May, 2007
A MIRROR OF THE DHARMA
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima
Do you know what a spa is? My wife used to work at a spa in Japan. She had her own store and
gave customers facial massages and facial treatments.
Recently, spas have become very popular among women in Japan. It is popular with women of all
ages, from high school girls to middle-aged women and even many retired seniors. Worrying about
wrinkles, skin discoloration, pimples, and diet is a never-ending preoccupation for those people who
pursue physical beauty. These days, even men are making more efforts to improve their physical
appearance. And I think that not only the Japanese, but people all over the world are showing more
concern about how they look. Actually, I was also guilty of going to the spas. Although I can look
back on it now and see the foolishness of it, as a high school teenager, every morning for about 30
minutes, I used to stand in front of a mirror and comb my hair, and try to do something to improve
my complexion. My mother would watch me and be amazed. Though it is part of adolescence, I
overdid it.
If you were asked, “Can you really see yourself?” how would you answer? Some people might
answer that they know themselves well. Others might say that they can easily look at themselves in
a mirror or see their image in a picture.
Kanjiro Kawai, a renowned ceramic artist, said, “We came into this world to search for ourselves,
and we came into this world to truly look at ourselves.” I was very impressed by his words and his
thoughts.
A mirror allows us to look at our physical body. We look at our face and our body reflected in the
mirror many times in a day. We arrange our hair in the mirror and also use makeup in an effort to re-
make ourselves into someone more beautiful. We do this because we want to be beautiful to the
people around us. We hope to be charming and have ideal faces and bodies.
However, we almost never look at a reflection of ourselves in the mirror of Buddhism. If we look
into the Mirror of the Buddha-Dharma, we can see our true minds and hearts. In these modern
times, it is most important that we have a way of seeing deeply into of our truest nature.
In a book called Shaseki-shu, the following story appears:
Four priests made a plan to begin a silent ascetic practice. They met on an appointed day to
meditate together in silence. As their practice went on late into the night, the oil in the lamp ran out
and the light went out. Suddenly, it became completely dark. One priest inadvertently said, “Oh, the
light went out!” The priest next to him said, “You are not supposed to talk!” The third priest said,
“So, you talked, too!” After a little while, the priest who had remained silent said, “I was the only one
who was silent.” Of course, now all of them had talked.
This story is humorous. But it also shows the nature of the human mind, always trying to assert
itself. This also worries me. It is sad that the tendency of human nature is to not look within. Instead,
we try to expose and criticize other people’s weaknesses. Too easily, like the four priests, we
condemn and judge others without looking at ourselves. When we accuse others, we brush aside
our own shortcomings and faults and set ourselves up as the standard of justice.
We should all take more time to reflect upon ourselves. We should look into the mirror of
Buddhism, reflect upon our own past conduct, and realize how foolish and self-centered we truly are.
Each day, as we prepare to go out, we look at our reflections in the mirror and try to make
ourselves look better. Similarly, it is by looking at our reflections in the mirror of Buddhism that we
can begin to bring our minds and our hearts to live better. In Jodo Shinshu, it is to live a life of
Nembutsu: a life of less criticism and ever deepening gratitude.
In Gassho,
| Dharma Message |
