Prajna (Wisdom)

By compassion alone is hatred overcome

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On April 14, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. we will gather at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple for our Hanamatsuri Service celebrating the birth of a child who grew up to bring a simple, but powerful, message into our world: “Hatred is never overcome by hatred in this world. By compassion alone is hatred overcome. This is a law eternal.” (Dhammapada, Chapter 1, Verse 5) These words were spoken by the wise teacher who we revere as Sakyamuni Buddha, “Sage of the Sakya Clan.”  We commemorate his birth in Lumbini, Nepal 2,682 years ago by pouring sweet tea over a statue that depicts him as newborn baby, standing amidst the blossoming flowers with one hand pointed to the sky and one hand pointed to earth.  It is said that at the time of his birth he took seven steps and declared “Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the Honored One.”

I do not take these words to mean that he viewed his life as more precious than the lives of others.  Sakyamuni is the Honored One because from an early age, he recognized the precious opportunity he received when he was born as a human being.  He made the most of his human birth by realizing liberation from suffering and guiding others to realize liberation for themselves.  The story of the Buddha’s birth expresses the truth that each single human life is precious because it holds the potential for realizing liberation from suffering.  When a human life is cut short, a rare opportunity for realizing liberation is lost.  The Buddha taught that even the most wicked murderer has the potential to awaken to compassion, feel remorse for the harm done to others, and discover a life directed by the light of wisdom.

At a time when we hear of so many lives being cut short by hate-fueled acts of violence, I was heartened by Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent decision to place a moratorium on executions by the state of California.  In August 2016, the Buddhist Churches of America Ministers Association voted to issue a resolution calling for the repeal of the death penalty in the United States.  In the discussion that led up to that vote, I recall one of my colleagues saying, “It is easy for me to declare my opposition to the death penalty, having never lost a loved one to an act of violence.  However, I do not know how my feelings might change if one of my loved ones was murdered.  From that perspective, I could not say to someone whose dear loved one had been murdered, ‘You should not seek the death penalty.’”  As the discussion progressed, I felt honored to be part of an association that was able to explore such a complex and contentious issue with frank open-minded discussion that affirmed the legitimacy of many points of view.

Amidst the wide range of views that were expressed by my colleagues, there was one comment by a senior minister that clearly illuminated the matter at hand and enabled our ministerial association to arrive at a consensus in opposition to the death penalty.  That senior minister said “When I consider the death penalty from my perspective as an unenlightened being, I can certainly understand the desire to seek the death penalty for the person convicted of murdering my loved one.  However, when I consider this matter in light of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow that contains the wish to liberate from suffering those who are most heavily burdened with karmic evil, I am compelled to oppose the death penalty on the grounds that when an execution is carried out, one person’s opportunity to encounter the Buddha’s wisdom, realize awakening, and guide others to enlightenment is cut short.”

Living in this world that is so often marked by greed, hatred and ignorance, I find Hanamatsuri to be a hopeful time when we come together as a Sangha to celebrate the preciousness of human life and affirm our commitment to the wisdom of Sage who taught that “by compassion alone is hatred overcome.”

 

The Mind of Great Compassion that is Thoroughgoing

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This past month we were truly honored to have Rev. Donald Castro, Rimban Emeritus of the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, join us as the guest speaker for our Nembutsu Seminar on the topic of EcoSangha—Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and Ecology.  In his talks, Rev. Castro challenged us to consider how the Buddhadharma guides us to respond to the great ecological crises of our time, such as the man-made climate change that has contributed to the terrible wildfires that have ravaged communities here in Northern California with increasing frequency in recent years, or the vast swaths of floating garbage that pollute our oceans.  As an individual, I try to reduce my individual carbon footprint by taking the train to meetings in the East Bay rather than driving my car.   I also make an effort to use paper bags rather than the cheaper plastic alternatives.  That said, I cannot help wondering what difference my limited efforts make in the face of the monumental ecological challenges we face today.

When I find myself losing hope, I look to the Buddha’s teachings to illuminate my path forward in these difficult times.  Reflecting on my life in the nembutsu, I find inspiration in the  following four vows that are established by all bodhisattvas—beings who aspire to arrive on the shore of true awakening carried across the ocean of birth and death by the great vehicle of the Mahayana sutras:

1) “Living beings are limitless, I vow to liberate them all.”

