Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
Asazamu ya The morning cold –
Kozoo hogaraka ni Cheerfully the fledgling monk
Kyoo o yomu Chants the sutra.
Shiki
The beginning of fall brings with it, even here in Southern California, cool,
even cold, mornings, no matter how warm it may get later in the day. Not many
of us, shamefully even me, chant a sutra every morning, let alone every morning
and evening. Did I mention that Jodo Shinshu followers are supposed to chant
the Shoshinge every morning and evening? In any case, this haiku by Shiki
seemed to be apropos of the season and at the same time serve as a reminder of a
habit we should be cultivating. I, most of all, need constant reminding. By
the way, there is nothing that says we cannot read or recite an English
translation of the Shoshinge.
One of the advantages of daily chanting (aloud) is that, like
some forms of yoga, it helps us to breathe well. You inhale deeply and exhale
slowly but completely. If you do it right. Chanting is not meant to be a
mental exercise; if we want to study whatever we are chanting, then we must go
about it in a different way, as we are all familiar with.
Another result of daily chanting is simply the memorization
of the text. If you prefer to recite the Shoshinge in English, you will find
that it is a summation of what Jodo Shinshu is, who contributed what in terms of
thought, and how our founder, Shinran Shonin, who wrote it, put it all
together. You will, of course, need to do more than recite it; you will need to
study it. The Reverend Professor Taitetsu Unno is currently writing an
explication of the Shoshinge in the Dharma Wheel that should help us
understand what is being said.
I hope your summer was meaningful for you.
Gassho,
Dull-rooted Jaan, Rev. John Doami
