Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
In Shinran Shonin’s Shoshinge, and also in his poems, or Wasans, Shinran praises the Light of Amida Buddha and expresses the wonderful qualities of that light. There are twelve qualities, or adjectives for this light. I would like to share how I interpret these twelve qualities of light in this month’s article. I think that the twelve qualities describe not only the light of Amida, but they also describe how the life of a person who lives in the Nembutsu, lives with those qualities as well. It shows us the truly amazing kind of life that the Nembutsu offers us.
1. Immeasurable – (muryo – 無量).
The light of Amida is immeasurable. Immeasurable means beyond measure. If someone handed you a small bucket and said, “Please measure the amount of water in the Pacific Ocean,” you would say, “Are you crazy? You can’t measure the amount of water in the Pacific Ocean. It is too vast, too voluminous.” So too, the light of Amida, the light of the Dharma, is too vast, too far-reaching, too brilliant for measure. It is a light that extends everywhere, illuminating everything it touches, therefore it is called immeasurable light.
To touch this light, to receive Namuamidabutsu in your heart and mind, means that your life too becomes immeasurable. That is why Saichi the Myokonin writes in one of his poems,
I, bound for death,
Am now made
into the immortal “Namuamidabutsu.”
p. 186, Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist
Saichi doesn’t say he goes to the Pure Land and lives forever. Saichi says he is made into the immortal Namuamidabutsu. This is a very subtle, but important point. Saichi knows his physical life has its limits, but Namuamidabutsu has no limits. The light of Amida has no limits. Therefore, Saichi’s life becomes immeasurable, in Namuamidabutsu.
2. Unbounded, boundless – (muhen – 無辺).
We have boundaries between the U.S. and Mexico. There are boundaries between states. My favorite boundary is the one between California and Nevada. When I cross that border I know I am getting closer to Las Vegas. If you don’t have a passport, you can’t cross from the boundary or border of one country to another. The light of Amida however, has no boundary. The light of Amida doesn’t shine just on America and not in Mexico. It has no boundaries.
I understand that for astronauts, to fly into outer space is almost like a religious, spiritual experience. Almost every astronaut expresses the profound feeling that they have when the see our planet earth from outer space. They say that from outer space, the earth seems so small, so fragile. From outer space you cannot see a border between Israel and Palestine, or between Iran and Iraq. It is one small earth, one small planet that we all share with the whole world. Somehow we must find a way to live harmoniously on this one planet that we have.
The light of Amida has no boundaries between age or gender. It shines equally on the young and old, on men and women, on all ethnicities. That means that someone who touches this light also touches the heart of all humanity. Someone who touches this light can relate to people of all ages, of all genders, of all ethnicities.
Once when the late Rev. Gyomay Kubose was staying with us for a visit, he was playing with my children who were small at that time. Riki had just learned how to do a somersault on the floor. He was so excited, and showed Rev. Kubose how he could do a somersault. Then Riki said to Sensei, “Now you do one!” At that time Rev. Kubose was in his mid 70’s. I thought he would laugh and say, “Oh, I’m an old man. I can’t do that!” But to my amazement, without a moment’s hesitation, Rev. Kubose did a somersault on the floor. I will never forget the look on Riki’s face. He was so astonished and so elated. Rev. Kubose had no boundaries of age or gender in his heart and mind, and he lived that way. His heart could be one with a five year old, or it could be one with an 80 year old.
3. Unobstructed – (muge – 無碍).
The light of Amida is unobstructed. If you have the light of the sun that shines in your home, you could close all the blinds and drapes, and you could make your home very dark inside. The light of the sun cannot penetrate into a dark cave, or into the depths of the ocean. The light of Amida however, is unobstructed. Nothing can block the light of Amida. How can that be? Because the light of Amida penetrates even into the darkest of all places on earth, the deepest core of my heart and mind. No matter how dark and dismal life might seem to one, the light of the Dharma, the light of Namuamidabutsu can penetrate into that world of darkness and illuminate your heart and mind.
To touch this light means that your life too is now unobstructed. We face all kinds of obstructions in life. We might fail in business or marriage. We fail in our relationships with parents, children or siblings. Unexpected events are thrown at us that are beyond our control. The doctor might even say that we have cancer and have only months to live. For the person who has touched the light of Amida, who has received Namuamidabutsu in their heart and mind, none of these things are obstructions in life. None of them. Of course they are difficult things to face, of course they are tragic and painful, but they are not obstructions. They cannot ultimately hinder you in your life, because your life is an unobstructed life that has no obstacles.
4. Incomparable – (mutai – 無対).
In our everyday life we are always comparing things. When we shop we compare to find the best price and value. We compare ourselves to our neighbors and friends. So and so drives a Mercedes. I drive a Chevrolet. We compare husbands and wives. So and so’s husband can fix anything in their house. My husband can’t fix anything. So and so’s wife is the best cook. She can make anything. My wife can barely make a casserole. The light of Amida is beyond comparison. It is so bright, so radiant, so valuable, that it defies comparison.
In my class on the Shoshinge the other day, I asked a very devout member and student the following question. “If you had to choose between having a million dollars but a life without Nembutsu, and a life with the Nembutsu but no million dollars, which would you choose?” Without a second thought she responded, “I would choose the Nembutsu, of course.” To her there was no comparison, there was no question which she would choose. It would be like choosing between a piece of coal and a five carat diamond. That would be an obvious choice. Her choice was obvious too. She would choose the Nembutsu.
When we reflect on these qualities of the light of Amida, who is there that would not want to touch this light? Who is there that would not want these qualities in their life? A life of Namuamidabutsu has such wonderful qualities to offer our life. That is why Shin Buddhism has a universal message to offer all of mankind. (To be continued.)
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
