Prajna (Wisdom)

Ohigan 1942

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Last month we observed the 75th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which was signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, authorizing the forced evacuation of all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. As we recall these important events for our Nembutsu community here in the United States, I have encountered precious insights in the diaries of Rev. Daisho Tana, who was serving the Japanese Buddhist community in Lompoc, California when the war broke out.   In later years, Rev. Tana was assigned to the San Mateo Buddhist Temple, where he cared for our Sangha from 1952 to 1955.

On February 24, 1942, FBI agents accompanied by three local police officers went to Rev. Tana’s home to investigate his activities.  When they arrived at his door, he asked them straightaway if he was to be taken into custody.

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Sakyamuni Buddha’s Parting Words of Wisdom

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February is the month when we observe our annual Nirvana Day Memorial Service marking Sakyamuni Buddha’s passing from this world of suffering approximately 2,500 years ago at Kuśinagara in Northern India. Meditating in the shelter of the Bodhi Tree at the age of 35, Sakyamuni Buddha realized Nirvana, the “blowing out” of the flame of the base passions of greed, anger, and ignorance. However, as his human life continued for 45 years following his awakening, he was subject to the physical discomforts of life in a human body, such as aches and pains and occasional illnesses. The nature of reality is that all things that are born will one day pass away. This was true of Sakyamuni Buddha’s human body as well. The Buddhist sutras teach us that when Sakyamuni Buddha passed from this world of suffering, he entered the state of final peace that is called parinirvana. Nirvana Day is traditionally observed in East Asian schools of Buddhism on the Fifteenth day of the Second Month. We invite you to join us in observing our Nirvana Day Service at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple on Sunday, February 12 at 9:30 a.m.

Shortly before passing in to parinirvana, Sakyamuni laid out a set of guiding principles for those who would continue their study of the Buddhadharma after he departed from this world. These principles have served as a guiding light for Buddhist communities as the Dharma has spread all over the world. Writing in 13th century Japan, Shinran passed on the following teaching from Sakyamuni Buddha’s final sermon as a guide for our lives in the Nembutsu:

When Sakyamuni was about to enter nirvana, he said to the bhiksus, “From this day on, rely on the dharma, not on people who teach it. Rely on the meaning, not on the words. Rely on wisdom, not on the working of the mind. Rely on the sutras that fully express the meaning, not on those that do not.”

(The Collected Works of Shinran, p. 241)

These four principles remind us where to look to see the true light of the Buddha’s wisdom shining in our lives.

Rely on the dharma, not on people who teach it. The dharma is the truth to which the Buddha awakened sitting under the Bodhi Tree. Parents, friends, elderly relatives, small children, and even pets can serve as teachers who help us to see the truth of the Dharma in our lives. Teachers of the Dharma can help us to deepen our understanding and appreciation for that truth, but in the end the Dharma is only meaningful to us when we are able to apply it in our daily lives and feel its benefits for ourselves.

Rely on the meaning, not on the words. Sakyamuni Buddha explains the meaning of this teaching, saying, “ . . . words may indeed have meaning, but the meaning is not the words. Consider, for example, a person instructing us by pointing to the moon with his finger. [To take words to be the meaning] is like looking at the finger and not at the moon. The person would say, ‘I am pointing to the moon with my finger in order to show it to you. Why do you look at my finger and not the moon?’ Similarly, words are the finger pointing to the meaning; they are not the meaning itself. Hence, do not rely upon words.” We treasure the words of the Buddha because they are a guide for us on our journey through this world of confusion and strife. The scriptures point us in the direction of true reality, but are not true reality itself because the Buddha teaches that true reality is formless and transcends the limitations of words and ideas. The important matter is not the words themselves, but rather the meaning that they express.

Rely on wisdom, not on the working of the mind. Sometimes we hear people say, “My mind was playing tricks on me.” This probably happens more often than we realize. The basic function of our mind is to seek pleasure. However, it is often in seeking pleasure that we create suffering for others and ourselves. Wisdom is what we know to be true through our experience. Our minds work very hard to rationalize harmful thinking and actions even when we know better from our experience. The challenge of living guided by the Dharma is to embrace the life changes that Buddha’s wisdom guides us to.

