2010 MAR.
IN WITH FORTUNE! OUT WITH DEVIL!
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima,
IN WITH FORTUNE! OUT WITH DEVIL!
By Rev. Yushi Mukojima,
| Dharma Message |
Last month, when I was shopping at the Japanese grocery store with my family, my wife suddenly
began chasing our daughter who was running away with a demon mask clutched in her little hands. If
we take our eyes off our daughter even for a short while, she always takes something which attracts
her off the shelf. Untill recently, when we took the item away from her, she would cry loudly. Now she
has learned to run away from us because she doesn’t want us to take it away. Although we manage
to catch our nimble daughter and try to return the item to where it belongs, sometimes we don’t know
where it came from. We end up walking and looking around the store asking Kurumi – who still
cannot answer – “Where did you get this from?” This is a common occurrence when we are
shopping.
That particular day, there was a special section near the entrance of the store piled high with goods
for Setsubun. When my daughter took the demon mask from the display and began running away
from my wife, the moment I saw that mask, I had a vivid childhood memory of me and my older
brother throwing so many roasted beans with all our strength at my father who was wearing a demon
mask. We wanted to drive him outside by shouting, “In with fortune! Out with the devil!” Because I felt
such nostalgia with the memory of my family celebrating Setsubun, I ended up buying the demon
mask and some roasted beans in spite of myself.
Some of you may know that Setsubun is a Japanese observance which occurs every February
3rd in Japan. Various Setsubun events take place on that date.
In Japan from ancient times, there was a traditional lunisolar calendar which originated in China
called “Twenty-Four Solar Terms.” In it, a year is divided into 24 parts. The first part, Risshun, the first
day of spring, occurs on February 4th and the last one, Daikan, the major cold season, begins
January 20th.
Risshun means “a touch of spring” and marks the spring season. Rikka, May 6th, marks the
beginning of summer. Risshu the autumn season begins on August 8th, and Ritto, the winter season,
begins on November 8th.
Risshun is regarded as the beginning of a year, so the day before on February 3rd, several
ancient Setsubun ceremonies are held meant to drive out “evil spirits” which are thought to cause sin,
impurity, misfortune, and illness before we welcome in a New Year.
An important Setsubun event is the Bean-throwing Ceremony. This custom, called Tsuina, was
also was handed down from ancient China where it first took place as an event at the imperial court of
Emperor Mommu in 706 to drive away evil spirits and dieties. Then as time went on, this custom
spread among the people and it became what is now called the Bean-throwing Ceremony. Even
here in San Diego, I was invited to the Japanese Friendship Garden a few years ago to celebrate
Setsubun where a lot of us participated in the ritual.
During the Bean-throwing Ceremony, we yell out, “In with fortune! Out with the devil!” But what
actually is the demon that is so disliked it must be driven away? Of course, it usually refers to
impurity, misfor tune, illness, and so on. But when we consider the teaching of Buddha, we begin to
realize that the demon is closer to us than we might expect. Then, who is the demon? Actually, it
refers to me.
These annoying demons hide in the world of darkness in the depths of our minds: the hungry
ghost with its insatiable greed, the fighting spirit with its anger and jealousy, and the demon of wrong
view who, in its ignorance, lacks better judgment. When these spirits rise from our minds, we
ourselves become the very devils we fear.
Saichi Asahara, a superior Nembutsu person from Shimane Pre-fecture, who passed away in
1932, asked an artist to paint his portrait with devil’s horns on his head. He truly awoke to himself as a
“devil.” As he left so many poems, I would like to introduce some of his work.
How I regret and pity myself with my devil’s horns of the wrong view. However, I am so grateful for
Amida Buddha who embraces me just as I am. Namo Amida Butsu.
When I think about my polluted mind, I have nowhere to go except hell. How shameful I am. Namo
Amida Butsu.
When I am at my last moment, I begin to see the evil conse-quences of what I had thought and
what I had done. How terrible it is.
Shinran Shonin called us foolish beings. He explains foolish be-ings in great detail in the “Notes on
Once-Calling and Many-Calling” as follows: Foolish beings: as expressed in the parable of the two
rivers of water and fire, we are full of ignorance and blind passion. Our desires are countless, and
anger, wrath, jealousy, and envy are overwhelming, arising without pause; to the very last moment of
life they do not cease, or disappear, or exhaust themselves.
