Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
Recently I conducted a funeral service for a dear family friend of ours in Oregon, the late Taro Yoshihara. Taro farmed for many years in the Ontario, Oregon area, and he has been a most wonderful follower of the Nembutsu over the years. Over the years that I have known Taro, he has been a most well read, thoughtful thinker in regards to Buddhism, as well as other topics like current events and politics. Although he was a simple farmer, in talking to him, you knew that he was well studied and conversant in a variety of subjects. He was also a wonderful supporter of the temple, and always gave me the greatest encouragement over the years in my journey to becoming a minister.
Over the years, Taro developed glaucoma, such that his later years of his life were spent almost totally blind. I don’t know how he did it, but even when his eyesight was quite bad, he somehow managed to still farm. His eyesight eventually forced him to retire, however, but in his retirement he continued to live an active and full life. His interest in current events never did subside, despite his eyesight, and his wife would faithfully read the newspaper to him, nearly cover to cover.
I learned from Taro, that sometimes our physical eyesight, being able to see, is a handicap to us in the religious, or spiritual sense.
Although Taro could barely physically see, in terms of his “spiritual seeing”, he was probably far more advanced than someone with 20-20 vision. Because Taro could not see well, to compensate for it, he listened with his whole being.
Several years ago I had the privilege of officiating the wedding ceremony of his son, who was also a good friend of mine from college and our younger days at the temple in Oregon. When I officiate at wedding ceremonies, I always give a little message about marriage and Buddhism. Most couples are usually so nervous and excited about the wedding that I doubt if they hear a word that I am saying. However, after conducting the wedding ceremony for Taro’s son, when I went up to congratulate the parents, Taro immediately commented to me about my message. He couldn’t see the ceremony very clearly as he was nearly blind even then, but he “saw” the Dharma that day, maybe more than anyone present. I could tell that he had been listening, with his entire being.
When Buddhism asks us to see truth, to awaken to truth, it is talking about something that goes beyond our physical eyesight. You could have 20-20 vision, but you could be totally “blind” in a spiritual sense in Buddhism. On the other hand, you could be totally blind, physically, but you could have the greatest spiritual eyesight, because you can see truth through your heart and mind.
The late Rev. Haya Akegarasu was a minister who intensely studied the Dharma when he was young, so much so that he damaged his eyes. His personal library had 60,000 books. Later in life he went blind. Despite the fact that he could not physically see, Rev. Akegarasu’s writings reflect the spirituality of someone who could see through his heart and mind.
Rev. Akegarasu loved flowers, and although he could not actually see the radiant colors of the flowers, nonetheless he continued to love them, to see them through his heart and mind. The following excerpt from the poem, “The World of Flowers,” reflects that kind of spiritual vision that he had.
When our real mind’s eye
opens this world of flowers,
All beings shine, music echoes through mountains
And oceans. One’s world becomes
The world of millions. The individual becomes
The human race. Society becomes
The individual –
Billions of mirrors all reflecting each other.
There is death and life,
There is no death and life,
There is changing life, there is unchanging life.
There is Nirvana, there is Samsara.
Clouds change into multitudinous forms.
Water changes form as it wishes
By taking the shape of its container.
Flowers change color, moment by moment.
Such a vivid world! Such a bright I!
Flowers shining out of love,
Flowers reflecting all lives.
p. 188
“Shout of Buddha”
Writings of Haya Akegarasu
We cannot let our physical eye handicap us from seeing spiritual truth. We could be in a service with our eyes wide open and not hear a single word being said. Or, we could hear every word being said, but if our heart and mind is not open, we will not be able to “see” the Dharma that is being expressed in the teachings. While we have our faculties of hearing and seeing, we must utilize them to seek and learn the Dharma. But even if we lose one of our faculties, we can still receive the Dharma through our heart and mind. Someone who cannot see now can truly hear. Someone who cannot hear can now truly see.
I would like to share another excerpt from “The World of Flowers.”
I was born out of these flowers,
I gave birth to these flowers.
I have no beginning and no ending,
I am bottomless and limitless,
As also I am infinitesimal dust.
The loftiest I, the deepest I,
I embrace all, I am embraced by all,
I sit in the petals of the flower
I ride the clouds
I ride the waves
I dance with love.
p. 189
“Shout of Buddha”
Writings of Haya Akegarasu
To see the Dharma with our heart is to see a world beyond what our physical eyes can see. Rev. Akegarasu’s heart and mind was opened up to this bright and radiant world through the Dharma. His writings are a reflection of that world of seeing, despite the fact that he was totally blind.
May we listen to the Dharma with our heart and mind, with our entire being.
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
