Right Understanding

Reverend Koho Takata

Syakyamuni Buddha saw the reality of our human life and recognized that "Life is full of suffering."  Then, he showed us how to cope with the sufferings.  It is the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.  The Four Noble Truths are; 1) Life is full of sufferings, 2) Cause of sufferings is ignorance, 3) Ignorance can be removed, and 4) The Eightfold Path is the way.  They are; 1) Right Understanding, 2) Right Purpose, 3) Right Speech, 4) Right Conduct, 5) Right Livelihood, 6) Right Endeavor, 7) Right Thought, and 8) Right Meditation.

I understand that to accomplish the Right Understand is necessary to practice all the other seven paths.  In other words, it is necessary to practice the other seven paths to accomplish the Right Understanding.  The Right Understanding is the core of how to end the sufferings.  So, I would like to focus on the first path, Right Understanding.

In our every day lives, we do need the right understanding whether you are in school, hospital, temple, home, community, etc.  If we do not have right understanding in each situation, we misunderstand the person, situation, condition, etc.  To avoid the misunderstanding, we communicate with and understand each other the right way.

For example; 1) If you meet somebody and you feel you like her, you communicate with her and tell her that you love her.  If you do not communicate well and do not convey your feelings to her, she may feel that you do not like her.  2) If you promise to meet with somebody and you do not communicate clearly on the date, time, place, etc., it leads misunderstanding.  She may be confused whether he comes to pick her up or she has to go by herself, what time they meet, where they go, etc.  3) If you need help such as clean-up, fund-raising, cooking, etc., if you do not communicate with your friends, they may think that they have enough help so that they do not need to come to help. 

In our daily lives, it is very important to communicate well with each other to avoid the misunderstanding in each situation.  In other words, to have a better communication with others, we need the right understanding.  I now would like to describe some ways to practice the right understanding based on the Eightfold Paths.  We need to be careful of our thoughts because our words and actions arise from our thoughts (right thought).  We need to be careful not to bring disharmony by what we say (right speech).  We need to concentrate on our actions to be compassionate, respectable, and peaceable (right conduct).  We need to avoid blaming others (right livelihood).  We need to make an effort to bring good thoughts (right endeavor).  We need to pay attention whether we are doing the right way or not (right purpose).  We need to concentrate on the right endeavor and right purpose to bring forth good things (right meditation).

Now, I would like to share the Right Understanding from the religious perspective.  The Right Understanding is to see the "Truth".  My understanding of "Truth" is to see the cause of sufferings, true nature of my life.  It means to fully aware of my evilness, self-centered mind, self-attachment, and ignorance.  As long as I carry those things, I will not be able to see the "Truth".  In other words, I will not be able to have the Right Understanding.  However, I can make an effort to see the "Truth".

In this world, if we do not have a good communication and a right understanding with others, it makes disharmony, misunderstanding, conflict, grumbling, complaining, etc.  On the other hand, even though I often forget to communicate with Amida Buddha, Amida Buddha never gives up and is always calling me to communicate with Amida Buddha, and is always giving me the guidance to realize what the "Truth".  And the "truth" will be realized through listening to the teachings of the Buddha

                        "My eyes being hindered by blind passions,

                        I cannot perceive the light that grasps me;

                        Yet the great compassion, without tiring,

                        Illumines me always."         

  (The Collected Works of Shinran P. 385, #95)

Our founder, Shinran Shonin, always deeply reflected upon himself and confessed his evil nature.  He was always humble and practiced the humility throughout his Nembutsu life.  Whenever I reflect upon his Nembutsu life, it makes me to realize of my imperfectness, too.  How I am ignorant and how much I carry the blind passions!  Even though I think that my mind is clear like blue sky, my mind is always covered by the clouds (blind passions).  When my mind of sky is cleared up, I will be able to see everything (Truth) and have the Right Understanding.

Let us always make effort to turn our self-centered eyes to see the "Truth" and communicate with Amida Buddha and practice the Right Understanding by listening to the teachings of the Buddha.

                                                                                                                                                    Namo-Amidabutsu