Thoughts on Being Bombu (Part 2)
The following is the second in a two-part series based on a recent Dharma talk that I was honored to present recently at the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. I am grateful to be able to reformat it to share with Being Bombu readers.
In Part 1, I shared the words of Koso Wasan 95 and talked about coming to terms with my own shortcomings and imperfections. I also wrote about my experiences as a child, frightened by the threat of eternal damnation that I had been taught by the church in which I was raised. Convinced that being anything short of perfect in my adherence to God’s commandments, or in seeking His forgiveness for each of my failings, I was scared away from the spiritual community that was my home.
In stark contrast, coming to Jodo Shinshu services and hearing the Dharma, I was receiving a much different message. I was learning that my transition to Buddhahood - my liberation from suffering - was guaranteed from the very moment I was born. In receiving the Dharma regularly, we are all reminded over and over again of this. From the words of Shinran to those shared by our teachers today, the compassion of Amida is offered to us as a balm in this world of greed, anger, and ignorance. In the Kyōgyōshinshō, Shinran wrote that Amida’s Compassion is “like the medicine that eradicates all poisons”. How humbling is that? Just attending Sunday services and listening to our ministers and teachers, as well as one another, is really a form of therapy and healing. You could even say that our temples and sanghas are spas for our weary spirits. I won’t push that metaphor too far for fear that they will start charging us extra at the door!
In all seriousness, though, coming to understand the power of Amida’s compassion and entrusting yourself to it, if even briefly, is what shinjin is all about. I would like to borrow a little more from the Kyōgyōshinshō if I may. Shinran wrote:
“In reflecting on the ocean of Great Shinjin, I realize that there is no discrimination between the noble and humble, or black robed monks and white clothed laity, no differentiation between man and woman, old and young. The amount of evil one has committed is not considered, the duration of any performance of religious practices is of no concern. It is a matter of neither practice nor good acts, neither sudden attainment nor gradual attainment, neither meditative practice nor non-meditative practice, neither right contemplation nor wrong contemplation, neither thought nor no thought, neither daily life nor the moment of death, neither many calling nor once-calling. It is simply shinjin that is inconceivable, inexplicable, and indescribable.”
Shinran goes on to say that, “[t]he medicine of the Tathagata’s Vow destroys the poisons of our wisdom and foolishness.” Now, as comforting a guarantee as this should be, it is not easy for us as bombu to always grasp. We are inherently blinded. Ours is a world of distractions. We need only look beyond our front doors (and sometimes even within them) to see that need and suffering are endless and immense. We are urged daily to do what we can to alleviate it and yet are then crushed when confronted by the realization that even our very best efforts are exceedingly inadequate. At every turn, we are limited in what we can do. It is no wonder that we so often just want to throw up our hands and give up!
So why don’t we? Why don’t we just cut ourselves off from it all? Well, for one thing, as humans we have to live in this world. We are here and we need to make the most of it. Another reason is that the Buddha Dharma shows us just how incredibly interconnected we all are. Many of the causes and conditions that form our own lives come from people, things, and situations outside of us. And, in turn, the things that we do have infinite effects on the people around us. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the knowledge that Amida’s Compassionate Vow is not dependent on whether we actually succeed at making a difference either on a large global scale or a small personal one. We are not turned away or cast out Amida’s Infinite Light when we slip up and do something that is counter to our own or the common good. This is the beauty and power of Amida’s Compassion at its height. It removes the emphasis on our need to succeed in solving a problem or many. With our eventual entry to the Pure Land promised and given that we do indeed have to live in this world, there is no impediment to us trying to do what we can or even doing nothing at all. How we become part of those causes and conditions that affect our lives, the lives around us, and even of the lives of generations to come is still up to us. Amida has already taken care of the rest.
This is why we lift our voices in gratitude when we say Namo Amida Butsu. This gift of pure compassion does not depend on our abilities or lack thereof. It does not depend on our actions. Is there any greater gift or any greater reason for which to be thankful? Living a life of gratitude is what it truly means to be bombu. It’s a lesson that I am still learning daily and believe me, there are days when gratitude is the last thing on my mind. But that is why I come back to the teachings. It is why I make it a point to hear, receive, and share the Dharma. And I am grateful just to be able to share it with you in my writing. We are all bombu and we are all in this together. Together, we can make this path – yours and mine - to the Pure Land more pleasant and far less lonely.
Will you join me and bring your palms together in a spirit of thanks?
Namo Amida Butsu.
