 |  |  |  |  |
2011 August
Dharma Message
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima, Resident Minister
Dharma Message
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima, Resident Minister
Obon season is here! Because of the Obon Service, gravesite visitations and the Obon festival, it is the busiest and most lively
time of the year.
The other day, we finished Omigaki—washing and polishing the Butsugu, the Buddhist ornaments in the Onaijin (inner altar)—
with the great help of the Fujinkai (Buddhist Womens Association) and other volunteers. I can’t express my feeling of great
refreshment, despite being soaked with sweat, after carefully cleaning every corner of the Onaijin. When I look at the Onaijin
right after Omigaki has restored its brilliance, I know that Obon season has come.
At our temple, Obon is the second most-attended service after Hanamatsuri which celebrates the birth of Shakyamuni
Buddha. For the family which has lost someone dear in the year since the last Obon, it is the first Obon they celebrate with a
feeling of great loneliness for the loss of their loved one.
But there are many others who attend Obon Service who have not suffered a recent loss. These include the family experiencing
their very first Obon and those who haven’t attended any services for a while. There are also college students who left San
Diego for school but who show up to visit during their summer break. All of these people come to the temple to place their
hands together in the presence of Amida Buddha to express their gratitude to their predecessors.
Certainly Obon Service provides an informal reunion where we enjoy seeing one another again after a time apart. But Obon is
also a precious Dharma opportunity for each Nembutsu follower to reaffirm the way to the Pure Land, listening to the loud
voice of the Nembutsu resounding throughout the Hondo.
Each Obon, when the Hondo is full of people and I hear the Sangha’s chanting and recitation of the Nembutsu, I cannot help
but think that it is as if Shakyamuni Buddha and Shinran Shonin lead us by the hand to the Pure Land, the spiritual home for our
lives.
As everyone knows, there is the Eko-mon: Gan ni shi ku doku / Byodo se issai / Do hotsu bodai shin / Ojo anrakkoku, which we
chant in unison at the end of the Sutra. Eko-mon means a verse expressing the intention of transferring one’s merit to others. It is
the very famous verse from “Kangyo-sho,” the commentary on the Meditation Sutra, written by Shan-tao, one of the Seven
Pure Land Masters in the Jodo Shinshu tradition.
As the Eko-mon comes at the very end of the Sutra, I think that it may signal to you that the Sutra is about to end. Because of
this, I can hear your voices grow louder at that point especially after chanting the long Sutra. I guess you may be thinking, “Ah,
it’s finally ended!”
However, even if I lead the Sangha in other Sutras, many of you can chant the Eko-mon without looking at the Sutra book.
That we are able to chant it together loudly at the end is my greatest pleasure.
“Eko” means “to transfer” and Eko-mon translates as, May this merit-virtue / Be shared equally with all beings. / May we
together awaken the Bodhi Mind, / And be in the realm of Serenity and Joy.
In general Buddhism, it is thought this verse is for the sake of the deceased in which accumulated merit transfers of one’s
chanting saves them.
However, in Jodo Shinshu, Sutra chanting is not done for the sake for the deceased. It is an important daily practice to praise
the virtue of Amida Buddha and rejoice in the Primal Vow which is the working of Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion
directed at each one of us. Therefore, in Jodo Shinshu, the Eko-mon can be interpreted this way: Let us share the virtue of
Nembutsu with all sentient beings equally, without discrimination, entrusting ourselves completely to the Primal Vow, and
walking together the way to birth in the Pure Land! It expresses the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism precisely.
There are some misguided beliefs about Buddhism during Obon season, even within our Sangha. Some mistakenly think that all
Buddhist observances are for the sake of the deceased. There might be some families which believe that deceased loved ones
come back to them once a year at Obon. Thus they make bountiful offerings of food and drink at the Obutsudan (family altar)
to welcome the ghosts of their predecessors, and chant the Sutra for the benefit of the deceased, striking the bell more
frequently than they ordinarily would.
Some believe that in Buddhism, the deceased becomes a Buddha and that the Pure Land is the merely a world for the dead.
Therefore, they conclude that the teaching of Buddhism and the Pure Land have nothing to do with their lives in the present.
But their understanding is quite different from the original teachings of Buddhism.
Shinran Shonin accepts the Pure Land of Utmost Bliss in his writing, “Notes on Essentials of Faith Alone,” as follows: The land of bliss
is the Pure Land of happiness, where there are always countless joys and never any suffering mingled with them. He also writes
in “The Hymns of the Pure Land Masters,” For sentient beings of extreme evil, profound and immense / There is no other way; /
Wholeheartedly saying the name of Amida, / We will be born into the Pure Land.
Namely, Shinran says, No matter how hard we try to practice, as we cannot attain Buddhahood on our own power, we should
entrust ourselves completely to the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and live our lives with the Pure Land where our lives will return
as our spiritual home.
He also, Being born in the Buddha-land of happiness / Is the path to ultimate attainment of Buddhahood; / All the Buddhas
acclaim the Pure Land, / For birth there is the unsurpassed means.
