Hard is it to hear the Dharma 仏法聞きがたし

"Hard is it to hear the Dharma." Whenever I hear this sentence, I cannot help nodding with approval. I was born in a family that associated with a Jodo Shinshu temple, but only socially and faintly. My only contact with Jodo Shinshu, or any form of religion, was through funerals and some memorial services. My house was burned during World War II and we were very poor as I was growing up, so we never asked a Buddhist minister to visit our family and chant sutras.

I never thought religion was important for my life. I even thought those who were involved in any form of religion were weaklings. I was a little interested in Zen Buddhism because my uncle-in-law was a keen follower of it. The idea of engaging in zazen (sitting meditation) to attain enlightenment sounded attractive and manly.

I was more interested in scholarly pursuit in the field of history. I specialized in the history of India when I was at the University of Hawaii. I firmly believed in rational thinking and academic pursuit. However, I began to lose confidence in my intellectual capability. I also began to doubt about the possibility of discovering "objective truth" in the study of history. For one thing, it was very time-consuming to read ancient Indian documents written in Sanskrit and medieval Indian languages. I began to doubt who would be pleased with any small discovery I would make through the study of old documents. "Isn't it just an intellectual pastime?" I suspected.

I was also having a marriage problem with my wife at that time. Thinking back of it, I realize it was entirely due to my narrow mindedness and immaturity that made our relationship unstable. I failed to appreciate her love and care for me. I was also worried about my parents, who were old but still had to engage in physical labor in Japan because their only hope for financial support - me - was far away doing what he liked to do. I blamed myself severely for my selfishness.

All in all I had fallen into a condition of Total Denial of my own values. Subconsciously I began to seek something spiritual to rely on. It was at that time that Professor Taitetsu Unno of Smith College in Massachusetts came to Hawaii as visiting professor. I happened to have a glimpse of a small three-line announcement on the newspaper that a famous scholar in Buddhist Studies was coming to the University of Hawaii. I got curious and attended his first lecture at Buddhist Study Center near the UH Manoa campus. I had no idea what message he had and in fact felt slightly disappointed to hear that he was a follower of Shinran's teaching. I only had a high-school-textbook-level knowledge of Shinran represented by the expression in the Tannisho "Even a good person attains birth in the Pure Land, still more so does an evil one." The slogan of Jodo Shinshu "Tariki Hongan," which is commonly and wrongly understood to mean "Relying on the power of others as the main refuge." I had thought that it was an "effeminate" religion. However, as I listened to Prof. Unno's lectures, I realized that the teaching was for me alone. It was for such a selfish, arrogant, not at all bright and weak-minded person as I am.

I began to listen to the Dharma at the temples in Hawaii, although hesitantly in the beginning. Finally I returned to Japan in 1982 to study Shin Buddhism at Ryukoku University in Kyoto. The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii gave me a three-year scholarship for my study, for which I remain deeply grateful.

I feel the meaning of my birth in this life has been fulfilled by the encounter with Shinran's, and the Buddha's teaching. I desire nothing more. A devout Shin Buddhist in the past used to say, "Yo koso, Yo koso." Usually it is an expression used to welcome a guest, but I think he meant to say to Amida Buddha, "Thank you very much for finally reaching my heart after breaking asunder my heavily guarded ego and making me hear you." "Hard is it to hear the Dharma; now I hear it!"

あれこれ

１週間ほどひどいかぜをひいて、このブログを書くことができませんでした。ちょっとよくなったので、また前の英文のを日本語で表そうと思います。

桜の季節はまだ終わっていません。３月末から４月初旬にかけてパッと咲いてパッと散っていったのはソメイヨシノと呼ばれる桜の種類で、一重の花を持っています。聞くところによると、明治時代に富国強兵を図っていたときに、この桜を日本国中ーー道路脇や川の堤防沿い、公園や学校の校庭などーーに植えさせたのだそうです。国のために戦う上は、パッと戦って、パッと死ぬことが大切で美しいことなのだ、というメッセージを国民に伝えるためでした。もとはといえば、軍国主義の象徴だったのです。軍歌にも「俺とお前は、同期の桜・・・」というのもあります。第二次大戦末期、神風特攻隊のパイロットが敵艦につっこんでしんだときには「散華」ということばが使われました。確かにソメイヨシノが視野を埋め、視野にあふれるくらい咲いているのは見事なものです。しかし、花が散ったあと、なんとも虚しい印象を残します。

最近咲いているのはしだれ桜や八重桜で、特に八重桜は花弁がたくさんあります。これらの桜は豪華です。威厳もあります。おそらくソメイヨシノよりも咲くのにもっとエネルギーがいるのでしょう。４月半ばから終わり近くになって咲きます。また長く咲いています。ソメイヨシノはいのちのはかなさを伝えるようですが、八重桜やしだれ桜は、時を待つことの大切さを教えてくれます。その花が落ちたあとでも、なんだかいのちが豊かになったような感じを残してくれます。

