Juya-e observance, Day 1
Posted: November 2, 2008 Filed under: Buddhism, Jodo Shu, Religion, Zen 2 Comments »Hello all,
As stated previously, I started my observance of the Pure Land Buddhist holiday of Juya-e today, based on a date I picked on my own. In the morning, I did the 10-minute zazen practice I do every morning now, and at night, I chanted as follows:
- Read aloud the Amitabha Sutra before my altar.
- Recited the nembutsu 1,000 times, or one full revolution on my Jodo-Shu style Buddhist rosary.
- Dedicated merit to help all beings.
I also tried to focus and being more helpful around the house, and even though I was very tired (people shooting fireworks last night after Halloween celebration), I tried not to get irritated. Today was also difficult due to continued challenges being on-call, as we’re nearing the Holidays, but by afternoon it passed and the evening was good.
Nine more days to go, and so far so good. 
Namuamidabu
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile / Koreaphile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
“I also tried to focus and being more helpful around the house…”
That’s great! Besides all of the other things you mentioned, paying closer attention to everyday surroundings and events can bring about a lot of positive change. I truly applaud your dedication to making the world a better place.
Thanks Jeannie,
The real challenge will be to keep up 9 more days. I never realized how important consistency is for any Buddhist practice, let alone any special observances.