Welcome everyone. So good to be together today. I’m happy to see you all this morning. Young and old and in between - everyone is here. There is a lot going on with Spring coming outside. Quite wonderful.
This week we participated in the Nevada Prayer Breakfast which was a wonderful time to share with brothers and sisters of other faith traditions. The sangha council filed a table of Buddhists. Next year maybe we can have two tables of sangha members sharing the experience. We removed about 100lbs of weeds from the back alley! Now when you park in the overflow area [that collection agency’s parking lot back there with yellow signs] it looks quite nice. Pulling weeds is a good meditation - or misogi in Japanese - a purification, one weed at a time. Letting go the weeds in our selves. We are here today to talk about living a mindful life - a Buddhist life. This is often a puzzle for people. When we look at the life of the Buddha, it was so very profound and any of us would likely not be able to live like that. The Buddha taught that our craving and feeling of want is extinguished or “blown out” by living mindful of eight guidelines. What we call living the eightfold path. He taught about this in the reading today - his first Dharma talk after enlightenment - the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta - The Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion - Sutra. Sometimes people read about the Eightfold Path and think - “Huh? I could never do that. It is so strict.” Well, it is a disciplined life. The Buddha never said in so many words “You should “ . He said If you live by these guides your suffering will melt away - Joy will flow in. A Buddhist life has a Questing quality. We live moving toward something - toward joy, toward wholeness. We are not responsible or capable of being a Buddha today. And that is OK - you are OK just as you are. This Questing feeling sets an intention - awakening in us the urge toward wholeness - what we call Bodhicitta. This Buddhist life is lived in becoming. It is a habit of living and takes time to develop foster and cultivate. It is the process of becoming more human. An important aspect of this becoming is realizing that we can’t make it on our own. 2600 yrs ago the Buddha identified four amazing truths. He wasn't the first to discover these, but we know from him that they have been operative in our Universe from many kalpas into the past. The Eightfold Path is one of these truths. Lets look at these Four Noble Truths. When Sakyamuni Buddha reached enlightenment under the bodhi tree he saw clearly these Truths…
The Fourth Noble Truths end with the Eightfold path. The Eight habits of the BUDDHIST LIFE are… Right Understanding Right Thought Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration You notice that each of the eight begins with “RIGHT”. Remember it does not really mean RIGHT - Like RIGHT and WRONG. That’s a very dualistic view and not a Buddhist view. The original word is samma, something like "best" or "appropriate" or "well-directed". A more subtle meaning. Really closer to... juuust right. The Buddha used the analogy of a harp string to explain..... What is just right when it comes to the strings of a harp? Too loose - It makes no sound - This is living in laxness. A lazy undirected life has little purpose - no destination - no Bodhicitta. This is not a spiritual life. Too Tight - The string may break. When it’s too tight we live life in should world. “You can't” “Do this” “Don't do that.” Rules and regulations pile up and compound and eventually we are wrapped so tight - that we break! This is not discipline - it’s oppression. Just Right - The string gives a beautiful note of music. As always let's understand the word RIGHT today as Juuuust Right! The Buddha taught that we will benefit if we live mindful of these eight spokes of the wheel of life. Mindfulness is living life present and aware of what we see before us in each moment. The alternative to this is delusion. The habit of seeing what we want to see all around us, or seeing what we fear all around us, all the time. We live in aversion or attachment. This is an unfortunate alternative, but very common way of living - my guess is that better than 90% of our time we live in one of these modes. We seem to get in the habit of ignoring what is happening around us because much of it is not what we want. It contains painful experiences - thoughts and emotions that we really don't want to spend our time on. That is because of their difference between what we want to happen and what is happening. The Buddha helps us soften the habit of wanting things to be different than they actually are. Through the eightfold path, we build a habit of letting go of strong aversions and strong attachments bit by bit, little by little. This is a very easy path. It is suited to regular people with regular lives. No big requirements, no renunciation. Only a radical acceptance of life and taking refuge in a universe larger than ourselves. We can accept that we are not cut-out to be fantastic spiritual people. Maybe we tend to jump to conclusions and get enraged at the slightest offence - ok there we are. And we accept that the universe has immense and limitless compassion for us even so. And immense and infinite wisdom if we only listen deeply...in the silence. Through mindfulness this is what we can see. We are goof-balls in so many ways and the universe is friendly, wise, and compassionate. We are goof-balls - Bonbunin is how Shinran says it in the Shoshinge we chanted - and Amida Buddha holds us, never to be let go. It is the Eightfold Path that gets us to realize this. The Eightfold Path is hard to share in this setting because there are eight spokes in the wheel. People don't easily learn 8 things in a sitting. But one at a time it can be easy and fun! In effect these are eight ways of living that we need to make habit. These are eight different aspects about ourselves that we need to monitor, practice, and probably change to help us rise to who we can be - spiritually. The simple goal is to lead a moral life, based in compassion and wisdom. When we learn the Eightfold Path it helps to use a memory trick - a mnemonic - to help remember all eight…. Understanding Thought Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration Until Thoughts Stop Acting Like Excited Monkeys Confusion! The first of the eight is ‘right understanding’. Anything you do is more effective if you start with a clear view. That is why we start with Right Understanding. It is the foundation. In Right Understanding (sammā-ditthi) we see clearly the four nobel truths...
