A tiny awakening

A company Japan House in Moscow invited me as a speaker in the fall 2017. I spoke on ‘Zen culture and the drawing of Zen’. A lady asked me a question after the lecture.

‘What does Buddhas enlightenment mean?’

I answered her. 

‘The Buddhas enlightenment has profound contents, so, I have nothing qualification to talk about it. But we have a chance of a tiny awakening in our usually life. Do you have a family or children? You had the difficulty to giving birth to a baby. But you are very happy with it. Childcare works hard and needs to be much worried. By way of such an experience you can understand the hardship of your mother. When you were young, you took a rebellious attitude toward your mother, don’t you? For the first time, you realized how much you owed to your parents. It was your tiny awakening. It is important to learn Buddha’s teaching through such experiences.

●坐禅会　毎週土曜日午前6：25～8：00
久留米市宮の陣町大杜1577-1圓通寺　
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●学校やクラブなど団体研修 坐禅申し込み随時うけたまわります。
出張も致します。
費用はご希望に応じます。宿泊はありません。

Invocation of Amitabha

One of the disciples of The Venerable Honen, who founded Japanese Jodo sect was formerly a thief. When he was sleeping in the room next to Honen at night, Honen muttered something, so he secretly opened the sliding door a little. Honen had made an invocation of Amitabha with sitting on his bed confidentially. Honen noticed him and lied down to sleep. The disciple was surprised that Honen made effort to make an invocation of Amitabha wholeheartedly.

Honen made a long Buddhist rosary which has 1080 beads and took it, made one million times invocation of Amitabha. It needed through eight days without sleeping. Because Mokugenshi-sutra teaches it. They say that Honen achieved it twice.

Devoting oneself completely is the faith of Jodo. However, there is not only favorable matters for us in the world. If anything, there are a lot of unfavorable matters to devote Amitabha. It is nothing easy matter that devoting our own unfavorable to Amitabha.

I made a visit to Moscow State University in October 2013. I had a question from a female student from Tibet.

‘I am a Tibetan student studying abroad. Tibetan people have faith wholeheartedly. Faith is much marvelous world. I cannot explain it in words. I have a question. I think the faith is as well as Zazen. What do you think about it?’

I responded her.

Yes, it is as well as Zazen.

●坐禅会　毎週土曜日午前6：25～8：00
久留米市宮の陣町大杜1577-1圓通寺　
初心者歓迎　参加費無料　
詳細は電話でお問い合わせください。0942-34-0350
初回参加者は6：15までに来てください。
●学校やクラブなど団体研修 坐禅申し込み随時うけたまわります。
出張も致します。
費用はご希望に応じます。宿泊はありません。

All sentient beings have Buddhas heart

What does sentient beings mean? It means what exists and has their life. It means human being in the first sense and all living things in the broad sense. It is written in Sanskrit as ‘sattva’ and means that there is blood flow.

Animals do not need Buddha’s teaching because they already have Buddha’s appearance. Carnivorous eat something else, but it is not bad thing. It is a providence of nature. It is human merely that have to learn Buddha’s teaching. Because we have selfish desire. If we leave desire running, our lives will be confused, and the world will be corrupted. It can be said that all evil things are due to human’s selfish desire. 

What is Buddha? It means Gautama Siddhartha who was a historical person in the first meaning. The Mahayana Buddhist sutras teach us many kinds of Buddhas, just as Vairocana’s virtue illuminates in the world and Amitabha Buddha gives a sermon forever from the land of Perfect Bliss. 

A student asked Dr. Kiyoshi Inokuchi who is an emeritus professor at Kyushu University.

‘What is my own truth?’

Dr. Inokuchi took some time into consideration and answered him.

‘Do you have ever volunteered to do your best and kindness to others? When he expressed his gratitude, did you feel joy at him then? That is your own truth.’

It is the Buddha’s heart that Dr. Inokuchi taught him ‘my truth’.

●坐禅会　毎週土曜日午前6：25～8：00
久留米市宮の陣町大杜1577-1圓通寺　
初心者歓迎　参加費無料　
詳細は電話でお問い合わせください。0942-34-0350
初回参加者は6：15までに来てください。
●学校やクラブなど団体研修 坐禅申し込み随時うけたまわります。
出張も致します。
費用はご希望に応じます。宿泊はありません。

J. S. Bach / Vivaldi - Organ Concerto in A Minor BWV 593 - Drum / Piano

J. S. Bach / Vivaldi - Organ Concerto in A Minor BWV 593 - Drum / Piano