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The 4th Three Wheels Shokai was held between 23rd and 25th October 2009 and was attended by around eighteen people including nine non-resident Dharma students. Following on from the previous two retreats this Shokai focused on the subject of Pure Faith (Shinjin) as discussed in the third chapter of Shinran Shonin’s Kyōgyōshinshō. In addition this particular training session was especially notable in that the key note speaker was Reverend Keimei Takehara, from our parent temple of Shogyoji in Fukuoka, Japan, who generously travelled to the United Kingdom to support our activities.
Friday 23rd October 2009
As ever the opening ceremony and faith-meeting played a crucial part in focusing our minds in advance of the weekend’s activities. Carefully chaired by Sam K., who took on this important responsibility for the first time, the opening meeting incorporated Devotions to the Buddha, a Vow of Sincere Practice made on behalf of the participants by Jon B., a free talk by Rev. Kemmyo Sato, and personal introductions from those attending. Jon B.’s Vow of Sincere Practice was especially note-worthy in that a major theme of the retreat, namely the importance of encountering a good teacher, was demonstrated through his personal testimony:
“Witnessing over this past year the level of deep entrusting ever present here at Three Wheels has revealed to me the profound way in which Dharma-kaya's great compassion manifests in the midst of everyday life.
For me, the value of this Three Wheels Samgha was brought to light in a striking manner during a recent encounter with Sensei. Talking through and voicing what I felt were problems I must somehow overcome, the calm and patience with which he listened to my words helped lead me to realize that that which I was struggling against was Amida's embrace itself. It is in such encounters with fellow Dharma friends and teachers that we witness this all-encompassing embrace of Other Power.”
Rev. Sato responded to Jon’s vow by speaking of his first visit to Shogyoji when it was still a relatively small community. He also described the encounter between Daigyoin-sama and his own Master Ekai-sama with a sense of wonder, which is clearly still fresh in his mind after all these years, and said of Ekai-sama, “One person’s attainment of faith can achieve so much!”
Kemmyo-sensei then went on to welcome and introduce Rev. Keimei Takehara. He pointed out that in 1994 Keimei-san attended the first ever London Eza, held in front of an O-myogo given to Sensei’s group of Dharma friends by Goinge-sama, and as such has been deeply involved and concerned with the development of Three Wheels ever since its inception. Later on during the retreat Rev. Takehara said how pleased he was to discover the very same feeling of Dharma-movement at Shokai as he had noticed on his first visit all those years ago. In the meantime, returning to the opening meeting, Rev. Takehara said that the faith-movement in England is very important to people at Shogyoji, and that hearing about it brings particular joy and happiness to the older generation of the samgha as they contend with the difficulties of their daily lives.
On the Friday evening Rev. Ishii gave a talk on The Relationship of Chanting Services to Faith and led a lesson in how to chant the Soshikumesage version of the Shoshinge. In his talk Kenshin-san stressed two points; firstly that “the most important thing for your chanting is your joy of faith” and secondly that “it is very difficult to receive true faith from Amida Buddha only by [our] own efforts.” On the latter point he spoke about how pleased he was to hear that recently, when confronting a spiritual problem, Jon B. visited Kemmyo-sensei, following the advice of some Dharma friends, and came to the decision to undergo chomon (a personal introspection retreat) in January of next year. This event reminded Rev. Ishii of his own encounter with Shimizu-sensei, director of the Kyoto taya, and his own chomon. It also made him recall the words of late Dharma Mother Ekai-ni:
“You cannot get along in this world by virtue of the Dharma (truth) alone. It is only through a real live person that the Dharma can be taught. If you cannot trust that person [who teaches the Dharma], it will be impossible for the Dharma to be conveyed [to you]. Should you deny this simple fact you will be unable to attain faith.”
Once we began the lesson itself Rev. Ishii was pleased and surprised by the reasonable standard of the chanting, though of course this was entirely due to the excellent training he has given us on previous occasions. He also told everyone about the planned visit of Chanting Master Honsenji-sama in December for which we are all extremely grateful. Namuamidabutsu.
Saturday 24th October 2009
The following morning Rev. Sato talked about one of the One Sheet Dharma Words of Daigyoin-sama:
“Although what you should be doing is practicing [the teaching of] the Sutra, the minds of all you who live in this Fukaieko-kutsu are completely absorbed in looking after your children or taking care of your parents. If you go on like this, you yourselves will only deteriorate. You are all of you taken up with things other than the Sutra.” (27th April 1947)
Kemmyo-sensei recalled how at one hot summer training session Ekai-sama admonished everyone that; “You are all ‘Namu Coca Cola’”. Sensei said that the object, or objects, of our attention tend to vary according to circumstances but what is most important is that we discover the matter of ‘ultimate concern’. Then, receiving shinjin which is free of attachment, we will be able to do everything freely in gratitude for the Buddha’s embrace. As Rev. Ishii put it later; “Freedom is not doing whatever we want and following our desires but rather being released from our own karmic darkness.”