Right Understanding is an understanding of karma, and knowing that all our actions of Body, Speech, and Mind have results. This is an immutable law of nature. Some actions bring us to the Dharma, some actions lead away. Right Understanding is also understanding non-self - how we are not self-existent objects, but rather we are really events in the flow of everything. We are interdependently co-arising with the entire universe. We trust in the Wisdom and Compassion of the Universe. And we see our place as just one tiny piece in a vastness beyond comprehension. The Nembutsu - here - is right understanding. Mindfulness of the Buddha. Recognizing that I am taking refuge in the Buddha all the time. Right Understanding is having these wise beliefs. Beliefs that reduce suffering, and avoid increasing stresses in life. These beliefs are the foundations of our understanding of the Dharma. A of clarity of view. This week a couple people asked me if Buddhism is a religion? A question I get often enough. Looking around...I have to say...if it isn't, it's doing a pretty good job of impersonating one. Why is this an important question? Really what they are asking is… “Do I need to buy into any blind dogmas or arbitrary beliefs to be part of Buddhism?” The most honest answer is “yes - you do’. You have to develop Juuust Right Understanding to build your world view on: The Four Noble Truths, The law of Karma, the Non-Self nature of all things, and the Enlightenment of the Buddha are logical premises of Buddhist life. They make sense, but do require deep and abiding faith. Confident Faith that builds as we learn more and experience the Buddha's way. Please remember that Right Understanding also includes a kind of mental discipline to avoid some kinds of questions − questions that distract us , or are unanswerable, and questions that are really “academic” - meaning even if we answered them, they wouldn't bring joy. The Buddha wouldn’t answer those questions because they did not lead to joy. So some mental discipline is needed here too. How do we get to juuust right understanding? Through experience, and mindfulness, and some study of the Dharma. Reading and participation at the temple’s classes and seminars from time to time builds Right Understanding. Most of all asking questions fosters Right Understanding. Remember our Mnemonic for the eightfold path… Until Thoughts | Stop Acting Like | Excited Monkeys… Confusion! Understanding Thought Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration The second habit we cultivate is right thought -- juuuust right thought. Right thoughts have a pattern of letting go. Right thought puts our thoughts in a more self-less rather than self-ish cast. Most of the time we are motivated by one kind of personal greed or another. When we foster thoughts of letting go we are - in fact - letting go of selfishness - practicing more self-less behavior helps us toward a true view of life. By curbing our thoughts that come from these thirsts for more stuff - we are making a habit of self-less-ness. This brings the realization that everyone is in the same boat as us, they want happiness and to avoid pain - we can live in a way that helps us all get there. Instead of trying to secure happiness of just one being, this precious separate self of mine, we can think about a greater good. So much joy and all difficulties begin in thoughts. All our actions of body and speech start with a thought. When we affect thought, with so little energy, we can subtly direct all our actions in a more wholesome direction Thoughts of good will and harm-less-ness - or Ahimsa we talked about in January. Are juuuust Right Thoughts. The just right thoughts on Compassion are the most accurate and truthful thoughts we entertain. The Buddha taught that we are all interconnected, so discarding our selfish pursuits and working towards the greater good is in line with reality. At first we don’t realize or appreciate what this letting go means - living a life more focused toward peace and letting go, mostly means giving up our greed, our anger, our jealousy, and other harmful thoughts and emotions. These prized possessions we cherish - our wounds and indignities done to us - these we carry inside us like little caustic treasures - what Gollum called our “precious-es”. Juuust Right Thought leaves these behind. Cast them off and care deeply for others. Happiness comes through finding that true light within and