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January 2012
Dharma Message
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima, Resident Minister
Dharma Message
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima, Resident Minister
Let Us Know and Appreciate the Mind of Great Compassion
Happy New Year!
My family is really appreciative of all the great kindness, help and sup-port you have given us in the past
year. We humbly hope to avail ourselves to your warm friendship and continued support again in the coming
year.
I have been invited to many Buddhist temples as a guest speaker for their major services. Upon arriving at
each temple, I first always go to the Hondo (main hall) to pay my respects to Amida Buddha enshrined in the
Naijin (main altar). Every temple I’ve visited differs in the size of its Sangha. However, whether serving a large
or small number of members, each Hondo is the precious spiritual place established with the great wish of all
of our predecessors who sincerely embraced the Nembutsu teaching. Each time, I place my hands together
before Amida Buddha with my deepest feelings of joy and gratitude for the Dharma opportunity which allows
me to participate in a major service as a guest speaker. I am so grateful for the sincere wish of our
predecessors, “Listen to the true teaching!” which is directed at each one of us and I rejoice in their wish
which touches the very core of my heart.
By the way, although we often say, “We go to the temple,” this origi-nally meant, "We learn the teaching of
the Buddha." This means at the temple we ask how we should live through the teaching of the Buddha.
Speaking of learning, we understand school education but there is a quite difference between that which
improves one’s intelligence and ability to become an able person, and the learning of Buddhism. Rennyo
Shonin says in his writing, The Recorded on the Life of Master Rennyo, “No matter how much we learn by the
bulk of the scriptures, if we lack a settled, peaceful (entrusting) mind of the other power, this study is useless.”
Encountering Amida Buddha’s tremendous compassion of being em-braced, never to be abandoned, we
receive the wisdom of entrusting mind with the mind of joy and gratitude. That is, to learn and appreciate
the mind of great compassion of Amida Buddha is to learn of Buddhism going to the temple.
As you know, our statue of Amida Buddha is depicted standing on a lotus throne. People visiting a Jodo
Shinshu temple for the first time often ask, “Why is the Amida Buddha standing?” Certainly, nowadays we can
find many statues of the Buddha in various stores even here in America, but it is rare to find a standing
Buddha.
Most statues of the Buddha in the temples of other sects are seated. It is the posture of sitting in meditation
as well as the posture of the at-tainment of enlightenment through this practice. It is also the posture which is
calling to all sentient beings, “Try to practice asceticism in order to elimi-nate all blind passions, attain the
ultimate enlightenment and come to the world of the Buddha.”
Our gohonzon (principal object of reverence) is “Namo Amida Butsu.” When depicted in a statue or
picture, Amida Buddha is always standing. That is why the statue of a standing Amida Buddha is enshrined
beautifully in our main altar.
In Shin Buddhism, one of the most important principal sutras delivered by Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical
Buddha, is called, “The Sutra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.” And there is a famous
saying in this sutra: “The Buddha of Immeasurable Life appeared, standing in the air.
Shan-tao, one of the seven Pure Land masters, interprets this posture in his writing, “Commentaries on the
Contemplation Sutra”:
The reason why Amida Buddha is standing midair is because it ex-presses his ability to make all sentient
beings who have sincere faith and who aspire to be born there, be born immediately in the Pure Land. Amida
Buddha is discreet because of his nobility and preciousness. But although Amida Buddha appeared after
establishing the primal vow, why does Ami-da Buddha face all sentient beings while standing? Why not
sitting?
Actually, Amida Buddha has this deep thought: This world is one full of suffering where many evil beings live
together tormented by the Eight Sufferings. They are also given to betraying each other, behaving in a
friendly way while hiding their real intentions with a smile. They cannot get rid of the Six Bandits (sight, hearing,
smell, taste, touch, thought) that plunder the mind. They are on the verge of falling into the hole in the flames
of the Three Evil Realms (hell, hungry spirits, beasts). If Amida Buddha were not standing, ready to reach all
sentient beings quickly, how would they be able to escape from this delusional prison? Amida Buddha has a
firm grasp on all sentient beings to be able to take them immediately to the Pure Land. Therefore he is always
standing and never seated in meditation when facing all sentient beings.
