A Shin Buddhist koan
Posted: February 5, 2009 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Religion, Zen | 7 Comments »This is something I stumbled upon months ago, but somehow forgot about it until earlier today. In Rev. Taitetsu Unno’s book on Jodo Shinshu or “Shin” Buddhism, River of Fire River of Water, he talks about his grandmother in Japan who married a man who had married twice before. When she first met the family, her husband’s aunt didn’t really greet her, but just bluntly challenged her with a question:* Have you settled the matter of the afterlife?
Rev. Unno explains further:
This was a common question posed to Shin [Buddhist] followers. It is asking whether one has successfully resolved the matter of death and dying. The answer reveals the degree to which a person has realized the Buddha Dharma and, consequently, appreciates the meaning of this life. The Zen equivalent would be the koan: “What is your original face before you were born of father and mother?”
This does bring up a good question though for each of us: have we settled the matter of the afterlife? In our minds we can tell ourselves that we’ll be reborn as something else, but do we know what we’ll be reborn as? Deep down, do we even really believe it anyways?
Yesterday, on the long, long walk home from work, listening to Stone Temple Pilot’s Core album, I mulled this question over and over in my head.** And again this morning. Honestly, I am not sure I can give a “yes” answer to this question, or a weak “yes” at best.
How about you?
Namuamidabu
* – Page 174 if you have the book.
** – Dismal weather and empty household has made me pretty contemplative lately. I haven’t listened to “Core” in a while, but it is nice to listen to the song “Where the River Goes” while pondering one’s life until now and where it might be going. The song “Creep” describes how I feel lately for the last few weeks.
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 don’t know if I will ever be able to answer that question of the afterlife. People state that you just need to have a strong faith, whether it be Christians or Jodo Shinshu followers. But faith is still such a hard thing for me to grasp. I don’t know if I will ever fully understand what faith is or how you come to believe it or attain it.
Exactly. I’d rather have something concrete to hold on to.
Today I watched three fine hawks circling slowly in a blue, blue sky.
That’s a Zen answer, of course.
Thanks for the story. I enjoyed it.
I knew that was coming.
Cheers!
hm – i’d have to say that one of the things that has always drawn me to buddhism is that the meaning of life is NOT a central question. right now i’ll concern myself with the “nowlife”. the bridge of dying – i’ll cross it when i get there
Hi Isabella: Who says that’s not part of the answer? I can’t say for certain, but I would say that Buddhism does indeed have a central question to it, but first one must know there is a question (i.e. awareness that things are not as they should be) and then go about coming to terms with it (progressing on the path). I think as one comes to terms with it, their focus does indeed turn to now, but it’s not something you can really tell someone to do, otherwise they short-circuit the process. Consider the classic Buddhist text, the Gandhavyuha Sutra, where the main character goes on this magnificent quest for answers, but eventually comes back around full-circle.
running in circles
of yesterday, tomorrow.
and then a flash: now!