On rainy days, be in the rain
On windy days, be in the wind

雨の日には
雨の中を
風の日には
風の中を

This is a poem written by Mitsuo Aida who is a Japanese poet.

You may think it’s obvious, however, as this poem says, we have no choice but to be in the rain on rainy days and we have no choice but to be in the wind on windy days in our lives. The rain and the wind in this context mean various sufferings and problems we have in our lives. As long as our lives go on, we cannot avoid the rain and the wind. If so, it may be the natural way of living for us to accept the circumstances as they are and to live this moment even on rainy day and windy day. There’s nothing special in it and this is what we should be. Sometimes it goes well and doesn’t go as you desire. But don’t take things as seriously and just try to accept even the moment things never work out as you expect in the resonance of Namo Amida Butsu.

And remember, this poem.

On rainy days, be in the rain
On windy days, be in the wind

Buddha lives even our sunny days, rainy days and windy days together…

In Gassho,

Reverend Etsuko Mikame