Compared to the many statues of the seated Buddha, the reason Amida Buddha’s statue in our sect is
standing is deeply influenced by this interpretation of Shan-tao. There is a big difference between Amida
Buddha depicted standing and Amida Buddha seen seated in meditation.
For example, suppose that a family with a small child goes on a picnic and are having lunch on the shore of
a lake. When they are eating, the child begins toddling with unsteady steps towards the lake. The moment
the parents turn their eyes to their baby, the baby slips into the water. At this moment, how will the parents
take action?
Do they continue to enjoy their delicious lunch while gazing at their suffering baby? Or do they encourage
their drowning baby, “Try to swim on your own over to where we are!” without moving a single step?
Of course, neither reaction is realistic.
The moment they see their child fall into the lake, the parents will immediately break into a run. They will
desperately dive into the water without hesitation to save their child. Then they will grab the baby up fran-
tically in their arms and carry the child safely to shore.
The instinct of the parent which cannot help but save its own child about to drown by leaping up instantly
and diving into the lake is really expressed in the standing posture of Amida Buddha.
You will notice that the standing Amida Buddha leans slightly forward. This demonstrates the ultimate mind
of the great compassion which has already run up to us and embraced us. Namely, it shows the working of
Amida Buddha which stands up, approaches us swiftly, and assures all sentient beings’ birth in the world of
enlightenment, the Pure Land, in order to save us who, in our daily lives, are constantly confused by our blind
passions and are suffering, drowning in the vast world of delusion.
Therefore, the precious standing posture is like a voice calling to each of us drowning in the blind passions,
“As I will surely make you born in the Pure Land, be quite free from anxiety.” A certain Japanese priest praised
the Nembutsu, saying, “Namo Amida Butsu is the calling voice of Amida Buddha which says, ‘Leave
everything to me just as you are. I will surely save you because I am your mother and father.’”
We find additional meaning in Amida Buddha’s posture. His right hand is raised with infinite wisdom in a
gesture summoning all sentient beings to the Pure Land. His left hand is lowered in a gesture of acceptance
that saves all suffering beings with his infinite compassion.
It is really important to learn the mind of “Namo Amida Butsu,” the origin of the wisdom and compassion,
while appreciating the ultimate mind of being embraced, never to be abandoned, through the posture of
Amida Buddha.
Shinran Shonin says in the Shoshinge, “For evil sentient beings of wrong views and arrogance, the nembutsu
that embodies Amida’s primal vow is hard to accept in shinjin. This most difficult of difficulties, nothing
surpasses.” He encourages us that no matter how vast and deep Amida Buddha’s compassion is, it is
impossible for those with an arrogant mind to believe in the primal vow. Therefore we should discard both our
faith and our doubts and entrust ourselves completely to the mind of Amida Buddha.
In the Hymns of the Pure Land Masters, Shinran Shonin praises the joy of encountering the primal vow,
saying, “Of those who encounter the power of the primal vow, not one passes by in vain.” He makes our way
of living clear, saying, “The great path of unobstructed freedom opens up in the person of the nembutsu.” He
teaches us that we can receive a dignified way of living from Amida Buddha: we can live our lives fully and
brightly without obstacles, without being afraid of superstition and divine punish-ment.
Those who not only shared this joy among themselves but also handed it down to their children,
grandchildren and all those who come to the temple, were our predecessors. In Shin Buddhism, it is called
“Nem-butsu succession” and has been treasured.
Technology and medical technology make rapid progress and they know no bounds. Thanks to their
advances, we enjoy a life full of conve-niences which nobody could have imagined an age ago. However,
while on the one hand seeking comfort and convenience, our minds have become like empty vessels. We
have become less disciplined and continue to repeat conflicts, leaving ourselves at the mercy of our greed
and anger. Though we were born in the world of Five Defilements, to live out our lives beautifully like a lotus
flower unpolluted by a single speck of mud, it is most important to pour the teaching of the nembutsu into our
deserted mind.
While hailing in the New Year, I sincerely hope that each of us will understand the great wish of our
predecessors to know and appreciate the mind of the great compassion of Amida Buddha by coming to the
temple. Let us make the New Year become a fruitful year.
