Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
In August I attended the Los Angeles Buddhist Coordinating Council (LABCC) summer camp for children. This is an annual event that has been going on for I believe over 40 years. At the camp, children from temples in Southern California are able to experience the outdoors, camping activities, swimming, archery, and other fun activities. Every morning a service is held, and different ministers take turns conducting the service and giving the talk. I always enjoy the camp because it is an opportunity to get to know the children from our temple who attend. This year we had 49 children attend from OCBC. I also enjoy the camp because I am able to interact with ministers from other Buddhist traditions. Ministers from the Zen, Shingon, Nichiren, and Jodo Shu traditions usually attend the camp, and we conduct the services together.
This year, Rev. Takahashi from the Koyasan temple in Los Angeles told a wonderful story to the children that I would like to share with you.
Once there was a Buddhist priest of a temple in Osaka. This temple did not have much money, and there were many needed repairs within the temple. The shoji screen doors had many holes in them, among other things that needed repairs.
One day a businessman from the city came to seek the advice of the Buddhist priest on a personal problem. They sat in one of the rooms of the temple with the shoji screens that had holes in them.
As the businessman began to tell the priest of his personal problem, a large horsefly flew into the room and began buzzing around. The horsefly tried to find a way out of the room, but kept flying into the same shoji screen door. Although there were many holes in the paper of the shoji screen, the horsefly kept hitting the same spot on the shoji trying to escape.
The priest seemed to be captivated, watching this horsefly, and was not paying any attention to what the businessman was telling him. Finally, the businessman said in frustration, “I have been trying to tell you of my personal problem, but yet you ignore me. Isn’t that a little rude?”
The priest then apologized and said he could not help but notice the horsefly.
“Although there are many holes in the shoji screen here and there, why isn’t the horsefly able to find its way out? Why does it keep hitting the same spot on the screen?” the priest said.
Then the priest said he reflected on himself, thinking, “Actually, that is just like me. I make the same mistakes, over and over again in life. I am no different than the horsefly.”
The businessman thanked the priest for the wonderful lesson of life that he had learned from him and the horsefly.
I think that this is a wonderful story. We are like the horsefly that cannot make its way out of the room, despite the fact that there are many holes in the shoji screen. We make the same mistakes in life, over and over again. We hit the same spot on the shoji screen, never seeing the way out of the room.
I think that the Buddha, or an enlightened one looks at we human beings just like the priest looked at the horsefly. Why don’t people find their way out of this world of suffering and sorrow, the world of ignorance and delusion? Why can’t they see the way out of samsara? It is right in front of them. Why can’t they see it?
There are many “holes” in the shoji screen of the room of samsara that we are trapped in. There are many teachings of Buddhism that would enable us to escape from the room of samsara. But despite that fact, we ignore the various ways to escape, and we hit the same spot of the screen, over and over again.
In August, I also had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for my daughter’s basketball tournament. The tournament was a good excuse to go to Las Vegas and play. When we go to Las Vegas, we know we are going to lose. The odds are always against us. But just like the horsefly, we go time and time again, never learning, and making our usual “donation”.
Look at the history of man. In one sense, it is nothing but mankind making the same mistakes, over and over and over again. War after war, conflict after conflict, inhumanity after inhumanity. The history of mankind is not much different than the horsefly that hits the same spot on the screen, time and time again. The only difference is the technology used in those wars and conflicts. We may reach a point soon where the horsefly will destroy the whole room, before it finds a way out. There will be no room, no shoji screen, and no horseflies. Everything will be obliterated.
Interpersonal relationships are also the same. We make the same mistakes between husband and wife, parent and child, boss and employee. Strained or severed relationships are the result.
Someone who is addicted to alcohol or drugs makes the same mistake over and over again. Each time the person swears they will never do it again. This is the last time. But although they swear to quit, they only repeat the same behavior time and again.
There is a hole in the screen of the shoji that is right in front of our eyes. That hole in the screen is the path of the Nembutsu, Namuamidabutsu. The Nembutsu is one of many ways out of the world of samsara.
When we fly through the hole and escape out of the room, just like the fly, we will find the air so refreshing. The world will be bright and radiant, vast and endless. What a joy it will be to live in such a world of unlimited freedom.
How is it that the Nembutsu is able to carry us out of the room of samsara? Is it magic? Is there some kind of mystical power to the Nembutsu?
There is no magic or mystical power to the Nembutsu. It is the simple power of truth. Truth that goes beyond our secular world, that goes beyond the trials and tribulations of the world of samsara. When our hearts are touched by the truth of the Nembutsu, we become one with it, and we are able to flow freely in life, in and out of the room of samsara.
If you ever feel like your life is going nowhere, and that you are stuck in some kind of rut, perhaps Buddhism has the message that will allow you to fly out of your limited, stuffy world, into an unlimited, boundless world of fresh air and sunshine, where your heart and mind will be free to soar with the winds of truth called Namuamidabutsu.
Gassho,
Rev. Marvin Harada