The more we look deep into our mind of darkness, the more we are able to see ourselves as
shameful and terrible. Hell is certainly where we should dwell. However, the Primal Vow of Amida
Buddha was established just to save us foolish beings.
Saichi Asahara wrote, If there were no foolish beings who are selfish, shameful, and full of blind
passions, the Pure Land of Amida Buddha would not have been established. The Pure Land was
created because we are here. I rejoice that I, a shameful person, am embraced in the light of
compassion just as I am. Joy means just this. How joyful I am for Amida’s favor. Namo Amida
Butsu.
We foolish beings are always selfish and really don’t know what we would do if faced with causes and
conditions. To make us see our true selves and to put us straight is the teaching of the Nembutsu.
When we recognize, with the light of Amida Buddha’s wisdom, the evil that hides in our mind of
darkness, what we feel is shame and self-reproach.
At the same time, when we truly accept that Amida Buddha’s compassion cannot help but save
us, then we are completely em-braced in the mind of delight.
Saichi Asahara wrote, When I think about Amida Buddha’s favor which cannot truly be repaid, the
only thing I can do is to try to behave and to work towards the welfare of people and society.
In this Dharma message, I introduced some poems written by a “In
with Fortune! Out with the Devil!” continued on page 3
superior Nembutsu person, Saichi Asahara. You may have been sur-prised at how deep his self
reflection is. Yet they were the honest words of a person who embraced the light of Amida Buddha’s
wisdom.
Well, we held a Bean-throwing Ceremony at home on February 3rd, using the demon mask and
the many roasted beans which we bought for Setsubun. Although I carried out an important duty as a
father – playing the part of the demon getting hit by beans and running out – I was a little worried about
the large quantity of beans which my wife threw enthusiastically at me. The beans that hit me actually
stung. Was it my imagination, or did she seem to enjoy hitting me? Judging from the strength of her
throwing arm, I wonder if she aimed all her everyday frustrations at me and not at my demon mask!
But if she was able to release any pent-up emotion by hitting me, it is also my job as a husband to
take it. Once again, I pull myself together, wishing always to be the mainstay of the family, a reliable
husband and father, so that I will not be hated by my family like a demon would be.
I think we all would like to rid ourselves of the symbolic demons within. Let’s shout together, “In with
fortune! Namo Amida Butsu!”
In Gassho,
began chasing our daughter who was running away with a demon mask clutched in her little hands. If
we take our eyes off our daughter even for a short while, she always takes something which attracts
her off the shelf. Untill recently, when we took the item away from her, she would cry loudly. Now she
has learned to run away from us because she doesn’t want us to take it away. Although we manage
to catch our nimble daughter and try to return the item to where it belongs, sometimes we don’t know
where it came from. We end up walking and looking around the store asking Kurumi – who still
cannot answer – “Where did you get this from?” This is a common occurrence when we are
shopping.
That particular day, there was a special section near the entrance of the store piled high with goods
for Setsubun. When my daughter took the demon mask from the display and began running away
from my wife, the moment I saw that mask, I had a vivid childhood memory of me and my older
brother throwing so many roasted beans with all our strength at my father who was wearing a demon
mask. We wanted to drive him outside by shouting, “In with fortune! Out with the devil!” Because I felt
such nostalgia with the memory of my family celebrating Setsubun, I ended up buying the demon
mask and some roasted beans in spite of myself.
Some of you may know that Setsubun is a Japanese observance which occurs every February
3rd in Japan. Various Setsubun events take place on that date.
In Japan from ancient times, there was a traditional lunisolar calendar which originated in China
called “Twenty-Four Solar Terms.” In it, a year is divided into 24 parts. The first part, Risshun, the first
day of spring, occurs on February 4th and the last one, Daikan, the major cold season, begins
January 20th.
Risshun means “a touch of spring” and marks the spring season. Rikka, May 6th, marks the
beginning of summer. Risshu the autumn season begins on August 8th, and Ritto, the winter season,
begins on November 8th.
Risshun is regarded as the beginning of a year, so the day before on February 3rd, several
ancient Setsubun ceremonies are held meant to drive out “evil spirits” which are thought to cause sin,
impurity, misfortune, and illness before we welcome in a New Year.
