The Power of Smile

When I was participating in the web cast celebration of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of my Buddhist Congregation yesterday, I realized that this year is also the 30th anniversary of my own Buddhist life. On May 4th, 1978, I walked into the Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center of Sapporo to learn the Dharma.

One of the greatest learning I have ever got is the awareness of my connection with external conditions. We are likely to be influenced by the things happening around us. When people are nice to me, I am happy. When things don’t go well, I am frustrated. When the traffic is smooth, I feel good. When a service is delayed at a restaurant, I am irritated.　However, I am also aware that even though the external conditions may not be something I want, I can free myself from negative influences by tuning my state of mind into the Buddha’s state of mind, i.e. appreciation of that circumstance and appreciation of that moment.

Will it take time to attain that special state of mind? I think it is a life-long practice. But making a smile has a power to connect us to the Buddha’s mind right away. When we smile, a feeling of happiness arises from within ourselves irrespective of the conditions we are in.
External conditions fail to control us, and instead we can engage ourselves in a constructive process.

Smile has a power. And this is what I was able to gain from my practice with Rissho Kosei-kai.
Thank you, Buddha, and thank you, Founder Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, for its foundation.

Mizutani

Moving Out 2/18/08

2/10 I moved from Torrance to a new apartment in Irvine. What I took with me today were just the Buddha Statue and a sleeping bag. I started my new life with Buddha.

2/11 I went back to the family house and packed everything in boxes.

2/12 A big truck came and moved all furniture and boxes to the new place.

2/13 I cleaned my sweet house, dumping all trashes in the neighbors’ trash bins as well as mine.

2/14 I returned my house keys to the landlord. I tried to express how much I was appreciative of this house that supported our family life, then tears dropped.

2/18 Most boxes are now gone and I finally vacuumed the rooms in the new apartment.

It was a big week of moving my life from the previous place to the new place.
I realized that I have a strong attachment to my family. Things like a picture, note, toy, often stopped my hand of packing. In 2001, we came to US and my wife and kids made a great effort to adapt to this country. I may not be very considerate to each of them, however, as I was so busy with my own work too. Cleaning a house by oneself is hard, but I realized that it was a great time to feel deeply my appreciation to my wife and kids, Aki, Naoki, Yuri, and Taishi. It was another awakening!

Do not let your attachment controls you; Control your attachment for a new discovery.

Before I left the home, I bowed to each room and thanked. I also bowed to an old tree by the side of a kid's playhouse in the backyard. And I bowed to the house.

Thank you, Buddha.
Shoko Mizutani

Six Paramitas 2/8/08

“How are you doing, Rev. Mizutani?” I appreciate these telephone calls from members of Rissho Kosei-kai LA, where I served as minister for the last seven years. I also appreciate all great comments and encouraging emails from those who have read this Blog. Thank you, all.
Yes, I eat well. Thank you.　　Do I miss my family?　Yes, I do. I try to call them and send email to them often, so that they don’t forget me.

Starting the new office and living home alone bring me many challenges. What I can say is that practicing the Dharma is truly the way to keep me on the right path.

I have written in this blog that I practice the sutra chanting whenever I need strength and Buddha’s wisdom. But please do not misunderstand. It is only one aspect of my Dharma practice. In Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist tradition, the bodhisattva way, or the Six Paramitas*, is the fundamental Dharma practice as in other Mahayana schools.
In the Chapter 3, “Ten Merits”, in “The Sutra of the Innumerable Meanings”, it says;
“This sutra makes a miserly one raise the mind of donation,
makes an arrogant on raise the mind of keeping the precepts,
makes an irascible one raise the mind of perseverance,
make an indolent one raise the mind of assiduity,
makes a distracted one raise the mind of meditation,
and makes an ignorant on raise the mind of wisdom.”

The terms with underline are the components of the Six Paramitas. This part of the sutra teaches that those who realize the truth will be able to attain all these Buddha-like dispositions. And it also reminds us and encourages us to practice hard each of the Six Paramitas for awakening.

Practicing the Six Paramitas builds one’s positive karma for the future happiness.
But from my own experience, practicing the donation (serving to others, or rendering loving kindness to others), for example, brings awakening right that moment.

Sometimes I am in a hurry on a freeway. Usually in those times, I am very self-centered. When some car suddenly cuts in just in front of me, I get angry feeling within myself. But when I try to think of helping other cars, I am willing to accept those cars. And I feel as if the wall which had been surrounding my mind is now disappeared. I feel a great connection between the driver and myself.　A freeway is not just the way to go somewhere, but it is the way for awakening.

The best book I would like to recommend you to read is the “Buddhism for Today”　by Rev.Nikkyo Niwano, founder of Rissho Kosei-kai. It is a wonderful guide for those who want to learn Buddhism in the everyday life context.

Thank you, Buddha.
Shoko Mizutani

*the six kinds of practice that bodhisattvas should follow to attain enlightenment.

Every incident is Buddha's compassion 2/4/08

Forgive me for this long story today.
It was January 2001, when my family came to the US from Japan. After seven years of wonderful life here in LA, we decided that all my family except for me would go back to Japan for mainly kids’ educational needs. They left LA last November. And February 1 was the day of my son’s entrance exam for the middle school in Tokyo.
The school said that they would announce the registration numbers of those who passed the exam on the web at 10pm on February 1st. I woke up before 5am on LA time, which is 10pm on Tokyo time of that day, and opened the school website. My son’s number was not there. Oh, he failed.

