Buried Among the Ashes

August 6^th will at 3:15 pm on the West Coast. It will mark 80 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima.  In an instant survivors recall a flash of light bright as the sun.  Survivors describe the bodies burned beyond recognition, injured and dying begging for water, calling to their mothers, reaching out pleading for help.   

Today, when one visits the Hiroshima Peace Museum you will be reminded of the horror and devastation of a nuclear bomb.  The museum has purposely called a “peace” museum.  Although one cannot help but feel the sorrow, the museum’s purpose is to instill in all who attend to work for peace in the world.  Children write poems and vow to never let anything like this ever happen again.

Surrounding the museum, you can stroll through a beautiful park with cherry trees blossoming in the Spring.  The Motoyasu river runs through the park, meandering quietly towards Hiroshima Bay.  The Motoyasu runs right by ground zero.  It is hard to imagine the horror of that day 80 years ago.  Bodies floated down the river, while burnt and dying entered the river in hopes of some relief.  Today, only fallen leaves and cherry blossoms float down the river. Many of those leaves and blossoms come from some of the 159 trees that survived the bombing and today are symbols of peace and resilience. 

Across the river from ground zero, there is a peace bonsho (large bell) that you can ring.  Each year on August 6^th at 8:15 am Hiroshima time the bonsho is rung in memory of those who lost their lives.  In a moment of solidarity with citizens of the world who work for peace in our times, we will ring the Watsonville bonsho at the exact same time on August 6^th (3:15 pm West Coast time)

One of the survivors of the blast was a young girl by the name of Sadako Sasaki.  As Sadako lay dying of radiation poisoning, a classmate told her that if she could fold 1,000 cranes her wish would come true.  Sadako folded 644 cranes and died at the age of twelve.  Her classmates completed the 1,000 cranes for her as a tribute to her courage.  Today, thousands of children fold cranes and hang them by the thousands at the statue of Sadako.  They have become an international symbol of peace and hope.

There is much to see when one visits the city of peace park and museum of Hiroshima.  What one cannot see is the hopes and dreams that are buried in the ashes of the thousands of lives lost. As we commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the bombing we rededicate our lives to fight for peace and may the sacred grounds that surround ground zero inspire us here to build upon that ground a foundation so that generations to come may continue to tell their story, continue to honor our history, our past.  

The Buddha said your suffering is my suffering, your sorrows are mine. Those who have suffered and died are as countless as the dew drops on the leaves in the morning, and each are mourned and remembered equally.  In our Buddhist tradition there is not closure, no last rites for that reason we will continue to gather and be reminded of the continuing influence of all who lived and died on that day 80 years ago.

Gassho,

Rev. Hosei Shinseki