BOMBU BOMBU Monthly Bulletin of Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple Volume 13, Issue 10 www.bombu.org October 2018 KINDNESS IS MOST IMPORTANT, SADNESS IS MOST BEAUTIFUL By Rev. Ryoko Osa This poem was - written by a 14-year-old boy. It was originally written in Japanese. This is my English translation. It is titled, I am sorry mom. I am sorry Mom, I am sorry Mom, Because I was born in this world. I am sorry Mom, I say these words behind your slender neck When you carry me on your back. If only I wasn t born, Your hair wouldn t turn silver. You wouldn t be sad, Walking and carrying me, already grown big, Feeling pain and tears, While others look and say, He s crippled, isn t he? If only I wasn t born. Yasufumi Yamada wrote this poem. He was born in 1960 and passed away at age 15 in 1975. He suffered from severe cerebral palsy. He could not move his body, nor could he speak. However he was able to somehow communicate with a special education teacher using his eyes and tongue. As the teacher read each letter of the alphabet, Yasufumi chose what he wanted to write one letter at a time, by either closing his eyes to signal yes, or sticking out his tongue, to signal no. In this way, his teacher was able to write down what Yasufumi wanted to say. Yasufumi chose his words very carefully. For example, in the Japanese language, there are various ways to say I m sorry. Gomen-ne, is quite casual, while gomen nasai is more formal and polite. It took a month for the teacher to understand that he wanted to tell his mom, Gomen nasai-ne, which sounds both serious and familiar. However, communicating this way was time-consuming and difficult. Sometimes, Yasufumi became so frustrated he broke down and cried. He was not thankful for his life. Instead he felt the burden he placed on his mother, feeling that he only could say, I m sorry for being born. It s hard to imagine the depths of his sadness. His mother read the poem. Afterwards, she felt compelled to write this poem to him: Please forgive me, my son. Please forgive me, my son. Please forgive your mom, my son. When I realized you had cerebral palsy, I cried. I said, I am sorry. I cried and cried for you. Bombu (böm bü) means ordinary person. Shinran used this term to express his to refer to the ignorant and self-centered person he was. He encourages us to be aware of our true nature and to live fully every day. When I carry you, knowing you ll never be able to walk, I feel pained, Not because your weight cuts into my shoulder, It s a mother s heart imagining your desire to walk As you think of me and worry, I must be heavy. Thank you son, Thank you son. Mom lives to watch over you. It is sad to see you struggle. Your smile cares for others. Your smile allows me to live, To my son, with cerebral palsy, With you here, I m alive. The boy read his mother s poem and decided to add to his poem. Thank you, mom. Thank you, mom. With you living, I m living. I live with cerebral palsy. Mom, mom, you taught me, how to live as a person, Kindness is most important, Sadness is most beautiful. Mom, mom, with you here, I m alive. Buddhist sutras often use the word diamond because it describes the world s hardest stone. That strength symbolizes our deepest mind, which transcends blind passions and becomes enlightened. Some Buddhist schools say we can shape our minds into a diamond though various practices such as asceticism, meditation and study. However according to Pure Land (Continued on page 3) 1
