The Buddhist Spirit
Posted: June 11, 2008 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Jodo Shu, Religion, Zen | 22 Comments »Hello,
I haven’t written much lately due to a bad cold and general fatigue. I haven’t felt very inspired either lately, but I consider this a good thing because it means I am wracking my brains over Buddhism less lately while still maintain a sense of forward momentum.
I’ve been watching some interesting threads going on on E-sangha regarding Western Buddhism, and what the right approach to this is. At the same time, I was watching another episode of the Japanese documentary “100-Temple Pilgrimage” (hyakuji junrei 百寺巡礼). In this latest episode, the narrator Hiroyuki Itsuki visited the famous temple of Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion, in Kyoto. I actually did visit the related Golden Pavilion in Kyoto back in 2005. Here’s a picture I uploaded to Wikipedia at one point:
I have to admit I like the Silver Pavilion over the Golden one, which I find kind of gaudy. At one point, the narrator interviewed the head priest at Ginkakuji, and they started talking about Zen and Pure Land practices. Due to my limited Japanese, I had trouble following the conversation, but I believe the head priest talked about how the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who built the temple, was a devout follower of Zen, but at the same time he recited the nembutsu of Pure Land Buddhism. The conversation got me thinking about the practice and spirit of Buddhism.
In my time as a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, I learned some very valuable lessons about life:
- Humility – Not taking one’s self seriously. We live as we do through the kindness of others, not so much by our own efforts. Too often we can get caught up in our practice, and forget who we are. Honen, in his “One-Sheet Document” summed this up nicely:
Even if those who believe in the nembutsu deeply study all the teachings which Shakyamuni taught during his life, they should not put on any airs and should practice the nembutsu with the sincerity of those untrained followers ignorant of Buddhist doctrines.
- Joy – Raising a family, while very challenging, has been a source of joy for me. The early texts of the Pali Canon contain some wonderful poems about the joys of the renunciant life, but Pure Land reminds me of the joys of the lay life as well. As Master Yin-shun said, it’s a matter of inclination, not which life is better.
While watching this documentary, and it’s depiction of Zen, I see some very positive values conveyed there as well:
- Simplicity – Zen emphasizes a simple life free of obstructions by material goods (and one’s own conceptions). This is in keeping with the Buddha’s repeated exhortations about how a worldly life makes one tangled, flustered and confused. While this did not necessarily mean you have to throw out all your stuff, and concerted focus on a simple untangled life has clear long-term benefits over a worldly, material one. Living life in a simple way is also part of the spirit of renunciation by the way.
- Practice – I think one should have a clear practice to follow, whatever that may be. It’s not enough to just pick and choose things that suit you, I think through the guidance of mentors and tradition, one can shed one’s ego, and just follow the practice. This was a point of frustration for me in the past with Jodo Shinshu, and now with my Shingon experimentation, I am finding that without initiation, practice doesn’t go far. I admire Zen for it’s clear approach to practice. Lately, I’ve been looking more deeply into Jodo Shu (another Japanese Pure Land sect), and it’s approach to practice as well.
So, what I saw between Pure Land and Zen was a nice synthesis of the Buddhist spirit:
- Humility
- Joy
- Simplicity
- Practice
I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: I think Zen and Pure Land Buddhism really complement one another, such that they are somewhat incomplete on their own. Kyoushin once wrote a great post on his experiences visiting a Soto Zen center years after he gave up the practice. He noticed that many people who just focused on the practice lacked a certain sense of spirit and reverence; it was a self-oriented effort only. I recall recently hearing a story from the Pali Canon where the Buddha said that not having something respect is a form of suffering, which is a very telling statement if you ask me. At the same time, my frustration in Jodo Shinshu was rooted in the sense of aimlessness I felt in that no one around had any interest in practicing Buddhism, ‘cuz we were all saved by Amida anyways. Of course, a real Pure Land Buddhist wouldn’t think this way, but it was just the environment I was in, and I had had enough.
Speaking of the need for practice, I recently read in Master Yin-Shun’s book something regarding practice as well:
Some people practice this or that, without determination and perserverance, and eventually develop bad habits and accomplish nothing. So one much be cautious. Once one has started a practice, one should proceed from the beginning to the end without giving up. Only in this way can one develop firm will power.
This was in reference to the four powers that one develops through a concerted, long-term practice:
- Superior Understanding
- Firm Willpower
- Joy
- The power of rest (knowing when to take a break when you’ve pushed too far)
Anyways, this post is a bit scattered, but just throwing out some stuff for consideration.
Namuamidabu
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
I like the idea of mixing the practice and belief of more then one form of buddhism, such as Pure Land and Zen. I have read that in the past Chan (Zen) Buddhism from China was often taught alongside Pure Land Buddhism in many Buddhist monasteries. Also, one of the first Chinese Zen Masters to teach in the west, Hsuan Hua, also taught Chinese Pure Land and other forms of Buddhism.
Good point Tornado. Yin-Shun, the fellow I am reading now, is another Chinese Ch’an master who seems to advocate both, though he argues it’s better to stick with one practice all the way to fruition. He does talk at length about Pure Land Buddhism from the Chinese perspective, and speaks highly of it, and offers advice about how to follow it (again from the Chinese, not Japanese perspective). Namely, reciting the nembutsu should be the primary practice, but followed up with prostrations, repentence, etc.
I don’t fully agree with that approach, but I do see the value in having a “primary” practice of some kind, bolstered by other things.
P.S. I am a little leery of mixing practices in haphazard fashion. I favor something where a mentor and tradition help give one some guidance as to how to mix practices. Just a thought.
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. You must deal with a lot of people at work because you seem to catch cold quite easily. Drink some tea and put your feet up. Hope you feel better soon.
