After the June Sutra Shaking Session
The Shokoji Temple's sutra copying classes are not calligraphy classes, so the goal is not to learn to write well. The purpose is to engage in self-reflection to reaffirm the true essence of things that are necessary to enrich our daily lives, and furthermore, to pray to the Buddha and be welcomed into the Pure Land like our beloved ancestors.
At the sutra copying meeting in May last year, we all reaffirmed the importance of "precepts." It is one of the things we ordinary people struggle with the most. How difficult it is to continue to follow the decisions we make to keep our mind and body in good condition. We reaffirmed what we should refrain from in order to live life to the fullest, and recited the Nembutsu with the determination to live our lives based on those precepts.
Well.
This June, let's reaffirm the importance of "having fun."
There was a monk in the Edo period named Shido Bunan. One of the waka poems he composed seems to be a response to a question from someone who was having trouble at work.
Those who think of everything as training will be able to eliminate the pain of their own lives.
(The Words of the Zen Master Shido Munan)
In Christian thought, work is a punishment given by God, whereas for the Japanese who rely on Shinto, even the gods work, which is something sacred. Since then, perhaps as a result of Japan's growth up to the present day while adopting the Western labor system, it seems that in Japan too, work is being positioned as the epitome of something people would rather not do.
Either way, we have to work. It's hard work. Zen Master Munan calls it "training," but this shows that it's important to "enjoy" it.
It is said that if a person can engage in any activity with the deep feeling that it is enjoyable, then all suffering, including physical pain, will naturally disappear.
If you think, "Why do I have to do this?", "This is troublesome", or "This is tiring", you will quickly feel tired even from small things and your motivation will decrease more and more.
On the other hand, even those seemingly insignificant things can be full of surprises and joy if you look at them with a keen sense of sensibility.
However, as always, even if you understand it in your head, it is not easy to face the subject with a positive attitude. First of all, let's start again with the little things that are right under our feet. Repeating this process will surely lead to enjoying everything.
With this determination, let us write "sincere faith and joy" in the prayer we copy, and chant the Nembutsu with calm introspection.
Namu Amida Butsu
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