Poisons
Reverend Koho Takata
About 2 months ago, I went to Honolulu for meetings. Since I knew that one of Kapaa members was in the Straub Clinic, I decided to visit the member. I parked the rental car on the King Street in front of the clinic and spent about 45 minutes in the clinic. After the visitation, I still had some times before the meeting, so I decided to check in at my hotel. When I reached the hotel and opened the trunk to get my bag, I found my bag was gone. I was panicked and finally realized that my bag was stolen from the trunk while I was visiting the clinic. I immediately went to the police station and spent about 2 hours to report about it. Then, I had to go shopping for socks, underwear, toothbrush, etc.
When I left the car, I locked the doors and the alarm was set. I could not see any damages on the car. I still do not know how the thief opened the trunk. I parked the car on the main street and there was a busy traffic. So I never thought my bag would be stolen. From this incident, I learned that I should not leave any personal belongings in the car when I leave the car, especially in Honolulu. This incident also reminded me of some of poisons within me, namely greed, hatred, and anger.
The first, when I arrived at Honolulu airport, I went to Avis to pick up the car. I reserved a compact car which was the cheapest car in the Avis. However, when I checked in, they did not have a compact car. So they upgraded my rent-a-car from a compact to a convertible car which was Mustang and brand new. I felt that I was very lucky. However, it made one of reasons for my bag to be stolen. If it was a compact car, my bag might not be stolen. I very much regretted about it. I was reminded of my mind of greed.
The second, when my bag was stolen, I hated the person who stole my bag. It was a very memorable bag for me. When my parents traveled to Europe about 15 years ago, they purchased the bag as souvenir to my family. My brothers and a sister enjoyed using the bag in Japan. When I came to Hawaii as a minister about 8 years ago, my brothers and a sister gave me the bag to use in Hawaii. It was a very precious bag for me.
In the bag, I had some reports for the meetings which I spent time to make them, clothes which was include my favorite aloha shirt, and etc. Everything was stolen. I hated the thief. I was reminded of my mind of hatred.
The third, suddenly my self-centered mind came up to me, "Why me, why he stole my bag, what kind of thief he was!" I was reminded of my mind of anger.
As I now calmly reflected upon the incident, one of story came to my mind. It was conversations between Shakyamuni Buddha and his father King Suddhodana quoted by Shinran Shonin in his Kyo-Gyo-Shin-Sho (The True Teaching, Practice, and Realization).
"The King asked the Buddha, "What are the characteristics of the working of the Nembutsu?" The Buddha replied to his father the King, "Suppose there is a forest of eranda trees forty yojanas square, in which there is a single gorirsa-candana tree. The candana has roots and sprouts, but has yet to arise forth from the soil. The eranda forest emits only foul odors, without the least trace of a pleasant scent. If one should ingest its flowers or fruit, one goes insane and dies. In time, the roots and sprouts of the candana gradually shoot forth, and just as it grows into a tree, its fragrance fills the air, finally transforming the forest and imparting everywhere its own fragrance. Sentient beings who see this are struck with wonder." ------ The eranda tree here represents the three poisons and the three hindrances within the bodily existence of each sentient being and the innumerable acts of grave karmic evil arising from them. The candana stands for the heart of the Nembutsu. "Just growing into a tree": when any sentient being simply accumulates the practice of the Nembutsu without ceasing, the causal act [for attainment of birth] will unfailingly be fulfilled." (The Collected Works of Shinran, P. 30)
Although I am not mindful of my blind passions in my daily lives, these passions are constantly causes of my sufferings from my birth till death. It is my true human nature. No one can escape from this reality. It is like the eranda tree which emits only foul odors. However, if I deeply reflect upon myself and carefully receive the Nembutsu teachings, it makes me to realize what is the true and real as if it is like the candana which transforms from foul odors to fragrance in the above story. In other words, the Nembutsu teachings transform my suffering to joy. The recent incident and this story reminded me of my ignorance and the importance of realization of what is true and real. Let us all reflect upon ourselves and realize our true human nature and further listen to the Nembutsu teachings as the basis of true and real life.
"With a foolish being full of blind passions, in this fleeting world -this burning house- all matters without exception are empty and false, totally without truth and sincerity. The Nembutsu alone is true and real." (The Collected Works of Shinran, P.679)