Rely on the sutras that fully express the meaning, not on those that do not. The sutras are records of Sakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma talks. It is said that he taught 84,000 Dharma Gates, through which we can enter into understanding of the truth. In seeking the path to awakening, the important matter is not to read and master all the sutras, but rather to recognize which sutras speak the circumstances of your own life and to take those sutras as your guide. At the San Mateo Buddhist Temple, we revere the teachings of Amida Buddha and the Nembutsu expressed in the Three Pure Land Sutras as our guide to realizing the liberating peace of Nirvana.

Namo Amida Butsu

Grandfather’s Wisdom

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On December 13, six days after the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, I joined several Dharma friends from the San Mateo Buddhist Temple for a one-time screening of actor and civil rights activist George Takei’s Broadway musical Allegiance at the Century Cinema in the Tanforan shopping center near San Francisco International Airport. The cinema sits on the former site of the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, which was the assembly center where Japanese immigrants and U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry living in the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Mateo, were housed in horse stables prior to being loaded onto trains with covered windows and transported to hastily constructed camps hundreds of miles to the east. In the end, 120,000 people were uprooted from their homes and communities following President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced evacuation of all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. Inspired by George Takei’s childhood experience of being interned at the Santa Anita Racetrack outside Los Angeles before being sent with his family to the Rowher Relocation Center in Arkansas, Allegiance tells the story of the Kimura family, who were farmers in Salinas before the outbreak of the Second World War.

The play details the turmoil experienced by the Kimura family as they are forced to sell their farm for a fraction of its value and relocate to the internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Much of the story revolves around the relationship between two American-born Nisei siblings, Keiko and her younger brother Sam, and their Japanese-born Issei father Tatsuo. The play powerfully evokes the tremendous strain that the internment placed on families. In the Kimura family, we see conflicts erupting due to differing values across generations, as well as divisions among people of the same generation, coming to a head with the notorious loyalty questionnaire that asked internees to declare whether or not they were willing to declare loyalty to the United States, renounce allegiance to the Emperor of Japan, and serve the U.S. military in combat duty wherever ordered.

In an opening address to the audience watching Allegiance in theaters, George Takei reminded us that the racism and discrimination that led to the grave injustice of the internment camps are alarmingly visible in our society today. He also expressed the hope that by shedding light on this dark chapter in American history, we will be able to prevent such injustice from reoccurring in our country. Over the past month, several Sangha members have approached me expressing concern about recent hate crimes in our area, proposals for a national registry of Muslims and immigration policies that could disrupt the lives of countless families in our community. They have asked me, “What can we do as Buddhists to make a difference in these turbulent times?”

I share their concern, and found myself pondering this question as I reflected on the story told in Allegiance–a story that echoes the lived experiences of so many of my friends and teachers in the Nembutsu. The character of Ojii-chan, Keiko and Sam’s grandfather played by George Takei, was a beacon of calm, humor and wisdom in the midst of the injustice of internment camp life and the tensions triggered by the loyalty questionnaire. I came away with the strong impression that the character of Ojii-chan was Mr. Takei’s tribute to the Issei elders who sustained the Japanese-American community with their strength and dignity during those troubled years. Ojii-chan does not show anger or resentment, but he is not passive. At key moments in the story, he shines the light of wisdom on difficult decisions faced by Keiko and Sam, helping them to see the clear path forward. After thoughtful conversations with Ojii-chan, both Keiko and Sam are inspired to take courageous action to oppose injustice.

