May I please request you say a prayer so my health and finances improve?

As Shin Buddhists, we do not practice petitionary prayer, as such. The reason is that our founder warned us about asking for temporary things, and we really
should be concerning ourselves with what is important—for example, our spiritual well-being.

We can and do, however, send you our meditation on loving kindness.

Metta

May all beings be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety.

All living beings, whether weak or strong, in high or middle or low realms of existence, small or great, visible or invisible, near or far, born or to be born, may all beings be happy.

—From the Karaniyametta Sutra

Gassho
(with palms together),
Rev. Ron

Have you seen a movie lately (say in the last five years!) that made you think: Why, there’s a good Buddhist lesson there! If so, what was the movie and what was the lesson?

I am not a movie person, and have not seen any recent movies. That being said, the movie that most moved me is a classic 1950 movie called “Rashomon.” It has the Buddhist lesson of “Right Views.”

Of course, this is a classic Akira Kurosawa movie starring a young Toshio Mifune and all that. In this movie, there are four versions of an event, a person’s death, a Samurai warrior.

The lesson is that we don’t really know what happened, but each person has their own version of what happened. So, we are left to wonder who is telling the truth or if any of them are telling the truth or only their version.

This is a reminder that we have to be careful in judging others, and to question our own selfish motives. “Right Views” means things are what they are though we don’t all see them the same, and we have to realize how difficult it is to determine what really happened.

Gassho (with palms together),
Rev. Ron

I am a new practitioner of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism from Florida, and I have a question. Unfortunately, there is no BCA-affiliated temple in my state. However, I’m interested in creating an altar in my home that includes a statue of Amida Buddha.

I’m wondering if you could please tell me if the statue seen here is Amida Buddha. Also can you please tell me the mudra this statue is holding?

Welcome to Jodo Shinshu. You are right that we do not have a BCA temple in Florida. But it’s great that you want to create an altar for your home.

Yes, this is a statue of Amida Buddha. The mudra (hand position) is the modified “OK” sign (with thumb and index finger touching).

This statue is an Indian version of Amida. The look in Japanese art (via China) has made Amida look slightly different, and the official version of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha (our mother temple in Japan) would say, the Amida statue should have 48 spokes radiating from the back of the head.

The BCA does not actually hold to that standard (we have temples with non-standard Amida statues, oh well). But what is important for you is that you like the statue. If you do, then please use it.

Gassho (with palms together),
Rev. Ron

In many areas of my life, I am the one people seem to feel comfortable confiding in or coming to for guidance; it seems I just have one of those faces. But at the end of the day, I can only be an expert on my own experience (and even then, who knows truly how self-aware I am).

How can one uplift others while maintaining balance within themselves? I imagine this might be a much smaller version of something a reverend might experience.

You are fortunate if people come to you for advice or guidance …and you are correct, we are all limited by our own experiences and judgment as I am sure you have already discovered.

People want someone to listen to them and your most important job is to really listen. The advice and guidance will come from within that person. The advice or guidance you offer can be vague. That is enough, if you have listened.

Gassho (with palms together),
Rev. Ron

I am doing a presentation for my comparative religion class and I wanted to know your views on donating organs and donating the body to science?

The Shin Buddhist view on organ donations, like all decisions, it is up to myself (a personal decision) and each of us has to be responsible for those decisions.

That being said, organ donations are a personal decision. The human body is a vessel that is temporary and is not sacred, in and of itself (thus most Buddhists have their bodies cremated).

How we use and care of our bodies while we are alive is up to each of us. How and why organs may or may not be donated is just as important as the decision itself.

In short, there is no Buddhist point of view on organ donations.

I was raised Catholic and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Although I do believe in Jesus Christ and the Creator, I feel that’s where my common beliefs end when it comes to the Catholic faith. I feel my beliefs are more in line with the Buddhist faith than any other religion.

I don’t know if someone like myself would be welcome in your temple but I would be interested in checking it out if an invitation were extended.

You are always welcome. While you may have seen our website, which has a lot of information, you also need to experience Buddhism.

We are an American Buddhist temple with roots in Japanese Shin Buddhism. We are a group of ordinary people (not monks and nuns). Our services are on Sunday mornings (an American adaptation) at 10:30 am and are open to everyone. In particular, we have no dogma and we have no requirements—come as you are. That is to say, you do not have to renounce your prior beliefs in order to attend our services and activities. Actually, the beliefs are subtle and personal.