Namo Amida Butsu.
In Gassho,
My family is really appreciative of all the great kindness, help and sup-port you have given us in the past
year. We humbly hope to avail ourselves to your warm friendship and continued support again in the coming
year.
I have been invited to many Buddhist temples as a guest speaker for their major services. Upon arriving at
each temple, I first always go to the Hondo (main hall) to pay my respects to Amida Buddha enshrined in the
Naijin (main altar). Every temple I’ve visited differs in the size of its Sangha. However, whether serving a large
or small number of members, each Hondo is the precious spiritual place established with the great wish of all
of our predecessors who sincerely embraced the Nembutsu teaching. Each time, I place my hands together
before Amida Buddha with my deepest feelings of joy and gratitude for the Dharma opportunity which allows
me to participate in a major service as a guest speaker. I am so grateful for the sincere wish of our
predecessors, “Listen to the true teaching!” which is directed at each one of us and I rejoice in their wish
which touches the very core of my heart.
By the way, although we often say, “We go to the temple,” this origi-nally meant, "We learn the teaching of
the Buddha." This means at the temple we ask how we should live through the teaching of the Buddha.
Speaking of learning, we understand school education but there is a quite difference between that which
improves one’s intelligence and ability to become an able person, and the learning of Buddhism. Rennyo
Shonin says in his writing, The Recorded on the Life of Master Rennyo, “No matter how much we learn by the
bulk of the scriptures, if we lack a settled, peaceful (entrusting) mind of the other power, this study is useless.”
Encountering Amida Buddha’s tremendous compassion of being em-braced, never to be abandoned, we
receive the wisdom of entrusting mind with the mind of joy and gratitude. That is, to learn and appreciate
the mind of great compassion of Amida Buddha is to learn of Buddhism going to the temple.
As you know, our statue of Amida Buddha is depicted standing on a lotus throne. People visiting a Jodo
Shinshu temple for the first time often ask, “Why is the Amida Buddha standing?” Certainly, nowadays we can
find many statues of the Buddha in various stores even here in America, but it is rare to find a standing
Buddha.
Most statues of the Buddha in the temples of other sects are seated. It is the posture of sitting in meditation
as well as the posture of the at-tainment of enlightenment through this practice. It is also the posture which is
calling to all sentient beings, “Try to practice asceticism in order to elimi-nate all blind passions, attain the
ultimate enlightenment and come to the world of the Buddha.”
Our gohonzon (principal object of reverence) is “Namo Amida Butsu.” When depicted in a statue or
picture, Amida Buddha is always standing. That is why the statue of a standing Amida Buddha is enshrined
beautifully in our main altar.
In Shin Buddhism, one of the most important principal sutras delivered by Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical
Buddha, is called, “The Sutra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.” And there is a famous
saying in this sutra: “The Buddha of Immeasurable Life appeared, standing in the air.
Shan-tao, one of the seven Pure Land masters, interprets this posture in his writing, “Commentaries on the
Contemplation Sutra”:
The reason why Amida Buddha is standing midair is because it ex-presses his ability to make all sentient
beings who have sincere faith and who aspire to be born there, be born immediately in the Pure Land. Amida
Buddha is discreet because of his nobility and preciousness. But although Amida Buddha appeared after
establishing the primal vow, why does Ami-da Buddha face all sentient beings while standing? Why not
sitting?
Actually, Amida Buddha has this deep thought: This world is one full of suffering where many evil beings live
together tormented by the Eight Sufferings. They are also given to betraying each other, behaving in a
friendly way while hiding their real intentions with a smile. They cannot get rid of the Six Bandits (sight, hearing,
smell, taste, touch, thought) that plunder the mind. They are on the verge of falling into the hole in the flames
of the Three Evil Realms (hell, hungry spirits, beasts). If Amida Buddha were not standing, ready to reach all
sentient beings quickly, how would they be able to escape from this delusional prison? Amida Buddha has a
firm grasp on all sentient beings to be able to take them immediately to the Pure Land. Therefore he is always
standing and never seated in meditation when facing all sentient beings.
