July 2010
Socho Fujikawa with Sarana
ceremony participants in Calgary, November 2008
May each and everyone enjoy good health and spirits in the
light of compassion of Amida Buddha as we soon welcome the
summer season. As I was reading a book, I came across an
interesting dialogue between a Chinese Buddhist Master
Dokutan and a visitor Enjo.
“Where do you come from?” asked the Master.
The visitor replied, “I came from Kyoto.”
“What have you been practicing?” asked the Master.
The visitor replied, "I have been practicing the Pure Land
School.”
“How old is Amida Buddha?” asked the Master.
The visitor: “Amida Buddha is the same age as I am.”
The Master: “Then how old are you?”
The visitor: “I am as old as Amida Buddha.”
The Master: “Where is Amida Buddha?”
The visitor simply extended his fist in front of the
Master.
According to the Pure Land sutra, Bodhisattva Dharmakara
spent five long kalpas in contemplation before becoming
Amida Buddha ten kalpas ago. Shinran Shonin praised Amida
Buddha in the Jodo Wasan.
Amida has passed through ten kalpas now
Since realizing Buddhahood.
Dharma-body’s wheel of light is without bound,
Shining on the blind and ignorant of the world.
We must continue to listen to the causes and conditions of
the Vows of Amida Buddha. 2010 is the year we commemorate
Shinran Shonin’s 750th Memorial in Canada. It is a great
opportunity for us to deepen the understanding of our
tradition as well as to promote it to the public.
In gassho, namo amidabutsu,
Orai Fujikawa
仏教伝道協会発行の本の中に次のようなおもしろい問答がありました。
京都山城の円恕（えんじょ）という坊さんが、座禅と念仏の黄檗宗万福寺の独湛和上を訪ねたとき、和上が「お前さんどこから来た」と聞きます。
「山城から参りました」「何宗の者だ」「浄土のものでございます」
そこで独湛は「阿弥陀様の年はいくつだ」と聞きます。「私と同い年です」と答えました。
「それではお前はいくつだ」「阿弥陀様と同い年」
「それでは阿弥陀様はどこにいるか」円恕は左手のこぶしをグッと目の前に挙げました。
浄土教のお経には、「法蔵菩薩が五劫という長い間考えたのち、さらに途方もない長い時間をかけて修行し、阿弥陀如来となり、今現在お浄土で説法をしておられる」とあります。
その辺のところを、親鸞聖人は浄土和讃のなかで、
ミダ成仏のこのかたは、今に十劫を経たまえり
法身の光輪きわもなく 世の盲冥をてらすなり
と讃じておられます。本願の因縁生起をよく聴聞することの大切さを知らされます。今年はカナダ開教区で宗祖の７50回大遠忌をお勤めします。このご縁に遇って念仏の味わいを
深めていただきたいものです。 合掌。