In this hymn, Shinran praises for their virtues all Buddhas who are worried that we regard the Pure Land merely as a world for the
deceased. He praises all Buddhas who encourage us to take the path to birth in the Pure Land by reminding us, “The Pure
Land is the spiritual home for those now living.”
Thus, not only Shakyamuni Buddha and Shinran Shonin, but all Buddhas teach us to “Live with the Pure Land as our
destination,” and we are shown clearly the path we should take to the Pure Land. The Pure Land is not far away. If we open
our Dharma Eyes, we can see that the Pure Land is actually here and now. If we could see the world with Enlightened Eyes, we
would see a pure world without affliction; a world that transcends love and hatred; a world where all life shines, for all life is
revealed to be precious.
Living without true awareness, we live selfishly, just consuming that which we need, excluding from our lives those things that
are inconvenient. We hurt others and may even hurt ourselves. When we live with a perspective of the Pure Land, we, of
course, continue to live our lives in the physical world. Yet we begin to see clearly that it is difficult, if not impossible, to rid our
minds of our self centeredness.
But to take the way to the Pure Land as Jodo Shinshu teaches us is to live our lives humbly while reflecting upon true ourselves.
When we perceive the true world known as the Pure Land, we can begin to see our own lies and self-delusions. In other words,
a person who truly sees his ego-nature has begun to enter the true world where the ego-nature is revealed to be of no
substance and no consequence.
Although we sincerely want to live with our mind and heart in the Pure Land, we continue to live in the darkness of self-
centered passion, losing our direction. In such an unstable life, what should we entrust?
Shinran Shonin answers this question clearly: “There is no one but Amida Buddha who really knows and understands our true
nature and who shows the direction which we should take in life.”
Amida Buddha is always guiding us towards the true world by calling to us from the world of enlightenment. That calling voice is
the Nembutsu, “Namo Amida Butsu,” which is Amida Buddha’s great compassion. Living with the Nembutsu, we are nurtured
by the Nembutsu and we live moving in the direction of the Pure Land…that true world where our selfish, ego-nature is
revealed to be of no substance and no consequence.
To take the way of birth in the Pure Land means not to look at the Pure Land as it relates to the deceased, but as a world with
an immediate connection to those of us who are alive.
The pure Land of Utmost Bliss is the world in which we are living at present. It is the world of freedom which has no comparison
and the world of equality which never allows us to think that “I alone” is a superior being. It is the true world which transcends
the selfishness which is the root of our suffering.
In welcoming in the Obon season, we learn how important it is to live in the world (Pure Land) of Amida Buddha’s wish (Primal
Vow) and not to live in the world (delusion) of our wish (desire). Let us live in strength and joy, chanting the spirit of Eko-mon
together loudly!
In Gassho,
time of the year.
The other day, we finished Omigaki—washing and polishing the Butsugu, the Buddhist ornaments in the Onaijin (inner altar)—
with the great help of the Fujinkai (Buddhist Womens Association) and other volunteers. I can’t express my feeling of great
refreshment, despite being soaked with sweat, after carefully cleaning every corner of the Onaijin. When I look at the Onaijin
right after Omigaki has restored its brilliance, I know that Obon season has come.
At our temple, Obon is the second most-attended service after Hanamatsuri which celebrates the birth of Shakyamuni
Buddha. For the family which has lost someone dear in the year since the last Obon, it is the first Obon they celebrate with a
feeling of great loneliness for the loss of their loved one.
But there are many others who attend Obon Service who have not suffered a recent loss. These include the family experiencing
their very first Obon and those who haven’t attended any services for a while. There are also college students who left San
Diego for school but who show up to visit during their summer break. All of these people come to the temple to place their
hands together in the presence of Amida Buddha to express their gratitude to their predecessors.
Certainly Obon Service provides an informal reunion where we enjoy seeing one another again after a time apart. But Obon is
also a precious Dharma opportunity for each Nembutsu follower to reaffirm the way to the Pure Land, listening to the loud
voice of the Nembutsu resounding throughout the Hondo.
Each Obon, when the Hondo is full of people and I hear the Sangha’s chanting and recitation of the Nembutsu, I cannot help
but think that it is as if Shakyamuni Buddha and Shinran Shonin lead us by the hand to the Pure Land, the spiritual home for our
lives.
As everyone knows, there is the Eko-mon: Gan ni shi ku doku / Byodo se issai / Do hotsu bodai shin / Ojo anrakkoku, which we
chant in unison at the end of the Sutra. Eko-mon means a verse expressing the intention of transferring one’s merit to others. It is
the very famous verse from “Kangyo-sho,” the commentary on the Meditation Sutra, written by Shan-tao, one of the Seven
Pure Land Masters in the Jodo Shinshu tradition.
As the Eko-mon comes at the very end of the Sutra, I think that it may signal to you that the Sutra is about to end. Because of
this, I can hear your voices grow louder at that point especially after chanting the long Sutra. I guess you may be thinking, “Ah,
it’s finally ended!”
However, even if I lead the Sangha in other Sutras, many of you can chant the Eko-mon without looking at the Sutra book.
That we are able to chant it together loudly at the end is my greatest pleasure.