なんといっても、人はそれぞれ自分のライフサイクルを持っています。人生早く「成功」する人もおれば、中年もしくは晩年になってから認められる人もおります。中には死後にやっとその価値を人に認められる人もあります。早く成功する人が必ずしも、遅く花咲く人よりも仕合わせだとは限りません。孔子のことばに「ともが遠方から訪ねてきてくれるのは、こんなうれしいことはない。人が自分を知らないでも心に怒りをもたない。そういう人は徳のある人である」と言っています。

This and that あれこれ

I have not been able to add anything to this blog for a while because I caught a bad cold in the past week. For two nights I kept coughing all night and couldn't sleep at all. I never doubted that I would get well, but didn't expect that the cold would be this persistent. Now I am feeling a little better, so I have decided to write something this morning.

The cherry blossom season has not ended yet. Actually, it was a kind of cherry trees called Somei Yoshino that bloomed from near the end of March to about April 7. They have single-layer flowers which blossom all at once and are blown away almost at the same time. I hear that during the Meiji period, this species of cherry trees was planted all over Japan, along the roads and river banks, in parks and school grounds in order to emphasize the "beauty" of dying young in battle while fighting for the nation's cause. It was a symbol of Japan's militarism. Every time a pilot in the suicidal squardron killed himself toward the end of World War II, he was described as "blown like blossoms." It is awesome to see those cherry blossoms filling and overflowing your entire eyesight. However, they leave the sense of emptiness after they are blown away by the wind or rain.

These days you can see drooping cherry blossoms (Shidare Zakura) and many kinds of multi-layer cherry blossoms (Yae Zakura) are blooming. They are gorgeous. They have their own dignity. Probably because they require more energy to open their flowers, they come to bloom after the weather becomes a little warmer and wetter than in early April. While Somei Yoshino conveys the message of the fragile nature of life, these flowers are telling you the importance of waiting for your time to blossom. Even after they fall, you feel as if those blossoms had made your life richer.

After all, each person has his or her life cycle. Some gain "success" at an early age, and others come to be recognized at a much later age, or even after their death. The former are not always happier than the latter. Confucius said, "Isn't it a joyful occasion that a friend visits you after traveling a great distance? Wouldn't you call him a man of virtue who is free from anger even if he is not taken notice of by others?"

春

４月９日の早朝、早く目が覚めてしまったので、いつもは家内と夜の８時頃に散歩するルートを一人で歩いてみました。天気はよく、ひやっとはしているが、寒くはない温度でした。かなりの数の人が散歩をしているので出くわしました。挨拶を交わした人もいます。

歩きながら、様々な野草の花が目にとまり、本当に楽しかったです。背が高く大きいのもあれば、小さくてひっそり咲いているのもありました。しかし小さいとはいえ、きれいな真っ青な色だったり、無垢な白色だったりして、それぞれ自分の個性を主張していました。それで「エーデルヴァイス」の歌を思い出しました。
エーデルヴァイス、エーデルヴァイス、毎朝、君は挨拶をしてくれる。
小さくて白く、汚れなく明るい花、僕にあってうれしそうだね。
雪の花よ、いつまでも咲いて輝いておくれ。
エーデルヴァイス、エーデルヴァイス、いつまでもわが祖国を飾っておくれ。

けさ出会った花たちは、エーデルヴァイスよりも小さかったです。まるで私が来るのを待っていて、挨拶をしてくれているようでした。悠久の命の流れの中で、花の一つ一つと私はやっと一度だけの出会いを果たしたのです。

話はかわりますが、桜の花は今(４月９日）満開です。花びらは空を舞って地に落ち始めました。けさ散歩をしていると、実に豪華なしだれ桜に出会いました。満開でした。

数年前まで私は桜の花にはあまり興味がなかったように思います。しかし今は、小さな桜の木がちょっとでも花を咲かせていると、本当にうれしくなります。年を取ったからでしょうか。

Spring time 春

This morning I took a one-hour walk along the regular route I take with my wife about three times a week. I had woken up about 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. That's why I decided to go for a walk. The weather was pleasant, a little chilly but not cold. I ran into quite a few walkers and I greeted some of them as we passed each other.

As I was walking, I enjoyed viewing many different wildflowers. Some were tall and large and others small and shy. However, those tiny ones had little but strikingly blue or white flowers. They reminded me of the song Edelweiss:
Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me.
Small and white, clean and bright, you look happy to meet me.
Blossom of snow, may you bloom and glow, bloom and glow for ever.
Edelweiss, Edelweiss, bless my homeland for ever.

