Dear Spiritual Brothers & Sisters in Vancouver,
I trust everyone is leading a healthy and productive life
while enjoying beautiful nature that surrounds us at this season.
Our Founder, Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi often introduced the
following allegory from “Lotus Sutra,” which is said to be the essence of the
Buddhist Scriptures. Here is the story:
When a rich man was about to leave his house on business, he
met an old friend of his in front of the door. The friend looked like an
emaciated beggar. His face was dirty and grimy. The old friend told the rich
man that he was starved to death because he didn’t eat anything for 10 days. He
had also been unable to find a place to work. The rich man was very sorry for
him, and therefore, changed his schedule, invited the friend to his house and
treated him with lots of delicious meals and drinks. Because it was his first
meal in 10 days, the friend was soon drunk and fell as “in the arms of
Morpheus” or soundly asleep. When the rich man needed to go out, he tried to nudge
the friend awake up, without success. So, the man put a diamond into a small
bag inside the poor guy’s jacket. The diamond was worth several million dollars
and by selling it his friend could buy a house and lead a luxurious life. A
month later, the man once again, met the old friend who was still homeless. He
said to him, how come you were still homeless despite the valuable diamond I
presented to you? The friend replied that he was unaware that he had such a
precious gift!
This implies that even if we have priceless treasure, it is
meaningless or tantamount to nothing unless we recognize it. In the same way,
even if we are children of God and have infinite power within ourselves, it
will not manifest until we recognize it.
When I visited Vancouver in the end of May, some members
kindly took me to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. The restaurant is located a
short walk from my apartment; however, I’ve never dined there because of its
appearance. I once suffered food poisoning from Chinese food when I stayed in
Hawaii a decade ago. The dishes at this restaurant were, in fact, very
delicious and safe and the price is also good! While I didn’t recognize the
value of the restaurant, it was equivalent to “nothing” to me.
With the advancement of technology, the world has been
proceeding in the direction of “automation” where people do not have to make
efforts. I don’t mean to deny the value of “automation.” It is truly effective
for elderly or disabled people, for example. However, if everything is done by
robots, the indwelling child-of-God-true-nature will not appear, which is a
waste of a valuable asset.
I avoided drawing for a long time because I got a bad grade in
an art class when I was a middle school student. However, Seicho-No-Ie now
places a high value on drawing from the religious perspective, I was put in a
situation where I cannot help but draw a picture as an ordained minister. I
found how joyful drawing is! If I kept avoiding of it, I would not be able to
savor the joy of drawing in my lifetime.
No matter how troublesome, let us walk or ride a bike when
possible. By doing so, you will be able to relish the changes of the seasons,
enjoy a conversation with lilies, dandelions, and other flowers and grasses
that bloom, and relieve your mind with the chirping of birds.
As a practice of the Sundial Way of life, let us fully use of
our five senses. Enjoy this beautiful summer season. Realizing that all lives
are vivid and vigorous. Let us deepen our sense of gratitude that we are
sustained by everything in the universe.
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