2) “Base passions are inexhaustible, I vow to sever them all.”

3) “Dharma gates are immeasurable, I vow to know them all.”

4) “The way of the Buddha is unsurpassed, I vow to perfect it.”

The paradoxical nature of these four expansive vows initially struck me as overwhelming.  I have a hard-enough time realizing liberation for myself, how could I ever liberate all beings?  I struggle when I try to reign in even one of my base passions, how could I possibly sever them all?  After more than twenty years of studying the Dharma, I feel like I know less than ever, how could I know all the Dharma gates?  It seems impossible for me to perfect the way of the Buddha through my own efforts.

However, when I take the nembutsu as my guide on the bodhisattva path, I am reminded that the important matter is to carry on in the direction illuminated by the Buddha’s wisdom, even when it seems impossible to fulfill my aspirations through my own efforts.  The spirit of the bodhisattva path is to persevere in the face of insurmountable odds, trusting that if I set my life on the path of truth, the inconceivable working of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion will ultimately bring about liberation, not just for me, but for all beings.

In his talks, Rev. Castro reminded us that, as Buddhists, our ethical principles are not handed down to us by a divine authority.  Buddhist ethical living is rooted in compassion for all beings.  Our concern for the natural environment arises from compassionate awareness of the people, animals, and plants that suffer when a wildfire sweeps through their home or toxic plastics clog the ocean waters that they depend upon for survival.  When I feel overwhelmed by these environmental problems, the following words of Shinran, recorded in A Record in Lament of Divergences, Chapter Four, shine the light of the Buddha’s wisdom on my path:

Concerning compassion, there is a difference between the Path of Sages and the Pure Land Path.

Compassion in the Path of Sages is to pity, commiserate with, and care for beings. It is extremely difficult, however, to accomplish the saving of others just as one wishes.
Compassion in the Pure Land Path should be understood as first attaining Buddhahood quickly through saying the nembutsu and, with the mind of great love and compassion, freely benefiting sentient beings as one wishes.

However much love and pity we may feel in our present lives, it is hard to save others as we wish; hence, such compassion remains unfulfilled. Only the saying of the nembutsu, then, is the mind of great compassion that is thoroughgoing.

Thus were his words.

(Collected Works of Shinran, p. 633)

This teaching does not imply that it is no use making efforts to help others and care for the natural world because I am incapable of solving the problems all by myself.  Shinran’s words offer me encouragement to do my best to actively address the needs of this world, at peace in the knowledge that, even though I will not be able to alleviate all the suffering I encounter, the mind of great compassion constantly works in the nembutsu to guide me and all beings to liberation.

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Listening and learning

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My wife Shoko recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Tokuma Monju Adams-Ichinomiya, at the Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center. Throughout the delivery and post-partum period, Shoko and Tokuma have received excellent care from the doctors, nurses, and other staff at Kaiser. The conscientious and compassionate treatment that our family has received inspires a deep feeling of gratitude in us for the quality of health care that we have access to.

When people first learn Tokuma’s name, they are often curious about its meaning. In Japanese, the name Tokuma 徳眞 is written with two Chinese characters: “Toku 徳” (virtue) and “ma 眞” (truth). During our Bodhi Day Service in early December, we chanted the “Verses in Praise of the Buddha (Sanbutsuge)” from The Sutra on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. At that time, we were still thinking about possible names for the baby, and during the chanting the character “Toku 徳” in the following verses caught Shoko’s eye:

 

Your observance of precepts, learning, diligence,

Meditation, and wisdom—

The magnificence of these virtues (toku 徳) is peerless,

Excellent and unsurpassed.

 

Deeply and clearly mindful

Of the ocean of the Dharma of all Buddhas,

You know its depth and breadth,

And reach its farthest end.

 

In these verses, Dharmakara Bodhisattva recognizes and praises the virtues of Lokesvararaja Buddha. This passage from the Sutra reminds us that our path to awakening is fulfilled when we live with the humility to recognize great virtue in others and learn from their example. The character “ma 眞” means “truth,” and refers to the truth of the Buddha’s teachings as a guide for living with wisdom and compassion. Shoko and I chose the characters Tokuma 徳眞 for the name of our third son as an expression of our wish that as he finds his own path on the journey of life, he will be guided by the virtuous truth of awakening.