My own life in the Nembutsu is deeply inspired by the families of our Sangha who lived through the events depicted in Allegiance. Each day I spend at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple I am humbled to be a recipient of the legacy of their lives that shine with the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha here in America. The elders of the San Mateo Buddhist Temple are my true Dharma teachers. I believe that their lives show us that when, in the midst of adversity, one maintains a clear and calm mind illuminated by the Buddha’s wisdom, simple conversations and everyday activities like tending a garden can inspire change and transform the world we live in. With palms joined in gassho, I bow my head in gratitude to those whose lives shined with the light of the Buddha’s wisdom during those dark years of war. Through their strength and dignity they embodied the truth that we find in the Sutra on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life:

Even if the whole world were filled with fire,
Resolutely pass through it in your quest to hear the Dharma.
You will unfailingly attain the enlightenment of Buddha
And bring beings everywhere across the stream of birth-and‐death.

(The Three Pure Land Sutras, Volume II: The Larger Sutra, Part II)

 

Namo Amida Butsu

The light that shines from the Bodhi Tree

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Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the month of December is a time when the days get shorter and shorter and we find ourselves spending more time in the darkness of night. As the darkness of the winter season arrives, many of the world’s spiritual traditions celebrate holidays and religious observances inspired by the light of transcendent wisdom. The candles of the Jewish Hanukkah Menorah, the fireworks of Hindu Diwali celebrations, and the strings of electric lights on Christmas decorations are all part of the rich religious landscape that makes this a festive time of year in our diverse community. In the Buddhist traditions of Japan, we observe Bodhi Day on December 8 in commemoration of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni’s realization of perfect enlightenment sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya, India around 2,500 years ago.

Living in the multicultural society of modern-day America, we enjoy a “holiday spirit” at this time of year when wonderful common values like generosity, friendship, and goodwill are celebrated by religious and secular communities alike. Since beginning my service as a minister in the Buddhist Churches of America, I have had conversations with several members of the Buddhist temples I serve who have somewhat sheepishly mentioned to me that their family embraces the American cultural tradition of decorating their home in December with a lighted tree with brightly wrapped presents for friends and family stored at the base of the tree. Some have come right out and asked me if, as a Buddhist minister, I object to Buddhist families putting up these sorts of decorations in their home.

When I consider this question, I am reminded that the branches of evergreen trees have been used as winter decorations by many cultures throughout history and are certainly not exclusive to any one religious tradition. For example, it is customary in Japan to welcome the New Year by adorning the home with pine branches, which are treasured for remaining green and vibrant throughout the year. Pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms make up the traditional Japanese New Year decorations called sho-chiku-bai.

The tree under which Prince Siddhartha was sitting and meditating when he realized perfect enlightenment has great significance in the story of the Buddha’s awakening and is called the Bodhi Tree. “Bodhi” means wisdom or awakening in Sanskrit, anancient Indian language in which the teachings of the Buddha have been recorded and passed down. Prior to sitting in meditation under the Bodhi Tree, Siddhartha had spent six years pursuing extreme ascetic practices, fasting constantly and exposing his body to the harsh elements of the North Indian wilderness. One day his body finally gave out and he collapsed from exhaustion. At that time, a young woman named Sujata happened upon the ascetic in his weakened state and out of concern for his well-being revived him by giving him some milk to drink. In receiving Sujata’s gift, he realized that the path to awakening is realized by pursuing the Middle Way between extreme life-denying asceticism and indulging in the attachment to sensual pleasures.

With renewed energy from the nourishing milk, he accepted the gift of a cushion of grass and sat beneath the Bodhi Tree that would provide him with shelter from the elements. As he settled into his seat in the shade of the tree, he resolved not to leave that spot until he had conquered all delusion and awakened to the true nature of reality. He sat in meditation through the night and finally realized perfect enlightenment when he saw the Morning Star appear in the sky.

Because the Bodhi Tree provided shelter from the elements, it expresses the Buddha’s rejection of the extreme ascetic practices of exposing his body to harsh sunlight and driving rain. The Bodhi Tree represents the Buddha’s embracing of the Middle Way as the correct path leading to enlightenment.

