2005 Federation of Dharma School
Teacher's League Conference
Group Session
View
Larger Sutra Text
l Kathi
Takakuwa, Commission on Buddhist
Education (Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii)
l Ray
Fukumoto, Los Angeles Betsuin, Venice
Hongwanji Dharma School Teacher
l
Ann Ishikawa, DSTO (Dharma
School Teachers of Oahu)
l Warren
Tamamoto (Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii)
Kathi Takakuwa, Commission on Buddhist
Education (Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii)
Rev. Mas introduced the video,
“an animated adaptation of the Larger Sutra” and explained that
we would be viewing the first third of the video, pause for mini-lecture,
rewind the video and watch the first part again, pause for a second
mini-lecture, and then watch the video in its entirety.
In the first third of the video
Shakyamuni told Ananda and his other students that long ago fifty-two
Buddha came into the world before Lokesvararaja.
Shakyamuni recalled a king who became a monk named Dharmakara who
asked Lokesvararaja to explain the Dharma.
After a long period of thought Dharmakara narrated in detail the
most important of his 48 vows (1st, 4th, 11th,
18th) by which he established his unique path to the Pure Land.
In keeping with the theme of the
conference, “The Question is Not Whether it is True or Not, But What
does it Mean?” Rev. Mas focused his commentary on helping delegates
redefine “myth” as stories that are “real in a non-scientific
way.” He highlighted specific actions and statements in the video and
explained their significance or symbolism and help us think about how to
refocus on meaning as truth. Here
are three examples:
- Rev.
Mas explained that bearing one’s shoulder and touching one’s
forehead, shoulders, and elbows to the ground in full Gassho, as
Ananda does before the Buddha, is a way of respectfully asking a
teacher to speak in a spiritual tradition that is missionary but
non-proselytizing. For
this reason, ministers always circle the altar with their right
shoulder closest to the altar.
- “Approach
the vows,” said Rev. Mas, “by asking ‘What does this mean?’”
Approaching this way, the first of Amida’s vows, “If, when
I attain Buddhahood, there should be in my land a hell, a realm of
hungry spirits or a realm of animals, may I not attain perfect
Enlightenment,” can be understood as an expression of the Buddhist
aspiration for rebirth (v. reincarnation).
Rev. Mas used a
poster-image to explain the six levels of Samsara and invited us to
play a “Buddhist game” of identifying our “states of delusion.”
He tapped his hand on the podium, tap, tap, tap, and asked,
“Where are you now? One,
two, three seconds…too late!” in order to illustrate the rapid rebirth
in our states of awareness from moment to moment.
He also highlighted this vow as a means of emphasizing that Jodo
Shinshu is a “religion of experience and trying to figure out what it
means, and not faith.”
§
As Rev. Mas explained it, we talk about Amida as the Buddha of
“infinite light and life” as a way of expressing something that is
“beyond space (light) and time (life).”
Amida provides unending wisdom and compassion because “our need
for assistance with our suffering is endless.”
After
each mini-lecture Rev. Mas replayed the section of the video he had just
discussed and asked us to see/consider the video differently. [Continue
with workshop discussion]
Ray Fukumoto, Los Angeles Betsuin, Venice
Hongwanji Dharma School Teacher
“The
Question Is Not Whether It Is True Or Not, But What Does It Mean?” The
question posed by the theme related to the mythology that surrounds our
religion, it covers the origin of Amida Buddha and presented a video
called “Okina Negai.” The video showed the evolving of a sentient
being who would later take the Bodhisattva name Dharmakara. A Bodhisattva
is a future Buddha who postpones nirvana to help free others from
suffering. This Bodhisattva would finally become the Amida Buddha.
The
video also covered Dharmakara’s teacher (Lokesvararaja Tathagata) and
the 48 vows that the Bodhisattva made to become Amida Buddha. While the
video was being shown, Rev. Masao Kodani (Rev. Mas) would periodically
stop the video and clarify and explain what we just saw. He explained the
issues presented as myth and symbols of who and what we are as Shin
Buddhist. One thing that Rev. Mas said during his presentation that stuck
out in my mind is the comment, “Well I’ll be damned! No, you
won’t!” Personally, I think this would have been a better title for
the conference. I will talk about this later.
It
also presented the making of the Buddha’s Pure Land and that the vehicle
for the creation of the Pure Land was the vows that Dharmakara made and
fulfilled after many kalpas. Although this mythical story helps create the
foundation for our tradition, the reaction of many of the attendees raised
a very pointed question to me. Why did so many people respond as if this
is the first time they heard of this story? All this became the prelude to
my participation in the workshops at the conference. [Continue
with workshop discussion]
Ann Ishikawa, DSTO (Dharma
School Teachers of Oahu)
"Okina Negai" (The Great Vow) video -
large group session
A handout to be used as a note-taking tool for the video was explained.
Rev. Kodani introduced the film with some explanation of the theme,
emphasizing the contrast of how most Christians interpret their Bible very
literally as real, but we, as Jodo Shinshu followers look more at the
meaning of the symbolism in our myths.
An animated version of The Larger Sutra was shown,
with Rev. Kodani explaining the symbolic meaning of several gestures
(5-body-part bow) and customs (wearing of sarong, baring the right
shoulder) portrayed in the beginning of the film. This part was replayed
twice, with Rev. Kodani's interpretations and invitation to the audience
to look at it again with new understanding of the symbolism. Then the film
was played all the way through. I was surprised at how little I knew and
understood about this Sermon on Vulture Peak. One of Rev. Kodani's
statements which made the most impact on me was that when we talk about
Amida Buddha as infinite light and life, it is an expression meaning Amida
is beyond space (light) and time (life). This endless wisdom and
compassion fulfills our human need to ease our endess suffering.
The concept of showing a film and having large and
small group discussions can be such a powerful tool in educating not only
our teachers, but also our Dharma School students. Having a lay leader, as
well as a minister advisor, was really a good idea. Using the note-taking
tool was also very helpful. Teacher education regarding the
"doctrine," including learning about the Sutra's, Wasan's, and
Shinran's Works needs to be increased.
The Oahu District Nembutsu Retreats (short readings
or book) and English/Japanese Seminars (films or short readings) could
follow similar formats of small group discussions led by teams of lay and
ministers, with the idea that really, there is "neither priest nor
lay," but all who are just open to discovering and learning. Looking
at the meaning of the Buddhist myths/stories are interesting topics,
too. [Continue
with workshop discussion]
Warren Tamamoto (Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii)
On Saturday morning, after the
morning service we watched a video “Okina Negai”. This was a video of
Shakyamuni Buddha delivering a sermon to his disciples at Vultures Peak.
Ananda, one of his disciples refers to the Buddha as “shining and
radiant”, and in a special state of awareness. I didn’t get as much
out of this video as others. Rev. Mas Kodani explained the symbolism in
the video as we viewed it. [Continue
with workshop discussion]
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