In our family, we have a custom of choosing the middle name of our children taking inspiration from the wisdom of the lives of those who have come before us. Our two older sons have middle names from ancestors on my side of the family. When we found out that we were pregnant with our third child, Shoko shared with me a Japanese proverb that has been passed down in her family over the generations and that she often heard from her mother growing up: “When three minds come together, they have the wisdom of Manjusri (Monju 文殊) Bodhisattva. (Sannin yoreba Monju no chie.)” In Mahayana Buddhism, Monju is revered as a bodhisattva of profound and penetrating wisdom. In the Amida Sutra, Monju appears as a representative of the beings of awakening who gather to hear the Buddha’s teaching. The truly wise recognize the importance of listening to others. The proverb above expresses the truth that three ordinary people who come together and listen to one another are able to realize great wisdom and insight. With the birth of Tokuma Monju, our wish is for our three sons to listen to one another and come together to realize profound wisdom, drawing on their unique perspectives to realize a greater depth of insight than they would each be capable of on their own. We are truly grateful to the San Mateo Buddhist Temple Sangha for all your support and friendship as our family grows together in the Nembutsu.

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Bouncing into the New Year

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Happy New Year! According to Japanese custom, we all become one year older together on New Year’s Day. In that sense, Japanese New Year Celebrations are like a big birthday party for everyone, complete with gifts for the children. One of the joys of parenthood is experiencing the wonder of childhood once again through the eyes of my children. Often this means setting aside my idea of myself as a “dignified adult” and accompanying my children in their rambunctious playtime activities.

At a recent birthday party, I was compelled by begging and arm tugging to join my son inside a bounce house. A bounce house is a large inflatable room that can be set up on a lawn or driveway. It has a giant inflated cushion of air for a floor and soft yet sturdy netting for walls, supported by a large inflated pillar in each corner. The floor is both soft and springy, so that you can jump even higher than normal and it does not hurt if you fall over. Inside the bounce house, my son delighted in jumping around, chasing the other children and being bounced about by the cushion of air underneath.

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The Diamondlike Heart and Mind

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On Sunday, December 2 at 9:30 a.m., we welcome you to join us at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple for our Bodhi Day Service celebrating Sakyamuni Buddha’s awakening at the age of 35. Sakyamuni dedicated the remaining 45 years of his life to sharing the Dharma—the absolute truth to which he awakened seated beneath the Bodhi Tree. In time, the Sangha, or community of the Buddha’s followers, grew and the Buddha was revered by common people, kings and queens alike.

The Buddha’s cousin Devadatta had joined the Sangha, but was resentful and envious of the Buddha’s renown. Eventually he set out to split the community by calling for a more austere lifestyle, with the intention of building a large following of his own. During this period of conflict, there was a man who snuck up on the Buddha with the intention of assassinating him one day while he was sitting quietly in a forest. As the man approached and prepared to attack, the Buddha continued to sit in unwavering concentration.
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Shared Ancestors

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As summer vacation draws to a close we prepare to welcome the Autumn Equinox with our Ohigan Service on Sunday, September 23. Looking back on the lively season of temple activities that we enjoy between our bazaar in late June and our Obon in mid-August, I fondly recall the week of our Summer Terakoya Buddhist summer camp, when the sound of joyful children’s voices could be heard all day long at the temple.

This year our theme for Terakoya was Buddhist Holidays from around the world that commemorate important events in the life of Sakyamuni Buddha.
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Freedom in the Nembutsu

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Again this year, we will dedicate our 9:30 a.m. Dharma Service on July 1, the weekend before Independence Day, to the memory of the Buddhist Churches of America Bishops who have led our Sangha to flourish here in the United States.

I recently came across some historical writings of one of our previous BCA bishops, Rev. Kenryu Tsuji, in a collection of Buddhist materials donated by one of our senior Sangha members. I was particularly struck by a Dharma Talk that was delivered by Bishop Tsuji to a gathering of Delegates from throughout the BCA and then published in May of 1960 in a collection of Dharma talks by BCA ministers.