In this month of December when we recall the story of Sakyamuni Buddha’s awakening and reflect on the example of his life, I take great pleasure in seeing beautifully illuminated trees in homes, businesses, and public places. For me, these trees call to mind the Buddha’s instructions to seek the Middle Way between the extremes of life-denial and indulgence. In this season of light shining in the darkness, I feel the light of the Buddha’s wisdom shining forth from the moment when he realized perfect awakening sitting under the Bodhi Tree. That light of wisdom shines across two millennia and distant oceans to illuminate each moment of my life. Shinran celebrates the wonderful light of the Buddha’s wisdom in the Hymn of True Shinjin and the Nembutsu (Shoshinge):

Everywhere he casts light immeasurable, boundless,
Unhindered, unequaled, light-lord of all brilliance,
Pure light, joyful light, the light of wisdom,
Light constant, inconceivable, light beyond speaking,
Light excelling sun and moon he sends forth, illumining countless worlds;
The multitudes of beings all receive the radiance.

(Collected Works of Shinran, p. 69)

 

Namo Amida Butsu

 

In Perpetual Memory

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The next time you enter the Hondo, or main hall, of the San Mateo Buddhist Temple, I encourage you to take note of the three large plaques that adorn the back wall. The following words are elegantly etched on the top of each plaque, “San Mateo Buddhist Temple Eitaikyo: In Perpetual Memory of.” Below these words, we find the names of several hundred Sangha members who have crossed over to the Other Shore. The names listed on the plaques are individuals included in the San Mateo Buddhist Temple Eitaikyo registry and remembered at our annual Eitaikyo service in November.

All are encouraged to join us for the Eitaikyo Service on Sunday, November 13 at 11:30 a.m. with special Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Shoyo Taniguchi, retired minister of the Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church. “Eitaikyo” literally means “perpetual sutra.” It is a shortened way of referring to “a service in which we chant sutras in perpetuity to honor those who have left this world before us.” The funds to conduct the Eitaikyo Service come from

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Konnichiwa Namo Amida Butsu Sayōnara

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The poem above was composed by one of our Dharma School students during the San Mateo Buddhist Temple Summer Terakoya Program that was held from July 25 to 29. This poem was composed in the Japanese haiku format of five syllables (Ko-n-ni-chi-wa), seven syllables (Na-mo-A-mi-da-Bu-tsu), five syllables (Sa-yo-u-na-ra). In just seventeen syllables, a Haiku brings us deep into the mind and heart of the author. The moment I heard this Haiku, I felt that it perfectly captured the spirit of our Summer Terakoya Gathering.
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The Fragrance of Light

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The other day a friend of ours, a young mother from Japan, stopped by the temple with her daughter to drop something off for my wife. The moment she stepped into the Social Hall from the parking lot she took a deep breath and exclaimed “Ah, the wonderful fragrance of a temple!” Standing there in the Social Hall, I wondered if she could smell the delicious aroma of shiitake mushrooms that the Buddhist Women’s Association had been simmering in soy sauce over the weekend, so I inquired, “What does our temple smell like?” To which she replied, “The wonderful fragrance of incense.”

I begin a typical day at the temple by lighting incense in the Hondo before I chant Shinran’s Hymn of True Shinjin and the Nembutsu (Shoshinge). The fragrance of the incense permeates the entire temple and lingers throughout the day, such that at times I am not aware of it myself. Hearing the Dharma is similar to that experience, in that if you read or listen to the teachings of the Buddha and say the Nembutsu even for just a few minutes each day, the wisdom of the Buddha comes to be reflected in your daily life, even if you are not conscious of it yourself. Shinran writes:

 

“When sentient beings think on Amida Just as a child thinks of its mother, They indeed see the Tathagata – who is never distant – Both in the present and in the future.”

 

“Such beings are like people who, imbued with incense, Bear its fragrance on their bodies; They may be called Those adorned with the fragrance of light.”

[Shinran’s note:] Fragrance of light: refers to the nembutsu, which is wisdom.

