Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
In the Buddhist Education Center class on Buddhist Views of Life and Death that I am presently teaching, I recently shared the following essays that I translated from the original Japanese. The first essay, written by the late Rev. Gyomay Kubose, is from his book Soto Yori Uchi E, which was published in Japanese. Many years ago I translated it, but never had the opportunity to share it. For the BEC class the other evening, I shared Rev. Kubose’s essay, and also an essay written by an unknown author. The second essay, “The Joy of Impermanence, I read many years ago as a student at Ryukoku University. The essay was introduced to me o by a fellow classmate at Ryukoku. Both essays express the Buddhist view of life and death, and I would like to share them with you for my article for this month.
Life and Death
By Rev. Gyomay Kubose
Translated from the book, Soto yori Uchi e
Life and death is the greatest problem for human beings. Religion is what enables us to resolve that problem. That is what is Buddhism. Everyone seeks life, but despises death. Religion begins when we seriously think about what is life and death.
In this world, one wonders if those who have no opinions in life and who don’t work are dead or alive. In Japanese poetry like Haiku or Waka, they use the expression, this poem is “alive”, or this poem is “dead.” This expression of being “alive” or “dead,” refers to the dynamic nature of the poem, and whether it’s existence has value or not. In that sense, we too must ask ourselves if we are dead or alive.
Buddhism teaches resolving the problem of life and death. Most people do not want to die. They fear death. When we come to understand Buddhism, then death no longer becomes a problem. Death no longer becoming a problem means that if I die it’s okay, if I don’t die it’s okay. Whenever death comes, I am able to smile and die. Buddhism teaches that whenever I die, it’s okay, because I am living everyday completely.
Whenever I die, it’s okay, means that there must not be things that I feel that I have to do yet, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to say, whenever I die, it’s okay. Therefore, the question of life and death is directly related to the question of, are there things yet that I have to do? When the things that I have to do are all gone, then whenever I die, it’s okay. In other words, I must know clearly, what I have to do yet, which means that life must become the problem. In order to resolve the problem of death, we must resolve the problem of life.
Everyday of my life, am I doing what I must do? Just to eat and work everyday is that really living? When we begin to understand Buddhism, then we begin to see clearly, what it is that we must do in life. The yes and no choices of life become clear, and we begin to fulfill what it is in life that we must do.
Each day of our life, we accomplish what it is that we must do. When we begin to live life completely in that manner, then there is the world of, “whenever I die, it’s okay.” When one lives everyday completely, then everyday is a fulfillment, and there is no regret. It is a world full of life. For those who truly live completely, there is no death, therefore, whenever I die, it’s okay. Those who awaken to “whenever I die, it’s okay,” live a very complete life. Life and death are in oneness. Although they seem like two separate entities, life and death are one reality. A life of the fulfillment of one’s deepest wish (hongan), is a life of birth in the Pure Land (ojo), it is a life in which life and death no longer are a problem. There is only bright and shining life.
The Joy of Impermanence
Author Unknown
Translated from the Japanese by Marvin Harada
Death. It’s terrifying. Death. It’s painful. Death. It’s depressing. But I think that because man has death he reflects about life. Because there is death I have the thought of wanting to live.
In life there is death. But because there is death we are able to be truly sad. Because of death we are able to truly love. Death is what truly makes man live. There is nothing more dignified than a person who lives facing death head-on. I want to live facing death. I want to live with real meaning in life.
But man is weak, and those who suffer try to avoid death. They try to forget about it. But hasn’t one who has forgotten about death also lost life? Eventually in our human life death comes. No matter how much we have tried to forget about it, it still comes. At that time, no matter how much we might regret the lack of real “living” in our life, we cannot repeat it. Now is the time to think about it. As I face death, what am I really living for? What is the purpose of my life? I want to truly live life deeply. It doesn’t matter what form my life takes. Whether it be a lifetime of sickness or poverty, if I truly live life, that life will be unequalled in brightness.
In death nothing remains. Only the depth of what one has lived, remains.
If I were to die tomorrow, it’s too late to study for it today. If I were to die tomorrow, I could probably forgive all of mankind today. If I were to die tomorrow, I would probably be grateful that I was born and lived as a human being today. If I were to die tomorrow, I would probably be truly humble today. If I were to die tomorrow, I would be able to meet my true self, today. If I were to die tomorrow, I would probably cry from the depth of my being today.
But for me, there is life tomorrow. For me, the sun will come up in the morning. But having faced death, I can now bow my head to the Buddha and die. Having faced death, I can say thank you to all beings and die.
This is the expression of the joy of impermanence.
Both essays reflect the Buddhist understanding of life and death. In Buddhism, life and death are one reality, one truth. They are not two separate events or entities. Therefore, to understand death is to understand life. Or, as is expressed in the popular book, Tuesdays With Morrie, “when you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”
To live with an understanding of the oneness of life and death is to live with a sense of meaning and gratitude in life. It is to live with a freshness, a newness of life, as if today is the first day of one’s life, and it is to live with gratitude and appreciation as if today is the last day of one’s life.
Through an understanding of life and death we can live a fulfilling life with depth and meaning. We will live, as Rev. Kubose beautifully expresses, with “bright and shining life.”
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
