The Light Outside of the Bushel

In Christianity Jesus is sometimes called the Light of Christendom. Similarly Amida Buddha is the Light of Buddhism wisdom.

Just as Jesus is the Light of the West, so too is Amida Buddha the light of the East. Though it is said that east is east, and west is west, but never in between do they meet, solely in the name of religious pluralism do I find that both Amida and the Christ symbolize the divine in the East and in the West, respectively.

Figuratively speaking, the Light of the West shines brightly in my heart while the Light of the East shines within the bushel of my life before being born again as a Mormon.

And in my heart, I am made whole as a spiritual being due to my faith in Jesus, and my subtle reverence for Amida. This is not a case of serving two masters but the affirmation of the spirit of religious pluralism.

For I serve only the Light, and have a deep spiritual connexion both with the East and the West, due to being born Japanese in Canada.

Worshipping God as a Buddhist Mormon

In Article of Faith 11, it is written: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

This article of faith guarantees me the privilege to be a Buddhist Mormon, even though the Christian faithful who are deep in Christology claim that such syncretism is anathema to Christianity.

For myself as a Mormon, my Buddhist roots help me to clear my mind so that I am able to worship God according to the dictates of my own conscience.

Most of my worship consists of reading Mormon literature, and understanding various aspects of the LDS faith.

Additionally, the dictates of my own conscience is greatly influenced by religious pluralism, which helps to inspire a Christology that is further illumined by my Pure Land Buddhist origins.

Amida Buddha of Pure Land is defined as the boundless light of wisdom and the boundless life of compassion.

In Christianity, the light of Christ is akin to the spirit of Christ, and thus is closely identified with the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit). As well, the Christ is referred to as the Word. Thus, the Word symbolizes the spiritual wisdom derived from the truth of Atonement i.e. that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for the sins of mankind and God's Mercy is a free gift to all Christians whose sins are washed away in baptism.

Thus the Holy Ghost is the agent by which spiritual wisdom is derived by acting on the Christian through prayer and meditation inspired by scripture.

Likewise, compassion is symbolized by God's Mercy for all Christians who repent of their sins by following the articles of their faith.

Thus, much of my Buddhist practice of meditation helps me in my study of the Book of Mormon and related LDS scripture, which is vital to the greater understanding of LDS ideology.

Indeed, I am thankful to God for the privilege of his worship according to the dictates of my own conscience.

---

References:

• LDS Articles of Faith: http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/articles-of-faith
  
• Why Mormons Are Buddhist and Vice Versa: http://mormonmatters.org/2008/03/12/why-mormons-are-buddhists-vice-versa/
  

Be Nonjudgmental of Lost Sheep

Be nonjudgmental of the lost sheep whose behavior would damn them by their wicked deeds.

Furthermore, do not label them "damned" or call them "wicked." Only the truly apostate are only destined to stand before the Fire. Therefore while they live, there is still hope for reconciliation.

For we who are children of the light are only projecting our fear of their destiny, if they do not repent of their wickedness, by judging them thusly.

Yet it is up to the children of the light to bring light into the darkness of the lost. Thus, treat kindly and firmly the lost sheep, and patiently guide them back to the Lord.

With the Heart of Nembutsu

A person with the heart of the Nembutsu is like one whose body is possessed of its fragrance; the heart of Mahasthamaprapta is thus likened to a person possessing fragrance. Hence it is stated, he is called "one adorned with the fragrance of light." Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, possessing the heart of the nembutsu within his heart, is likened to a person imbued with incense. He therefore states, When at first I was in the bodhisattva stage I attained insight into the nonorigination of all existence with the heart of the nembutsu. Now in this world: now in this Saha world. I embrace persons of the nembutsu and bring them into the Pure Land: "Taking in persons of the nembutsu, I bring them into the Pure Land." - Shinran Shonin, Notes on the Inscriptions on Sacred Scrolls: The inscription in praise of Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta

"In the Surangama Sutra, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva tells of how he gained enlightenment through Buddha recitation, or continuous pure mindfulness of the Buddha, to obtain samadhi." - Wikipedia entry on Mahasthamaprapta - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasthamaprapta

Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta recited the Buddha's name and reached nembutsu-samadhi by chanring the Buddha's name. His example was realized by Shinran to be the way of sages, the difficult practice.

Since the Jodo Shinshu path is the easy practice, an ordinary Pure Land practitioner is ever mindful of Amida out of gratitude for establishing the Primal Vow.

Amida's Primal Vow is that all sentient beings who hear His call will be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss.

When the Shin Buddhist utters the Name-that-Calls, he has heard Amida calling to him from the Pure Land.

For Amida and the Pure Land of Bliss are right here in the Shin Buddhist's heart-mind.

The heart-mind is the bodhi mind, the True Mind, the mind embraced by Amida, always graced by buddha-nature.>

What is the Name-that-Calls? It is the Nembutsu that I softly change to keep Indra's Net bright and strong around the whole world.

What is Indra's Net but the compassion of billions of people to help sooth the suffering of billions more?

For Amida is both the Boundless Light of Wisdom shining on the Boundless Life of Compassion and the Boundless Life of Compassion enlightened by the Light of Wisdom?

Namu Amida Butsu

---

Original post: February 15, 2006 11:48 PM PST

Returning Unborn (poem)

Meditation is like
preparing for a bath
and washing yourself clean,
except that, rather than
washing your body,
you purify your mind.
Buddha Recitation is
like sending the pure mind
to the Pure Land,
and returning Unborn,
bright and clean,
ready to be of service
and helpful for the sake
of all sentient beings.