I would like to share an excerpt of this talk with you as it speaks very directly to the role that our Sangha plays in the spiritual life of our country. Moreover, I think you will find that the wisdom and insight it offers rings true today 58 years later.

The Buddhist Churches of America is the little baby in his mother’s arm as he is brought to church for the first time in his life. And it is the busy little feet of children as they scurry across a field of daisies to their Buddhist Sunday School.

             It is also the lusty shout of youths urging their basketball team to victory.

             It is the men and women close to the good earth, working in the sun of San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Yakima or Imperial Valley. It is the young family picnicing by the shores of Lake Michigan or Minnetonka. It is the minister racing with death over the treacherous, frozen highway to be present at the bedside of his member.

             It is the cattleman of the great plains, herding his purebreds to shelter in the face of the oncoming storm.

             It is the young secretary in the crowded Uptown subway in Manhattan, returning home after her hectic office hours. And, it is the hushed, solemn congregation that bows its head to pay its last respects to an octogenarian member.

             My friends, these people and numerous others, who live in Amida’s Wisdom and Compassion, represent the vital heartbeat of the movement that is the Buddhist Churches of America.

(“For Buddhism—A National Purpose” in Buddhist Sermons No. 104, p. 10-11, Published Jointly by Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii and the Buddhist Churches of America, May 1960)

Bishop Tsuji goes on to describe the values inherent in the teaching of the Nembutsu as “humility and thanksgiving; moral action prompted by contrition and gratitude; justice, liberty and equal opportunity for all founded on Amida’s Wisdom and Compassion.” In another writing of Bishop Tsuji’s he describes the true freedom that is realized in the Nembutsu: “The power of NAMU AMIDA BUTSU clears the path before us, gives us courage, frees us from evil influences, and brings countless good influences to bless us. It casts the light of infinite love and insight onto the road of our life.” (“Profession of Faith: ARTICLE XI”). The freedom we realize in the Nembutsu is the freedom to live with peace and equanimity in all situations of our life.

When we turn our minds to Amida Buddha and say the Nembutsu of humility and thankfulness, our society becomes more peaceful through each of us who lives a life that reflects the light of Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion at work, at school, at home, at the parade, and at the barbecue. Through the lives of calm, peace and harmony that we live in the Nembutsu, our nation becomes, more calm, more peaceful, and more harmonious. When the United States becomes more calm, peaceful and harmonious, the world becomes more calm, peaceful and harmonious. This is true of all nations, large and small.

The wisdom expressed in these writings of Bishop Tsuji echoes the words of Shinran Shonin:

. . . it would be splendid if all people who say the nembutsu, not just yourself, do so not with thoughts of themselves, but for the sake of the leaders of our country (the imperial court) and for the sake of the people of the country. Those who feel uncertain of birth should say the nembutsu aspiring first for their own birth. Those who feel that their own birth is completely settled should, mindful of the Buddha’s benevolence, hold the nembutsu in their hearts and say it to respond in gratitude to that benevolence, with the wish, ‘May there be peace in the world, and may the Buddha’s teaching spread!’

(A Collection of Letters 2, 親鸞聖人御消息　２５)

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Familiar Flavors

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A few years ago, my cousin from Missouri posted some pictures on Facebook of herself and her husband on vacation in San Francisco. It happened to be the weekend of the San Mateo Buddhist Temple Bazaar, so I sent her a message inviting her to come down to San Mateo to visit the temple. She wrote back saying, “I knew you lived in California, but I didn’t realize you were so close to San Francisco. We’ll come this afternoon!”

I’m not sure if my cousin and her husband were hungry when they stepped off the train at the San Mateo station, but I am confident that the delicious smells wafting from the food booths piqued their appetite as they approached the temple parking lot. I gave them a brief overview of the food items available for their enjoyment. My cousin’s husband said, “We expected California to be hot and sunny like back home in Missouri at this time of year, but San Francisco is cold! I’ve been walking around in the fog all morning in a T-shirt and shorts, so I could go for something hot to warm me up.” A bowl of curry rice was just what he had in mind.

