The Completed Altar Naijin at Myoko-in Temple

Three years ago, I posted the news about the construction of an altar for Myoko-in Temple in Deer Island, Oregon.

The Naijin was completed in 2015. Yesterday, we celebrated O-Higan.

Namu Amida Butsu

Myoko-in Temple Website

Poems to Share

Elfjes (little poems of eleven words)

Is

it possible

to jump for

joy while holding Amida’s

hand?

The

infinite embrace

of Amida brightens

every morning, afternoon and

evening.

I

have no

reason to complain

when I have so

much.

Diane

only hears

one tune in

her head which Amida

sings.

Seventeers (poems of seventeen syllables)

Amida walks with a

stride that allows my

heavy heart to keep up.

Will the spring flowers

bloom soon or must I

coax them from the ground

with song?

If Amida looked my way

would I see that his words

were meant for me?

A Few Words from a Stranger

Hello dear Dharma Friends far and wide. I find it hard to believe that so many years have gone by since my last posting. I should say Happy New Year 2016, 2017, 2018!  I feel like a stranger to my own blog. So, here I am again humbly submitting some thoughts and poems that pop into the head of this bumbling priest.

A Few Words

If it were not for Amida’s

call, I would feel lost

and abandoned.

The Nembutsu carries me

towards the land of bliss.

No doubt, I am happy!

I am sure that Marcus

and his poems will

reach the hearts of many.

Too bad I wasted so much

Time worrying.

Amida never worries

I jump for joy today because

the Nembutsu

will carry me home.

No effort to hear Amida’s call

is enough to

save you from hell.

To be a wanderer with

heavy karma is

my lot in this life.

Tell me Amida,

what do you think

about me?

I wake up

to another day

to say, Namo Amida Butsu!

It’s incredible that I

found my way to

the Nembutsu this time.

Samsara is the wheel on

which I spin. Amida shouts,

“jump off now!”

My time spent in the darkness

made the light of Amida

shine brighter.

Picking up the pieces

is an easier task with

a settled heart.

If Marcus were here he

would say, “stop your fuss

and say the Nembutsu!”

I see Kwan Yin in the face

of a stranger. Please help

be more kind.

Back on my feet again!

I shake off the dust and

hear Amida’s call.

2015 - What does this year hold for you?

What does 2015 hold for you?

What do you plan to do with this new year?

The plan for this year is to continue to live a life grateful in the Nembutsu.

We will begin construction of a permanent altar for Myoko-in Temple NW.  In March of 2014, we purchased a large historic school in Deer Island, Oregon. The main two room school has been converted on the inside into our home.  Deer Island Manor was originally built in 1908 and served as a school to the small community of Deer Island up until 2009.  The school comes with a gymnasium.  The gym, now known as "The Great Hall" houses an art collection and library.  It will soon be the permanent home to Myoko-in Temple NW, a Jodo Shinshu Temple run by Rev. Diane Jishin (Johnson) Dunn (me).  The new altar (Naijin) will be installed during the months of February and March 2015.  Services are bring held the second Sunday of each month.  Once the Naijin is complete services will be held twice a month with Dharma talks and other Dharma activities.  Deer Island Manor also hosts guests as a Bed and Breakfast and has two large guest bedrooms with king sized beds.  We are located on AIRBNB and Facebook.  Come visit, share a meal with us and share the Dharma with us!

I will be working on a second book of poetry and will be collaborating with Shin poet, Marcus Jishin Cumberlege.  I am hoping for wonderful things to come about as I work with my dear friend Marcus.

I hope this little note reaches you and finds you well and happy and living a full life in the Nembutsu.

I encourage all of you to write, write write...write your thoughts and feelings about being a Shin Buddhist.  What does it mean to you?  What does Shin Buddhism do for you?  Is Amida in your daily life?  Have you said the Nembutsu today?

Let's say it together....  Namu Amida Butsu.....Namo Amida Butsu....Na-Man-Da-Bu......Na-man-da-bu.....Na-man-da-bu......

Gassho,
Jishin

Focus on the one.....

The actions of a few
have affected the hearts of the many
without focusing on the one,
Amida.




gassho,
Jishin

Light of Compassion

If it were not for the light of Compassion
I would be hiding in the shadows of my dark self
The blinding light helps me to see clearly
I am grateful to know
I am ok
Just as I am.........
Namu Amida Butsu





Thank you..
A beautiful sunny day here in my new home in
Deer Island, Oregon

Jishin

It's hard to feel good

It's hard to feel good, when my thoughts are scattered and not focused on the saving power of Amida's Vow...