Following on from Rev. Ishii’s personal reflections on the importance of the Master-Disciple relationship, made at the previous evening’s meeting, Rev. Sato spoke about the morning Ofumi reading (II.11), stressing:
“If you awaken then your good teacher will appear as a manifestation of the Buddha. However you should thank those around you with respect but take refuge in Amida Buddha alone. This should be clear. If you only see your friend’s or teacher’s form this is totally wrong.”
After having breakfast together (one of many wonderful meals prepared by Sanae Ishii, Kaori Punwani, and Atsuko Sekine) we gathered once again in the Buddha Room to hear Rev. Keimei Takehara’s specially prepared Dharma talk on the topic The Faith of Shin Buddhism in the Parable of the White Path between Two Rivers. As we took our seats Keimei-san played a slide-show of the grounds of Shogyoji, introducing some of those present to the beautiful purity of the temple for the first time.
Rev. Takehara’s talk was extremely carefully prepared and meticulous in its planning and delivery. Using diagrams, stories, and meditations, Keimei-san introduced us to the significance of Master Zendo’s famous parable, and Master Shinran’s own unique interpretation of it, according to the structure of Purpose, Scene, Story, and Commentary, concluding with a detailed look at ‘The Three Minds’ in The Commentary on the Meditation Sutra.
Rev. Takehara’s talk was so comprehensive and profound that I think that it will be a long time before I even begin to start to penetrate its depths. Indeed it will be a lifelong treasure for me to reflect on. Nonetheless I was very struck by several points as follows.
• A question can help us to see
Rev. Takehara asked us to close our eyes for a few minutes and to see how many square things we could remember in the room. Then when we opened our eyes we could see many more square things than we remembered. Keimei-san used this demonstration to illustrate how having a question can help us to see. I think that this relates to what Rev. Sato said about finding our ‘ultimate concern’. When I deeply examine my deepest heart’s wish I encounter Amida Tathagata’s Original Vow, and discover it as the voice which allows me to see what is true and real.
• Was coming here your own decision?
Rev. Takehara asked if we came to Shokai through our own decision and, even though I was expecting to give a talk about ‘all that has been done for me’ the following day, I immediately thought, “Yes, it was my own decision.” Using a clever illustration involving all the processes involved in filling a glass of water from a tap, Keimei-san encouraged us to look at our situation in terms of causation and to become aware of all the factors, often beyond our selves, contributing to it.
• Robbers and Bodhisattvas
When we looked at the paintings of the Parable of the White Path, by Ven. Myoonin Ryousho, Rev. Takehara pointed out that in the last picture the Eastern shore, formerly populated by wild animals and robbers is empty. Based on the preface to Shinran Shonin’s Jodo Wasan: Hymns on the Larger Sutra, and also the Preface to the Kyōgyōshinshō, it is possible to see the former occupants of the Eastern shore as Bodhisattvas who were guiding us to the Pure Land. Rev. Sato agreed on this point and stated, in relation to the Meditation Sutra, that whilst Master Zendo saw Queen Vaidehi as a bombu (person of blind passions), Shinran Shonin saw her as a gonja (manifestation of the Buddha). Both perspectives are actually valid but Master Shinran’s shows his deep gratitude for all the past causes and conditions which led to the preaching of the Pure Land teaching. To borrow the words of Rev. Michio Tokunaga; “a person of shinjin is one who is seeking after birth in the Pure Land, but for other people who are acquainted with that person of shinjin, he or she may seem as though they are guiding them to the final realization. (Mahayana Essence as Seen in the Concept of 'Return to This World)”
After Rev. Takehara’s talk we had lunch and then spent several hours doing sagyo (work practice) pulling up ivy and bramble roots from the garden of Tenrin Taya. This gave everyone an opportunity to let Keimei-san’s talk settle in their minds, and as such later in the day we were able to have a stimulating follow-up discussion about the Parable of the White Path. It should also be said that thanks to Sanjee C.’s excellent leadership we got a lot more work in the garden done than had been anticipated.
Sunday 25th October 2009
Dave Z. chaired the Sunday morning eza and described how attending Three Wheels has altered his understanding of what ‘faith’ means. In the past he saw it as a statement of irrational belief but has now come to see it as a trust in a tangible process which enables one to go forwards and deepen one’s experience. As such he now finds himself happy to say, “I have faith”. Rev. Sato was very pleased to hear about Dave’s new perspective and also thanked him for leading the zazen session the previous evening so thoughtfully and carefully.
After breakfast, at the final faith-meeting of Shokai, I gave a talk entitled Some Reflections on Shinjin. I will leave it to others to comment on it. However after I spoke about my recent spiritual re-encounter with my father Mrs Hiroko Sato said, “This is not only your experience.” These words are still echoing powerfully in my mind, reminding me not take for granted all that I have received and also to remember Kemmyo-sensei’s words that; “We have been given three taya houses by Goinge-sama and we should welcome people to them with open-mindedness and without egotism”.
When I was speaking to Jon Brown one night during the retreat he told me that when he first visited Three Wheels Rev. Sato and his wife Hiroko-san kept thanking him for coming, even though he felt that he should be thanking them. Hearing Jon’s words I realized that I don’t have such a mind of gratitude, but I would like to become such a person with the help of Amida Tathagata. Namuamidabutsu.
Gassho in Dharma,
Andy (Kyōshin)
30th October 2009
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