A Burning House

“Shakyamuni Tathagata appeared in this world

Solely to teach the ocean like Primal Vow of Amida

We, an ocean of beings in an evil age of five defilements

Should entrust ourselves to the Tathagata’s words of Truth”

Shoshinge

What is Truth?  Oneness of all life is Truth.

This past week the so called leaders in Washington have come to an agreement on the national budget.  However, this is not an end to the continued arguments and postering in Washington.  I understand that this agreement will only last until January when they will once again meet.  There is a possibility that we will once again face a shutdown.  I think like many of you, I am frustrated and angry over the partisan arguing and inaction.  The suffering of our local population is real and our leaders seem to be blind to this.

“As yet, man is still wrapped in ignorance.  He does not know who he really is or what is expected of him.  As a result, he misinterprets everything and acts on that misinterpretation.  Is it not conceivable that our entire civilization is built on misinterpretation?  The failure to understand his existence leads him to assume a false identity of a bloated, self-seeking egoist, and to pretend to be what he is not or is unable to be.”                K. Sri Dhammananda

The Buddha often talked about the Oneness of all Life.  This is a basic Truth that anyone can understand.  I feel frustration and anger because it seems that our representatives in Washington cannot see this Truth and how their action and inaction affects so many of our fellow citizens.  They don’t seem to hear the cries of hungry babies, the homeless and suffering families.

“The Buddha after attaining Enlightenment realized that his worries and sufferings shared a common thread with the worries and sufferings of others.  Thus, after attaining awakening he made it his career to relieve the pain and suffering of others.  When he saw people who were worried or suffering, his heart went out to them.  The Buddha then and now is asking us all to work for the welfare, sake and benefit of others.  This is why the Buddha-Dharma is so very much needed today in this world.

The Truth is hard to see for anyone, because it has become hidden.  Shinran in his Shoshinge implores us to entrust ourselves to the Tathagata’s Truth.  Truth is the theory and practice of cause and effect.  It is the light of Wisdom, it is harmony with the law of causation.  It is to be free from falsehood.  What is really reliable? What is really constant? The answer is the Dharma or the Truth of Life.

A traveler met a woman in the desert.  The woman looked sad and the traveler asked the woman. “Who are you?” “My name is Truth”, replied the woman.  The traveler asked again, “Why are you staying here, so far from town?”  “Because a long time ago falsehood existed among only a few people, however, today it exists among all human beings.”

The Truth that the Buddha taught many thousands of years ago may be hidden and far from others minds, but we must as Shinran said embrace this Truth and live our lives accordingly. In doing so we begin to send ripples of wisdom and compassion beyond our selves and into our families, our communities and hopefully as the Buddha wished into the world. 

While much of our population is struggling to live day to day, leaders build palaces and live lavish lifestyles.  Our federal workers suffered without pay while continuing to serve their communities.  At the same time our so-called leaders continued to be paid.  The thought of interdependency doesn’t exist any longer.

Once there was a rich and aged man whose sole aim in life was to get as much excitement and pleasure as possible.  He had decided never to think of anything unpleasant. He even refused to give a thought to the fact that some day he must die.  This foolish man built a great palace as a monument to himself.  When the mansion was completed, he filled it with many treasures and luxuries sufficient to last 100 years.

The Buddha sent Ananda to talk to this foolish man and urged him to have a better aim in life and to think more deeply.  But the rich man would not listen.  In his stupidity, he had convinced himself that he would never die.  His aim and his thinking were wrong.

Shortly after Ananda left the man died.  When the Buddha heard this he said, “A fool, even though the wise instruct him, understands nothing of wisdom because he has only foolish and selfish thoughts.  Just as a spoon cannot taste soup, even so those whose minds are filled with wrong thoughts can never know how to get rid of sorrow.”

It is the fool who does not embrace and believe in the obvious Truths before us.  In the teaching of the Oneness of all beings, comes compassion and wisdom.  As John F. Kennedy said many years ago:  Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.

John F. Kennedy

The Buddha used the analogy of a burning house.  In his analogy, the house is filled with so many distractions that the habitants do not realize the house is burning.  The Buddha, calls out but is ignored.  He then has to “bribe” them out with gifts.  Finally they come out enticed by the promise of gifts.

The burning house represent the blindness that shields us from the Truth.  The gifts are the promise of Peace of Mind through the Dharma.

The hope for our country and the world lies in the Dharma.  Whether you call yourself a Buddhist or not, if we can embrace the Truth as Shinran asks us we can live a life that understands our intimate connection to one another.  It will affect our thoughts, words and actions and influence those around us.  We will find ourselves more understanding, wiser and more compassionate. 

Gassho,

Rev. Hosei Shinseki