(Collected Works of Shinran, p. 357)

 

The offering of incense at Buddhist temples is a tradition that has been transmitted from Buddhism’s Indian cultural roots.  Because the pleasant fragrance of incense lingers in the air and permeates our clothing, hair and skin, one of the original purposes of burning incense was to purify a sacred space and the bodies and minds of the participants in a religious service.

In some Buddhist traditions this understanding of incense as a source of purification is expressed by the practice of holding granular incense up to one’s forehead before placing it on the charcoals.   Holding it up to the forehead indicates that it is being received by the person who is burning it, so that they will be purified in body and mind. According to one interpretation that was shared with me by a Dharma friend from the Shingon tradition, three pinches of incense are commonly offered with the intention of “burning away” or purifying the negative karma created by (1) thought, (2) speech and (3) behavior. Another common interpretation for offering three pinches of incense is to purify oneself of the three poisons: (1) greed, (2) anger and (3) ignorance.

In the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji tradition, it is customary to place a single pinch of granular incense directly on the charcoal without the ritual of holding it up to the forehead. This way of offering incense expresses our gratitude to the great oneness that is Amida Buddha. The Jodo Shinshu way of offering incense reflects our understanding that the fragrance is not something we receive for our own purification, but rather is something that we offer as an expression of our gratitude and reverence for the Buddha’s teachings. The words of the Buddha found in the Sutra on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life assure us that the Buddha’s great compassion embraces us just as we are—with all our impurities of body and mind—so incense does not serve the purpose of purification in the Jodo Shinshu tradition.

We have many ways of showing our appreciation for the great heart of the Buddha that accepts us just as we are. We say Namo Amida Butsu to express our joy with sound, we gassho and bow to express our gratitude with bodily movement, and we offer incense to allow our joy and gratitude to flow into the air as a sweet and comforting fragrance.

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Makuragyo (Pillow Sutra)

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There is a Japanese Buddhist custom of performing an end-of-life service commonly referred to as “Makuragyo (lit. Pillow Sutra).” The purpose of the service is to chant the sutras in gratitude for the Buddha’s teaching and the Nembutsu, which have served as one’s guide during the journey of life in this world. As many people are unable to chant the sutras on their own at the end of life, it is customary for the minister of the local temple to be called to lead the service on their behalf. In principle, the Makuragyo service would be performed prior to the moment of death.  However, in practice a minister often arrives to perform the service after the person has already passed over to the Other Shore. In some cases, the Makuragyo service may be held after the deceased has been moved to a funeral home or other location.

Upon arrival, the minister will assist the family in setting the room in order for the service. If there is not an obutsudan (Buddhist shrine) in the room, one may be brought in from another room or a portable Buddha image will be provided by the minister. The focal point of the service is the Buddha image (a painting or statue of Amida Buddha or the Name of Amida Buddha written in the words “Namo Amida Butsu”), not the body of the deceased. Once all of the family and close friends who are able to be present for the Makuragyo have gathered, a brief service will be held, consisting of sutra chanting, offering of incense and words of comfort from the teachings of the Buddha. The burning of incense may be omitted from the service if hospital or assisted living facility guidelines prohibit the smoke.

If you sense that your loved one’s time to pass over to the Other Shore is drawing near, or if they have passed away, please call the San Mateo Buddhist Temple at (650) 342-2541, anytime, day or night. If no one is at the temple to answer your call, it will forward to my cell phone. If I am not able to answer when you call, please leave a message including the number where you can be reached, and I will return your call as soon as possible.

In the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition, we are taught that those who live in the Nembutsu, entrusting themselves to Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion, immediately realize birth in the realm of peace and bliss at the conclusion of their life in this world. The life of the Nembutsu is perfect and complete just as it is, so there is nothing that needs to be added on our part to ensure the realization of peace by our loved ones after they depart from this world. With that in mind, we do not conduct the Makuragyo service in order to bring about a favorable rebirth for our departed loved ones. Also, in the Jodo Shinshu tradition, there is no need to keep candles and incense burning throughout the night following the passing of a loved one.

