A Guide to the - Rissho Kosei-kai

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human harmony is created, the relationship between people and things is set right, and peaceof mind and happiness result.In a collection of lectures titled Kokoro ni Tane o Maku (Sowing Seeds in the Heart), by DaigakuHanaoka (1910‐‐88), known for his Buddhist stories for children, we find the followinganecdote:One day I guided a group of young parishioners' wives around Kyoto. Toward evening wedecided to eat supper near Kyoto Station and went into an inexpensive restaurant. When thesimple meal of chicken and egg on rice was brought, we put our palms together in prayer andbegan to eat. After we finished our plates without leaving a single bite, we again put our palmstogether and gave thanks.When we went to the counter to pay our bill, the fiftyish owner of the restaurant said, "It's notnecessary to pay." When we asked why, he replied, "I've been running this restaurant for nearlythirty years now. I've cooked all these years hoping my customers were enjoying the food. Buttoday, for the very first time, someone has shown true gratitude for the simple meal I prepared,and a group of twenty people at that. Nothing could make me happier." Tears welled up in hiseyes as he spoke.I believe that Hanaoka's and his parishioners' gesture of gratitude for a plain meal was merely anatural expression of their Buddhist faith that everything that comes to hand is provided by theBuddha. Whether it is a person or a thing that one is thankful for, putting one's palms togetherexpresses a gratitude that cannot be put into words.When people begin to greet one another respectfully, a certain warmth inevitably arises. It isnot just a matter of form, but rather that, from deep in the heart of the person so greeted,there comes forth something worthy of respect.Treating all people and things with reverence fills our hearts with harmony, peace, andhappiness.16
Self‐AwarenessSometimes we allow ourselves to slack off a little because we hear an inner voice saying, "It's allright because no one's looking." At these moments we usually hear another voice, scolding,"Are you really sure it's all right to be doing this?" Occasionally we even hear a voice consolingus, saying, "You sure are working hard." How does this "other self" work?In Buddhism we have the terms "transient self" and "true self." The former is possessed of thephysical body and spirit and is the self that laughs and suffers through daily life. According toZen, there is also a true self, which existed before our parents gave us life. The true self is achild of the Buddha, imbued at birth with the life of a buddha.Daisetz Suzuki (1870‐‐1966), who introduced Zen to the West, said, "Within the self there is stillanother self." He explained that the first self is mutable and the other self is aware of the first.This second self is the essential, or true, self. This is rather difficult terminology, so I refer to the"observed self" and the "seeing self." What is significant is that everyone has this other "seeingself."Basho wrote this haiku: "My horse plods along through the summer fields; I see myself as in apicture." Basho's horse raises little dust as it plods along without much vigor. Basho placesanother self a short way away, and this other self watches him sway back and forth onhorseback, as in a picture on a scroll. The Basho actually riding the horse is the "observed self."The seeing self can put the observed self in a haiku. This function of the mind is extremelyimportant for a life of virtue.If insects, fish, birds, or animals have souls, these souls probably consist of their instinct forsurvival. Of course, humans often follow instinct. Yet humans are also capable of thedetachment necessary to be aware of instinct. In other words, the seeing self is separate, and itis what most distinguishes humans from other animals. It is when this seeing self is allowed tofunction to the full that human beings are most human.Conscience and introspection are functions of the seeing self. Sometimes we blurt out thingsthat hurt others and do things that cause lasting resentment. For the most part, we do thesethings when we forget ourselves and lose our temper, but forgetting oneself is treacherous,and it means that one has lost one's seeing self. There are also times when, stepping off thestraight road of life, we indulge in pleasures and even perversities, and merely pass our dayswithout cultivating the true nature we are born with. We frequently come to such forks in theroad of daily life, and if we can return to ourselves and put the seeing self to work, we can avoidthe dangers of the byroads and stick to the true path.Date Masamune (1567‐‐1636), the great daimyo (feudal baron) of the Sendai fief, cherished acertain tea bowl made by a famous potter, and one day as he sat holding it in his hands andadmiring it, it slipped from his grasp. Fortunately, it fell in his lap and no damage was done, butwhen he picked it up, he flung it with all his might against a stone in the garden. Then, turningto his stunned retainers, he laughed and said, "When the tea bowl slipped from my hands, I wasstartled. For a military commander to be startled by the mere slipping of a tea bowl isextremely embarrassing. I have therefore done away with the source of my embarrassment." Inother words, Masamune promptly put his seeing self into action, pulled himself back fromturning into the side road, and returned to the main road that was his true self.Since I was born and raised in Niigata Prefecture, I have a special affection for the Zen priestand poet Ryokan (1758‐‐1831), who was from the same region. Ryokan had a nephew namedUmanosuke, who lived with Ryokan's parents and completely abandoned himself to dissolute17
Page 1 and 2: Invisible EyelashesSeeing What is C
Page 3 and 4: THE TWO FUNCTIONS OF A CELL 55The P
Page 5 and 6: For this to take place, it is vital
Page 7 and 8: Pleasure is filling the empty rice
Page 9 and 10: Rose or Thorns?The rose is beautifu
Page 11 and 12: The Contents of Hotei's SackThe mor
Page 13 and 14: GratitudeFor the past two decades I
Page 15: Looking Into the DepthsEach of us m
Page 20 and 21: the mountains, Po Chu‐i went to m
Page 22 and 23: and hesitating to take a first step
Page 24 and 25: "Nothing has an ego" means that all
Page 26 and 27: self‐love, endeavoring to develop
Page 28 and 29: ampant, Dr. Schweitzer devoted his
Page 30 and 31: Everyone has some ability that is b
Page 32 and 33: een pondering Kepler's theories of
Page 34 and 35: improved, I would return home only
Page 36 and 37: work.In another section, "The Daily
Page 38 and 39: Hakone, I finished in fifty‐five
Page 40 and 41: Many people want to work in their o
Page 42 and 43: eplied, "One hundred divided by two
Page 44 and 45: at the gate, the Buddha appeared an
Page 46 and 47: once again sinks into despair, it t
Page 48 and 49: individuality grows beyond the boun
Page 50 and 51: this truth, one becomes keenly awar
Page 52 and 53: suddenly turned irritable and said,
Page 54 and 55: well in a sport, one obeys the rule
Page 56 and 57: There is, however, one infallible r
Page 58 and 59: The offering of kind words means sp
Page 60 and 61: We must never think of ourselves an
Page 62 and 63: The Wind Blowing from the FutureThe
Page 64 and 65: Courage That Opens DoorsI have many
Page 66 and 67:
"Even Insects Work and Eat"My paren
Page 68 and 69:
Home Is More Than a HavenIn recent
Page 70 and 71:
Where Affection and Gratitude Begin
Page 72 and 73:
Forever Young at HeartAlmost every
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