Echoes of the Name

‘Gerald Ford’ at Level 8th Buddhist tagged me to list my top five favourite (non-scriptural?) Buddhist books … an almost impossible task. So I’ve gone instead with five Buddhist books that have played a big role in my life …

(1) Shinran in the Contemporary World

(Nishi Hongwanji Commission on the Promotion of Religious Education. - Kyoto)

Just when I was really struggling in Zen practice an elderly member of my local zazen group, and a veteran of the UK Buddhist scene, handed me a copy of this Nishi Honganji tract. The worn purple-fabric binding opened to reveal a whole other approach to the Dharma which seemed eminently suited to my karmic circumstances.

(2) Kakehashi, Jitsuen, Bearer of the Light (Pure Land Publications, LA, 1999)

This book, which I picked up in Kyoto whilst on pilgrimage, totally altered my perception of Rennyo Shonin, opened up the riches of the Ofumi for me, and contains some of the clearest practice-oriented writing on Shin doctrine around.

(3) Kanamatsu, Kenryo, Naturalness (World Wisdom)

Kanamatsu’s devotional and contemplative style guided me gently into the Shin way of deep hearing, and has continued to challenge and intrigue me due to the way in which it draws on the resources of both Eastern Dharmic and Western Christian-Platonic spirituality.

(4) Suzuki, Shunryu, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (Shambala)

A perennial favourite in this meme apparently, but it was one of the first Buddhist books I read and Suzuki’s down-to-earth way still resonates.

(5) Aoki, Shinmon, Coffinman (Bec Books)

My teacher, a friend of the author, gave me a copy of this to read on my train journey home one time, which I did so with tears flowing forth. Aoki’s Shin Buddhism is not that of the priest or regular listener of sermons, but of a lay-person in the raw. It comes mixed-up with all kinds of other things, from personal idiosyncracies to cultural flavour, but the author’s sincere personal confrontation with the profound depths of life-and-death is compelling. Aoki also did the great service of introducing me to the work of Kenji Miyazawa.

I tag my Dharma brother J over at Tanomu to continue the meme should he so wish …

At around 3pm this afternoon, our time, my Dharma friends in Japan will be gathering together late at night for a ceremony called Joyanokane (Literally, the Temple Bell to Remove the Darkness of Night). At our head temple two bells ring out 108 times, each answering the other, representing our blind passion’s being accepted and transformed by Amida Buddha). And, outside the temple’s Music Hall, there will be a torchlit performance of Gagaku music and dance.

Here at home, as I can’t get down to the London dojo, I will enjoy a lower-key service; ringing the altar bell (rin) with my partner and probably watched curiously by our kitten. Then if I time gongyo right we’ll be able to watch the fireworks display going up over the town from our bedroom window.

[We] think of the Buddha (say the nembutsu) whilst reflecting on death [in daily life].” - Old Pure Land saying

In all likelihood things will be quiet here over the next week. If you’ve got a national holiday like we have here in the UK then I hope you have a relaxing time in which to be refreshed, reflect on the year past, and prepare for the new!

In last night’s gongyo at my home the Ofumi was Juzu no Sho (Chapter on Devotional Beads). The Ofumi is one of the few parts of the liturgy I still read out in English, and this was an occasion when I rather wished I had an annotated Japanese-English copy to hand. The reason being is that in the letter Rennyo Shonin criticises the shallow, fake piety of certain priests and urges them to stop only going ‘through the motions of listening’. Then, very interestingly, he says that they should review their situation with ‘calmed minds’.

In the context of our recent discussion about meditation and Jodo Shinshu it is interesting that Rennyo Shonin doesn’t tell them to calm their minds via any practice but simply draws their attention to human mortality via the breath; “Man’s life is dependent upon breathing where the out-going breath must await the incoming breath. Enshrine the Dharma in your hearts and obtain Faith with deliberate concern and without laxity.”

Jodo Shinshu at its best is in many ways a return to the pristine spirit of early Buddhism. It’s about the fact that we have already been given what we need to hear the Dharma, and we don’t need to engage in any complicated practices or calculated efforts. Though death may seem a peculiar topic to reflect on, both in terms of calmness and as we approach the ‘new year’, it has a tendency to bring a clarity and sense of priorities to our lives.

If you are reading this you may be a Shinshu follower or just curious, but I hope that you will join me in 2008 as I continue to contemplate with my Dharma friends what Rennyo in the above letter calls; “the sacredness of the Primal Vow of Amida Tathágata (having been so established, especially) as the most suitable way” [for ordinary people such as ourselves]. Namuamidabutsu.