Thank you, thank you...

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

I am filled with "thank you"
I am filled with joy
I am filled with gratefulness

Be open to Amida
Be open to Compassion and Wisdom
Open your heart
Open your mind

Greed, hatred, selfish thoughts return
my old true self
ugly and delusional
Amida is open to me
despite my foolishness

Amida is open to all of us.
Are you open to Amida?

Namu Amida Butsu


Thank you,
Jishin

Re-discovery (Mandarava Blossoms)...(Journal Notes 2/4/2013)

As I was packing books and notebooks into a box for the move, I re-discovered a notebook filled with 6 volumes of Mandarava Blossoms.  Mandarava Blossoms was a publication created by the Seattle Buddhist Church Research Department.  I would like to share an excerpt from Volume 12. No 12. written August 1982.
___________________________________________________________________

"The ocean of Amida's Wisdom and Compassion is called "THE PURE LAND".  The Pure Land unconditionally receives every kind of sentient being:

Bodhisattvas, Sravakas, Pratyeka-Buddhas, and ordinary people who are filled with sufferings, anger, greed, ignorance, selfishness, etc., without any choice or judgment.  Amida's Pure Land welcomes them, then changes them into Amida Buddha.

Therefore, The Pure Land has two rare functions:  the absolute ability of RECEPTIVITY, and the perfect power of PURIFICATION.  The Pure Land is working for us.  Amida Buddha is working for us.

We, the followers of Jodo Shinshu, empty into the ocean of Amida Buddha, while reciting the name: NAMO-AMIDA_BUTSU.


Gassho,

Reverend Eijiro Fujii

Seattle Betsuin
_____________________________________________________________________

I sat on the floor among the boxes and re-read this several times.  I found great comfort in the words.

I especially love the last line...

We, the followers of Jodo Shinshu, empty into the ocean of Amida Buddha, while reciting the name: NAMO-AMIDA_BUTSU.

What a wonderful way of thinking on Amida...you and I pouring ourselves into the Ocean of Wisdom and Compassion....emptying ourselves into Amida Buddha...giving ourselves over...just as we are, knowing that we are received without judgement, we are embraced....we are welcomed into the Pure Land with Namu Amida Butsu....

Namu Amida Butsu....

Empty yourself into the ocean of Amida Buddha....

Beautiful....beautiful....

Thank you,
Jishin

Not as young as I used to be...reality check! (Journal Notes 2/03/13)

Reality check

body hurts

muscles ache

headache

stress

Namu Amida Butsu

don't feel much like writing today

don't want to unpack the boxes

complaining allot

I am selfish

just thinking about myself

Amida thinks of me

even when I am

in a deep state of

darkness

tired mind

Namu Amida Butsu

tired body

Namu Amida Butsu

getting old

Namu Amida Butsu

I am sorry for my selfishness

Namu Amida Butsu

here's hoping for another day

Namu Amida Butsu

thank you,

Jishin

(Journal notes from 2/3/2013)

My mind is tired... (Journal Notes 2-02-13)

My mind is tired.

I have been packing all of my belongings, making ready for a move into the city.

I have so much unnecessary "stuff".

Where did it all come from?

Why do I have so many "things"?

I don't need most of these things I am packing into boxes.

Makes me feel selfish in one sense.

I have got to lighten my load.

I have to give up these objects I am attached to.

Ok, who am I kidding.  There I go again, beating myself up for being "human" and for "wanting" of things.  It is just who I am.

The lesson I have discovered in this busy week of packing and cleaning and moving is this...

when it comes down to the basics...

all we really need is a deep understanding of how fortunate we are to live such a full life...

all we really need is to realize how fortunate we are to have the Dharma in our lives...

all we really need is Namu Amida Butsu

Thank you,
Jishin

A bit of a delay...

My internet is not back up and running at my new house...in a few days I will be posting several days worth of notes....looking forward to blogging again real soon.

Namu Amida Butsu
Thank you,
Jishin

Do you really want it?

Do you really want the Nembutsu in your life?

Do you really want to entrust in the power of Amida's Vow?

Do you want to hear Namu Amida Butsu?

I have no hope of being an enlightened being....not while I live and breathe with this giant ego of mine.

If my enlightenment depended on me to always "do good and cause no harm", then, sad to say I would fail miserably.

So what can I depend on?

Where can I put my trust?

Namu Amida Butsu..

Entrusting alone is essential....

Your life depends on it...

Thank you,
Jishin

I am a Shin Buddhist (Journal Notes 1-31-13)

I am a Shin Buddhist.

I am a fool.

I want for everything.

I gain nothing.

Amida calls.

I answer.

Namu Amida Butsu

Namu Amida Butsu

Namu Amida Butsu

Embraced.

Never abandoned.

Never alone.

A Vow was taken.

Enlightenment assured.

Entrusting is essential.

I am a Shin Buddhist.

I am a fool.

Amida smiles and knows.


Thank you,
Jishin