to let go then we need to stop being so angry and upset at our religious pasts, stop being so derisive, halt in some cases our desire to outright attack them and instead turn back and face them.
we need not fear that in doing this we somehow betray our refuge. facing is not to be taken as agreeing with or re-converting. i prefer to see this "turning around", a process that i am beginning with baby-steps to undertake, as a way of making peace with our past. a way of dropping the anger, dropping the resentment and learning to appreciate rather than shun our religious histories, whatever they may be.
when i think of the encouragement and curiousity my own mother, an evangelical christian, has displayed towards the Dharma path i have undertaken then i realise the depths of the selfless love she has for me. a love that makes her say yes to coming with me to Three Wheels, a love makes her encourage me to attend Chomon, a love that makes her sit and listen with interest and i read to her from Kiyozawa's diary. but i can not say that i have been so encouraging or curious to engage with and share in her own path. and i think this speaks back to the anger i spoke of earlier, an anger that in my own case is unfounded, has no basis, an anger that is selfish.
and so i am learning to turn around. i no longer want to harbour this purposeless anger. i want to make peace with and understand my religious history and i want to share in my mothers own path with the same interest, curiosity, encouragement and above all love that she has displayed for me on mine. and so i look forward to, in the not too distant future, picking up some Meister Eckhart, some Thomas A Kempis and other works of the christian mystics and reading and discussing them with her. it's a small start - baby-steps.
in the words of the Dhammapada - let a man conquer anger by love. may these words, my mother's love for me and mine for her and Amida Buddha's Infinite Light guide me through this undertaking, step by step.
namu amida butsu
it's stating the obvious to say that Buddhadharma is still relatively new to the West and i think many like myself come to it with a certain amount of religious baggage and quite probably several misconceptions too.
even mentioning Buddhism and religion in the same breath will sometimes bring up waves of protest and subsequent debate that the former can't be classed as the latter. along similar lines some will say that the concept of God is entirely absent within Buddhism, and while this may be true in the sense of an almighty Alpha and Omega, the suttas and sutras frequently mention devas, indras, asuras and other heavenly beings. this being so, it's not uncommon to hear the claim such examples amount to cultural baggage which Buddhadharma has aquired since early times in its history and at the extreme end of the debate the implication that one of the great tasks facing Buddhadharma in the West is to purge it altogether of these "superstitions".
the Kalama Sutta has become an oft quoted favourite to support the arguement that Buddhism favours an approach where if what is read or heard does not sit with one's own experience (or in some cases, one's preference) then one must dismiss it altogether and carry on regardless. but we need only read Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu's introduction to the sutta to see that this is a mistaken interpretation -
Although this discourse is often cited as the Buddha's carte blanche for following one's own sense of right and wrong, it actually says something much more rigorous than that. Traditions are not to be followed simply because they are traditions. Reports (such as historical accounts or news) are not to be followed simply because the source seems reliable. One's own preferences are not to be followed simply because they seem logical or resonate with one's feelings. Instead, any view or belief must be tested by the results it yields when put into practice; and — to guard against the possibility of any bias or limitations in one's understanding of those results — they must further be checked against the experience of people who are wise. The ability to question and test one's beliefs in an appropriate way is called appropriate attention. The ability to recognize and choose wise people as mentors is called having admirable friends
judging by the above comments i have often observed an acceptance of and agreement with - Instead, any view or belief must be tested by the results it yields when put into practice - but an inconsideration of - and — to guard against the possibility of any bias or limitations in one's understanding of those results — they must further be checked against the experience of people who are wise.ofcourse i am making generalisations here and certainly don't claim to speak for all Western Buddhists, none the less i do believe there is some validity in the observation.
judging by the above comments i have often observed an acceptance of and agreement with - Instead, any view or belief must be tested by the results it yields when put into practice - but an inconsideration of - and — to guard against the possibility of any bias or limitations in one's understanding of those results — they must further be checked against the experience of people who are wise.ofcourse i am making generalisations here and certainly don't claim to speak for all Western Buddhists, none the less i do believe there is some validity in the observation.