without. Our true nature is Eternal, Joyous, Selfless, and Pure. Having this Right Thought of letting go means we slowly loosen the grasp of our craving and attachment to external things. We can start to find the peace and happiness that lies within -- the great Ocean of mind -- we can hear the light that is all around us. Cultivating juuust Right Thought of goodwill and Non-harm is quite easy. When unwholesome thoughts arise we can simply let them go. They are only thoughts. Actions are much more difficult to undo. Thoughts of anger affect us all at times, for anger or ill will towards anyone, the Buddha prescribes the meditation of loving kindness…. May you be happy; May you be free from harm: May you receive boundless compassion; And may peace and harmony fill your heart This helps us eradicate the habit of ill will or anger. We are not angry beings - our true nature, is “Eternal, Joyous, Selfless and Pure” - we are beings of love, compassion, and peace, wishing others happiness. It is this state of being that the Buddha wants us to tap back into. A Juuust Right Thought exercise - Please close your eyes [Bell] Search your memory of a time an unfortunate or unkind thought arose. What was its object. What were the circumstances. Acknowledge it as just a thought. Without judgement or recrimination. Now remedy that thought by looking at the big picture. Think better of it. Realize the circumstances and replace it with a more wholesome thought. [Bell] Back to the Eightfold Path... Until Thoughts | Stop Acting Like | Excited Monkeys… Confusion! Understanding Thought Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration The third habit that leads to the other shore is juuuust Right Speech If we choose our words carefully, we can make other people happy. To use words mindfully, with loving kindness, is a practice of generosity. We can make many people happy simply by practicing juuuust right speech. This does require some Just Right Thought. All theses habits are interrelated. I’ve got another fun mnemonic - this one is for Juuust Right Speech: T - H - I - N - K = Think = Truthful - Helpful - Inspiring - Necessary and - Kind The Buddha taught us to be more care full in what we say. If we THINK before we speak many difficult situations will not arise. So much trouble and stress in life comes from things we or others say. Above all avoid lying, and any false speech. Avoid any kind of divisive. Words that separate or divide people from each other. We refraining from all aggressive or irritated scolding. This is a form of harming with words and can be avoided. Lastly, when we realize we are indulging in idle and empty gossip, we just stop. THINK before we speak. Just Right Speech is when we communicate words of kindness and simple truth and avoid speaking about others when they are not present. We also listen deeply to what others say in order to transform conflict into harmony. It lives in telling our truth with care and awareness. That was Juust Right Speach. If you’d like to try another simple exercise - please stand up [as we are able]. Turn to a person near you. Look into their eyes and say “Thank You” in gratitude for the Wisdom and Compassion of the Universe. That is good. The Eightfold path - remember our mnemonic… Until Thoughts | Stop Acting Like | Excited Monkeys… Confusion! Understanding Thought Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration Next time we will talk about… Right Action - we act and give in mindfulness - with an open heart and abstain from harming, from stealing, from misusing sexuality. This is juuust Right Action. Right Livelihood - Mindful of our time at work - We avoid professions and jobs that defile or harm. Right Effort - Following this Path takes effort. It is against our Bonbu nature to do these things and think these ways. Right Mindfulness - This is really being aware of the boundless force of life, love, compassion, and wisdom that pervades the ten quarters of the universe. And Right Concentration - This means we practice deep hearing of the light. Understanding Thought Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration Until Thoughts Stop Acting Like Excited Monkeys Confusion! Conclusion - Living the Eightfold Path is rewarding and wonderful and we do it in dedication to all sentient beings. The idea of the path is to create a wholesome habit of living. It gives us spiritual wings. And leads us to harmony with the Four Noble Truths...