An important Setsubun event is the Bean-throwing Ceremony. This custom, called Tsuina, was
also was handed down from ancient China where it first took place as an event at the imperial court of
Emperor Mommu in 706 to drive away evil spirits and dieties. Then as time went on, this custom
spread among the people and it became what is now called the Bean-throwing Ceremony. Even
here in San Diego, I was invited to the Japanese Friendship Garden a few years ago to celebrate
Setsubun where a lot of us participated in the ritual.
During the Bean-throwing Ceremony, we yell out, “In with fortune! Out with the devil!” But what
actually is the demon that is so disliked it must be driven away? Of course, it usually refers to
impurity, misfor tune, illness, and so on. But when we consider the teaching of Buddha, we begin to
realize that the demon is closer to us than we might expect. Then, who is the demon? Actually, it
refers to me.
These annoying demons hide in the world of darkness in the depths of our minds: the hungry
ghost with its insatiable greed, the fighting spirit with its anger and jealousy, and the demon of wrong
view who, in its ignorance, lacks better judgment. When these spirits rise from our minds, we
ourselves become the very devils we fear.
Saichi Asahara, a superior Nembutsu person from Shimane Pre-fecture, who passed away in
1932, asked an artist to paint his portrait with devil’s horns on his head. He truly awoke to himself as a
“devil.” As he left so many poems, I would like to introduce some of his work.
How I regret and pity myself with my devil’s horns of the wrong view. However, I am so grateful for
Amida Buddha who embraces me just as I am. Namo Amida Butsu.
When I think about my polluted mind, I have nowhere to go except hell. How shameful I am. Namo
Amida Butsu.
When I am at my last moment, I begin to see the evil conse-quences of what I had thought and
what I had done. How terrible it is.
Shinran Shonin called us foolish beings. He explains foolish be-ings in great detail in the “Notes on
Once-Calling and Many-Calling” as follows: Foolish beings: as expressed in the parable of the two
rivers of water and fire, we are full of ignorance and blind passion. Our desires are countless, and
anger, wrath, jealousy, and envy are overwhelming, arising without pause; to the very last moment of
life they do not cease, or disappear, or exhaust themselves.
The more we look deep into our mind of darkness, the more we are able to see ourselves as
shameful and terrible. Hell is certainly where we should dwell. However, the Primal Vow of Amida
Buddha was established just to save us foolish beings.
Saichi Asahara wrote, If there were no foolish beings who are selfish, shameful, and full of blind
passions, the Pure Land of Amida Buddha would not have been established. The Pure Land was
created because we are here. I rejoice that I, a shameful person, am embraced in the light of
compassion just as I am. Joy means just this. How joyful I am for Amida’s favor. Namo Amida
Butsu.
We foolish beings are always selfish and really don’t know what we would do if faced with causes and
conditions. To make us see our true selves and to put us straight is the teaching of the Nembutsu.
When we recognize, with the light of Amida Buddha’s wisdom, the evil that hides in our mind of
darkness, what we feel is shame and self-reproach.
At the same time, when we truly accept that Amida Buddha’s compassion cannot help but save
us, then we are completely em-braced in the mind of delight.
Saichi Asahara wrote, When I think about Amida Buddha’s favor which cannot truly be repaid, the
only thing I can do is to try to behave and to work towards the welfare of people and society.
In this Dharma message, I introduced some poems written by a “In
with Fortune! Out with the Devil!” continued on page 3
superior Nembutsu person, Saichi Asahara. You may have been sur-prised at how deep his self
reflection is. Yet they were the honest words of a person who embraced the light of Amida Buddha’s
wisdom.
Well, we held a Bean-throwing Ceremony at home on February 3rd, using the demon mask and
the many roasted beans which we bought for Setsubun. Although I carried out an important duty as a
father – playing the part of the demon getting hit by beans and running out – I was a little worried about
the large quantity of beans which my wife threw enthusiastically at me. The beans that hit me actually
stung. Was it my imagination, or did she seem to enjoy hitting me? Judging from the strength of her
throwing arm, I wonder if she aimed all her everyday frustrations at me and not at my demon mask!
But if she was able to release any pent-up emotion by hitting me, it is also my job as a husband to
take it. Once again, I pull myself together, wishing always to be the mainstay of the family, a reliable
husband and father, so that I will not be hated by my family like a demon would be.
I think we all would like to rid ourselves of the symbolic demons within. Let’s shout together, “In with
fortune! Namo Amida Butsu!”
In Gassho,