many new to Buddhism have left behind their Christian faith (such as i myself) and in certain cases this "conversion" has created some tension between themselves and their family members. part of the appeal perhaps of Buddhism, are the radical differences - rebirth, not-self, emptiness, enlightenment and so on and so forth. and thus anything within Buddhadharma that appears even remotely similar to the religion they have come from, or even religion in itself, appears to threaten the sense of conversion to a radically different way of seeing the world which they have just begun to undertake.
so we will sometimes hear either blatently or subtly, an attack on their old outlooks and faith. a derision and perhaps a certain sense of anger directed to that which they have turned away from. and its at this point that i realise i have not always been so exempt from such a tendency. but i believe that in order to let go then we need to stop being so angry and upset at our religious pasts, stop being so derisive, halt in some cases our desire to outright attack them and instead turn back and face them.
we need not fear that in doing this we somehow betray our refuge. facing is not to be taken as agreeing with or re-converting. i prefer to see this "turning around", a process that i am beginning with baby-steps to undertake, as a way of making peace with our past. a way of dropping the anger, dropping the resentment and learning to appreciate rather than shun our religious histories, whatever they may be.
when i think of the encouragement and curiousity my own mother, an evangelical christian, has displayed towards the Dharma path i have undertaken then i realise the depths of the selfless love she has for me. a love that makes her say yes to coming with me to Three Wheels, a love makes her encourage me to attend Chomon, a love that makes her sit and listen with interest and i read to her from Kiyozawa's diary. but i can not say that i have been so encouraging or curious to engage with and share in her own path. and i think this speaks back to the anger i spoke of earlier, an anger that in my own case is unfounded, has no basis, an anger that is selfish.
and so i am learning to turn around. i no longer want to harbour this purposeless anger. i want to make peace with and understand my religious history and i want to share in my mothers own path with the same interest, curiosity, encouragement and above all love that she has displayed for me on mine. and so i look forward to, in the not too distant future, picking up some Meister Eckhart, some Thomas A Kempis and other works of the christian mystics and reading and discussing them with her. it's a small start - baby-steps.
in the words of the Dhammapada - let a man conquer anger by love. may these words, my mother's love for me and mine for her and Amida Buddha's Infinite Light guide me through this undertaking, step by step.
namu amida butsu
Friday, 13 November 2009
The Limitations of Self
"It is not simply due to actual benefit that I trust in Tathagata, but also due to another important reason. I trust in Tathagata because I realise that my intellect is limited. Except for the period when I was not serious about life, Ialways felt a keen desire to enquire into the meaning of my life. As a result of that enquiry, I eventuallly reached the conclusion that the meaning of life is inscrutable. That conclusion has led me to trust in Tathagata. Since not everyone goes through a process of enquiry to arrive at religious conviction, some might contradict me and say that it was not necessary for me to do what I did in order to gain trust in Tathagata. But I disagree. Such a course was necessary for me. In my religious conviction I am now aware of the utter uselessness of my self-efforts. In order to realise this I had to pursue all kinds of intellectual investigations until I finally came to the point where I recognised the utter futility of such efforts. It was an extremely painful process. Before reaching that ultimate point, I thought that at times I had formed some ideas about my religious conviction. but one after another each of those ideas were smashed.Such bitter experiences were unaviodable as long as I sought to establish religious conviction on the basis of logic or scholarly enquiry. After going through such a difficult process, I have come to realise that I cannot define good or evil, truth or untruth, happiness or unhapiness.. Aware of my total ignorance, Ihave come to entrust all matters to Tathagata. This is the most essential point in my religious conviction."
- Manshi Kiyozawa
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Some Pre- Chomon Reflections
it's little over two months now until i take my first flight to Japan in order to undergo Chomon at Shogyoji. to be honest, the whole thing still doesn't appear quite real to me yet. sure i am nervous but in much the same way as i would be visiting any country for the first time, that is to say it doesn't feel like a nervousness based upon the actual purpose of my going.
i was told that it's possible i may hit a low point before going and question whether i should or wonder what the hell i've let myself in for but to just ride it out and not be afraid of voicing these fears to my Sensei and Dharma friends. well, that doesn't seem to have happened as of yet. perhaps it will as the time grows nearer. perhaps it won't.