The Bone Storage Hall (story)

Once Upon a Time...

In ancient Buddhist traditions, a spirit temple is a mausoleum containing the bones of countless sentient beings who have died.

It is a tall building with the Japanese characters ("霊廟", reibyō) for "mausoleum" above the doorway.

When the door of the mausoleum is open, it is like the Pure Land of Bliss inside.

Inside the mausoleum is a long dark hallway. High above me, the ceiling glistens with a soft glow when the door is closed.

On my left are twenty-four rooms with open access to the hall, and on the right, the same — a total of forty-eight rooms. Inside each room are shelves filled with drawers. Some rooms contain a lot of drawers; others contain very few drawers.

On each shelf are drawers containing the bones of the dead. Firmly affixed to the front of each drawer is the given name and Japanese Buddhist name of the deceased. Inside each drawer is an urn containing the deceased's bones.

A bright glow from Room Eighteen attracts my curiosity. Inside the room, I recite the Nembutsu ten times until the bright glow becomes a brilliant light that slowly dissipates. Softly I hear a sweet melodious voice sing:

"namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā
amṛtabhave amṛtasaṃbhave
amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini
gagana kīrtīchare svāhā."

"The Primal Vow is fulfilled," I thought myself. "That glow which turned into brilliant light is Amida Buddha."

Having seen this miracle, I felt humbled so I bowed and exited the room.

As I walk down the hallway, a sign appears on the wall in the distance. On it appears the Chinese characters:

堂
納
骨

Not only is this spirit temple a mausoleum, it also is a bone storage hall where the bones of dead sentient beings are stored.

Then I turn around, and slowly walk back to the door of the mausoleum.

When I open it, the brilliant light of the setting sun almost blinds me. After I close the mausoleum door, the sun has painted the sky with a rapidly fading red glow.


As I wander home in the rapidly fading dusk, my path takes me due east where the moon shines brightly in the sky.

My thoughts return to my visit to the mausoleum and the shelves within its rooms filled with drawers containing the bones of the deceased collected after cremation. While walking the path alongside the pond near my home, I reflect on death and the brevity of human life.

When I was a Child

When I was a child, my first exposure of death happened when my grandmother died. As I grew older, my first contemplation on nonexistence left me anxious and afraid of death. Once, when I had caught the flu as a child, my own life had almost been taken from me. So my mother bought medicine from the local pharmacy. The next day, my fever broke.

From that moment on, my fear of death became worse. As a result of that fear, the stress caused the allergic reaction of hay fever to arise.

Then one day, at the Buddhist temple near my parents' home, I requested the Three Pure Land Sutras central to the Jodo Shinshu faith to read at my leisure. As I read about the Pure Land of Bliss being described, it seemed a wonderful place.

Once I grasped the concept of the Pure Land as the afterlife, my belief in it increased as my faith in Amida's Primal Vow grew.

Reflections

In a pond near my home, I gaze on the moon's reflection in it while seated comfortably in a wicker chair.

As it glistens in the water, my thoughts turn inwards in meditation, visualizing the Buddha Amida with eyes closed. From time to time, my eyes open as I gaze on the moon's image reflected on the still surface of the pond. Then I look up at the moon.

At some point during meditation, my inner vision of the Buddha merges with the sight of the bright moon in the sky. It is as though the light of the moon is the light of Buddha Amida.

My meditation is over. So I rise to stretch my legs and raise my arms as if to embrace the moon.

In an instant I feel solemn as I stand before the glistening Boundless light of Buddha Amida, assuring me that Amitabha is nearby.

Thus assured, all fear of death fades from my mind. It is replaced by a greater appreciation of life.

---

King Emma or Yama: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_%28Buddhism_and_Chinese_mythology%29
Buddhist funeral: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_%28Buddhism%29
Pure Land Buddhism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism
Pure Land Rebirth Dharani: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism#Pure_Land_Rebirth_Dh.C4.81ra.E1.B9.87.C4.AB

Everyone Has Buddha Nature

Since the Buddha said
everyone has Buddha Nature,
this old fool believes that
he has Buddha Nature.
Even though his efforts
have yet to blossom,
waiting has taught him patience.
When deep in meditation,
counting each and every breath,
this old fool soon loses count.
All that is left is to
breathe in darkness,
and breath out light,
until his mind is clear.
Then, in a moment of clarity,
his mind stops wandering,
and his focus is on
thse six syllables:
Namu Amida Butsu!
Homage to Boundless Light!

The First Truth of Buddhism (poem)

Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow,
we have no concept of Now.

In our delusion, we think
we are free, caught up
in strife, ignorant of history.
No one knows what, when,
where, who, why, or how.

Yet there is a Light boundless
from across the Ocean of Peace,
a bright and shining beacon,
where both gods and men confess:
"Boundless Life is He."
With open arms does He beckons,
offering compassion and mercy to all.

All we need to do, all we need to say
to attain birth in the Pure Land, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.

Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Forget yesterday and tomorrow!
Live for here and now!

Cut through delusion, and become free.
Take a hold of your life, and abandon misery.
For there is a cure to
suffering, and here is how:

All we need to do, all we need to say,
to join the land of Bliss, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.

True Heart, True Mind (poem)

the true heart can taste
the difference between love and hate,
yet the boundless compassion
of the awakened
transcends this difference,
and the boundless wisdom
of the enlightened
sees love and hate for what they are:
manifestations of passion,
delusions rooted in desire.

the true mind knows all of this,
and thus so do I...
even so... but then...
and then again...
always do I return to thee,
smiling and laughing,
sharing the love that arises
from the innocence we create together.