In short, you don’t need an invitation. You are always welcome.

Please tell me when Vesak is celebrated here. I have found many dates for various countries but have been unable to determine which date applies to Japan. Are there special observances of the holiday at MBT?

The Midwest Buddhist Temple does not observe such. Vesak is pretty much a Theravada holiday, which celebrates the Buddha’s birth, death and Enlightenment (usually in May, but the date moves with the lunar calendar).

In the Mahayana tradition—and this means pretty much all of the Japanese schools of Buddhism—these three events are celebrated as three different holidays.

The Midwest Buddhist Temple (and the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji, our mother temple in Japan) has converted to the western (solar) calendar, and celebrates the Buddha’s birth on April 8. This holiday is called Hanamatsuri (flower festival). The Buddha’s death is called Nirvana Day and observed on Feb. 15. Buddha’s Enlightenment is called Bodhi Day and marked on Dec. 8.

I discovered Buddhism on a project I had to do back in school on world religions. I picked Buddhism and spiritualism. However ever since researching Buddhism, I’ve been wanting to become a Buddhist. Is it possible to join Buddhism after being baptized Christian? Can I become a Buddhist or is there proper steps to take?

Depending on which school of Buddhism you choose to follow, there are different ways to get started… as for the Midwest Buddhist Temple and Shin Buddhism (our school of Pure Land Buddhism of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji), we have no requirements….we ask that you “come as you are….and stay awhile.”

Things from your past (such as being baptized) do not matter to us, and we know that each of us brings things from the past. But it is of no concern going forward.

I hope you can attend our services and participate in our activities.

Come as you are,

Gassho (with palms together), Rev. Ron

Why do we light candles at Obon in honor of loved ones who have passed? How did this tradition start?

Obon is traditionally the time to remember and honor loved ones. By legend, it is said that our loved ones come back from the land of the spirits to visit us and to “check up” on us to make sure that everyone has adjusted.

In Japan, the traditions of Obon are very local. In many parts of Japan, if there is a river or a lake, memorial boats made of paper with a candle are put into the water to light the ancestors on their journey back to the land of the spirits.

In Kyoto, there is a big festival and parade with floats and music. And as a finale, there are five mountains that have a bonfire with five different characters to light the path so that the ancestors can find their way back to the land of the spirits.

In California, where it does not rain during the summer, some temples write the name of a person who has passedon a short banner that is then hung from the chochin (the paper lanterns).

Here at the Midwest Buddhist Temple, we wanted to start a new, local tradition for us with some way to remember our ancestors. Using small cups with a candle seemed like something that would be possible, and then we decided to put a label with the person’s name.

And if we had a record, we would print their Homyo (Buddhist Name) on each cup. These candles are displayed on the balcony ledge during the Obon Odori (dancing) on Saturday, July 7, as well as during the Obon/Hatsu-Bon Service on Sunday.

If you are interested in having a memorial candle for Obon this year, please contact the MBT Office. We ask for a $10 donation for each name.

What is the Buddhist way to handle when somebody publicly attacks you (verbally, (not physically)?

As always, when attacked, one should deflect that energy back to the person attacking.

When attacked verbally, the first reaction is no reaction. One must determine if the attack is even worth some kind of response; often the attack will look foolish if there is no reaction. There are times when a response is needed. At these times, the calm and quiet manner in which one responds is as important as the response itself.

After careful thought and consideration, the response should reply to the foolishness of the attack.

Why come to MBT?

At the Midwest Buddhist Temple, we encourage people to come as they are and stay a while.

As Shin Buddhists (Jodo Shinshu), there are no requirements to come to the temple and become a member. We would like to share the Dharma (Teaching) with everyone.

As Shin Buddhists, we don’t have a dogma (no set required beliefs), and we want everyone to be just the ordinary people that we all are.
As a Sangha (a group of “fellow travelers”), we learn from each other and we come to treasure some simple values: Profound Gratitude, Great Kindness and True Humility.

It is most interesting that these are values that cannot be taught as such. One can read about them, but it does not mean anything without the experience.

We learn these things by observation and by coming close to these experiences. For example, there are people who have turned sorrow and anger into gratitude when perhaps a young daughter passes away before the mother. The mother can transform that sorrow into gratitude for the few years her daughter shared (Profound Gratitude) … we know there are children as young as 8 years old who would use their allowance, without prompting, to purchase shampoo to donate to the Sarah’s Circle shelter (Great Kindness) … and there are people who can bury their ego and just say “thank you” for just a smile (True Humility).

