Ku no shaba ya, sakura ga
sakeba, saita tote
A world of grief and pain, Flowers bloom, even then
-Kobayashi, Issa 1763 1827
by Rev. Mas Kodani - Los Angeles Senshin Buddhist Temple
Shaba refers to the world of Samsara, the world
of self-centered, self-creating delusion, the unawakened
state, the world of Namo. Flowers refer to the state of naturalness, of
non-calculation, the awakened state and
the beauty that characterizes that state, the world of Amidabutsu. A world of
self-created grief and pain, and
yet, even then flowers bloom. Terrorists, numb bureaucrats, political
manipulators, con artists multi-billion
and penny ante, religious charlatans, health, wealth, and happiness scammers,
etc., etc., ad nauseum what a
work of art are we. And yet even then, volunteers, helpful bureaucrats,
conscientious politicians, community
conscious businessmen, health-care servers, clergy etc. still grow and bloom
the work being its own reward,
what a work of art we are.
Science, religion, the social and governing arts, poetry, music and dance can
all be self-serving, otherdenigrating
activities. There are also times when they are mutually serving, mutually
supporting activities.
Namo is the self-serving, calculating, self-empowering activity; Amidabutsu is
the other-connecting, noncalculating,
mutually empowering activity; and Namoamidabutsu is the paradox of life,
different, yet the same,
not one, yet not two. And what a work of art we are. Namoamidabutsu,
Namoamidabutsu, Namoamidabutsu.
Gassho,
Rev. Mas