discussing with a good Dharma friend and teacher the relationship i have with my parents, he commented that he felt my Chomon had already begun. certainly post- Shokai there has been a sense of introspection on my part, brought about chiefly by hearing others moving reflections on their own relationships. and i know that i am indebted to them for this. namu amida butsu.
the other thing that has been bearing down on my mind pre- and post- Shokkai is what it means to make Buddhadharma the fundamental point or driving force in one's life. i feel this is a very important question but it's not one that necessarily throws up easy answers in the context of Jodo Shinshu (and quite likely in other traditions also, though i can't speak from experience as regards them) and the more i consider it the more related questions appear and the more the desire to realise what it means grows.
we hear the admonishment to make Buddhadharma the central focus of life repeatedly in Rennyo's teachings and those his students, for example -
and again -
...but there is the constant risk of reliance on one's own efforts at the expense of tariki. and then comes the whole self-/Other-power paradox - namely that to conscientiously let go of one's own effort really amounts to nothing more than a re-inforcement of it. one could raise Saichi's famous wasan at this point -
but i feel that any honesty in those words is born out of the realisation of shinjin and not prior to it. otherwise it would be all to easy to say "hey, i'll mix up some tonglen, zazen, mantras and mudras and earnestly practice them to strive for liberation but it's okay! it's all Other-power!" - dishonest to oneself.
so clearly - lying back and chilling out isn't the option. neither is concerted, self-conscious effort. neither is dismissal of or ignoring the question.... tricky tricky. i'll leave this chain of thought there for the time being. more than likely i'll come back to it shortly.
namu amida butsu
i was told that it's possible i may hit a low point before going and question whether i should or wonder what the hell i've let myself in for but to just ride it out and not be afraid of voicing these fears to my Sensei and Dharma friends. well, that doesn't seem to have happened as of yet. perhaps it will as the time grows nearer. perhaps it won't.
discussing with a good Dharma friend and teacher the relationship i have with my parents, he commented that he felt my Chomon had already begun. certainly post- Shokai there has been a sense of introspection on my part, brought about chiefly by hearing others moving reflections on their own relationships. and i know that i am indebted to them for this. namu amida butsu.
the other thing that has been bearing down on my mind pre- and post- Shokkai is what it means to make Buddhadharma the fundamental point or driving force in one's life. i feel this is a very important question but it's not one that necessarily throws up easy answers in the context of Jodo Shinshu (and quite likely in other traditions also, though i can't speak from experience as regards them) and the more i consider it the more related questions appear and the more the desire to realise what it means grows.
we hear the admonishment to make Buddhadharma the central focus of life repeatedly in Rennyo's teachings and those his students, for example -
"If you are too much absorbed in secular matters without having shinjin, hell comes closer to you day by day. When the result of too much absorption in secular matters becomes evident, you will find hell nearby. Outward appearances do not indicate whether or not one has shinjin. Do not assume that you will live long. Instead think only that you have this day to live."
(article 66, Goichidaiki kikigaki)and again -
"You should remember that whatever you do for the Buddhadharma is an awesome thing. Be very careful about everything.
There is no tomorrow for the Buddhadharma. Lose no time in matters concerning it"
(article 102)
...but there is the constant risk of reliance on one's own efforts at the expense of tariki. and then comes the whole self-/Other-power paradox - namely that to conscientiously let go of one's own effort really amounts to nothing more than a re-inforcement of it. one could raise Saichi's famous wasan at this point -
There is no self-power
There is no other-power
All is Other-power
Namu amida butsu
but i feel that any honesty in those words is born out of the realisation of shinjin and not prior to it. otherwise it would be all to easy to say "hey, i'll mix up some tonglen, zazen, mantras and mudras and earnestly practice them to strive for liberation but it's okay! it's all Other-power!" - dishonest to oneself.
so clearly - lying back and chilling out isn't the option. neither is concerted, self-conscious effort. neither is dismissal of or ignoring the question.... tricky tricky. i'll leave this chain of thought there for the time being. more than likely i'll come back to it shortly.
