Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
Whenever we chant the sutras in our services, we conclude the chant with six recitations of the Nembutsu, followed by four additional lines of chanting that go as follows:
GAN NI SHI KU DOKU
BYO DO SE IS-SAI
DO HOTSU BODAI SHIN
OJO AN RAKU KOKU
These four lines are from the Kisamboge, a writing by Zendo Daishi, who was revered by Shinran Shonin as one of the Seven Masters. (See the May 2002 issue of the Korin for more on Zendo - "The Only Way Out of A Desperate Situation: A Lesson from Zendo".)
These four short lines are called the ekoku. Ekoku literally means words, or a passage, on sharing the Buddha-Dharma with all beings.
Let us look at these four short lines, and their meaning.
GAN NI SHI KU DOKU
“I vow that the virtue of this truth”
BYODO SE IS-SAI
“Be given equally and to all”
DO HOTSU BODAI SHIN
“And that all awaken to the Bodhi mind”
OJO AN RAKU KOKU
“And be born into the land of peace and joy.”
These four lines are the concluding lines to the Kisamboge, in which Zendo expresses his religious conviction to the Three Treasures in the form of a poem, or song.
GAN NI SHI KU DOKU, “I vow that the virtue of this truth” refers to the truth of the Buddha-Dharma, the truth of enlightenment. Zendo makes a deep vow, a deep wish in this statement. What is that vow? It is the vow that this profound truth be shared, be given to others.
BYO DO SE IS-SAI, “Be given equally and to all. Zendo vows that the truth of the Buddha-Dharma be given, or shared, with all beings, universally, equally. What does it mean to give it equally and to all? It means that one does not select one group of people to give it to and not to others.
In other words, the Buddha does not say, “I want to give the teachings to these people, but not to those people.” The heart of great compassion is to share it, to give it to all beings.
It is my feeling that many temples in our BCA have not gotten beyond the ethnic boundaries of their temple, and when they speak of reaching new members, they only think of that in terms of Japanese, or Japanese-Americans. Buddhism is a universal religion that has a message for all people of all time. It cannot be limited to one group of ethnic people. Just look at the various countries and cultures that Buddhism has gone through. It is easy to see the universal qualities of Buddhism that have allowed it to be shared and given to others over its 2500 year history. Zendo too, shares that wish that it be given and shared with all beings.
DO HOTSU BODAI SHIN, “And that all awaken to the Bodhi mind”. The Chinese character for HOTSU, has the meaning of “to raise, to bring forth.” What does it mean to “raise the Bodhi mind?”
Bodhi means enlightenment. We refer to the tree that Shakyamuni Buddha sat under and attained enlightenment as the “Bodhi Tree.” To raise the Bodhi mind means that the heart and mind that seeks the Dharma, that seeks the teachings, that seeks to find its true self bubbles forth from within oneself. For the first time, a person realizes, “There is really something to Buddhism! What have I been missing all this time!”
When this heart and mind that truly seeks the teachings blossoms forth, there is no struggle, no sense of sacrifice. One listens because one wants to. To listen, to seek, is the fulfillment, the greatest meaning to one’s life.
How do we awaken, or “raise” this heart and mind that aspires for Bodhi? It is not a heart or mind that you can consciously bring forth on your own. You cannot think, “As of today, I am determined to seek Bodhi.” If you make that sort of vow, it will probably not last for more than a day, like a New Year’s resolution that is broken by Jan. 2.
Our heart and mind that aspires for Bodhi is something that springs forth from outside of us. It comes from good teachers and listeners of the Dharma whose vibrant and radiant life draws the bodhi mind out from within us.
It can come from a pivotal life experience, like facing a terminal illness, losing a loved one, going through a divorce or separation, or losing one’s job. At such times we question our life, ourselves, our very existence. We seek for a truth, a teaching, beyond our pain and suffering.
O JO AN RAKU KOKU, “And be born into the land of peace and joy.” My concept and view of the Pure Land is not some kind of eternal after life like the Judeo Christian view of heaven. The Pure Land is a metaphor for the world of truth or enlightenment. What kind of world is that? It is a world of peace and joy. It is a world of wisdom and light. It is a world of depth and meaning. It is a world of oneness and harmony. It is a world of true happiness. It is a world of unending gratitude.
Those who awaken, who have the heart and mind of Bodhi brought forth, will be “born”, will “live” in a world of peace and joy. Who is there that does not want to live in such a world?
Of course such people do not go around bragging that they are enlightened, that they are Buddhas. On the contrary, they go about life simply seeking, listening, reflecting on the great ocean of truth that is the Buddha-Dharma. Although the world might be chaotic and in disarray, their lives are one of inner peace and joy, despite the struggles and difficulties of life that we all face.
The term OJO consists of two Chinese characters. The first character “O”, means “to go.” The character for JO, can mean “to be born” as it is traditionally read. “To go and be born in the Pure Land.” However, the character for JO can also be read with the meaning of “to live.” Instead of reading OJO as “go and be born”, I like the reading of “go and live!” Live with the depth, the meaning, the radiance, of a life of Bodhi. Don’t be despondent with your life. Don’t take your life for granted. Don’t regret or worry about the petty troubles of your life. Go! Go and live. Live this one life that you have been given from eons of time past. Go and live in the world of peace and joy.
As we listen to and learn from the teachings, may we also share it, give it to all other beings, equally and universally. In so doing, others will come to share in the light, the wisdom, the peace and joy of a life of the Nembutsu.
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