For the family of the deceased, the Makuragyo serves the therapeutic purpose of enabling the grieving loved ones to receive focus and support from the Dharma. “Amidst the chaos and emotional confusion, the Makuragyo becomes a focal point of stability and peace of mind for the grieving family. It is an intimate moment when everyone may listen to and hear the very profound and compassionate teachings of the Buddha; which is meant as an instruction of how to continue living for the grieving family members and friends.” (Rites of Passage: Death by Rev. Arthur Takemoto, Rev. Masao Kodani, and Rev. Russell Hamada, p. 57)

In the days that follow the passing of a loved one, a Funeral Planning Meeting is held at the temple or in a family home. This meeting is an opportunity for the minister and representatives from the temple to reflect on the life of the deceased and discuss the details of the funeral and other services. If the deceased received a Dharma Name at a Sarana Affirmation Ceremony conducted by the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America (Kieshiki) or the Gomonshu of the Hongwanji Temple in Japan (Kikyoshiki), please bring it to the meeting. If you have received a Dharma name, please make sure your family members know where the information is kept. If the deceased has a Japanese name, the minister conducting the service may also ask for the kanji.

The Makuragyo is not intended to mark the end of life. Rather, it is the start of our process of coming into a new relationship with our loved one who has realized birth on the Other Shore of peace and bliss.

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Suzumushi and Matsumushi

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This month we will celebrate the birth of Shinran Shonin at our Gotan-e Service on Sunday, May 15. For me, Gotane is a time when I feel renewed gratitude for the founder of our tradition, Shinran Shonin (1173-1263), and his life dedicated to sharing the Nembutsu. In 1207, Shinran was exiled to a remote area in Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata Prefecture) as part of a widespread persecution of his teacher Honen Shonin’s Nembutsu community. Honen taught that by simply reciting the Nembutsu, it was possible for any person to break free from the cycle of birth and death through birth in Amida Buddha’s realm of peace and bliss. At that time in Japan, many mainstream Buddhist teachers taught that people who engaged in professions such as fishing and leatherworking, those who had broken monastic precepts, and women in general were so burdened with negative karma that they would surely remain bound to the cycle of birth and death at the end of their present life. From that perspective, Honen’s Nembutsu teaching was radical, even subversive. In 1206, the conservative scholar-monks of the Kofukuji Temple in Nara, sent a letter to the emperor recommending that he prohibit the practice of exclusive Nembutsu advocated by Honen.

Because Honen taught that men and women have equal potential for fulfillment through the Nembutsu, women from all segments of society were drawn to his community. In late 1206, while the Emperor Gotoba was away from the capital on a pilgrimage to the Kumano Shrine, his consorts Suzumushi and Matsumushi joined a Nembutsu gathering led by Honen’s followers Juren-bo and Anraku-bo. After hearing the Nembutsu teaching, the emperor’s consorts experienced a great change of heart and took ordination as Buddhist nuns. As imperial consorts, it would have taken great courage for Suzumushi and Matsumushi to abandon the world of palace life. The emperor wielded great power in his world, but the hearts of his consorts turned away from that world and turned toward Amida Buddha’s realm of peace and bliss. In hearing the Nembutsu teaching, they came to the radical realization that in the light of Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion, the lives of all people are equally precious. It is not difficult to see how the Nembutsu teaching was a source of consternation for the emperor and the established Buddhist schools.

When the emperor returned and discovered that Suzumushi and Matsumushi had renounced their lives in the imperial palace to join Honen’s Nembutsu Sangha, he became enraged and ordered Juren-bo and Anraku-bo to be executed along with two other leading followers of Honen. Honen was sent into exile on the island of Shikoku. Seven more of his followers, including Shinran, were dispossessed of their monkhood and sent into exile, scattering the community throughout Japan. While many lamented the exile, Honen instructed his disciples that this too should be accepted as the flow of karmic causes and conditions in their lives. Honen’s disciples took that teaching to heart, and as a result, the Nembutsu teaching flourished in the rural provinces to an extent that likely would not have been possible had it not been for their exile.

