One of the first Buddhist books I ever read was the classic "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" compiled by Paul Reps. Actually, when I was in high school, one of the teachers I had would read excerpts from it before class. I really loved all the intriguing, funny, and challenging stories in it. It is what attracted me to Zen, and from there to Buddhism in general.
I'd like to share one of the stories from it because I think it speaks directly to the disconnect many of us have between our ideals and the way we actually conduct ourselves. Many Mahayana Buddhists say they have the aspiration to attain buddhahood for the sake of all beings. We say that we recognize that all sentient beings have buddha-nature and should be greeted with respect as future buddhas the way Bodhisattva Never Despise did in the 20th chapter of the Lotus Sutra. But in our daily lives we often fall short of that idea. We see a guy taking up two parking places in the parking lot, or we hear about how young men volunteer to board crowded buses with bombs strapped onto them, or we meet someone from a different religion (maybe even a slightly different version of our own - a different school or denomination) and suddenly we find that we don't really want to treat all beings as buddhas. We desperately want to exclude at least some of them, or at least see them burn in hell for awhile or suffer some grave misfortune so that our personal views can be vindicated. I think St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in his Summa Theologia that part of the reward of heaven is to be able to observe the tormented in hell getting their just deserts." So the impulse to exclude and gain victory over others while reserving benefits to ourselves are our tribe is apparently as or even more universal than bodhicitta - the aspiration to attain buddhahood for all beings.
So here is the story from "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" that first woke me up to this disconnect or hypocricy that we all too easily fall into:
A farmer requested a Tendai priest to recite sutras for his wife, who had died. After the recitation was over the farmer asked: "Do you think my wife will gain merit from this?"
"Not only your wife, but all sentient beings will benefit from the recitation of sutras," answered the priest.
"If you say all sentient beings will benefit," said the farmerf, "my wife will be very weak and others will take advantage of her, getting the benefit she should have. So please recite the sutras just for her."
The priest explained that it was the desire of a Buddhist to offer blessings and wish merit for every living being.
"That is a fine teaching," concluded the farmer, "but please make one exception. I have a neighbor who is rough and mean to me. Just exclude him from all those sentient beings."
(Zen Flesh, Zen Bones p.p. 44-45)
I think we should all ponder this. In our attitudes and actions, are we really living in accord with the Way of the Buddha, or are we trying to reserve something for ourselves and gain victory over others?
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Sounds like Christianity to me. First of all asking someone to pray for me, recitation of sutras by a priest, predicting beyond the grave of a result, ponder this, ponder that, and how the hell can you live like the Buddha? You have no clue how he lived? Bah humbug..so baka (stupid in Japanese) like a wolf in sheep's clothing
Maybe this seems normal for you, but then again moths fly into a candle and it looks normal as well. Religion is the most absurd waste of time, one rationalization after another...why do you even write Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.. hahaha. .means nothing to you, you think the Lotus Sutra is a fantasy? So that is a fantasy as well? I just don't get it.. Oh well, snowing here in Eugene today, gotta keep warm,
Bruce
Hi, Michael - I had an interesting experience with this over the weekend when I went to see a movie called "Pan's Labyrinth" in which there is a really vicious, sadistic character (a military commander). At any event, at the end of the movie, he gets shot (hope I'm not spoiling the picture for anyone here), and I hated him so much that I actually felt exultant at his death! Believe me, I went home and really pondered that and chanted about it. I still haven't processed the whole thing. It was kind of shocking for me to feel real elation at someone's death. Really weird. I'm glad you posted this. Your pal, Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at January 16, 2007 02:39 PMHey Ryuei,
I've written about something similar many times over, which is how people can feel quite at ease recognizing the Dharma in a blooming flower or a rainbow but fail to do so regarding the landfill or the pile of dog shit. They think they can perceive it in joy or tranquility but not in tragedy or restlessness. I only discovered your blog last month but I have found it very insightful. I haven't see many people in Nichiren Buddhism discussing the nature of their practice the way you have been doing - in fact I have only so far seen a few people, mostly practicing Ch'an and Jodo Shinshu, discussing Buddhism / Buddhadharma the same way (though of course outside of Buddhism one catches similar insights from authors such as Wayne Teadale).
As for the religion comment, while I do not know the situation with and out of respect will not directly address my thoughts to the person leaving that comment, I often find that such remarks, especially when unsolicited and unrelated to the topic at hand, reflect an extremely narrow and intentionally uncharitable view of "religion" tainted by exposure to human failings justified in the name of some sacred tradition (i.e. someone experienced people doing stupid or harmful things for the sake of some religious organization or creed and decided that anything else remotely similar must be equally stupid or harmful). But that doesn't matter anyway, IMHO. The truth(s) that in general major sacred traditions are telling us can be discerned, tested, and adopted by anyone, whatever or whoever they claim to follow or not follow. In fact, I might very well have made a comment like that five or six years ago.
Which ironically brings us to the point of helping/inspiring all sentient beings. Just because someone has hostility toward religion doesn't mean they are incapable of overcoming that aversion enough to see beyond the superficial trappings of such sacred traditions and adopt a greater appreciation of their received wisdom. Of course, for those still caught in the trappings, it might seem like I am referring to this version of what happens after death, or that version, or whether God exists, or exists as this tradition says or that tradition. For what it's worth, I am fed up with those aspects of religion as well, but fortunately there is something more beyond those petty feuds.
Best wishes for you all.
Posted by: tinythinker at January 16, 2007 06:28 PM