“Eko” means “to transfer” and Eko-mon translates as, May this merit-virtue / Be shared equally with all beings. / May we
together awaken the Bodhi Mind, / And be in the realm of Serenity and Joy.
In general Buddhism, it is thought this verse is for the sake of the deceased in which accumulated merit transfers of one’s
chanting saves them.
However, in Jodo Shinshu, Sutra chanting is not done for the sake for the deceased. It is an important daily practice to praise
the virtue of Amida Buddha and rejoice in the Primal Vow which is the working of Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion
directed at each one of us. Therefore, in Jodo Shinshu, the Eko-mon can be interpreted this way: Let us share the virtue of
Nembutsu with all sentient beings equally, without discrimination, entrusting ourselves completely to the Primal Vow, and
walking together the way to birth in the Pure Land! It expresses the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism precisely.
There are some misguided beliefs about Buddhism during Obon season, even within our Sangha. Some mistakenly think that all
Buddhist observances are for the sake of the deceased. There might be some families which believe that deceased loved ones
come back to them once a year at Obon. Thus they make bountiful offerings of food and drink at the Obutsudan (family altar)
to welcome the ghosts of their predecessors, and chant the Sutra for the benefit of the deceased, striking the bell more
frequently than they ordinarily would.
Some believe that in Buddhism, the deceased becomes a Buddha and that the Pure Land is the merely a world for the dead.
Therefore, they conclude that the teaching of Buddhism and the Pure Land have nothing to do with their lives in the present.
But their understanding is quite different from the original teachings of Buddhism.
Shinran Shonin accepts the Pure Land of Utmost Bliss in his writing, “Notes on Essentials of Faith Alone,” as follows: The land of bliss
is the Pure Land of happiness, where there are always countless joys and never any suffering mingled with them. He also writes
in “The Hymns of the Pure Land Masters,” For sentient beings of extreme evil, profound and immense / There is no other way; /
Wholeheartedly saying the name of Amida, / We will be born into the Pure Land.
Namely, Shinran says, No matter how hard we try to practice, as we cannot attain Buddhahood on our own power, we should
entrust ourselves completely to the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and live our lives with the Pure Land where our lives will return
as our spiritual home.
He also, Being born in the Buddha-land of happiness / Is the path to ultimate attainment of Buddhahood; / All the Buddhas
acclaim the Pure Land, / For birth there is the unsurpassed means.
In this hymn, Shinran praises for their virtues all Buddhas who are worried that we regard the Pure Land merely as a world for the
deceased. He praises all Buddhas who encourage us to take the path to birth in the Pure Land by reminding us, “The Pure
Land is the spiritual home for those now living.”
Thus, not only Shakyamuni Buddha and Shinran Shonin, but all Buddhas teach us to “Live with the Pure Land as our
destination,” and we are shown clearly the path we should take to the Pure Land. The Pure Land is not far away. If we open
our Dharma Eyes, we can see that the Pure Land is actually here and now. If we could see the world with Enlightened Eyes, we
would see a pure world without affliction; a world that transcends love and hatred; a world where all life shines, for all life is
revealed to be precious.
Living without true awareness, we live selfishly, just consuming that which we need, excluding from our lives those things that
are inconvenient. We hurt others and may even hurt ourselves. When we live with a perspective of the Pure Land, we, of
course, continue to live our lives in the physical world. Yet we begin to see clearly that it is difficult, if not impossible, to rid our
minds of our self centeredness.
But to take the way to the Pure Land as Jodo Shinshu teaches us is to live our lives humbly while reflecting upon true ourselves.
When we perceive the true world known as the Pure Land, we can begin to see our own lies and self-delusions. In other words,
a person who truly sees his ego-nature has begun to enter the true world where the ego-nature is revealed to be of no
substance and no consequence.
Although we sincerely want to live with our mind and heart in the Pure Land, we continue to live in the darkness of self-
centered passion, losing our direction. In such an unstable life, what should we entrust?
Shinran Shonin answers this question clearly: “There is no one but Amida Buddha who really knows and understands our true
nature and who shows the direction which we should take in life.”
Amida Buddha is always guiding us towards the true world by calling to us from the world of enlightenment. That calling voice is
the Nembutsu, “Namo Amida Butsu,” which is Amida Buddha’s great compassion. Living with the Nembutsu, we are nurtured
by the Nembutsu and we live moving in the direction of the Pure Land…that true world where our selfish, ego-nature is
revealed to be of no substance and no consequence.
To take the way of birth in the Pure Land means not to look at the Pure Land as it relates to the deceased, but as a world with
an immediate connection to those of us who are alive.
The pure Land of Utmost Bliss is the world in which we are living at present. It is the world of freedom which has no comparison
and the world of equality which never allows us to think that “I alone” is a superior being. It is the true world which transcends
the selfishness which is the root of our suffering.
In welcoming in the Obon season, we learn how important it is to live in the world (Pure Land) of Amida Buddha’s wish (Primal
Vow) and not to live in the world (delusion) of our wish (desire). Let us live in strength and joy, chanting the spirit of Eko-mon
together loudly!
In Gassho,
LET US LIVE IN THE PURE LAND!