Prior to his exile, Shinran himself enjoyed special status as an ordained monk of the influential Tendai School. Years after he was stripped of his monastic status, he commented on that experience, writing “I am now neither a monk nor one in worldly life.” (Collected Works of Shinran, p. 286) Even without the special status of monks and nuns, our lives in the Nembutsu are illuminated by the Buddha’s wisdom that shines brighter than the misguided values of worldly life. Wherever he went, Shinran worked tirelessly to share the Nembutsu teaching, so that the people he met would see the preciousness of their own lives when viewed in the light of Amida Buddha.

 

Namo Amida Butsu

Become a Buddha, not a Buddhist

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From time to time, I receive inquiries from individuals who are interested in attending a service or study class at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple. Often they begin the conversation by asking if non-Buddhists are permitted to attend our services, or if there is a special initiation they need to participate in before taking part in temple activities. On a few occasions, individuals who have been studying on their own have contacted the temple ready to convert to Buddhism and become a Buddhist.

My first response to these inquiries is that everyone is welcome to join us for service and participate in temple activities, whether they identify as Buddhist or not. For example, if a person who identifies as a Christian or a Hindu enjoys the companionship of our Sangha and receives peace of mind and useful insight from hearing the teachings of the Buddha, we are delighted to have him or her join us.

We do have special rituals for affirming our resolution to live a life guided by the wisdom of the Buddha. Examples include the group recitation of the Threefold Refuge at a Sunday Service or the Affirmation Ceremony (Jpn. Kikyoshiki/Kieshiki) conducted on special occasions, in which one receives a Buddhist Name. These ceremonies are wonderful opportunities to express one’s personal commitment to the Buddha’s teachings, but participation in these ceremonies is not required, does not grant any special status within the community, and does not make one a Buddhist.

The Buddha teaches that we create suffering by clinging to the ideas of “me” and “mine.” With that in mind, the purpose of his teachings is to help us let go of the ideas of “me” and “mine,” including “my identity as . . .” As I endeavor to live the Buddha’s teachings in my daily life, I come to see that all the labels I apply to myself, such as “I am white,” “I am a man,” “I am American,” “I am a graduate of Saint Olaf College,” and “I am a resident of San Mateo,” create an illusion of difference that prevents me from seeing the profound kinship that I share with all people and all living beings. The teachings of the Buddha that we hear at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple are not intended to give us one more identity—“I am a Buddhist”—to cling to, but rather to help us realize freedom from the mind that discriminates between self and other.

On February 14, at 9:30 a.m., we will observe our Nirvana Day Service, commemorating Sakyamuni Buddha’s passing into perfect tranquility at the end of his life in this world. As the time of his departure drew near, many of his disciples became increasingly distraught, worried about how they could continue their journey to liberation without Sakyamuni there to guide them. His message to them was simple: “Take refuge in the Dharma. Take refuge in yourself.”

When the Buddha instructs us to take refuge in the Dharma, he is calling us to rely on the truth to which he awakened, not cling to words and ideas. The Buddha’s wish for us is to become Buddhas, not Buddhists. When I examine myself, with all my tendencies toward prejudice and foolishness, I cannot help but recognize that I am not a suitable object of refuge. At the same time, if I focus too much on striving after an idealized “enlightened” version of myself, constantly wishing to become somehow different from the foolish person I am today, I run the risk of losing sight of my life as I am living it at this very moment. When the Buddha calls us to take refuge in ourselves, he is reminding us to remain grounded in this life that we are living everyday driving to work, sitting in meetings, and cooking dinner. Our liberation is to be found right here, right now.

The Buddha’s call to realize our path to awakening right here in our present lives echoes through the Nembutsu. I hear it in the following words of Shinran:

For all people – men and women, of high station and low – Saying the Name of Amida is such That whether one is walking, standing, sitting, or reclining is of no concern And time, place, and condition are not restricted.

(Hymns of the Pure Land Masters, Genshin No. 94)

 

Namo Amida Butsu