Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
Recently the Los Angeles Times ran an article about the Tsunami disaster in which various religious leaders were asked their thoughts on what happened. One remark by a Buddhist particularly concerned me. The Buddhist quoted was Ananda Guruge, former Sri Lankan ambassador to the United States who teaches at the Buddhist-affiliated University of the West in Rosemead. He is quoted as saying in the article that “the Buddhist doctrine of karmic law, not random chance, determines who lives and dies in any disaster. The region suffered collective bad karma, he says, perhaps prompted by oppression, unjust war or other negative actions that invited the calamity.” -- January 25, 2005, LA Times article, “Deadly Tsunami Resurrects the Old Question of Why.”
I don’t think the Buddhist view is that karma determines who lives and dies in a disaster. I also don’t think that collective bad karma could bring a disaster to a region. I am concerned about the perceptions that people will have about Buddhism based on those comments. I don’t think you could say that the people who died in the disaster had bad karma, and that the people who survived had good karma.
Karma is not an easy Buddhist teaching, and I have much to study and understand about it myself, but I don’t think that Buddhism teaches the above mentioned view of karma in relation to the disaster of the Tsunami.
As an individual, I must always accept my own karma of my life. For example, I was born to short, Japanese parents. Part of my karma is that I am short. If I couldn’t accept my karma of being short, I would suffer needlessly. What good is it wishing to be six feet tall when my karma dictates that I be five feet three? I can accept my karma about being short, and even at times be very grateful that I am short, like when I am on a crowded airplane with little legroom.
The best lesson I ever learned about karma, however, was from Rev. Kusada at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. Rev. Kusada was a very private person, and never talked much about his background or personal life. We students were able to deduce however, that he must’ve been raised by his auntie as a young child. When his auntie became elderly, Rev. Kusada brought her to Berkeley to take care of her. She was a sweet little Japanese lady, but she developed dementia or some kind of ailment of that nature. One weekend Rev. Kusada had to attend a national BCA meeting. He asked me to stay with his auntie for the weekend while he was away. I was more than happy to be able to do something for my Sensei. I stayed at his home and took care of his auntie, who was very easy to take care of.
One evening during the weekend, however, Sensei’s Auntie suddenly changed. I guess her dementia would come and go, and instantly she became a different person. Suddenly she no longer even knew me. Not only did she not know me, she thought I was a thief that had broken into her home. She began to fight with me and called out in Japanese, “Dorobo! Dorobo!” (Thief! Thief!). I didn’t know what to do. She was a tiny little lady, but she suddenly became strong in trying to fight with me. Finally after about an hour or so, she suddenly changed again, and acted like nothing happened. By the end of the weekend, I was exhausted and anxious for Rev. Kusada’s return.
When Sensei came back, I wanted to empathize with him. I never knew he had to go through so much to take care of his auntie. I said to him, “Sensei, I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know how you do all of your work and care for your auntie as well.”
Rev. Kusada, without a moment’s hesitation said, “It’s okay. It’s my karma.”
For Rev. Kusada, it was not a burden to take care of his auntie. It was not a chore or a difficulty. He accepted it as his karma. Once he accepted his karma, he transcended his karma. He became one with his karma, rather than to fight with it. Normally, we could not accept such difficulties in life. We would say, “Why do I have to take care of her myself? Why doesn’t someone else do it? Why does the burden have to fall on me?” But for Rev. Kusada, he accepts, embraces his karma, and becomes one with it.
In the “Complete Works of Rev. Haya Akegarasu,” there is an essay on karma that I have translated and would like to share with you. In this essay, Rev. Akegarasu expresses his understanding of karma, that we should not be bound or constricted by karma, but must break the bonds of karma. This is what liberation means in Buddhism. This is what salvation means, to be freed from the bonds of karma.
Rev. Haya Akegarasu on Karma
In this world there is a time to meet and a time to part. There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to hold on and a time to let go. If we are not bound or attached to such things, then there is a way to transcend, there is a way to turn suffering into joy. This is religious salvation. Therefore, my Buddhism is not the Buddhism that will cure cancer. My Buddhism is not the Buddhism that will make you rich. Normally we seek what will prevent illness. We seek what will prevent losing a loved one. But we human beings in being born, must inevitably face death. Therefore, it is important that we be taught that no matter what comes to us, we should not be surprised, we should not be bound by it. When we understand that we are saved. When we are saved in that manner, then we have the confidence to let anything come in life. This year there might be a big snow. We might wonder, will my house survive a big snowstorm? But if it snows, let it snow. Let anything come. If it is cold, let it be cold. If it is hot, let it be hot. I will receive that heat or cold and transcend it. I will receive it as my nourishment. If someone is kind to me, let them be kind. If someone is rude to me, let them be rude. I will receive them all, and from there a new me will step forward into this world. This is to break the bonds of karma. Being illuminated by the Buddha, I receive that joy and its teaching.
p. 322-323, Vol 18, Complete Works of Haya Akegarasu (Akegarasu Zenshu).
I think Rev. Akegarasu shows a tremendous way of life in this short essay. No matter what life has to offer, let it come. Praise or criticism, let it come. Fortune or misfortune, let it come. Health or illness, let it come. Success or failure, let it come. As he states, “I will receive them all, and from there a new me will step forward into this world.”
This is what it means to transcend the bonds of karma.
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