The Eightfold path brings Compassion and Wisdom in balance - it is a middle way. In the Buddha’s teachings, we see that compassion and wisdom are like the two wings of a bird. If one wing is weak or broken, the bird can’t fly, the same is true with our spiritual practice. Without balance, we don’t make progress. Imbalance results in being either a compassionate fool or an unpleasant know-it-all. The Buddha’s goal in life is the juuust right blending of both Compassion and Wisdom. The we can spiritually fly. These Right Habits are a way of changing our minds to see clearly - an expansive vision of all the worlds. This is living the nembutsu. Mindful of the Buddha, we don’t do this by our own efforts alone. And so we take refuge in Amida Buddha. Through Amida we experience our true nature that is Eternal, Joyous, Selfless and Pure. Lets share our deepest wish for all beings to realize this truth. Please repeat after me... May you be happy; May you be free from harm: May you receive boundless compassion; And may peace and harmony fill your heart - Namu Amida Butsu
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--- Namu Amida Butsu - Namu Amida Butsu - Namu Amida Butsu ---
So happy to see you all here today. It really feels like spring to me this morning...this time for sure? Though shoveling snow on Monday was fun. The life of the temple has been full and joyful. Last weekend we had our Moon Rabbit Cafe and shared food and community with 180 guests. A couple hospital visits and a professional clergy association meeting filled out week of priestly duties. I take a moment to remember Aki Miller a Dharma sister who passed on this week. Today we focus on Dharma Sisters and their contributions - the essential spirit of Buddhism absolutely includes all beings, male and female, small and big, new and old. These are just fictional dualities - Constructs that lack in any real substance. That said - Women have always been integral to the unfolding of Buddhist life. You all play a role that is essential to us being here together today. I have considered so many ideas in preparation for this talk. The role of women in many Buddhist countries and historical periods. The very nature of the Duality of women and men. Its place in the sutras and the thought of Buddhist teachers and Bodhisattvas. Much of this I will save for another time. These thoughts might obscure my deep gratitude for all the women who have done most of the work of sustaining Buddhism for 2,600 years. I had meant to give this talk closer to mother's day. But now is always a better time to do anything - right. As we talk about many fine women of our lineage, please consider the core Buddhist values of... COMPASSION, ACCEPTANCE, and RIGHT EFFORT- that they teach even today. The story of Buddhism has many important women...
If it were not for these women it would be impossible for us to be here together. We say to them - “Thank you so much!”. Let's say that together - “Thank you so much!” Thats a lot of people in my list - My dear teacher Linda Brown at Truckee High would tell me I have to pick two of them to tell you about. Ok - Mahapajapati - Eshinni Let me consider Mahapajapati - She was the first woman to “go forth” in Buddhism as a Bhikkhuni or nun - about 10 years after the Buddha’s enlightenment. There had been many women lay followers by this time. Queen Pajapati was Maya’s sister - She raised Siddhartha's after Queen Maya died just a week after the birth. She was very important to his life and growth as a spiritual teacher. As he grew up the king sheltered him from any religious teaching. It must have been Prajapati who quietly nurtured Siddhartha's spiritual growth. Is it a surprise that the young prince resolves to be a religious seeker - when his father gave him a purely materialistic upbringing? Kids will do that sometimes. The pendulum swings. With Maya’s death - Pajapati did her duty and assumed her sister's role in the palace. She gave up whatever plans and dreams she had for herself and became queen. This is the experience of impermanence - that life does not always go according to our own plan - it was deeply felt by Prajapati. Out of compassion for all she assumed this role, and focused on her new son and raised him. As for Siddhartha, he later came to appreciate deeply the many elements that led him to his awakening, acknowledging the many Buddhas before him whose legacy made his awakening possible. This realization did not come to him in only six years of religious study and ascetic practice, growing up there was natural exposure to the religious thought of his time. Queen Pajapati was his first teacher. A teacher of Wisdom and Compassion. Fast forward to ten years after Siddhartha's enlightenment - He returned to the Sakya kingdom for the first time when his father died. There was a funeral and the Buddha shared the Dharma. Upon hearing the teaching Queen Pajapati asked to join the order. This was a big ask. Since there was no order of nuns and the general culture treated women as property - often expecting a widow throw herself on her husband's funeral pyre. It was a big ask. The Buddha considered the effect on the newly created sangha. The story in the Pali canon is as follows: Mahapajapati went to the place where the Buddha was, approached and greeted him, and, standing at a respectful distance, spoke to him: "It would be good, Lord, if women could be allowed to renounce their homes and enter into the homeless state under the Dharma and discipline of the Tathagata." The Buddha considered this suggestion but gave no response. He traveled to the next town on his circuit - she asked again that the Buddha allow women to be ordained into an order of nuns. He said ”no” to this second request. As they walked to Jetavana, Ananda asked the Buddha many questions about Pajapati’s request. He asked the Buddha if women were able to reach enlightenment, the Buddha said they can. This was a very significant thought. All previous religious traditions specifically excluded women from this attainment. 