These are things that come about only by being part of MBT. The organization allows the Sangha to be the vehicle to share the Dharma. We are “fellow travelers” on this path of life.

Rev. Ron, what do you say to someone when they sneeze?

There are a variety of explanations for why people say “God bless you” or “bless you” when someone sneezes. Among them is the belief that it is said to prevent the devil from stealing your soul because it once was believed that a sneeze separates the soul from the body.

According to Wikipedia, National Geographic reports that during the plague of AD 590, “Pope Gregory I ordered unceasing prayer for divine intercession.

“Part of his command was that anyone sneezing be blessed immediately (‘God bless you’), since sneezing was often the first sign that someone was falling ill with the plague.” By AD 750, it became customary to say ‘God bless you’ as a response to one sneezing.

The other common response to a sneeze is “gesundheit,” which means to wish someone good health when they sneeze and hopefully to forestall the illness that the sneeze portends.

But these explanations don’t relate to any Buddhist beliefs or those in Asian cultures and, thus, as a Shin Buddhist, there is no need for a “blessing” when someone sneezes. But as an American, it is certainly appropriate to respond to a sneeze with a “bless you” or “gesundheit” out of cultural politeness—just realize that it is not a Buddhist thing.

If a person reaches enlightenment, will she or he know it? And, if so, how will they know it? Will others?

This is a trick question . . .

Yes, each person will know (or sense) for him- or herself that things have changed, and one would sense a change in oneself. And it would be a very humbling experience. And the sense of self (i.e., the ego) will change.

We have to remember that full Enlightenment (Pari-Nirvana) will occur only after death. While one is alive, we can experience Enlightenment (reach Nirvana) in a limited way. One is still human, so one is still limited.

One does not know if one has reached Enlightenment, but it is more of a sensing that things have changed, and that that person has changed. There is no way to describe that experience; there are no words to express that experience; there is no lightbulb that suddenly goes on. There would be a sense that things have changed and, yet, nothing has changed.

Others will know, again, only by sensing it, feeling it, or somehow know to be in the presence of someone very special. The key characteristic would be a deep and profound humility. There is also a great sense of Oneness and peace.

But trying to describe something that is indescribable is fruitless. Each person is unique and thus each person’s Enlightenment is unique, which makes trying to describe this experience impossible.

Maybe, we should reverse it and remember that anyone saying “I am enlightened” is proof that they are not. As soon as that person says “I,” we know they have not let go of their ego.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three books related to Buddhism or Buddhist thought would you want with you?

The three books that I would want to have when stranded on a deserted island would be:

1. “Ocean: An Introduction to JodoShinshu Buddhism in America”
2. “River of Fire, River of Water: An Introduction to the Pure Land Tradition of Shin Buddhism” and,
3. “Kyo Gyo Shin Sho,” the Ryukoku Translation Series.

First, the book “Ocean” by Rev. Dr. Ken Tanaka is my favorite book to remind myself of the basics of Shin Buddhism for just ordinary people like me. This book is filled with multiple layers of meaning and discusses topics in an easy-to-understand manner.

Second, the “River of Fire, River of Water” by Dr. Taitetsu Unno is really an explanation of Shinran’s thoughts in relatable situations. This book is also filled with multiple layers of meaning and looks at Shin Buddhism by an American scholar who has
studied deeply into Buddhism.

Third, this book is an unusual choice, but I would love to have time to read and re-read over and over the Ryukoku Translation
Series book which only takes part of Shinran’s own words (and not the long quotations which make up much of the master work).
This book is really to study and understand the depth of Shinran’s thoughts and takes a long time to linger in thought. Unfortunately, this book is out of print and thus not readily available.

If Shinran were alive today and happened to be on the playing field (or basketball court or baseball diamond, you get the picture) as the National Anthem played, do you think he would take a knee? And can you please elaborate on your answer?

Shinran would probably take a knee; he was a radical in his own way. He was definitely not a political person, but he would be angered by the U.S. president trying to make political points at the expense of a racial minority.

Not standing for the National Anthem is not about disrespecting the flag and not about showing disrespect to the principles of democracy. Rather, it is about remembering that justice has not always been equally practiced.

He was definitely a person of the ordinary people and would have empathy with Black Lives Matter.