title tenen
The November sutra copying session was successfully completed.
Last time, I used the word “bonbu” to describe our state of mind.
This time, we talked about what it means to reflect on oneself at the Shokoji Temple copying sutra meeting. It means "reaffirming what is important and continuing to put it into practice."
In modern times, many things have become democratized. For example, idols. In the past, when you said "idol," there was a certain person who was known by everyone. Whether it's good or bad, nowadays, anyone can become an idol.
The same can be said about knowledge. In the past, you could only understand something if you read books carefully or listened to experts speak. Regardless of the authenticity of the content, in modern times, you can easily learn a certain amount of information through the Internet or videos. The same is true of Buddhism. If you go online, you can understand a certain amount of information. As a result, people's basic knowledge is improving day by day.
For such modern people, many of the important things taught in Buddhism are simple things like "do good and avoid bad" or things that we already know, so depending on how you look at it, you may think "why now?" However, it is quite doubtful how much of the things we understand in our heads are actually being put into practice. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that it is precisely because we are not able to put them into practice that we are suffering.
What "introspection" means through the Shokoji Temple copying sessions is to reaffirm the simple teachings of Buddhism, even the most mundane yet most important teachings, in relation to the suffering we are experiencing, and then to reflect them in our actions from tomorrow onwards.
Even if you do put it into practice, it is difficult to continue. That is why it is important to constantly recite the Nembutsu and introspect (reaffirm) yourself at the monthly sutra copying meeting, and use it as a foundation for continuing.
As an experiment, I have set the theme for today as "One Good Deed a Day." How well can we consciously put this theme, which is both so simple and so difficult, into practice for a month?
There is no need to be too determined to complete the task. With the determination to continue to the best of your ability and the accumulation of practice, a peaceful daily life for both body and mind will gradually unfold.
Joining hands in prayer
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