Date Day Time Event 7 Sunday 10:00 a.m. Shotsuki, Family service, & Dharma school Dharma School Field Trip 14 Sunday 8:30 a.m. WBA meeting 10:00 a.m. Family service & Dharma school 1:00 p.m. Hosting the Jr. YBA bay district meeting 16 Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Temple board meeting 20 Saturday 7:00 p.m. Concord Howakai 21 Sunday 10:00 a.m. Family service & Dharma school 28 Sunday 10:00 a.m. Kaikyoki service, Keirokai, & Halloween November CALENDAR OF EVENTS October 2018 4 Sunday 10:00 a.m. Family service/dharma school (Day light savings ends) UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER TOBAN (group #1) Janice Adachi, Wendy Adachi, Nina Costales, Satoko Davidson, Grace Goto, Alice Horio, Doreen Imada, Elsie Lum, Denice Nakano, Diane Nishioka, Michi Takata SHOTSUKI MEMORIAL SERVICE We will hold the Shotsuki monthly memorial service on Oct. 7 at 10 a.m., along with our family service. The following families will observe memorials for loved ones this month: Watanabe, Higuchi, Takata, Yanaba, Moriwaki, Nomura, Nagatoshi, Yatabe, Yamada, Eshima, Costales, Yoshikawa, Otani KEIROKAI AND KAIKYOKI This month, we have a special service planned for Oct. 28 in which we honor the senior members of our temples ( keirosha, who are 75 years old and older) with a luncheon following our family service. We hope you ll come out for this special day, visit with friends and fellow temple members, and let us recognize your efforts and support, keeping this temple alive for future generations. Keirosha will be receiving invitations in the mail. If you have recently turned 75 years old and/or you have not received an invitation, please let us know, so we can properly honor you. Contact Rev. Ryoko Everyone else, please RSVP with the enclosed order form so that we know how many bento lunches to make. The Keirokai will be combined with Kaikyoki, which is a traditional service in memory of past ministers of our temple. We will also have a Halloween party at the Keirokai. Dharma school students and adults are encouraged to wear costumes! HO-ONKO (SHINRAN SHONIN ANNUAL MEMORIAL) Literally the biggest service in our Jodo Shinshu tradition is Ho-onko, the annual memorial service for Shinran Shonin, upon whose life and writings Jodo Shinshu is based. In Japan at the main Higashi Honganji temple, thousands of people will attend Ho-onko services. Here in Berkeley on Nov. 18, we will have a guest speaker, Rev. Ken Yamada our previous resident minister! A luncheon follows the service. Please try to attend this important observance. 2
(Continued from page 1) Buddhism, living life itself is our practice. I think when we learn from painful life experiences, our mind is cut and shaped into this kind of diamond, allowing us to awaken to deep spiritual truth, giving us a different perspective in life, and helping us appreciate the life we have. All of us encounter sad and painful experiences in life. Those experiences to me can be considered what others may call Buddhist practice. Those experiences, when deeply understood, help us to see the world from the Buddha s diamond-like mind. That mind, because of the cuts, illuminates and reflects light, a light of wisdom and compassion. That light gives us strength to live in the face of suffering. Yasufumi wrote, Sadness is most beautiful. If you look at the Amida Buddha statue on our temple s altar, Amida seems to be smiling at us. The Buddha must know, that despite life s hardships, we may appreciate our life. Indeed, Amida s face is beautiful. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Big thank you s to the following: J-Sei Family Festival - WBA s Asian Chicken Salad was hugely popular at the JSEI Family Festival in El Cerrito on September 9, 2018. A big thank you to our fearless leader Anna Hightower and the chicken salad team: a very interconnected group of women! Jane Fujii, Lesli Jo Sawada, Eiko Iwata, Kim Chew, Lorraine Yoshikawa, Connie Morita, Karen Morioka, Anna Hightower, Janice Adachi, Dorise Ouye, Wendy Adachi, Naomi Yamada Tree pruning and garden beautification - Thank you to Mr. Dennis Makishima and other professionals who came to work on the temple garden on September 22. Also Owen, Steve and Tom Morioka, Jimmy Kihara, Anna Hightower, Yuki Hayashi, Rinako Osa, (lunch): Naomi Yamada, Lesli Jo Sawada, Kim Chew, and Lorraine Yoshikawa Bazaar Raffle donations- Lorraine Yoshikawa Thank you everyone for your donations, time, energy and support. Because of you, our temple exists for us and for future generations. Domo arigato gozaimashita! 2018 Dharma School Camping Trip - Calaveras Big Trees Credits: This is a publication of the Berkeley Higashi Honganji. Please contact Rev. Ryoko Osa at 1524 Oregon Street, Berkeley, CA 94703. 510-843-6933. www.bombu.org. ryoko.osa@gmail.com. Newsletter design by Kevin Sullivan 3