Compared to the many statues of the seated Buddha, the reason Amida Buddha’s statue in our sect is
standing is deeply influenced by this interpretation of Shan-tao. There is a big difference between Amida
Buddha depicted standing and Amida Buddha seen seated in meditation.
For example, suppose that a family with a small child goes on a picnic and are having lunch on the shore of
a lake. When they are eating, the child begins toddling with unsteady steps towards the lake. The moment
the parents turn their eyes to their baby, the baby slips into the water. At this moment, how will the parents
take action?
Do they continue to enjoy their delicious lunch while gazing at their suffering baby? Or do they encourage
their drowning baby, “Try to swim on your own over to where we are!” without moving a single step?
Of course, neither reaction is realistic.
The moment they see their child fall into the lake, the parents will immediately break into a run. They will
desperately dive into the water without hesitation to save their child. Then they will grab the baby up fran-
tically in their arms and carry the child safely to shore.
The instinct of the parent which cannot help but save its own child about to drown by leaping up instantly
and diving into the lake is really expressed in the standing posture of Amida Buddha.
You will notice that the standing Amida Buddha leans slightly forward. This demonstrates the ultimate mind
of the great compassion which has already run up to us and embraced us. Namely, it shows the working of
Amida Buddha which stands up, approaches us swiftly, and assures all sentient beings’ birth in the world of
enlightenment, the Pure Land, in order to save us who, in our daily lives, are constantly confused by our blind
passions and are suffering, drowning in the vast world of delusion.
Therefore, the precious standing posture is like a voice calling to each of us drowning in the blind passions,
“As I will surely make you born in the Pure Land, be quite free from anxiety.” A certain Japanese priest praised
the Nembutsu, saying, “Namo Amida Butsu is the calling voice of Amida Buddha which says, ‘Leave
everything to me just as you are. I will surely save you because I am your mother and father.’”
We find additional meaning in Amida Buddha’s posture. His right hand is raised with infinite wisdom in a
gesture summoning all sentient beings to the Pure Land. His left hand is lowered in a gesture of acceptance
that saves all suffering beings with his infinite compassion.
It is really important to learn the mind of “Namo Amida Butsu,” the origin of the wisdom and compassion,
while appreciating the ultimate mind of being embraced, never to be abandoned, through the posture of
Amida Buddha.
Shinran Shonin says in the Shoshinge, “For evil sentient beings of wrong views and arrogance, the nembutsu
that embodies Amida’s primal vow is hard to accept in shinjin. This most difficult of difficulties, nothing
surpasses.” He encourages us that no matter how vast and deep Amida Buddha’s compassion is, it is
impossible for those with an arrogant mind to believe in the primal vow. Therefore we should discard both our
faith and our doubts and entrust ourselves completely to the mind of Amida Buddha.
In the Hymns of the Pure Land Masters, Shinran Shonin praises the joy of encountering the primal vow,
saying, “Of those who encounter the power of the primal vow, not one passes by in vain.” He makes our way
of living clear, saying, “The great path of unobstructed freedom opens up in the person of the nembutsu.” He
teaches us that we can receive a dignified way of living from Amida Buddha: we can live our lives fully and
brightly without obstacles, without being afraid of superstition and divine punish-ment.
Those who not only shared this joy among themselves but also handed it down to their children,
grandchildren and all those who come to the temple, were our predecessors. In Shin Buddhism, it is called
“Nem-butsu succession” and has been treasured.
Technology and medical technology make rapid progress and they know no bounds. Thanks to their
advances, we enjoy a life full of conve-niences which nobody could have imagined an age ago. However,
while on the one hand seeking comfort and convenience, our minds have become like empty vessels. We
have become less disciplined and continue to repeat conflicts, leaving ourselves at the mercy of our greed
and anger. Though we were born in the world of Five Defilements, to live out our lives beautifully like a lotus
flower unpolluted by a single speck of mud, it is most important to pour the teaching of the nembutsu into our
deserted mind.
While hailing in the New Year, I sincerely hope that each of us will understand the great wish of our
predecessors to know and appreciate the mind of the great compassion of Amida Buddha by coming to the
temple. Let us make the New Year become a fruitful year.
Namo Amida Butsu.
In Gassho,