2500 years ago the idea of gender equality was not common. A few days later, to demonstrate her resolve, Pajapati renounced her previous life and began her own journey of enlightenment. She shaved her head like a monk, wore robes, and walked 300 miles to Jetavana Monastery where the Buddha had arrived a few days before. The story goes that a group of 500 women followed with her. After having been rejected two times, this was probably her last opportunity to get a “yes” from the Buddha. Ananda, [Pajapati’s other nephew and attendant to the Buddha] intervened this time to help Pajapati and her followers. His questions had affected the Buddha’s view. On her third request the Buddha agreed to create the order of Bhikkhunis provided Pajapati accept the eight conditions. After Pajapati accepted these administrative conditions, her requested was accepted. Mahapajapati was really a parallel leader in early Buddhism. Her attainments and her ultimate enlightenment were important to the sustained growth of the Buddhist sangha. Mahapajapati request was not for herself, but out of compassion for 50% of humanity - all of humanity. She continued to guide and nurture the order for the rest of her life. At peace with the changefulness of existence she was not content to live out her days in courtly pursuits and embarked on a challenging and rewarding spiritual path. She wrote… I've been mother and son before; And father, brother — grandmother too. Not understanding what was real, I flowed-on without finding [peace]. But now I've seen the Blessed One! This is my last compounded form. The on-flowing of birth has expired. There's no more re-becoming now. In the end, Gotama Buddha himself carried her body to the funeral pyre with deep gratitude. We all have deep gratitude of Mahapajapati she was a wonderful Dharma sister: strong, independent and, compassionate. We had that long list…Who else can I tell you about? - Eshinni! Partner and wife of Shinran Shonin. When Shinran left the monastery on Mt. Hiei and studied with Honen in Kyoto there were many other students there. Myoko Tanemori [Eshinni] was a hand maiden for an important lady it the imperial court and met Shinran in the Pure land Buddhist groups of the time. Honen, Shinran and others who were making the Pure Land teaching - available to all. Eshinni wrote in a letter… “Numerous as clouds in the sky, all sat with sleeves touching - court ladies and grave diggers, monks and lepers. No distinction. No discrimination. All reciting the nembutsu until it felt as if the place filled with an ocean of sound.” The idea of sharing Buddhism among everyday common people did not sit well with the politically powerful monasteries and monks at the time. [1206] Honen even allowed Shinran to marry Eshinni. “...It is important to live the Nembutsu - if you can live the Nembutsu as a monk then do that - if you have to be married to live the Nembutsu then do that...” They were married and soon after all of Honen’s disciples were exiled [1207]. Likely Eshinni was pregnant when they had to quickly leave Kyoto. Some were executed, but the new couple was sent to Eshinni’s home province of Echigo located between the Japan sea and the Japan Alps - it is a beautiful and sometimes harsh place to live. Their marriage is important - it was the first openly recognized marriage of a priest - this is a tradition we continue today in Shin Buddhism. Really a teaching partnership between wife and husband and sangha. It makes Shin Buddhist temples welcoming to householders and families. Eshinni was essential because she was the one who supported the family through their exile and travels to the Kanto region. Her management of family lands produced and supported Shinran and their children. Shinran and Eshinni began to share the Buddhist teaching - our Nembutsu - with the people of Echigo. The oldest Shin Buddhist temples are there. [We visited one last year on our Japan trip.] Shinran would go on long teaching tours in the neighboring region. In those times Eshinni would share the Nembutsu with the sangha. When famine struck in Echigo in 1214, Eshinni collected their 4 children and several servants and migrated to the Kanto region in the East. On foot across the spine of Honshu must have been a difficult journey. Pregnant at the time, Eshinni is said to have chanted the Nembutsu as she carried the little-one over the mountains to Hitachi. A new place, and a new life, but the same role. As keeper of the home temple, Eshinni supported the family and stayed in the village