A moment in the life of a Shin Buddhist

A moment in the life of a Shin Buddhist


Sometimes taking just one moment to sit, stay and type at the computer seems like a huge task that can not be completed.

My mind is racing and whirling with the daily tasks of life.

Sit...be still for one moment

Stay...stay in the moment

Breathe...take a deep breath...breathe in the moment

Namo Amida Butsu

Namo Amida Butsu is in every moment of my life...for me, there is no doubt.

I am grateful...

I am humbled...

I am foolish...

I am a Shin Buddhist.....I know no other way.....

Namo Amida Butsu




Thank you...

Jishin

It took a wise man to remind me

It took a wise man to remind me that being "just as I am" is ok.

It took a Buddha to remind me that I am assured birth in the Pure Land "just as I am".

It took a great teacher to remind me that what I have done in this life is a gift.

If my life ends this moment, I trust that Amida will guide me home.

Friends, Buddhas, Teachers....we need these Dharma friends along this path we call "our life"...embrace them always.


Thank you,
Jishin


- Namu Amida Butsu

I don't wish...

I don't wish to be a little lonely flower petal floating on the rough sea of suffering...Instead, with the gentle breeze of Amida's Compassion, I wish to float sweetly and gently, glisten with great brightness and fade into depths of Amida's great ocean...floating, floating, then sinking deeper when the time comes....Namo Amida Butsu





Thank you
Diane


- Namu Amida Butsu

STOP THINK THANK

The reality of my life is this...I do not make the time to blog daily.  You could say lack of discipline, adult attention deficit disorder, scattered brained...yes all of these describe me exactly.  I have so many thoughts swirling in my head that I think are good enough to write into a blog...but then I just let them go, discard them like garbage and go about my day.  I often think "oh, I don't have anything nice to say, or happy to say, or worthy to say to the world." Yet, here I am pounding out a few thoughts on this computer, pecking at the keyboard, grateful for the chance to sit down for a few solitary moments and say Namu Amida Butsu to the world.  I am grateful for a few moments to STOP, THINK and THANK.

That is what being a Shin Buddhist is all about...STOP for a moment, THINK about your actions and THANK the causes and conditions that have brought you to hear the Dharma.

Basic

Simple

Shin

STOP

THINK

THANK

Thank you,

Jishin

This is my Nembutsu!

This is my Nembutsu!

Namo Amida Butsu...these are Amida's words for me.

These are the words of Compassion calling me to listen.

These are the words of Wisdom calling me to hear.

This is my Nembutsu....I know this, I feel this....I am grateful, indeed.

Listen

Hear

Know

Feel

Be grateful....

Namo Amida Butsu

thank you,

Diane

Three simple words to describe Shin Buddhism

I recently attended the NW Buddhist Conference of BCA temples and had the honor of hearing Rev Jeff Wilson give a dharma talk.

He said that Shin Buddhism could be described in three basic words..not Buddhist words...but everyday words that anyone can relate to:


relax

trust

thank


Here are my thoughts on these three words.

Three words of action.....three words the simply describe the practice of Jodo Shinshu.

Relax....you don't need to do special practices ... Just relax...

Trust....trust in the working of Compassion...trust in Amida's vow..trust that your heart is embraced by Namu Amida Butsu

Thank....be thankful for this moment, this life, this awareness of compassion and wisdom that embraces us all...give thanks for hearing the call of Amida.

Even if no one has ever heard about Buddhism or Jodo Shinshu or Amida or Shinjin...we can set those words aside in the beginning when someone asks us "what is Shin Buddhism all about anyway?"

A simple answer will naturally lead to more questions and more study...but we must start from a basic and simple beginning point...

Relax

Trust

Thank


This is my Shin Buddhism ...



- Namu Amida Butsu

Thank you Jeff for the inspiration!



Thank you
Diane

Why did I....

Why did I become a Buddhist priest?

From the start I didn't have much confidence in myself.

I knew I was a terrible student.

I didn't think I would be a very good teacher.

I felt I couldn't live up to my teacher's standards.

And yet, with all my insecurities weighing heavy on my mind...the weight of the Dharma, the embrace of Amida's compassion and the call of Namo Amida Butsu was strong enough to walk me through Tokudo...strong enough to pull me through my own darkness and to guide me into a life of sharing the Nembutsu with others.

I am Amida's child...ready, willing and able to be open to a life filled with gratitude.


Thank you,
Diane


- Namu Amida Butsu