namu amida butsu
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Buddha and the Bonfire
so it's probably come to your attention that tonight is bonfire night. the night we burn an effigy of the last man to enter parliament with honest intentions / a domestic terrorist (delete as applicable). i've always felt a twinge of sympathy for poor Guy, seeing him burnt year after year. and i'm lead to wonder, despite the instruction taught to us from an early age to "remember, remember...", for how many this night has become purely an excuse for celebration, shorn of the weight its historical meaning in much the same way as thanksgiving is for many folk across the pond. don't mistake me - i enjoy the spectacle of fireworks exploding across the night sky as much as anyone and see nothing wrong in doing so. but i can't help think that the lesson we're implicitly passing on to each generation is that those who speak up against injustices felt and suffered will be punished and in the most severe cases...well, throw another few logs onto that fire will you?
let's be clear about this, Guy had the intention to destroy parliament taking a sizeable portion of lives with its destruction. and much as he has become an icon for the anarchistic spirit (in no small part due to Alan Moore's excellent V for Vendetta) it was not for the intention of a free and stateless society but for the establishment of a catholic government in place of a protestant one. similarly, while i can sympathise with the urge to question, resist and rebel governmental authority, i do not and can not believe that anything lasting and of worth can be born from bloodshed; in the words of Bart de Ligt - "the greater the violence, the weaker the revolution".
all of which ponderings lead to the matter of where or how a spirit of questioning and resisting authority may fit with Buddhadharma. much has been written already covering this ground. admittedly, it's not an easy issue and certainly one i wouldn't hope to adequately cover or do justice to in one blog posting. none the less, i'd like to share from two figures whose words serve as particular guiding lights whenever i consider these matters.
Takagi Kenmyo was born into a time of social upheaval within Japan, as the Meiji Restoration drew to a close and an emperor-centered government system was adopted. perhaps most appropriate to focus on for the discussion at hand was his persecution under this government due to his strong vocal opposition against both the Sino and Russo- Japanese wars. in 1911, he was imprisoned and sentenced to death for acts of High Treason (opposing the war) but this sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment. three years later he lay dead in his cell, having taken the matter of his life into his own hands.
Kenmyo constantly spoke out against not only the inequalities apparent within society but also within the Buddhist communities of the time. he saw the words of masters such as Shinran twisted and manipulated into rallying cries for war and the compassion fundamental to the teachings of Buddhadharma ignored and shrouded over with the hawks of patriotism and nationalism (though, is there really a difference between these two?). those interested in his writings (most, if not all of which were only published decades after his death and subsequent re-evalution within the history of Shin Buddhism) can follow the link at the end of this posting for more detailed excerpts of the essay "My Socialism" from which the quote i have selected is taken* -
perhaps this quote would seem upon reading to echo or reinforce the suppressive submission that is precisely what the anti-authoritarian spirit would hope to overcome? but so long as we follow the Buddhadharma then we must recognise that just as those who threw Kenmyo in jail and sentenced him to death perverted the teachings to their own ends of nationalism and war-mongering, so too we must be careful that we do not allow the Dharma to become manipulated to our own ideals of what questioning and rebelling against authority means. we must have the Dharma as the fundamental bedrock in our lives and let the compassion that flows freely from such, a compassion that speaks out againgst injustice, repression, inequality, a compassion that belongs as much to the oppressors as the oppressed, guide our actions.
the second figure i would like to touch upon briefly, Venerable Daigyoin Takehara, i feel speaks of a matter of utmost importance when viewing those whose ideals and practices we may wish to challenge. Venerable Daigyoin was an active opponent of the Religious Organisations Bill of 1929, which sought to pass control of all religious groups inside Japan to the state. together with the help of his close Dharma brother Venerable Jokan Chikazumi, grounded in the strength of tariki, the opposition movement was a success, the effort to pass such a bill abandoned.
throughout his life Venerable Daigyoin, supported by Amida's Vow, established the message of peace that is fundamental to Buddhadharma as a guiding light in his life. this deciation to peace is further demonstrated in his efforts to save Shogyoji Temple's bell from seizure by the armed forces during war-time in order for it to be melted down and used for scrap (for a detailed account, i refer the reader to the essay 'How Faith Inspired the Save the Bell Movement' in Buddhist Roles in Peacemaking, ed. Venerable Chanju Mun). but it is in Venerable Daigyoin's words addressing the horrors suffered by his fellow countrymen at the hands of the atomic bomb that we find a most remarkable confession -
"Alas, that holocaust is what has been caused by my own state of ignorance"
i can not do justice to such a deep spiritual awareness as expressed by his realisation and again would urge those interested to follow the link to a very moving talk about his life given by a good Dharma friend at the end of my posting.** all i will say is that it serves as a constant humbling reminder whenever i lose sight of the compassion that must dictate how we face the world's problems and the thorns of anger threaten to ensnare me. how aware am i of my own deeply rooted blind passions and the burden of grave karma amounted through countless kalpas? i find myself asking, could i make such an admission? do i have the strength to see my own thoughts and actions in this light?
