Live the Dharma

We had the first Dharma Study session last Tuesday, August 26th, here at the Buddhist Center - RKINA.
We started with short meditation. It is very calming to sit quietly, particularly after a hard working day.

The study was on the Life of the Buddha.
The Buddha was enlightened to the Dharma, shared the Dharma, and lived the Dharma. So the theme of this session is ‘Live the Dharma’.
I shared one story from a book, "Shakyamuni Buddha" by Nikkyo Niwano.

"The Buddha was meditating under a tree in a forest when a large group of young men rushed to him, saying, 'Sage, have you just now seen a young woman pass by here?'

“Calmly opening his half-closed eyes, the Buddha said, 'No, I have not seen such a woman. Why do you seek her?'

“Then the young men told him that the woman had stolen their valuables and disappeared.

“After hearing the story, the Buddha asked them gently.‘Which do you think more important, to seek that woman or to seek yourselves?’

“Startled by the Buddha's words, the young men realized they were being asked a very serious question and assumed a respectful attitude. ‘Oh Sage, we think it is more important to seek ourselves.’

“The Buddha then taught them the Dharma in plain words. The young men all attained the initial stage of enlightenment and became his disciples.”

This is a very significant story.
There is an assumption that if we find “the woman”, we will get back the treasure, and then our anger will go away and we will become happy. But the Buddha is posing a question whether our peace and happiness depends on “the woman”, or “ourselves”.

In the Law of the Twelve Causes, it is revealed that ignorance is the fundamental cause of suffering. So the true way for liberation from suffering and for attainment of complete peace is the process of getting rid of ignorance, or awakening to the truth. Searching the woman without trying to eliminate the fundamental cause of suffering is futile. The process of awakening is the way for the complete peace, and this is the meaning of “seeking yourselves.”

I often seek “the woman” in different form, instead of seeking myself. All forms of irritation tempt me to fix up superficial external causes that create my irritation; a too slow car in front of me, an impolite sales guy in a shop, resentful attitude of my daughter... All these encounters are actually important opportunities for reflection and application of the Dharma. This is the practice of seeking ourselves, the way for awakening.

Come and see our ‘Live the Dharma’ Study session. And let’s live the Dharma.
Mizutani

The accumulation of realization

After the evening sutra recitation, I felt very appreciative that I have made this Buddhist practice as one of my daily spiritual routine. When I am sitting in front of the Buddha statue at home and doing recitation and meditation, I am very peaceful in most of the time. Having peace in heart and mind is very grateful, as we cannot be peaceful when something uneasy happens. It is true that worries will bring worring things, whereas joy will bring joyful things. The occurrence of something wonderful or accomplishment of something great is always grateful. But the beauty and even miracle can be found in the day of no special occurrences and no special accomplishments. Sutra recitation is the practice of appreciating the moment. Peace is here.

When I was writing my own Dharma Journey for the RKINA website yesterday, I recalled the time when I first walked into one Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center in Japan just 30 years ago. So I have been sitting and reciting the words of the Buddha written in the Lotus Sutra for 30 years.

I wrote in my Dharma Journey in the RKINA web, as
“I need to confess that I am not yet fully enlightened and I still suffer from illusion and attachment. If I had not had the knowledge and practice of the Dharma, however, I would not have had my present peace and joy. I deeply appreciate the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. I think that the Buddhist Way is not all or nothing or enlightened or not-enlightened. But with the Dharma, we are able to have many awakening experiences; they may be often small ones. Founder Nikkyo Niwano says, “The accumulation of ‘I see!’ moments of realization, lead to enlightenment,” in the Thought of the Week. I appreciate all the realization I have had in my Buddhist Way.”

Gassho
Mizutani

Source of Happiness -2-

Since I had read “The Thought of the Week” on our Buddhist Center homepage for this week, which is “The source of happiness is the ability to feel gratitude”, it has really become “My Though of the Week”. I have been more reflective this week and tried to look for “the source of happiness” around myself.

Then I found a message attached at the end of an email from one Professor at the University of California, Irvine. The message is “Three Sources of Lasting Happiness” at the end of his email.　 The sender is Dr. Roger Walsh, Professor of psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology at the UCI, who is the author of Essential Spirituality. I happened to meet him on campus at one occasion.

His message is:

WHAT MAKES FOR LASTING HAPPINESS?
Everyone wants to be happy but what makes for lasting happiness? Interestingly, research is now validating ancient wisdom in many ways. Money, for example, is surprisingly ineffective-- it can alleviate the suffering of deprivation, but above a certain minimum does precious little to increase lasting happiness.
So what does work? Many things will bump up happiness temporarily, but long term is a very different matter. Researchers have found three things that succeed in doing this. What are they?
1) Cultivating gratitude, and particularly effective is writing down something each day for which you feel grateful.
2) Reframing difficult experiences in a positive way. This, of course, is the old practice of looking for the silver lining.
3) Generosity. The old wisdom is true--in giving to others we give to ourselves, and the happy result is what's called a "helper's high."
May you be happy!

These three things have universal values. They are applicable to anyone. I found myself very fortunate, as I have learned these points in Buddhist tradition and been incorporating them in my everyday life. How grateful it is!

I would like to add one YOUTUBE film here, which inspires us to be more aware of the blessings we have now.
Enjoy!

The Story of A Sign

In deep respect,

Shoko Mizutani