Dharma December 2007

An Insight into the Last Dharma Age

K. Ken Fujimoto

In our Jodo Shinshu tradition, the concept of the Last Dharma Age, Mappo, where there is no true Buddha, Dharma or Sangha is an important one. It is said that Amida's compassionate wisdom is the only way for beings in this age to attain enlightenment. There are a number of ways given as to how the length of the Right, Semblance and Last Dharma ages are calculated and the specifics of each. I reencountered the following description of how the Dharma ages progress, or regress, and felt that it might be of value to all.

This is a passage from the Kyogyoshinsho where Shinran Shonin quotes Tao-ch'o (Doshaku) the fourth of the Seven Patriarchs, the second Chinese patriarch, who is, in turn, quoting a passage from a sutra and explaining its meaning.

The "Moon -Matrix" section of the Great Collection Sutra states:

In ascertaining the nature of sentient beings of the present, we must consider that we are now in the fourth five-hundred year period following the Buddha's departure from this world. This is indeed the age when beings should perform repentance, practice meritorious conduct, and recite the Buddha's Name. In a single utterance of the Name of Amida Buddha, karmic evil that would involve one in eighty bilion kalpas of birth-and-death is eliminated. Even a single utterance is thus; the person who practices the constant saying of the Name, then, is none other than the one who is always performing repentance.

(The Collected Works of Shinran; p.243)

This passage stresses the importance of saying Namo Amida Butsu, especially in this day and age. However, another important aspect that can be seen here is that as we get further away from the days of the Buddha, the goal of the attainment of wisdom or enlightenment gets lost in the outward manifestations of seeking that goal. We tend to go through the motions of pursuit rather than the actual pursuit. It seems as if Tao-ch'o is saying that the farther one gets from the goal of enlightenment, the more concrete the symbols or the appearance of the pursuit become. This precedes the conflict and strife that accompanies the demise of the true dharma.

We should take this as a warning to us made some 1,500 years ago, and not lose sight of the goal of the pursuit of wisdom or enlightenment. We need to make sure that our actions are towards that pursuit of enlightenment and not substitutes for it. We should be grateful that even in the midst of these conditions where we have been placed today by our karma, we still have the Nembutsu that brings that light of wisdom to us. As long as that light continues to shine, we will be able to see the depths and many layers of all that we should repent. We should do so and make sure that the conflict and strife does not destroy us from within.

Holiday Gatherings

G. Sakamoto

As the year draws to an end, we think of holiday gatherings with family and friends. For many of us our family may be far away in another part of the country or perhaps in another part of the world. Maybe you're away from home for the first time, spending the holidays with new friends. Wherever you may be, the distance does not diminish how we feel, people who are a part of our lives are important to us whether they are near or far away.

What we feel when someone close to us is far away, longing or concern or joy of memories, is an expression of the importance of our relationship. We are the result of many experiences. Experiences that we share with the world around us. Through friends and family we come into being. They are the primary influence in our lives. Through their lives and our experiences, the influences of our lives flow from infinite causes and conditions. Our own life changing as the conditions continue to change. We grow and mature, mindful of the influences that shape our lives. The kindness extended, the lessons learned all contribute to and influence who I am.

The people who are important to us are most recognizable as influences in our lives. Our parents, who in the most fundamental way, brought us into being. Their activity nurtured us and sustained us. We exist because of those who took care of us when we could not. Our brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts all contribute to how we respond to the world around us. Whether we recognize the influence of others or not, the influence is there.

Our parents and friends who influence our lives have also been influenced by causes and conditions. They came into being as a result of conditions and have been sustained by others. If we explore these relationships we discover people and events that were previously unknown. For example, the former operators of the San Jose City Hall cafe were close friends with my brother many years ago. Kathy knew their son through the Japantown Farmers Market before I met him. Yet he was a close elementary school classmate I hadn't see in forty years. Go figure.

These relationships can be extended infinitely, but before doing that, recognize the importance of the relationships you are intimately connected with. The value of those relationships are repeated in the relationships that extend in all directions. The significance of the influences that emerge from the relationship of my classmate and his parents are similar to my relationship with my parents. Although we may not experience directly the value of those relationships, they exist nevertheless.