I had noticed my cousin’s eyes light up when I mentioned sushi, so I asked if she had any requests from the sushi bar. She said, “I’ll take whatever you recommend. Do you have any family favorites?” Of my two sons, the younger one Shoma loves farms and has more Midwestern tastes, so I figured his favorite sushi would be a safe bet. When my cousin took her first bite, she looked up with a slightly puzzled expression and said, “There’s a flavor here that is so familiar. For some reason it reminds me of breakfast on Grandma’s farm in Iowa. It’s definitely not the seaweed or the rice . . . what is this other ingredient?”

I told her, “Spam.”

She exclaimed, “Spam sushi?! It’s brilliant! Why have I never had this before?”

In the midst of unfamiliar surroundings, my cousin encountered the familiar and comforting flavor of breakfast in the kitchen of the old farmhouse that was built by our great-great-grandfather who immigrated to Iowa from Norway in 1851. My cousin did not expect to encounter the flavor of breakfast in our grandmother’s kitchen at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple bazaar. But in that moment, she was reminded of our caring and nurturing grandmother. From time to time in our lives, we have these moments in which we are reminded of the kindness that has nurtured us throughout our lives.

For those of us who live in the Nembutsu, the words “Namo Amida Butsu” express that same flavor of comfort and well-being. “Namo Amida Butsu” means, “I take refuge in Amida Buddha, the Awakened One of Immeasurable Light and Life.” In the Amida Sutra, we find the following description of Amida Buddha: “ . . . it is because that Buddha’s light is immeasurable and shines unhindered throughout the worlds of the ten quarters. That is why the Buddha is called ‘Amida’.” (Three Pure Land Sutras, Volume I, p. 7) The light of the Buddha is the wisdom that illuminates our lives through good times and difficult times, constantly reminding us of the loving-kindness and wishes for our well-being that have been at work sustaining our lives, stretching back in to the past even before we were born.

More often than not, the clouds of delusion hinder us from seeing things as they truly are. Nevertheless, there are times when we see the world around us and our relationships illuminated by the light of wisdom. In those moments, we marvel at the truth that we are always supported and sustained by the working of boundless compassion, and recall Amida Buddha’s vow to liberate all beings from suffering. The words “Namo Amida Butsu” transcend everyday language to express the inconceivable joy and gratitude we feel in those moments of clarity. In turn, as we continually recite the Nembutsu, our awareness of the working of wisdom and compassion in our lives deepens.

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Learn from the Buddha’s heart of great compassion

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On Sunday, May 20, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., we will hold our annual Gotan-e Service at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple, celebrating the birth of Shinran Shonin, the founder of our Jodo Shinshu tradition.  As I reflect on the profound impact that Shinran’s life and teachings have had on my own journey in the Nembutsu, I find myself recalling memories from ten years ago, when I was just beginning my formal study of Jodo Shinshu as a newly enrolled student at the Chuo Bukkyo Gakuin Buddhist Seminary in Kyoto.

I remember sitting around a cluster of desks while we ate our bento lunchboxes during my first week in the seminary, listening to my classmates speak about their varied backgrounds and life experiences.  The eldest in our group was a retired firefighter who was looking forward to pursuing his personal interest in Buddhism.
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The Seed of the Buddha

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On April 8, 2018, we warmly welcome you to join us for our Hanamatsuri Service, a joyful celebration of the Birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama 2,641 years ago in Lumbini, Nepal.  After realizing awakening seated under the Bodhi Tree at age 35, Siddhartha dedicated the rest of his life to teaching the path to liberation from suffering.  From that time, down to the present he has been revered as Sakyamuni Buddha, the Awakened One, Sage of the Sakya Clan.

Sakyamuni Buddha is a great hero to all those whose lives are guided by the wisdom and compassion of the Dharma he taught.  His teachings have provided the strength and clarity needed to face great challenges for people of all walks of life through the generations.  When I reflect on the difficulties we face in our world today, I am guided by those who, inspired by Sakyamuni Buddha’s presence here in our world, have walked the path of the Nembutsu before me.

Rev. Daisho Tana, the first full-time minister to be assigned to our San Mateo Buddhist Temple is one of my heroes.  Tana Sensei was living in Lompoc on the Central Coast of California in December 1941 when the United States declared war on Japan following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. 

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