enjoy the fireworks :-)
namu amida butsu
* My Socialism - Takagi Kenmyo
**To build an Everlasting Temple - Andrew Webb
let's be clear about this, Guy had the intention to destroy parliament taking a sizeable portion of lives with its destruction. and much as he has become an icon for the anarchistic spirit (in no small part due to Alan Moore's excellent V for Vendetta) it was not for the intention of a free and stateless society but for the establishment of a catholic government in place of a protestant one. similarly, while i can sympathise with the urge to question, resist and rebel governmental authority, i do not and can not believe that anything lasting and of worth can be born from bloodshed; in the words of Bart de Ligt - "the greater the violence, the weaker the revolution".
all of which ponderings lead to the matter of where or how a spirit of questioning and resisting authority may fit with Buddhadharma. much has been written already covering this ground. admittedly, it's not an easy issue and certainly one i wouldn't hope to adequately cover or do justice to in one blog posting. none the less, i'd like to share from two figures whose words serve as particular guiding lights whenever i consider these matters.
Takagi Kenmyo was born into a time of social upheaval within Japan, as the Meiji Restoration drew to a close and an emperor-centered government system was adopted. perhaps most appropriate to focus on for the discussion at hand was his persecution under this government due to his strong vocal opposition against both the Sino and Russo- Japanese wars. in 1911, he was imprisoned and sentenced to death for acts of High Treason (opposing the war) but this sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment. three years later he lay dead in his cell, having taken the matter of his life into his own hands.
Kenmyo constantly spoke out against not only the inequalities apparent within society but also within the Buddhist communities of the time. he saw the words of masters such as Shinran twisted and manipulated into rallying cries for war and the compassion fundamental to the teachings of Buddhadharma ignored and shrouded over with the hawks of patriotism and nationalism (though, is there really a difference between these two?). those interested in his writings (most, if not all of which were only published decades after his death and subsequent re-evalution within the history of Shin Buddhism) can follow the link at the end of this posting for more detailed excerpts of the essay "My Socialism" from which the quote i have selected is taken* -
"We live in a country where the common people in general are sacrificed for the fame, peerage and medals of one small group of people. It is a society in which the common people in general must suffer for the sake of a small number of speculators. Are not the poor treated like animals at the hands of the wealthy? There are people who cry out in hunger; there are women who sell their honour out of poverty; there are children who are soaked by the rain. Rich people and governmental officials find pleasure in treating them like toys, oppressing them and engaging them in hard labour, don't they?
The external stimuli being like this, our subjective faculties are replete with ambition. This is truly the world of defilement, a world of suffering, a dark night. Human nature is being slaughtered by the devil.
However, the Buddha continually calls to us: "I shall protect you, I shall save you, I shall help you." People who have discovered this light have in truth gained peace and happiness. I believe that they have been released from the anguish that makes them turn away from the world and have gained hope.
Our thoughts can not but change completely: "I will do what the Buddha wishes me to do, practice what he wishes me to practice and make the Buddha's will my own will. I will become what the Tathagata tells me to become." This is the time of great determination!
perhaps this quote would seem upon reading to echo or reinforce the suppressive submission that is precisely what the anti-authoritarian spirit would hope to overcome? but so long as we follow the Buddhadharma then we must recognise that just as those who threw Kenmyo in jail and sentenced him to death perverted the teachings to their own ends of nationalism and war-mongering, so too we must be careful that we do not allow the Dharma to become manipulated to our own ideals of what questioning and rebelling against authority means. we must have the Dharma as the fundamental bedrock in our lives and let the compassion that flows freely from such, a compassion that speaks out againgst injustice, repression, inequality, a compassion that belongs as much to the oppressors as the oppressed, guide our actions.
