Make the most of what you got!
Posted: June 30, 2008 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Jodo Shu, Religion, Zen | 12 Comments »Buddhism in the West, if not in general, sometimes suffers from excessive commercialism, where people pay exorbitant amounts for meditation retreats, seminars with famous gurus, meditation equipment, or elaborate altars.* This is kind of ironic given the Buddhist teaching of renunciation, both as a monk and as a lay person.
In Jodo Shu Buddhism, or Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, the second “patriarch” after Honen himself was his disciple Benchō (1162 – 1238).** Benchō was well respected for his diligence and daily practice. One day, he was quoted as saying:
People maintain that the best place for a life of retirement is the Kokawa Temple or Mount Koya. But as for me, there is nothing to compare with the bed from which I rise every morning.
This wonderful saying is a reminder that one can practice Buddhism just fine at home with what one has available. Here “retirement” or renunciation doesn’t have to involve elaborate empowerment ceremonies or meditation retreats. If one wants to withdraw from the world for a little while, there’s nothing wrong with staying home, turning off the TV for a while and just going to the park. If you think about it, this is more sensible economically, and you don’t have to deal with stress of travel.
In the old days, I used to use a Buddhist altar made from a box lid with an image taped on the underside. For chanting something, I just found some texts on the Internet, printed out a copy, and set my mind to memorizing them. Rosaries are nice, but really aren’t necessary (the Buddha didn’t have one, you know).
As long as one can get in touch with a friendly Buddhist community in your area from time to time, you have everything you need to practice alone. When you feel the need to withdraw and renounce worldly life for a time, just stay home, turn everything off, and enjoy the quiet.
Pure Land Buddhism, throughout its history in East Asia, has been means of providing Buddhist practice to those who could not devote themselves to full-time monastic practices, simply by making an effort at reciting the name of Amida Buddha. This sounds simple and not “tough enough”, but try keeping this up over a long time. It runs against the grain of one’s own ego, which is exactly what it should do. Reciting the Name is a deep but simple and accessible practice, and gradually opens many doors if one stays with it long enough.
Namuamidabu
* – My current altar admittedly was an expensive item we brought back from Japan, though the intention was more as a family heirloom (as we intend to raise our daughter Buddhist).
** – Technically, Benchō is the founder of the Chinzei branch of Jodo Shu which has become the main “lineage”. Other famous lineages include Seizan Buddhism founded by Shōkū and Jodo Shinshu Buddhism by Shinran, among many others.
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’ve noticed the high cost of a Buddhist education too. I want to take courses for credit, but can’t afford any. Maybe when I retire. For now I will be studying with the Bright Dawn Institute. It’s a free 2 year lay minister program. I’m excited to get started in September.
Sorry, I am a mega-Bencho-fan, However I can of course not live up to my master…
That said, I live in a temple, and we have a beautiful main hall, but the time I spend there is easily noticable, and recently I have become to value the time I can spend alone, unnoticed.
Being in touch with a Buddhist community is comforting but as Jimi Hendrix said “I’m the the one one that has to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” Taking this away from hedonistic points of view it seems extremely Buddhist.
Though we may strive to be percieved as “buddhist” or “xxxx Shu” or whatever, in the end we have to live our lives as we see fit, not as others would have us do so.
Me, myself, I have given up myself to the Nembutsu: I am sure many around me are not comfortable with this, but waking up a bit earlier, when everyone is still asleep, and reciting alone in a bare room, facing west, has given me a lot in this lifetime,
As to the next like Shinran I happily follow my master,
Stephen
“As long as one can get in touch with a friendly Buddhist community in your area, you have everything you need to practice. “
For me, the chants, prayers, meditations, and even my friendly Sangha, are not my practice. These help sustain and support my practice- which happens when I’m out there in the real world. It’s easy to be a Buddhist all by myself, but hard when challenged with the difficulties of everyday life.
“For now I will be studying with the Bright Dawn Institute.”
I’m excited for you, Michael!
Michael: I know exactly what you mean. I’d love to study more courses and such, but that’s not really an option these days. Good luck with the lay minister program though.
Stephen: I love the Jimi Hendrix quote and totally agree. Another priest I know in Japan said something similar to me in that I should learn to practice alone because I will die alone. I am indebted to him for that advice. I actually know next to nothing about Bencho, but have been reading a book about the Pure Land movement that has helped fill in the blanks somewhat. Bencho is definitely an underrated person.
Jeannie: Yeah, that part might have been vague. I meant to say that “you have everything you need to practice alone”, meaning that the community helps sustain your practice, but their not the sole focus of it either. So we’re in agreement. I’ll fixerate that sentence.
Ok, gotcha.
Well, I’m off to practice. Have a good day, GF.
Hi Gerald, I enjoyed this article and the quote by Bencho which reminded me to ask you if you had read Plain Words on the Pure Land Way – Sayings of the Wandering Monks of Medieval Japan translated by Dennis Hirota? The Japanese name of text is Ichigon Hodan.
Its a collection of short sayings by itinerant monks around the time of Honen Shonin who devoted themselves to the Nembutsu. Some of them have a background in Shingon but have put esteric practices aside in order to practice the nembutsu. There is also a number of quotations from Honen and Bencho, who also according to the book, went by the name of Shoko.
Worth a look if you haven’t already.
Oh yes and I wanted to say I love that quote from Jimi Hendrix.
It is a problem I think if you identify too much with a community, in that if a problem develops between you and that community, or with a person within it, then it can have a devastating effect on your faith or practice.
“It is a problem I think if you identify too much with a community, in that if a problem develops between you and that community, or with a person within it, then it can have a devastating effect on your faith or practice.” – Jishin
I recognise what you are saying Jishin however I hope though that people don’t think that they should inoculate themselves from upsets by holding aloof from their sanghas. It is through the upsets and messy times within communities that my practice and faith have deepened the most. In the end as Pure Land Buddhists we accept that we are going to fall into all kinds of attachments but through the gift of shinjin they will be transformed into the waters of awakening.
There’s something to be said for going into situations with one’s eyes open, but as ‘bombu’ our attempts to avoid one pitfall tend to drop us straight into another!
Gassho in Dharma, K
It is a problem I think if you identify too much with a community, in that if a problem develops between you and that community, or with a person within it, then it can have a devastating effect on your faith or practice.
Jishin, this is a very good point, and I was actually planning on writing about that today. I realize that since “leaving” Jodo Shinshu, my appreciation for Shinran and his approach ironically has increased more lately. I think the problem was that I was getting stuck on the Shinshu community I was a part of, and got tired of “drinking the Kool-aid”, if you get my reference.
I don’t have a desire to return to that mode of life, but at the same time, my new-found understanding and appreciation of Shinran’s teachers, within the greater Pure Land context, has been an inspiration in my own practice.
Hi GF, I actually framed my comment in those terms having read a post of yours on another forum regarding your experiences within the Shinshu community you were a part of, which made me think I was a little heavy handed with you in another topic on this blog.
But as Kyoshin points though, it can lead to another equally harmful set of attachments.
Hi Jishin,
I didn’t feel you were heavy-handed. I just find the Shinshu community I know to not be conducive for me. Kyoushin’s advice about attachment is sensible, but I don’t feel it applies here.
Thanks!