“…I do see the value in having a “primary” practice of some kind, bolstered by other things.
I do too. I see each Buddhist sect as a tool- to aid us in understanding the Buddha’s teachings on ending suffering. But if you have a leaky sink, you don’t throw your hammer away because it isn’t needed at that moment.
But I do also agree with the quote you cited from Master Yin-Shun’s book. It is important to find a practice and stick with it. Life is precious and short. Taking too much time to find the perfect tool won’t leave us with any time to use it.
“I think Zen and Pure Land Buddhism really complement one another, such that they are somewhat incomplete on their own.”
You are lucky in a way because you have more tools than I do. I may find one day that my Soto-shu tool has been worn down to the point where I can no longer use it. But then again, it may not. It works now, and for that, I am grateful.
But I do also agree with the quote you cited from Master Yin-Shun’s book. It is important to find a practice and stick with it. Life is precious and short. Taking too much time to find the perfect tool won’t leave us with any time to use it.
Funny, that’s what another person I know said to me recently. I thought it was good advice, but it also meant that I couldn’t square with the practices in Jodo Shinshu, hence my decision to look elsewhere.
My advice: If a core Jodo Shinshu teaching really didn’t resonate with you, then it was probably best to look elsewhere. But if you can’t say the same about Shingon (or whatever your leaning towards), then I think you should stick it out.
Or find a third alternative. That’s what I am doing lately.
I was always curious how much different Jodo Shu was from Chinese Pure Land. What I practiced was officially called the Pure Land school of Mahayana Buddhism. The primary practice was chanting “Amituofo,” which is Amitabha in Chinese. Other practices involved sitting, walking, and bowing meditation. In addition to the three Pure Land Sutras are Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Conduct and Vows from the Avatamsaka Sutra, The Perfect, Complete Realization of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva from the Shurangama Sutra, and The Rebirth Treatise. I don’t know enough about Jodo Shu. I find that Jodo Shinshu makes the most sense for me and I don’t expect it to work for everyone. I’m not entirely sure if I agree with everything BCA, but I do go to a BCA temple. I am also curious about including Zen in my practice. It seems to be very common. Anyway, I hope for the best in your pursuit. Don’t worry if it takes several years to settle with something.
Here is a link that is related to this discussion.
http://abuddhistperspective.squarespace.com/journal/
The post is called Different Situations, Different Methods.
I guess your no more moderation doesn’t allow links to be added. That’s probably a good idea. What I was trying to post was a link to a blog that had a post related to this discussion. If you do a Yahoo search for: a buddhist perspective, it should take you to it. The post is called Different Situations, Different Methods.
Hi Michael, that was the silly spam filter again. I still check pretty regularly just in case. Someone else got blocked too earlier today.
What is your third alternative? I thought your interest at the moment was with Shingon Buddhism. You mentioned Jodo Shu earlier. Does your practice consists of elements from both these traditions? Or something different entirely?
Nosy me.
Michael: I checked out the link you provided and it was a good post. I also appreciated your comment: I am also curious about including Zen in my practice. It seems to be very common. Anyway, I hope for the best in your pursuit. Don’t worry if it takes several years to settle with something. I think I will settle sooner or later. I am not too worried about it at present.
Jeannie: Still TBD.
I would say it of course but where you write “my frustration in Jodo Shinshu was rooted in the sense of aimlessness I felt in that no one around had any interest in practicing Buddhism” I feel this reflects on the particular JSS groups you have been exposed to rather than the tradition itself.
Quite possible. I was hoping to drop by and visit your temple at some point whenever I get to Ireland (I’m finally leaving in July) in either case, but I am sure it’s educational as well.
Kyoshin: I agree. As a whole, I don’t think that is the case with all JSS groups. Unfortunately, we are limited due to geographical locations. I am happy with the temple I go to. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I move, but that’s a few years away.
Just a note on my previous post. I go to a BCA temple. The priest has often refered me to teachings of Higashi and how similar it is to Nishi. He has also referenced Tibetan teachings. So this small group of about a dozen has been very open to other ideas besides strictly BCA teachings. I have noticed this also when speaking to 3 other BCA priests. This is the only temple I have ever been to and am very happy with it.
Hi Michael, It’s OK I didn’t take your post as a criticism of your temple and in fact I wasn’t making a criticism of Gerald’s either – its just a case of what a person is looking for. I visited Gerald’s temple briefly in April and it seemed a lovely, friendly family oriented place but as we all know he is very keen to dig into stuff deeper and I can see that there might be a lack of people there wanting to do the same.
My home ‘temple’ is a very small overseas dojo of a big Japanese temple. We have a small membership but a lot of energy. It being only just in its second decade there are still few concessions to English speakers in certain areas though that is changing.
What I’m getting at is each temple has its own strengths and weakness, and all are in flux ..
“I would say it of course but where you write “my frustration in Jodo Shinshu was rooted in the sense of aimlessness I felt in that no one around had any interest in practicing Buddhism” I feel this reflects on the particular JSS groups you have been exposed to rather than the tradition itself.”
My experience agrees with Kyōshin’s remarks. Although I do not practice Jodo Shinshu, the many I know that do are very interested in everything from discussing and practicing the Eightfold Path to Sutra study.
“Jeannie: Still TBD.”
Awww, all right. I’ll try to be patient. Grumble, grumble…Kshanti Paramita is not my strong point.
Jeannie, Michael, Kyoushin: Thanks guys for your input.
Like Michael said, it takes quite a while to sort things out, and right now I am enjoying a more non-committal approach to things, but I think I will settle down on a practice for good at some point in the future. Lately I feel quite a bit more relaxed about things, but like I said, still with a sense of progress, so I actually in a better mood overall (minus the cold) than I’ve been in a while.
I am happy to hear that, GF.