of Sakai in Hitachi prefecture. Shinran traveled and taught ranging all over the Kanto area - spreading the Nembutsu teaching. Their life was more comfortable in the Kanto, with more nembutsu followers many viable Shin Buddhist sanghas were established. One we visited outside of Kosama, was just a ginkgo tree where Shinran would teach when his travels came through the village. It is now just a stump with a protective roof over it. In memory of those days. In his 60’s Shinran retired and quietly returned to Kyoto where the whole story had begun. Eshinni and the two younger children followed Shinran to Kyoto. Later Eshinni had to return to Echigo, she to attend to the family businesses manage their the land. She never saw Shinran again and corresponded by letter when possible. We know so much about Eshinni because of 10 letters written in her hand that were discovered in 1921. They bring us vibrantly in contact with this remarkable woman. Here is a bit on one of those letters... “Also, [I recall] a dream I had while we were at a place called Sakai village in Hitachi. There was a dedication ceremony for a temple building...In front of the building there were lanterns [burning] bright...there were [two] Buddhist images suspended from the horizontal part of ... a shrine gate. In one there was no face... but only a core of light, as if it were the radiance of the Buddha... distinct features could not be seen, and light was the only thing there. In the other, there was a distinct face ... I asked what Buddhist images these were, and a person - I don’t remember who ... - said "The one that is only light is Master Honen. He is the bodhisattva [of wisdom] Seishi." When I asked who the other was, he said "That is [the bodhisattva of compassion] Kannon. That is none other than the priest Shinrna." Upon hearing this I was shocked [out of my sleep], and I realized that it had been a dream.” Then she confides in her daughter… “... I [have remained] silent, not telling other people [about this]. But I did tell my husband [Shinran] the part about Master [Honen]. He said, "Among dreams there are many different types, but this dream must be true. There are many [other] instances of dreams in which people have seen Master [Honen] … as a manifestation of the bodhisattva Seishi. The bodhisattva Seishi is the ultimate in wisdom, so he [appeared simply] as light." I did not say anything about my husband being Kannon, but in my own mind I never looked upon him from that day forward in any ordinary way. You should ponder these things well…” Their relationship was profound. Each considering the other an emanation of Great Compassion itself. Eshinni shows us that when life challenges us, when we are ready to face real adversity in our lives that’s when our hearts can truly open: we hear and appreciate the wisdom and compassion of the Universe. This is when our personal spiritual journey begins - with hearts open to reality we find ourselves on the Dharma path. Eshinni always acted out of COMPASSION. As a mother and a wife and a teacher and Nembutsu follower. She deeply understood - the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism…
After his death, Kakushinni wanted to keep Shinran’s teaching alive and perpetuated it for his followers. She built a temple enshrining an image of Shinran. As a result, the Nembutsu teaching began to reach more people. About 50 years later, this mausoleum became an official temple and was named the “Hongwanji.” The Hongwanji temple has developed into the Jodo Shinshu school as one of the largest and most powerful Buddhist schools in Japan. Kakushinni’s foresight and deep appreciation towards the Nembutsu teaching saved Shinran’s work and established the foundation of Shin Buddhism. She is truly the Mother of the Honganji. Conclusion - All the women I listed at the start were Builders and Sustainers of the tradition. Mothers to the way of COMPASSION. They endured and thrived in very difficult times and selflessly gave to others the gift of the Dharma. The four noble truths teach that joy flows from ACCEPTING CHANGE. These dear women saw changes again and again. And learned to accept and embrace teh becoming of the world around them. Most of all they inspire us with their RIGHT EFFORT. Each of them faced life with strength, resolve, and kindness. As Shin Buddhists we have the advantage of being part of the Pure Land tradition, and we have a married clergy, we have a congregational system, we share a path to Enlightenment available to all - within a lifetime. It is a path of gratitude, a path of mindfulness of Wisdom and Compassion. These kind women brought the universal message of the Nembutsu - You are Ok just as you are. Troubles and all we can go forth in joy. Grateful for the Wisdom and Compassion of the Universe. Amida Buddha. I am so grateful to the women who did much of the work of sustaining Buddhism for 2,600 years. They have done so much for all of us. Please send their good wishes to all sentient beings - just repeat after me... May you be happy; May you be free from harm: May you receive boundless compassion; And may peace and harmony fill your heart - Namu Amida Butsu Namu Amida Butsu Namu Amida Butsu - Thanks to to the clear thoughts of : Rev. Patty Naikai, Rev Jōshō Cirlea, James Dobbens |