Luckily the entrance exam system of that middle school is designed so that students can take the exam on the following day again. I called to my wife in Tokyo. Although she knew that there is a second chance tomorrow, she was very much upset. She was feeling sorry for him that she could not give enough support for him, because she needed to spend most of her time for a daughter. She is an LD (Learning Disability) student and my wife was helping her prepare for a high school entrance exam for the last three months. I could hear my wife crying, holding a cell phone.
I said, “You have done everything you could. He will pass the next one!.” In my mind, however, I could not help but feeling uneasy too. “What will happen if he fails the next one again?” “He should have applied another middle school too…” . These thoughts repeatedly came up and occupied my mind. In this mindset, passing the exam has become the sole cause of my family’s happiness.

Recognizing this, but still holding the attached feeling of wishing his passing the exam, I started reciting the Lotus Sutra to gain calmness, mindfulness, and strength to see the reality of all existence.　When in the midst of confusion, illusion, and attachment, we cannot see it all.
Through reciting, I came to realize that we have done all we could do. Whatever the result is, it is the best result. We can start from there and build our future together.
One phrase in the Meditation Sutra came into my eyes;
“He must read the Great-Vehicle sutras and recite them, think of the meaning of the Great-Vehicle and reflect over its practice, and see all people in the same way as the Buddha see them, and treat living begins in the same way as father and mother treat their children.” ("The Threefold Lotus Sutra", by Bunno Kato)

I recalled how much my parents, particularly my mother, worried about me and prayed for me when I was taking exams for schools. Then right away I called my parents’ home in Japan. My mother nowadays became very weak and mostly stays in bed. But it was she who took the phone. I talked the story and expressed my appreciation to her. She said, “Well, I forgot what I did for you, my son.” But I remember what she did for me and I remember all the love I have received from my parents. And I realized that all blessings I have received from parents are always here with me, no matter whether my son will pass or will not pass the exam.

My wife went to offer a prayer to the Buddha at the Great Sacred Hall, where she met two of her best mentors. She received supportive words from them, similar to what I recognized.
We talked on the phone again;
“Every incident is Buddha's compassion for our awakening. Thanks to this experience, we were able to reflect on ourselves. Let our son do the exam, and let ourselves do what we need to do.”
My son took the exam again. In the following early morning, I jumped out from a bed and tuned on the computer. I found an email from my wife….

Thank you, Buddha.
Shoko Mizutani

Dharma on the Move 1/31/08

Chanting sutra is a great practice. In the Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist tradition, we recite the Lotus Sutra every morning and every evening. As February 3rd is an important day, called Setsubun, a day before the start of the New Year in the Japanese traditonal astrological calendar, we hold a special session to chant the whole pages of the Lotus Sutra in one or two week period of time. At 6am today, I started chanting from Chapter 3, "A Parable", to Chapter 6, "Prediction" at home myself. The total pages were about 70, and it was close to 8am when I finished the chanting. When I recite the sutra particularly in a loud voice, I always enjoy the sense of connection with the Dharma. Feeling deeper appreciation to family, friends, and all beings, I renew the bodhisattva spirit. I was sitting and chanting for two hours this morning, but I felt it was just about five minutes.

After the breakfast, it seems the Dharma guided me to listen to an audio lecture in a website. It was a lecture by Ven. Kusala Bhikshu. He was talking about Buddhism to students at Santa Margarita Catholic High school.
I was very much impressed with his openness, his easy-to-understand expression, and at most his sincere attitude throughout his life to share the Dharma to free every being from suffering.

Several days ago, I watched a video presentation by Pema Chodron and was struck by her great articulation of Buddhist principles.

I also got impressed by a book titled “The Best Buddhist Writing 2007”. Most of the contributors to this book are Western Buddhist scholars and practitioners.

Having learned and practiced the Buddhism wholeheartedly, now American Buddhists are sharing the Dharma with American people. Actually the person who introduced the Pema’s video talk to me was also a brilliant American leader in our Oklahoma Dharma Center.

Dharma is on the move now! I would like to renew my vow to contribute to peace and happiness of people in this country by sharing the Dharma as compassionately as possible.

Chanting brought me a great day today! Thank you, Buddha.
Shoko Mizutani

great time with other religious leaders 1/29/08

It was a great honor and pleasure for us to host a Nikkei (Japanese American) Interfaith meeting at Rissho Kosei-kai of LA yesterday. About 30 religious leaders from Shinto, Christianity, and Buddhism attended and we enjoyed eating Bento (lunch box) together and also sharing thoughts and news.

We grow from interaction. By listening, by talking, by being with other religious leaders yesterday, I was very much inspired. All religions are, I believe, wonderful manifestation of the truth of the universe. And by walking on the respective path most sincerely, followers will eventually attain enlightenment. So being a Christian, for example, you too can become a buddha, enlightened one. Difference gives us options to choose a path. Difference creates more opportunies for interaction and nurtures all practitionars.

How wonderful it is to have various forms of religious tradition, instead of just one!
Difference must be a great gift to all of us. Shoko Mizutani

"When you change, other will change." 1/26/08

After enjoying swimming exercise at the YMCA pool, I went to the Borders for lunch and books this afternoon. A young guy at the coffee section served me politely and also very friendlily. 　I found a book ,“The Best Buddhist Writing 2007”, and stood in a customers’ line. A charming lady at a cashier called me up, and I walked to her. She asked me, "Do you have a Borders’ card?" "Yes, I have. But I didn't bring today." "That's all right. What is your email address?" "OK, it is mizutani21@..." "That's your age!" We smiled together.

A positive interaction always makes me happy.　In Japan, we don’t show much friendliness or a smile to those whom we don’t know yet. This is truly a great virtue of people in US.　　But even in this county, not all people are nice. Through my own experience, I have noticed something. That is when I am with a big smile, the person I meet is most like respond to me with a big smile. This is the basic concept of Buddhism, the Law of Causation. In a simple expression, it means, “When you change, other will change”. I experienced the dharma today too. Shoko Mizutani