Grateful that Amida is always focused on foolish folks like me...
Never scattered, always working towards my birth in the Pure land....Amida, Amida..thank you thank you...

Namu Amida Butsu






Jishin


- Namu Amida Butsu

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

New Moon Nembutsu

Tonight..just a few moments ago I arrived home in time to look out across the back deck of my house to see the incredible sight of a new moon, large and low on the horizon...incredible!

I thought to myself "this is something special that I may never see again!"

Have you ever seen something so special that you felt frozen with excitement?

Have you ever felt something so spiritually special that you became absolutely still with wonder?

Have you, without question, felt the deep stir of Amida's Compassion in your heart that you want to jump for joy with gratefulness?

Yes, yes, yes...Namu Amida Butsu!


Grateful for the new moon, grateful for a new awareness of Amida's Compassion, grateful for another moment to share the Nembutsu.




Thank you,
Diane


- Namu Amida Butsu

A Year in the Life of a Shin Buddhist

Hello dear friends...

Thank you for reading my posts. I have received many positive notes of encouragement to continue sharing my thoughts. I have also been asked if I would compile all of my blog posts into a book. Thank you for that!

Forgive my periods of silence as I struggle with boughts of depression...a lifelong struggle to stay afloat on Amida's great ocean of compassion.

I don't claim to know much.
I am not a very good student.
I am not a very good teacher.
My mind is always whirling with deep thoughts and foolishness and sometimes it's hard to separate the two.

My ability to study and retain has been a lifelong difficulty. So I will never be a scholar or have a degree of any stature. I will just be the quirky lady with the red wooden clogs feeding her chickens and whispering "namandabu" to whoever will listen.


Na man da bu........



Thank you,
Jishin


- Namu Amida Butsu

Your heart is filled with the Nembutsu

For Rev. Greg Gibbs and his family
January 29, 2014


Your heart is filled with the Nembutsu.
Let your fear, sadness and anger swim in Amida's ocean of compassion.
Let it go and float...float, let go, and be free.
You are surrounded by those that care about you.
You are surrounded by those that are grateful to you.
You are surrounded by your family and friends.
You are surrounded by love.
You are grasped by Amida, never to be abandoned...never to be abandoned.

This is your mantra.
This is your time.....
This is your heart filled with the Nembutsu!

Namo Amida Butsu....














Thank you,
Diane J.

No good answers

Today has been a stressful day and I have no good answers to stop the emotional roller coaster I am on.

Amida is not magically going to "make it all better", no one is coming to "save" me...it is what it is.

The root of my suffering is planted deep in my own mind. I react to bad news, I cower when others are angry, and I choose to shut down emotionally when the going gets too rough...self preservation isn't always a pretty or healthy response.

So, you might ask, "where is your faith? Where is your Buddha?"

And I will respond by saying, "I have faith in the process that is beyond my control. I trust that compassion will make it's way into my heart and mind and help me to work through my thoughts, which in turn will help me to make better choices..Therein lies the wisdom that will find it's way through the muddy-ness of "me" and bloom right under my nose".

I trust in this process...I entrust to the working of Compassion and Wisdom...I'm embraced by Amida Buddha...

That's what I've got...that is what has got me...

Namo Amida Butsu!


Thank you,
Jishin


- Namu Amida Butsu

There is always...

There is always a smile buried beneath my darkness...
It is Amida's smile that rests upon my heart
There is always a light shining deep within my despair...
It is Amida's unwavering light of compassion burning deep within my heart
There is always hope within me, even when I am filled with great sadness...
It is Amida's wisdom that breaks through my ignorance and guides me back to the light that is always shining

There is always Amida
There is always Namo Amida Butsu




Namo Amida Butsu

Jishin



- Namu Amida Butsu

Look don't see, listen don't hear

Look don't see, listen don't hear...

I read these words tonight by author Lee Childs.

Look
Don't just see

Look deeply, engage, examine, explore your life in relationship to the world around you...
Look deeply and see how compassion and wisdom are a part of your life in each moment..
Don't "just see"...look, engage, question, embrace your life in the Nembutsu

Listen deeply, listen to the sound of compassion and wisdom in your life...what does that truly sound like? Listen to the sound of your own voice as you speak to others...as you speak to yourself...do you hear words of care and concern? Do you hear words of hatred and negativity? Do you hear Amida's voice speaking to your heart? Listen listen listen..don't "just hear"...listen, learn, respond with gratefulness!

Namo Amida Butsu!





Thank you,
Jishin


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone while sitting on a lotus blossom and dipping my toes in the mud.