Facing My Failings, Observing Ohigan, and a Book Recommendation
What Does It Mean to Be “Bombu”?
“My eyes being hindered by blind passions, I cannot perceive the light that grasps me; Yet the great compassion, without tiring, illumines me always.” - Shinran Shonin
The quotation above comes from the Hymns of the Pure Land Masters. It is my favorite of the Wasans and one that we Jodo Shinshu followers see and hear often. Before I share my thoughts on Koso Wasan 95, I want to first start with a bit of gratitude. I want to thank Rimban William Briones and Rev. Hibiki Murakami of the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple for encouraging me to tackle this topic. One of the perks of being a Minister’s Assistant is that I occasionally get the chance to stand up before my sangha and demonstrate what I think I know with the full realization that I probably do not actually know it. You see, I am learning to embrace the reality that my understanding - like the rest me and the things that I do - are flawed. I am coming to terms with what it means to be what we call “bombu” - a person of blind passions.
In the Wasan that I shared, Shinran Shonin refers to his own eyes as “being hindered by blind passions”. We are often reminded that upon leaving his Tendai monastic life, the Master even renamed himself Gutoku which means “foolish, stubble-headed one”. When I first took an interest in Jodo Shinshu, this concept of my own eyes being clouded by my blind passions was a hard one to grasp. In fact, it reminded me of my Catholic upbringing and constantly being told that as humans, we are sinful creatures. I know, of course, that sin is not a Buddhist concept. So I made it my mission to understand not only what it means to be subject to blind passions myself, but what it means to recognize that everyone around me - all of you - are people of blind passions too.
Check out the Being Bombu blog for a two-part exploration of what it means to accept the fact that each of us is an imperfect person. I welcome your thoughts!
‘Tis the Season for Ohigan!
Twice a year, Jodo Shinshu temples around the world join in a weeklong celebration known by a quartet of somewhat similar sounding (and looking) names. Ohigan, also called Higan, Higan-e in Japan generally, or Sanbutsu-e in our temples formally is celebated every spring and fall, right around the time of the equinoxes. Work, life, and temple schedules being what they are, the actual dates of the observance will vary from sangha to sangha. So will the ways in which it is celebrated. The meaning of the observance, however, is the same for all of us.
Ohigan is a time of joyful reflection on the Dharma teachings, as well as a time to express gratitude for the many things - tangible and intangible - that have been passed on to us by our ancestors and teachers. I have seen the term “higan” translated as both “other shore” and “crossing over” and we use these times of year, when the days are most equally balanced, to remember that the Pure Land is waiting for us. Thus we use Ohigan to think a lot about what it really means to cross over to that other shore and to have balance in our lives as we wait for that time to come.
In many temples here in the USA, Ohigan is celebrated with Dharma talks from visiting teachers, special services, and opportunities for the sangha to come together in a spirit of gratitude, learning, and joy. That means that our ministers break out the fancy robes, the temples are decorated, and various temple affiliate groups will serve up tasty treats for attendees. As much I love a sweet, my favorite part of Ohigan is definitely the wisdom and insights that are imparted to us by the featured speakers. Though the topics are often serious, the presentations tend to be inspirational. They remind us that Amida’s Compassionate Vow has already cleared the path for us and that we just need to entrust ourselves and live our lives in the present moment. It is a powerful message that is worthy of two celebrations a year!
If you get the chance, be sure to attend an Ohigan seminar and/or service near you. If you’ve already missed your local Spring Ohigan observance, do not fret. The next one is coming up in the autumn. You can read more about Ohigan in this wonderful posting from our Dharma friends at the San Jose Bestuin.
A happy Ohigan to all!
On the Bombu Bookshelf: Jewels by Dr. Kenneth Tanaka
I was recently gifted a copy of Dr. Kenneth Tanaka’s book, Jewels: An Introduction to American Buddhism for Youth, Scouts and the Young at Heart. Aspiring to be a part of that last group, I dove in. Somehow, Tanaka-sensei has managed to yet again deliver the Dharma as well as his own insights and experiences in a way that shines a bright light on the joy, gratitude, humor, and humanity that color the Buddhist experience here in America and beyond.
Dr. Tanaka has both a gift and a passion for story telling. The tales and anecdotes that he shares are relatable and have a knack for making the sometimes complex and conflicting teachings of Jodo Shinshu easy to understand and apply to our daily lives. He loves a good joke, but never drops one without also teaching an important lesson alongside the punchline. Best of all, Tanaka-sensei shares the stories of others, as well as his own, with openess and honesty. Their questions and challenges are every bit like our own. By highlighting what his subjects learned from those experiences, Dr. Tanaka provides us with the basic blueprints from which we can build and customize our own unique paths to the Pure Land.
If you want to learn more about Jodo Shinshu and American Buddhism generally, pick up a copy of Jewels. Dr. Tanaka will have you feeling like a kid again - at least at heart - in no time.
Jewels is available as either a free digital download or for a mere $6 in hardcopy from BDK America here. If you are in the Los Angeles area, come by one of our Sunday services at Nishi Betsuin and we will gladly give you one at no charge!
Until next time, my hands are palm to palm! Namo Amida Butsu!
Thank you for reading. - Sokusho