Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
One of the great masters in the Buddhist Tradition, Nagarjuna, who is considered the father of Mahayana Buddhism, wrote in one of his works about the differences between the difficult path and the easy path. The difficult path is the monastic path of arduous religious practices and meditations. The easy path is to rely on the Buddha's vow that seeks to enlighten all beings. This path does not require one to become a monk or nun. Anyone can follow this path. Shin Buddhism has traditionally emphasized how the path of the Nembutsu is the easy path as opposed to the difficult path of monastic Buddhism.
I would like to share a reflection on this teaching by Nagarjuna. To me, both the monastic path, and the lay path of Shin Buddhism can be either difficult or easy, depending on one's attitude and level of understanding or realization. I think this also applies to life as well. Life can be extremely hard, or it can be smooth and easy, depending on one's view, perspective, and also life experience.
On the surface, the monastic path seems really difficult. In a Zen monastery, you have to get up at around four in the morning. You have to meditate, chant, eat your vegetarian meal in silence, and then spend the day working in the monastery and meditating until into the night. It is extremely difficult. But, on the other hand, a monk never has to worry about where his next meal will come from. He never has to pay income tax. He never has to deal with a difficult boss or office politics. He never has to change diapers or sit with a sick child in the middle of the night. He never has to fight crowds or traffic.
For the monk living in a Zen monastery, I am sure that the practice in the beginning is extremely difficult. But in time, the lifestyle and schedule could become a part of your life and it could be lived relatively, "easy."
In the same manner, the Shin Buddhist path might look relatively easy, in that you don't have to live in a monastery, nor do you have precepts to follow or live a celibate, vegetarian life. However, in terms of coming to understand and realizing the depth of the Dharma, it can be quite difficult. The Shin Buddhist has to take the time and effort to attend services and study classes, while having a job and raising a family. It is not easy to juggle that kind of schedule and really deeply listen to the teachings. Not only is there work and children to care for, there are responsibilities like being a Scout leader, or being a team mom for the basketball team. Despite that busy schedule, the Shin Buddhist has to find and make time to listen to the Dharma, to read books on Buddhism, to attend study classes, in order to come to a deep understanding and appreciation of the Dharma. It is not necessarily an "easy" path.
But, if you make that commitment, and meet good teachers and friends in the Dharma who guide and encourage you, in time you might find that it is not difficult at all, that it is your greatest joy to attend services or study classes.
Depending on our attitude and perspective, life can be either horribly difficult, or it could be as easy as floating down a river in a canoe.
Rev. Kubose used to always talk about the difference between "have to" and "want to." When you think, "I guess I have to be bazaar chairman this year, since no one else will do it," then, being chairman could be a very difficult chore. But if you think, "The bazaar is so important. If we don't have a successful bazaar, how will the temple survive financially? I want the temple to have a successful bazaar so that the temple will be strong and grow. I want to be chairman." For that person, the task is not nearly such a chore. In fact, you might even feel honored or privileged to be able to serve in that capacity.
To me, Nagarjuna taught us more than just the differentiation between the monastic path and the lay path of Buddhism. To me, Nagarjuna taught us about the nature of the Dharma itself. He taught us the nature of life itself, that on one hand it is very difficult, and on the other, it is very easy. Sometimes we have to go through the difficult to reach the easy. Sometimes it is an insight, realization, or a change of attitude that transforms what is difficult into something that is easy.
You might have read this little story in an email that was sent to you, but to me this story about the elderly man and his attitude, shows us how we can make life either difficult or easy, depending on our outlook, perspective, and understanding of life.
A 92 year old man who was legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After waiting patiently for many hours in the lobby, he was told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, the nurse provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. "I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight year old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait," said the nurse.
"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged....It's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift......"
Life can be difficult or easy. Listening to the Dharma can be difficult or easy. Reciting the Nembutsu can be difficult or easy. Going to work can be difficult or easy. Being bazaar chairman can be difficult or easy. Our attitude and understanding of life and the Dharma will dictate which it will be for us, the difficult path, or the easy path.
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
December 2007
