Rennyo’s Other Letters (Jogai no Gobunsho)
“I believe that there is not one person here who correctly understands the teaching of Shin Buddhism. Is this not a truly shameful thing? They think that it is important only to say that they are, in name only, first a follower of Shin Buddhism and then a member of someone’s temple. They do not at all care about realizing the shinjin of entrusting in Amida. They simply think that they need to give donations and that paying money to the temple is the essence of the Shin Buddhist teaching. They think they will attain birth due to the virtues of the money and goods that they have given. This is a great misunderstanding.”
Namo Amida Butsu,
Namo Amida Butsu,
Namo Amida Butsu
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I’d like to first begin this message with the phrase; thus, I have heard. Not only are Rennyo Shonin’s words expressed, but the foundation of what I am expressing here is my internalization of what I have heard from Rev. Takashi Miyaji of the BCA and the Institute of Buddhist Studies. I hope that my humble attempt to share what I have heard from Miyaji Sensei conveys the intent of his teaching.
Giving = Expression of Graditude & Reflection
The opening passage is from one of the collections of Letters written by Rennyo Shonin. Rennyo is typically in a Nishihongwanji onaijin to the left of Amida Buddha as you look in from the Gejin. Rennyo became the 8th Gomonshu, or head priest, of Hongwanji in 1457 at the age of 43. The letter that Rennyo wrote was in response to a temple priest who asked him how to help a wealthy and influential temple member who had no shinjin awareness, but insisted that the money he gave was proof of his shinjin. Rennyo’s emphasis is that it is a misunderstanding of the teachings to think that simply giving support is a means to achieve shinjin. This form of merit “collecting” was a teaching that Shinran Shonin and his teacher Honen Shonin were trying to set aside to help everyone find their path to end suffering. Based on this perspective, we should look at giving, also known as dana, as an expression of gratitude and a reflection of a desire to make the path to freedom from suffering continuously available to all.
This is not to say that being a financial supporter and donating to the needs of the temple is not proper and not important; the reality even back in Rennyo’s time is that there needs to be financial support to enable places to hear the Dharma be established and continue to be open. Again, the point Rennyo is making is that giving support by itself is not a means to achieve shinjin. We should look at it as an expression of gratitude and a reflection of a desire to make the path to freedom from suffering continuously available to all.
Purpose of a Temple
Because we held our Temple Annual Members Meeting at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple last month, I would like to present my views on the purpose of a temple, specifically a Jodo Shinshu Temple like the Mountain View Buddhist Temple. Here’s where I hope that I can interpret Rev. Miyaji’s teachings in alignment with his intent.
When we think about how to attain our understanding of Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion, we are told that his wisdom and compassion extend throughout the “ten quarters,” which is another way to say that it is everywhere. Unfortunately, we’re too distracted by our human nature to be greedy, angry, and ignorant, so we don’t pay attention to Amida’s wisdom and compassion unless we stop and take the time to be mindful and focus, or to use the term from the Eightfold Path, meditate on Amida’s Dharma.
As an example, I was taught to think about how a radio station broadcasts music. We can think of Amida’s wisdom and compassion broadcasting everywhere, while the radio station will broadcast as far as the power of its radio tower. We often hear the term “Amida’s calling voice,” which we can think of as a radio station broadcasting “namo amida butsu” over and over again as far as it can reach.
While the radio station is always broadcasting, how do we receive the radio station’s music? We buy a transistor radio. Buying a radio is like joining the Temple; now we have a way to hear the music and the Dharma. However, once we have the radio, we still only hear the music when we turn the radio on. Just like once we join the Temple, we only hear the message when we come to services or seminars.
Why Go to Temple?
But if Amida’s wisdom and compassion extend everywhere, then why do we need to go to the Temple? The reason is because we don’t really hear anything unless we are focused on the Dharma, just like when we don’t hear the music until we turn on the radio. But even once you turn on the radio, or go to the Temple, there can be other things that get in the way of hearing the message and the Dharma. Like when a mountain is between your radio and the broadcast tower. You have bad radio reception and no music!
If you can get someplace where the mountain and the distractions are not in the way, then your reception improves and you can hear the music! Now we hear it, but how can we hear it even more clearly? We want to have the clearest music so we can play it as loud as we want with no distortion; we want to hear the Dharma better so we can better understand. How can we get the best reception? We go to where the line of sight to the radio tower has the fewest obstacles in the way. If we go to a high point so nothing is between our radio and the radio tower, we get the clearest and loudest Dharma “music”.
Most Important Purpose of the Temple
The Temple is the place where there are the fewest obstacles between us and our understanding of Amida’s wisdom and compassion. This is the most important purpose of the Temple and why it is so important to have a Temple to go to. When we’re at the Temple, we have the best experience of listening and learning. When we go to the Temple, we can temporarily step away from the world filled with our blind passions of greed, anger, and ignorance and our delusions that those things define what is important. With the help of Dharma teachers, we are also closer to the world of the inconceivable wisdom and compassion of Amida Buddha and our understanding of the true meaning of shinjin.
As much as we like the Temple to have great amenities like a fancy new gym and a fancy performance stage, and new kitchens, we should keep a focus on what is the main and most important purpose of the Temple:
To enable all sentient beings who aspire for freedom from suffering to find their path towards enlightenment.
I urge everyone to seek out the plans your local Temple is planning for the coming months and years. It will give you a view of what the Temple leadership is planning and give you an opportunity to be an engaged Buddhist and voice your opinions as well. The Temple is for all of us and it can be many things in addition to a place for learning the Dharma, but we need to ensure our Temple priorities are aligned to support the main and most important purpose of the Temple. I also encourage everyone to ask your local Temple leaders what is BCA’s Strategic Plan. The Mission Statement of the BCA was recently updated and now reads:
“The mission of BCA is to share the Shin Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion to enable all to live a meaningful and fulfilled life of gratitude.”
The BCA is tasked to strive towards this mission by supporting local Temples, the BCA Ministers’ Association, the Institute for Buddhist Studies, Nishihongwanji (our home Temple organization), and all the committees and organizations associated with BCA at the national level. Your Temple leaders will have attended the most recent BCA Nation Council Meeting and I encourage everyone to ask for their updates and perspectives on what they have heard there.
Say “Namo Amida Butsu”
As I conclude this message, I would again like to acknowledge the teachings I have heard from Miyaji Sensei and hope I was able to express my internalization of his teachings properly. Also, I ask us all to reflect on the following words from another collection of Rennyo’s letters. Saying the name, namo amida butsu, expresses our gratitude for Amida’s compassionate Other Power. As we rejoice in our appreciation, we must remember to support the place and the ways in which the Buddha-Dharma is shared. Dana in appreciation of Amida’s wisdom and compassion is the true meaning of supporting the temples and the propagation of the true teachings.
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“Keep the matter of shinjin of Other Power firmly in your mind; beyond that, you should just say the Nembutsu, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, to respond in gratitude for the Buddha’s benevolence. If you have this understanding, your birth in the life-to-come will be assured. In your outpouring of joy, you should make your way to the places where your teachers and priests dwell and present them with offerings.”
Namo Amida Butsu,
Namo Amida Butsu,
Namo Amida Butsu
Rennyo’s Letters I:5 (Gojo no Gobunsho)
In Gassho,
Minister’s Assistant
John Arima