What's New, Bombu? | 7 Oct 2024
Playing Catch-Up: Update, New Dharma Talks, and More
Update: Catching Up with Bombu
Hello Dharma Friends!
It has been a very busy couple of months here at Bombu HQ. Writing is not just a past-time of mine, it’s also a professional passion. Since last I had the chance to sit down and send an update, I have written a chapter for a new book on the legal information profession, published an article on library space planning in the digital age, and given several professional talks. That is not to say that I have relegated my Jodo Shinshu pursuits to the back-burner. In fact, I was honored to give several Dharma talks, publish an essay on making the temple home, and begin the formal process of pursuing tokudo. It has been a whirlwind around here and things are still spinning until at least year’s end. You can read more about what I have been up to here.
I am happy to say that I have moved all of my Buddhist writings and talks to the Being Bombu website. Information about the new content is below. I am also excited to share that, starting in 2025, I will be focusing mainly on further development of my site, this newsletter, and thus my practice. If you are enjoying the content, please do not hesitate to share it with others who you think might benefit from it. I am still keeping it all free and hope to do so for the foreseeable future. Thank you for reading along and for your support!
- Sokusho
New Blog Postings / Dharma Talks
In this update, I have not one, but THREE new blog posts to share with you all. Each is adapted from Dharma talks that I was honored to share at the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. I am delighted now to be able to share them with you as well. Featured this week are (titles are links):
To Infinity and Beyond: Did you know that each of us is, in our own way, a Jodo Shinshu astronaut? It’s true! When we say Namo Amida Butsu, we are not only expressing our thanks to Amida for his immense compassion, but also acknowledging that we are indeed destined for infinity and beyond in the Pure Land. See what makes each of us like Disney’s Buzz Lightyear.
Good Hearts, Bad Hearts, It’s All the Same: As people of blind passions, it is hard for us not to judge everything and everyone around us. While we like to think of it as our human nature, Shinran taught that the way we perceive things is actually the result of the causes and conditions that have colored our life experiences. Especially when it comes to labeling others as either good or bad, he warned us that focusing on discriminating between the two could cause us to forget that Amida’s compassion extends to all. We are all the same!
To Hear AND Receive: In this age of mappō, there is nothing we can do within our own power to achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Luckily, the Compassionate Vow of Amida Buddha, has already secured that freedom for us. All we need to do is to open our hearts to true entrusting in that Compassion. And how do that? Well, it starts with opening our ears and our minds to the Buddha Dharma. Read my interpretation of what that means.
Newsletter Extra: What is Ohigan?
Twice each year, Jodo Shinshu temples hold a very special celebration. We call it Ohigan and we celebrate it around the time of the spring and fall equinoxes. The word Ohigan literally translates to “the other shore”. While in one sense, it is a metaphor for what happens when we die, it also has another application that is not so morbid. It serves as a joyful reminder that even in this life, we can “cross over” to a place of peace that is free of greed, hatred, and ignorance. And how do we do that? Well, by listening deeply to the Buddha Dharma and entrusting ourselves to Amida’s boundless Compassion. Thus we usually celebrate Ohigan by coming together to listen to special lectures and teachings, and to share the Dharma with each other. It is a wonderful opportunity for learning, self-reflection, and the renewal of our Jodo Shinshu beliefs.
And as we just recently passed the fall equinox here, may I wish a very happy and insightful Ohigan to all!
Bombu’s Bookshelf
Currently Reading: Sky Above, Great Wind: The Life and Poetry of Zen Master Ryokan by Kazuaki Tanahashi
Master Ryōkan Taigu was a Sōtō Zen monk and hermit who was well known for his
unconventional lifestyle and eccentricity. A simple man, who referred to himself as a “great fool”, Ryokan is also one of Japan’s most revered poets. In this book, Tanahashi - himself a Zen teacher - has gathered and beautifully translated scores of Ryokan’s poems from over the course of his life. He presents these along with an insightful history of the Master himself. Ryokan was a man of many loves - food, children, nature, and even a very special young woman - all of which are presented with a simply joy in his writings.
Sky Above, Great Wind is available from the BCA Bookstore.