Our awareness of the influences of our life contributes to our understanding of how we respond in our experiences. If our childhood was difficult, then the characteristics of our current behavior can be attributed, in part, to those experiences. If someone close to us dies, our view of the world may be transformed. How we see and respond to the world around us is influenced now by this experience. Our response, however, is influenced by other conditions as well. How the death occurred, the age of the person who died, the responsibilities that person may have had, how close was the person who died. The person may have been a close acquaintance or may have been a family member. Each of these conditions influence how we respond to the world around us.

When we are mindful of the influence of relationships in our lives, we begin to realize how much our life is the result of others. The food that we eat, the clothes that we wear, are all the result of others. What I think, how I feel, have all been influenced by others. If I am able to see things as they are, I realize how I have been sustained by others. Our holiday gatherings are a time to remember and deepen our sense of gratitude for all that sustains me.

Tis the Season

Al Hironaga

The Spirit of Dana - At this time of the year, many of us are looking forward to the holiday season. Whether we are planning to visit relatives, go on a holiday vacation, or host our friends and relatives at home, we are all looking forward to spending time and enjoying life with those we love. It is also the season for sharing with those who are less fortunate than we are. Many help at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and community centers. Others donate funds to local, national and international charities. However you spend your holidays, let us be grateful for all that we have and show compassion for those who are not as fortunate.

Dana Club - The Dana Club has been busy spreading the spirit of dana. Janice Doi, Harriet Kawamata and Stan Kawamata led a successful sock collection for the homeless. With the help of the Sangha, they collected bags of unmatched and unused socks. The socks were taken to the Georgia Travis Center, where they were sorted by color and sizes, dyed black, washed, dried and matched into pairs. Many homeless men, women and children wil be wearing warm socks this winter because of your contributions. The Dana Club wil also be sorting food at the Second Harvest Food Bank on December 17. Send me an email at [email protected] if you want to join the Dana Club. The more members we have, the more activities we can participate in, and the more we can practice dana.

BCA Campaign Update - As of October 31, over $12.6 million have been raised in gifts and pledges, with over 27% of all BCA members participating. Here at San Jose Betsuin, over $574,897 has been raised with just over 17% of our members participating. This participation percentage is much lower than the overall average and also the lowest among the five Coast District temples. We need more members to participate by sending their gifts and pledges to the BCA campaign. We need to help the BCA get out of debt. Right now, interest alone is costing BCA about $200,000 per month, and a $4 million first mortgage becomes due in March 2009. At this time, the BCA is studying several options for raising the needed funds, including selling the Bishop's house, selling the BCA Headquarters building, selling interests in the Jodo Shinshu Center, and selling the Jodo Shinshu Center altogether. These are drastic measures which can only be avoided by reviving the campaign. You can help the cause by sending in your gift or pledge to Campaign BCA-The 21st Century, 2140 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA, 94704 and be sure to designate that you are a San Jose Betsuin member. Any amount that you can afford is appreciated. You not only help the campaign, but also help your representatives to be able to hold their heads high.

General Membership Meeting - On Thursday, December 6, the annual general membership meeting wil be held in the hondo starting at 6:00 pm. It is at this meeting that we will be electing up to 20 board members for a new term. We need more board members to help manage the overall operations of the temple. The board of directors meet once a month on the first Thursday of the month. If you are interested in helping the temple by serving on the board of directors, please contact Steve Ichinaga ([email protected]) or me ([email protected]).

Oseibo - Oseibo is an end of the year gift, which is a tradition in Japan and at some temples here in the United States. Oseibo is the tradition of sending gifts to people you need to thank for their help during the past year. As we reflect upon the past year, think about what is really important to you and who has assisted you along the way, and you may want to give them a present or monetary donation. An oseibo is a reflection of what we consider important in our lives, and we demonstrate that true happiness comes from dana or the selfless act of giving. You are free to show your appreciation toward our ministers and office staff in this traditional manner.

In Gassho,
Al Hironaga