Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
February is a momentous month in the Buddhist calendar. It is the month in which the historical Buddha, Gautama, is said to have died more than 2500 years ago. If you look at your Buddhist Churches of America calendar, you will see on the fifteenth, the words “Nirvana Day,” or “Nehan E.” Unless you are familiar with the word ‘Nirvana,’ you might not know that it refers, in this case, to the death of the Buddha. It is momentous simply for that reason. No miracles. He simply died. Probably of food poisoning, at that. He was about 80 years old. He had taught the Dharma to thousands of people during the last 45 years or so of his life. It is very nearly the same teaching that we still pass on today, certainly in spirit.
It is unclear why we do not honor this day much among Jodo Shinshu temples, except, perhaps, because “our” Buddha is Amida Buddha. The Buddha, Gautama, or Shakyamuni as he was also known, was born, he lived and he died as a human being. He freed himself from suffering by realizing Enlightenment and, perhaps as important, he taught others what it was all about and how to realize it, too. He was the embodiment of the Bodhisattva spirit, which wants to free all beings from suffering by leading them to Enlightenment.
If you have an Obutsudan (altar) at home, I hope that you will chant a sutra (e.g., Sanbutsu-ge) before it on the 15th. If you do not have one, chant wherever you feel it proper. At a minimum, please recite the Three Treasures. Thank you.
Gassho,
Donkon Jaan, Rev. John Doami