Support Our Keirokai Keirokai is a gathering to honor the senior members (keirosha) of the Berkeley Higashi Honganji Temple who are 75 years of age or older. We will celebrate our keirokai with an annual luncheon. Please join us for this special event. Date: Sunday, October 28, 2018 Time: 11:30 a.m. Place: Ohtani Hall Cost: $8.00 [Keirosha and children no charge] Please reply by Wednesday, October 17, 2018. Send the form below to: Jane Fujii 1251 Monterey Ave. Berkeley, CA 94707 Kaikyoki, the memorial service for our late ministers, will be observed the same day at 10:00 a.m. We hope that you will attend the service and luncheon and enjoy entertainment by the Dharma School students. Note: Separate invitations will be sent to the Keirosha. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I will attend the Keirokai luncheon on Sunday, October 28, 2018. Name (s): Number of Adults: x $8.00 = $ Number of Children: Bento [Japanese box lunches] will be served. Total number of bentos: Please make your check payable to Berkeley Higashi Honganji and send your reply to Jane Fujii, 1251 Monterey Ave., Berkeley, CA 94707 by October 17, 2018. We hope to see you! 4
バークレー東本願寺会報 2018 年 10 月号 10 月お寺の行事予定 14 日 ( 日 ) 午前 8 時半 婦人会会議 10 時 祥月 日曜礼拝 ダルマスクール ダルマスクール遠足 16 日 ( 火 ) 午前 7 時半 仏教会定例理事会 20 日 ( 土 ) 午後 7 時 コンコード法話会 21 日 ( 日 ) 午前 10 時 日曜礼拝 28 日 ( 日 ) 午前 10 時 日曜礼拝, 敬老会, ハロウィーンパーティー 11 月 4 日 ( 日 )10 時日曜礼拝 ダルマスクール 10 月当番 : あだちジャニース あだちウェンディ Costales ニーナ Davidson さとこ ごとうグレイス 堀尾アリス 今田ドーリン Lum エルシー 中野デニース 西岡ダイアン 高田みち ( 敬称略 ) 祥月法要 : 1 0 月 7 日 ( 日 ) 午前 10 時より 祥月法要が勤められます 今月の施主は 渡辺 樋口 吉 井 高田 簗場 野村 森田 ながとし やたべ 彦江打 大谷 中澤 山田 えしま もりわき 芳川 コ スタレス 大谷の諸家であります お誘い合わせお参り下さい 敬老会 : 10 月 28 日 敬老会を開催いたします 75 歳以上の会員に招待状をお送りしますので 出欠のご連絡をお願いいたします 開教忌法要の後は メンバー手作りのお弁当をお楽しみくだ さいませ 招待状が届かなかった場合は お寺にお電話ください 5
強さと美しさ 長 良子 ごめんなさいねおかあさん という詩をご紹介いたします ごめんなさいねおかあさんごめんなさいねおかあさんぼくが生まれてごめんなさいぼくを背負うかあさんの細いうなじにぼくは言うぼくさえ生まれてなかったらかあさんのしらがもなかったろうね大きくなったこのぼくを背負って歩く悲しさも かたわの子だね とふりかえるつめたい視線に泣くこともぼくさえ生まれなかったら この詩は 1960に生まれ 1975 年に 15 歳で亡くなった山田康文さんの詩です 康文さんは 重度の脳性麻痺で体が不自由で言葉を口にすることもできませんでした 養養護学校の先生が 一文字一文字を聞き取っていきました 康文さんが目をぎゅっとつぶると はい 舌を出すと いいえ の意味です 康文さんは言葉の選択にこだわりました 出だしは ごめんね も ごめんなさい も舌を出します ごめんなさいね やっと目をつぶるのです 一行目が ごめんなさいね おかあさん だと先生が理解するのに一カ月もかかったそうです 思いをことばにかえられず いらだって泣いてしまった日もあったそうです 康文さんはこの世に生まれ生きていることに ごめんなさい と感じ 生んでくれてありがとう と思えませんでした 子供がこんな気持ちを抱えて生きていると知ったら 大人である皆様はどう感じますか? 胸をえぐられるような心の痛みとはこういう痛みではないでしょうか これを詠んだ母親の信子さんから 康文くんへ詩が書かれました わたしの息子よゆるしてねわたしの息子よゆるしてねこのかあさんをゆるしておくれお前が脳性マヒと知ったときああごめんなさいと泣きましたいっぱいいっぱい泣きましたいつまでたっても歩けないお前を背負って歩くとき肩にくいこむ重さより 歩きたかろうね と母心 重くはない と聞いている 6
あなたの心がせつなくてわたしの息子よありがとうありがとう息子よあなたのすがたを見守ってお母さんは生きていく悲しいまでのがんばりと人をいたわるほほえみのその笑顔で生きている脳性マヒのわが息子そこにあなたがいるかぎり康文くんは この詩を読みお母さんの気持ちを受け止めて 続きの詩を書きました ありがとうおかあさんありがとうおかあさんおかあさんがいるかぎりぼくは生きていくのです脳性マヒを生きていくやさしさこそが大切で悲しさこそが美しいそんな人の生き方を教えてくれたおかあさんおかあさんあなたがそこにいるかぎり仏教の経典には 金剛 という言葉が出てきます 金剛石 はダイヤモンドのことで 最も硬い石であるので 最上 という意味で使われています 煩悩を打ち砕く賢固な精神を表しています また曹洞宗の開祖である道元禅師は 玉 磨かざれば光らず という言葉で 原石である私たちが自身を磨かなければ 光り輝く宝石とはならない と私たちに修行と鍛錬に励むことを教えています 修行というと特別難しいことの様に感じます そのような意味も確かにありますが 私たちの人生そのものが修行とも言えます 悲しさにぶつかった時 そこから逃げず自分を捨てずに 丁寧に向き合っていく それが修行であり自分を磨いていくことなのでしょう もともとは単純な形の原石 ( 私達の精神 ) が 悲しく辛い経験によって 磨かれ ダイヤモンドで言いますと複雑なカットを持つ形状となり 光に反射して美しく輝きます 内にある堅固な精神は 苦しみも含めてすべての経験によって磨かれ 外側へ 他者に向かって 優しい言葉あるいは包み込む様な笑顔となって 美しく反射されていきます 悲しさこそが美しい と康文くんが言っています 御本尊 ( 阿弥陀如来の像 ) をご覧ください 仏様は 衆生のすべての悲しみを受け止めて静かに微笑んでおられます それは私たちが本来もっている内なる 強さを信頼し見守っておられるかのようです とても美しいお顔です 7
Words of the Month 今月のことば As a mother protects her only child at the risk of her own life, so also you should cultivate an infinite kindness towards all living beings. (Sttanipata 149) あたかも 母がたった一人の我が子を命がけで守るように 全ての生きとし生けるものに 対し 無量の慈しみの心を起こすべし ( スッタニパータ 149) Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple 1524 Oregon Street Berkeley, CA 94703 U.S.A. Address Correction Requested