the second figure i would like to touch upon briefly, Venerable Daigyoin Takehara, i feel speaks of a matter of utmost importance when viewing those whose ideals and practices we may wish to challenge. Venerable Daigyoin was an active opponent of the Religious Organisations Bill of 1929, which sought to pass control of all religious groups inside Japan to the state. together with the help of his close Dharma brother Venerable Jokan Chikazumi, grounded in the strength of tariki, the opposition movement was a success, the effort to pass such a bill abandoned.
throughout his life Venerable Daigyoin, supported by Amida's Vow, established the message of peace that is fundamental to Buddhadharma as a guiding light in his life. this deciation to peace is further demonstrated in his efforts to save Shogyoji Temple's bell from seizure by the armed forces during war-time in order for it to be melted down and used for scrap (for a detailed account, i refer the reader to the essay 'How Faith Inspired the Save the Bell Movement' in Buddhist Roles in Peacemaking, ed. Venerable Chanju Mun). but it is in Venerable Daigyoin's words addressing the horrors suffered by his fellow countrymen at the hands of the atomic bomb that we find a most remarkable confession -
"Alas, that holocaust is what has been caused by my own state of ignorance"
i can not do justice to such a deep spiritual awareness as expressed by his realisation and again would urge those interested to follow the link to a very moving talk about his life given by a good Dharma friend at the end of my posting.** all i will say is that it serves as a constant humbling reminder whenever i lose sight of the compassion that must dictate how we face the world's problems and the thorns of anger threaten to ensnare me. how aware am i of my own deeply rooted blind passions and the burden of grave karma amounted through countless kalpas? i find myself asking, could i make such an admission? do i have the strength to see my own thoughts and actions in this light?
enjoy the fireworks :-)
namu amida butsu
* My Socialism - Takagi Kenmyo
**To build an Everlasting Temple - Andrew Webb
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
"...there is nothing that is not the nembutsu"
Among all living things
mountains and rivers,
grasses and trees,
even the sounds of blowing winds
and rising waves -
there is nothing
that is not the nembutsu
- Ippen
during Shokai, while viewing the beautiful slides of Shogyoji a visiting priest kindly brought with him to show us all, a good dharma friend exclaimed to me how easy it is to miss the beauty that is all around us. as pictures of lotus flowers, dry river-beds and trees wearing their autumn foliage, all set against the back drop of the temple appeared on the screen i got to thinking how busy and occupied we let our minds become and how much as a consequence, we miss. (note - the following are my own photos and in no way compare to how beautiful those of the temple were to see)
i've always loved the above waka by Ippen since the moment i first came across it but i feel much as i cherish it there is a danger upon reading of mistaking the nembutsu for some kind of pantheistic life force (certainly a danger i have come across in my own understanding frequently). and admittedly, my understanding of the complex doctrine of sunyata is a shallow one but it seems that, if we spend our time searching for the nembutsu in something, then we miss its calling us. a tree is just a tree, a mountain just a mountain, a rising wave just a rising wave - none of them require us to look for or discover some inherent essence lying inside them in order for them to retain their wonder and meaning.
but how often, as my dharma friend mentioned, do we miss what is right infront of us? i think of the times my mind has shamefully wandered during otsutome, or as i've recited the nembutsu or even, despite my best efforts, during a dharma talk by friends and teachers at Three Wheels. is it any surprise then that if, even during times we would wish our minds to be calm and receptive they swing about from branch to branch, we miss out on the beauty and wonder that surrounds us each and every day?
nonetheless, i find myself asking - does a tree require my noticing it in order for it to be? or again, does a mountain? a rising wave? similarly, the nembutsu is working all the time...it has been calling us even before we came into this life and it is precisely because our minds are unsettled and clouded over that such a Vow as its cause was pledged by Dharmakara.
of course, it would be wrong of me to say therefore that it's perfectly okay to just lie back and let the mind drift along chasing concern after concern. no, certainly it's right to want to focus and approach otsutome, nembutsu recitation and hearing the Dharma with the respect they deserve. but believing that Amida's compassion will somehow fail in its working if i can't attain constant, undivided focus is really just so much noise and jiriki.
namu amida butsu
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