Supplemental Reading ...
"The Future of Jodo Shinshu in America"
Part III: Why Shinshu?
by Peter Hata
In Part I, I quoted from articles in the LA Times and
Sacramento Bee newspapers which described the overall decline in
membership in our Jodo Shinshu temples, some reasons for the decline,
and some possible solutions.
In Part II, I quoted from both Dr. Haneda and Dr.
Bloom, two contemporary Buddhist writer/lecturers who feel passionately
about the need for certain changes in our temples to reverse these
trends.
However, before we go any further, there is a question
that needs to be addressed, a question you yourself may be thinking,
which is, "Why all this fuss about the decline in membership in our
temples?" Or to put it another way, "Why should we even care
about the fate Jodo Shinshu?"
With all the turmoil and upheaval we see in our world
today -- a fact that is evident from watching the news on any given night
-- perhaps you and I might be more interested in Jodo Shinshu if it could
promise us some sort of "peace of mind." Most religions do
indeed attract many followers with just such a "promise."
Buddhism however, is different. As we saw last month in the excerpts
from Dr. Haneda, the essence of all Buddhist traditions -- the living
tradition -- is self-examination. This is the process of "examining
and accepting our shortcomings, our self-centeredness and arrogance. It
is a humbling experience..." Dr. Haneda also clarified that the
process of self-examination "...comes
directly from Sakyamuni himself, from his enlightenment
which was the insight into the truth of impermanence."
Impermanence, of course, means change; that you, me,
all of our loved ones, indeed every living thing, is constantly changing
and, someday, will perish.
Thus it is clear that Buddhism, and perhaps Shin
Buddhism in particular, does not, per se, offer "peace of
mind." Dr. Bloom explains why (from "Shin Buddhism in Modern
Culture"): "Since peace of mind is merely egoistic satisfaction, it
cannot be the primary value and purpose of religion...It is in this way
that Shin Buddhism speaks differently to modern man." As he
explains: "From it's beginnings, more than 2,500 years ago, Buddhism
has been a search for truth. It was Siddhartha's goal to break through
the veil of delusion that blinded humanity to things as they really
are...Buddhism is a religion of
enlightenment."
To put it another way, the reason Buddhism doesn't
promise us peace of mind is simply because the fundamental truth or
Dharma of Buddhism is impermanence. If you accept the reality of the
Dharma, then peace of mind or "comfort" can only be a dream or
illusion. However, as Rev. Sen-ei Tsuge has said (Oct '93 Gateway),
"The point is not to "get rid of the pain." That is
impossible. Rather, it is to live with the pain, but to turn the focus
inward. To achieve this is to attain a kind of rebirth...Kill the
ignorance and be reborn in the truth. Then live with the truth."
Thus, rather than promises of peace of mind, Jodo Shinshu actually
presents us with a kind of challenge. The challenge, as Rev. Tsuge
stated, is to "Leave the comfort of your daily life and awaken to
the truth."
The answer to the inevitable question of "Why
would anyone want to accept such a 'strange' challenge?" is that,
though the Buddhist self-examination is a humbling experience, it also
leads the way to the "rebirth" Rev. Tsuge talks
about, and to what Dr. Haneda calls "the desired attitude of a
student, a seeker...This is the essence of Buddhism. It is the spirit of
the student, the seeker. It is also the creative spirit." Awakening
through self-examination to the true nature of our ego-selves, and to
the reality of impermanence -- breaking the "veil of delusion"
as Siddhartha did -- is necessary because only then can we awaken to the
Dharma and discover the true joy in living. And as Dr. Haneda states,
"only Dharma can give us deep joy, rebirth and a fundamental
spiritual transformation."
I think it's important here to clarify a couple of
points. The first is that, as Rev. Tsuge had said, we don't permanently
destroy our egos, nor can we ever permanently get rid of the pain. We
see the true nature of our "evil" or self-centered motives,
the truth of impermanence, and that acknowledgment, that recognition or
acceptance itself is what can lead to a transformation and spiritual
rebirth. Another critical point is that, although at first Jodo Shinshu
seems preoccupied with self-evil, this does not in fact lead to a
guilt-laden, depressed state of mind. The reason is because, as Dr.
Bloom remarks, "Buddhism links the quest for truth with the
development of the compassionate heart, the heart of concern for all
beings...In Buddhism, compassion and wisdom are inseparable."
Again, remembering that the fundamental truth is impermanence, it is
clear that all of us are suffering or eventually
will suffer. Buddhism simply doesn't allow us the luxury of self-pity.
Those of you Baby Boomers might recall the '60s phrase
"I'm okay, you're okay." Actually, while there is merit to
that thought, the Shinshu version would probably be "I'm messed up
(e.g., self-centered, judgmental, impatient, fallible, arrogant)...but
so are you." Thus, Shinran's and Jodo Shinshu's perspective goes
beyond our normal view of interpersonal relationships because, as Dr.
Bloom points out, "...it understands that true relations with
others only arise when we realize that all our actions are infected by
our ego-concern."
So what is the answer to the question "why should
we care about Jodo-Shinshu?" It is the same as the answer to the
question of why someone would accept the challenge of Buddhism to
"awaken to the truth." It concerns the kind of
"change-of-heart" or positive transformation that the
"living tradition" of Jodo Shinshu -- self-examination -- has
the power to effect in our attitudes.
One of these positive changes is
that, as we recognize that not only are we "messed up," but
that everyone else is as well, this has the social consequence of
reducing our judgmental and arrogant tendencies in our relations with
others. It can help bring us together. It can help bring families,
communities, perhaps even nations together. Certainly it could make for
a stronger Sangha at each temple.
Dr. Bloom writes: "It increases
our ability to accept others as they are, when we know what we truly
are...Once we recognize this, we can approach conflict and
misunderstanding knowing that we too have contributed to it as much as
has our opponent. With such awareness, we will be more disposed to seek
mutual understanding, rather than self-justification. We will seek
conciliation, rather than blame...As the awareness of evil opens to the
awareness of compassion, there is a liberation and freeing of the
spirit."
Clearly, Buddhism can improve inter-personal
relationships. As Dr. Bloom puts it, "Shinran's religious
philosophy and life may well be termed 'the religion beyond good and
evil' which means giving up the conscious moralistic distinction of good
and evil as the means of comparing ourselves with others (where the
comparison is usually favorable to us). In such a religious philosophy
and life, rather than being a barrier or division, religion becomes a
force to unite and bring people together."
Finally, Shin Buddhism can help in regards to what is
often termed "our most important asset," which is our youth.
Dr. Bloom states, "What is needed for youth and society today is
not a society of repression or law and order, but a society with
positive ideals in the process of fulfillment, a process which offers
its participants a deep sense of life affirmation and worthwhileness. It is such a process that is Shin Buddhism."
One last note. Before you or I start to think,
"Well, that sounds fine...Jodo Shinshu is just the ticket to fix
all the evils and problems out there," we must remember that the
living tradition of Jodo Shinshu -- the process of self-examination -- is
really challenging us to awaken to our true selves, not someone else's.
As I fondly remember our former minister Rev. (now Rinban) Nori
Ito once writing, "Buddhism is not a religion to fix others; it is
a religion to fix ourselves."
