Shin Buddhism (Jodo Shinshu Buddhism) is often difficult to explain because we do not have any “physical practice” like sitting meditation or esoteric rituals. The beauty and profound depth of Shin spirituality is found in being ordinary human beings.
Historically, Shin Buddhism was discovered by Shinran. It was Siddhartha who discovered “Enlightenment”; he did not create it, rather he discovered what was always there. In a like manner, Shinran discovered “Shinjin” (“Awakening”) which was always there. The sense of discovery or awakening has to be a personal experience. It is teachers or ministers who can point the way to start, but in the final analysis, it has to be discovered by the experiences of each person.
Shinran discovered that one did not have to be rich or smart or male or female or whatever. Whoever we are, we all have hindrances and limitations. Rather than trying to get rid of these hindrances and limitations, we use them to go beyond them to awaken to the gift of wisdom and compassion that is Amida Buddha.
It sounds so simple and it has taken me a long time to realize that it is really impossible to teach wisdom or compassion or any of those concepts that we use. We can’t even define these words because, for example, compassion is something we have or we don’t have. We cannot earn compassion, we cannot purchase compassion, we only appreciated when we see it. We can only point out the indications for the results of compassion.
We know that compassion is the heart of the Bodhisattva who wishes to share the Dharma and to lead others to the Dharma. As human beings, we desire to be a Bodhisattva, but we fail because we are selfish human beings.
What are we to do? Even with our human hindrances and limitations, we can live in kindness, that is, to think, say and act with kindness. We have to be kind to ourselves and take care of our mind and body. We have to be kind to our family members, relatives, friends and community. We are just ordinary people, living ordinary lives. We can go beyond our selfish ego-self.
Perhaps kindness is not our “practice,” but it can be how we live and share our lives. We can practice kindness in simple ways: to smile at a stranger; to say a kind word to a friend; to give a hug to your family members, and any number of small and significant ways. This is the time to drop the old grudges, to drop unkind words, and to stop hurtful actions.
To quote a retired minister, who shared a wonderful and profound closing:
“Namo Amida Butsu, with gratitude and kindness beyond words.”
In gassho
Rev. Ron Miyamura
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