Most members tend to think Buddhism is a teaching to become good. However, becoming good is not enough. Buddhism is a teaching to realize our evilness which is our ineradicable blind passions and to become a humble person. We must realize our ignorance.

As I recalled this year, I heard various grumbles and complains to others and temples. I would like to share your sayings on the end of the year. Do you remember? Those who come to the temple to grumble to others tell me, "If the person comes to the temple for services, meetings, clean up, and so forth, I will not come and help to the temple anymore." "As I do not want to meet with the person, I will transfer my membership to another church." "As I am against to the temple, I will quit the temple member." I do not care whether you quit or transfer the membership, because, as Rennyo Shonin mentioned, even though the number of memberships increases or decreases, it is no sense. Your minds and appreciation for the Buddha and the teachings are more important than its appearances. However, these complaints make me really sad.

Now, I want to ask you. Why you come to the temple? What are you listening the teachings of the Buddha in the temple services? How you appreciate the teachings?

I love the ocean. Every time I gaze at the ocean, I feel that my troubles, worries, complaints, and agitations are so trivial. I often notice that my mind is full of small-minded concerns. The ocean makes me notice many things every time. Whenever I look at the quiet and gentle ocean and try to calm my turbulent feelings, I still cannot calm my irritated thoughts at all. For after all, I am always thinking of one thing and then another that is self-centered.

"I reflect within myself: The universal Vow difficult to fathom is indeed a great vessel bearing us across the ocean difficult to cross. The unhindered light is the sun of wisdom dispersing the darkness of our ignorance."

(The Collected Works of Shinran, Vol. 1, P.3)

I appreciate these words contain the essence of all the teachings of Shinran Shonin. He often used the word ‘ocean’ in his writings. Through this analogy, Shinran Shonin was talking about our living world as like an ocean full of repeated birth-and-death. Since the moment we are born and until the day we die we cannot escape from living in the ocean of birth-and-death at all. Because we are alive, we must always keep holding to our blind desires to survive. Though we try to control our feelings, our desires keep obstructing us. This is because we are always grumbling and complaining to others. This is the truth and reality. This is why Shinran Shonin compared our living world to a turbulent ocean full of birth-and-death.

According to Shinran Shonin, there is a great vessel that bears us all across this ocean of birth-and-death which is difficult to cross. It is the great vessel that is Amida’s universal vow which is most difficult to fathom and understand. Amida carries all sentient beings at all times and in all places with his universal vow which is like a gigantic ship. By comparison, the petty things which we think of and suffer about are quite smaller than Amida’s Compassionate Vow. Amida grasps all sentient beings and never abandons us. Also, though Amida knows that we are always blinded by various passions since our births to deaths, Amida has already vowed to save all beings at anytime and at anyplace. This is Shinran Shonin’s way of saying that Amida Buddha’s limitless compassion and love for us bears us all through the difficult ocean tides of life which are full of sufferings.

Though I want to have a deep mind like a wide ocean, I always get angry and complain about others. This is my true human nature. However, in spite of my faults, Amida Buddha bears me across the difficult ocean of birth-and-death which is difficult to cross. I am truly grateful. Let us get along together and keep a mind of oneness in the Buddha’s Infinite Wisdom and Unfathomable Compassion like the scale of the ocean’s vastness and deepness.

Namo-Amidabutsu