Those flowers I saw this morning were even smaller than the edelweiss. I felt as if they were waiting for me and greeting me as I passed them. In the flow of life from the time immemorial, each of those flowers and I met each other at last and for once.

To change the subject, cherry blossoms are in full bloom now. The petals have started to fly and fall. While I was taking a walk this morning, I ran into one of the most gorgeous drooping cherry trees. Its blossoms were in full bloom.

I had not paid much attention to cherry blossoms until a few years ago. Now I appreciate even a small cherry tree that have blossoms. Maybe it is a sign of old age.

桜

今日は４月１日で、今朝、私の勤める相愛大学の本部のある本町へ行きました。宗教部長に再任されたので、新任状を受け取るためです。家から本町まで４０分かかり、信任状を受け取るのに２分かかりました。それでせっかく家を出てきたのですから、この時間をもう少し意味づけするために何かしようと思いました。今、大阪ばかりでなく、ほとんど全国で、桜が咲いています。大阪ではおそらく７分咲きでしょう。それでどこかへ花見に行こうと思いました。どこにしようかと考えましたが、結局本町から行きやすい天王寺へ行くことにしました。天王寺にはよく手入れされた公園、美術館、茶臼山という古い古墳とそれを囲む池（川底池）、日本庭園そして動物園があります。私は小学校４年生から大学卒業まで天王寺のすぐ近くに住んでいましたので、懐かしいのです。桜を見たり写真を撮ったりしながら、子ども時代や思春期のころを思い返していました。

日本人は桜が大好きです。梅の花は春が来ることを予告しますが、桜は春が来たことを告げます。何が引き金となって桜のつぼみを開かせるのかは知りませんが、とにかく３月の終わりに咲き始め、４月の始めには満開となります。桜にちなむ歌も日本にはたくさんあります。もっとも有名な歌の一つに「さくらさくら」があります。「さくら、さくら、やよいの空は、みわたすかぎり、かすみかくもか、においぞいずる、いざや、いざや、みにゆかん」。「やよい」は旧暦の３月ですが、大体今の暦の４月に当たります。

さくらはまた、いろんな思い出をもたらします。もう一つよく聞かれる歌に「さくら横ちょう」があります。
（１）春の宵　さくらが咲くと
花ばかり　さくら横ちょう
思い出す　恋のきのう
君はもう　ここにいないと
ああ　いつも花の女王
ほほえんだ　夢のふるさと
（２）春の宵　さくらが咲くと
花ばかり　さくら横ちょう
会い見るの時は　なかろう
「その後どう」「しばらくねえ」と
いったって　はじまらないと
心得て　花でも見よう
（３）春の宵　さくらが咲くと
花ばかり　さくら横ちょう　（加藤周一作詞）

様々な思い出とともに人の心は千々に乱れますが、さくらはただ、咲くべき時が来たから、咲くのです。

Cherry blossoms 桜

Today is April 1. This morning I went to the headquarters of Soai University at the center of Osaka to receive the official letter appointing me to dean of religious affairs from the head of the board of regents. It took 40 minutes to get there and 2 minutes to receive the letter, so I thought I should do something to make this outing a little more meaningful and decided to go somewhere to see the cherry blossoms. Now all over Osaka, or almost all over Japan, cherry blossoms are blooming. In Osaka about 70 % of the buds have opened. I went to Tennoji Park where there is a well-maintained park, an art museum, an ancient pond surrounding an ancient tomb called Chausu-yama, and a Japanese-style garden and a zoo. I could enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms while remembering things in my childhood and adolescence because I grew up near Tennoji from the fourth grade to the time of my graduation from university.

Japanese people love cherry blossoms. While plum blossms tell us that spring is coming, cherry blossoms announce that it has come. I don't know what triggers them to open their buds and blossom. There are many songs in Japan admiring cherry blossoms. One very famous one goes, "O cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms! The sky of the month of Yayoi is covered by cherry blossom, as if covered by haze or cloud, with such fragrance. Let's go, let's go and see them!" The month of Yayoi is for the third month of the lunar calendar and mostly falls on April of the solar calendar.

Cherry blossoms bring many kinds of memories to people - some sweet and some sour. Another song goes,
(1) On a spring evening, when cherry blossoms bloom, Sakura Lane is all cherry blossoms. I remember my love of yesteryear - you are no longer with me. Ah, you were always the cherry queen in whose smile rested my dreams.
(2) On a spring evening, when cherry blossoms bloom, Sakura Lane is all cherry blossoms. "There won't be another time to see you. No use talking to you in my mind 'How have you been?' or 'When was it I saw you last?'" With this thought, I will go and see the cherry blossoms.
(3) On a spring evening, when cherry blossoms bloom, all that is seen in Sakura Lane is the cherry blossoms.

Human minds are never calm with memories of the past, but cherry blossoms just bloom because spring is the time they bloom.