My daughter Mai welcomed her 2^nd birthday on January 16, Shinran Shonin's memorial day. I would like to thank everyone for your thoughtfulness and kindness extended to my daughter. I humbly ask for your continued helps and supports to my daughter and family.

Recently she cries often if things do not go as she wishes. For an example, she likes watching a cartoon. If the program is not the cartoon which she likes or I turn off the TV, she cries. If she is thirsty, she pulls me to the refrigerator. Then, if it does not have her favorite juice, she cries. When she is sleepy, she cries. When she wants me to carry, she comes to me and cries. After taking a bath, she brings a Q-tip to me. She likes me to clean her ears. While I am cleaning the inside of her ears, she closes her eyes and she sometimes sleeps. If I finish it too sooner, she cries and brings me another swab. She shows me her fullness of ego by crying.

As I observe her ego in my daily life, she makes me realize my ego, too. Although I do not cry if it does not go as I wish, I show my ego by complaining, grumbling, and so forth. I outwardly do not show my ego to others like Mai, however, my mind is full of ego. How about you?

As you know, the bridge area close to the temple is now under construction to widen the road. Because of it, the traffic is really terrible. Sometime I can hear that somebody yelling at people who is constructing around the area. By yelling, they show their ego. Like this, if it does not go as we wish we show our ego in our daily lives, though we do not care and realize that it is ego. Please reflect upon your daily lives so that you may realize your fullness of ego.

Recently, lots of wars, terrorists' attacks, and so forth are occurring all over the world. People is seeking the peace and trying not to harm anyone. However, lots of incidents happened at every place and at every moment. This country, USA too, is ready to start the war. To show their rightness, they show their power. In other words, they show their strong ego like babies. "Our country is strong. Our country is not wrong and others are wrong." I am not criticizing this country. I just cannot agree with this way of showing justice.

A few days ago, I bought a book, "Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist" written by D.T. Suzuki. He mentioned in his writing, "... the ego is something always eluding our grasp; when we think we have caught it, it is found to be no more than a slough left by the snake while the real ego is somewhere else. The human ego-snake is covered with an infinity of sloughs, the catcher will before long find himself all exhausted. The ego must be caught not from outside but from within."

No matter how we try to cease our ego, it will not be able to do it completely. We can tolerate and hide our ego and outwardly present the appearance of being good, wise, and diligent. However, inwardly we are filled with ego.

Buddhism is a teaching to realize our ego, self-centered mind, self-attachment, evilness, ignorance, etc. and aware of Amida Buddha's perfectness and gratefulness. Amida Buddha's Infinite Wisdom always sheds upon our ego that is deep within our minds. We can realize the wisdom by listening to the teachings of the Buddha. We can also realize the Amida's Wisdom through practicing the Eightfold Path, the Six Paramitas, the Shinshu Pledge, the Golden Chain of Love, and etc. in our daily lives. By practicing the Buddhist teachings and realizing our imperfectness, you may aware of the Amida's Perfect Wisdom. Let us realize our deep-seated ego and follow the Buddhist way of life and light up Amida's Wisdom to our egoism by listening to the teachings of the Buddha.

Namo-Amidabutsu