Japan Trip, Incl Tsunami Damage

With Kayaki-Sensei and his Tendai Horyu Shugendo disciples




























The purify-by-water place, commonly located just inside the gate at most shrines in Japan. This one is Sekizan.









Tendai Shugendo perform annual Saito Goma on the courtyard of the Kompon Chudo, Mt Hiei.














Ryoyu (Ishikawa), 31 years old, has been serving at Sekizan in Kyoto the past 5 years, while his father ran the temple on the coast near Sendai. The temple, Manpo-en, was entirely swept away in the Tsunami of March11. Ryoyu visited the scene with his father and uncle about a month later and took these photos. The Tendai Journal interviewed the father who described being several miles away from the temple, just by chance, when the tsunami struck. Ryoyu says the height of the tsunami was measured at 17 meters (55ft). The father received a frantic phone call from his sister: "Brother! A tsunami is carrying me away in the car! Water is coming in! It's Cold! I'm flowing away!" Then the phone went dead. And her body washed up about a month later. His mother who was at the temple was never found.

Japan recovery slogan

This was mailed from a man in Tokyo, and I am told that it is the slogan for recovery from Japan's earthquake/tsunami/radiation disaster. Literally "foundation-strength," it could be translated as "We will rebuild from the bottom up with great energy."

Mt Wutai, Home of Monjushri

In 676AD a monk from Kashmir named Buddhapala traveled to Wutai (~200 miles west of present-day Beijing) to worship Monjushri Bodhisattva, but entry was barred by an old man who insisted that he return to India and come back with the BUTCHO SONSHO DARANI. Buddhapala, realizing that the old man was a manifestation of the Bodhisattva, then brought this great practice from India to Wutai, from where it was transmitted to the Japanese monk Ennin in 840AD.

Swan Coming from the West

This is a take-off on the title "How the Swans Came to the Lake," a 1981 book by Rick Fields detailing the history of the Dharma coming to America. In sync with the ancient Chinese notion that the Buddhadharma historically migrates from the west in an easterly direction, visualize the swan heading eastward, toward the clear morning light, coming from the lotus pond of the Dharma in the west, the north wing representing the all-accomplishing wisdom, the vajra karma, and the south wing representing the jewel-like wisdom, the myriad treasures of Buddhism.
Swan Flight 2, a photo by grahambrown1965 on Flickr.

AJIKAN

Long absence from the blog, busy with other things.

KAYAKI-sensei will be giving his transmission of Ajikan meditation May 12-25 in Japan

We will be participating in Sacramento's Wesak event 29 May with about a dozen other groups from all Buddhist countries. Details can be seen on their website:
http://buddhadaysacramento.org

My own telling of the Buddha's enlightenment will be 10AM Sunday June 12 at the Maria-de-Guadalupe shrine in Calistoga. Call or email for details

Americans Ordained as Tibetan Nuns

Anna Howe lived and worked in Nepal for many years before being ordained by the Dalai Lama. She intends to come back to Northern California this summer.



























Dr Ajari's disciples Sisters Mandarava and Nairatma were ordained as Ani Tsultrim and Ani Legshe. In 2010 they spent some time with the Nyngma community in south India, now living and taking teachings in Alameda, after which they will return to LA.

Update Sept 2011: they are now residing near the Nyngma community of Ashland Ore

Shantideva (c.685-763 A.D.)

Shantideva is well-known as the author of "The Way Of the Bodhisattva," one of the most inspiring exhortations in Buddhist literature. The only other work attributed to him is a compendium drawn from nearly 100 scriptures, mostly from the Mahayana. Many of these sutras are now lost to us and known only through Shantideva's quotes.

The Japanese bodhisattva/professor Ven. Shoshin Ichishima had his life-work published this year, "The Essence of Buddhism," which is a study of Shantideva's compendium called "Siksa Samuccaya." In the Bendall/Rouse translation of the Siksasamuccaya, pages 251-263 especially, Shantideva has compiled a series of sutra passages showing the indomitable resolve of the bodhisattva. Here is an example:

If the Bodhisattva turns his face away from the good of all creatures, his field is not pure and his work is not accomplished. Then the wise Bodhisattva thinks, "Therefore whatever beings of animal nature be insignificant, timid, stupid, deaf, dumb by nature, may I meet in my Buddha-field all who in animal form are not behaving so as to attain Nirvana, rejected by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; these all I would seat in the bodhi-tree circle, and bring to the knowledge of supreme enlightenment." As thus the Bodhisattva thinks, as his thoughts arise one by one, all the realms of Mara do quake, and all the Buddhas utter his praises.

PHOTOS OF SEKIZAN VISIT

Jodo-san, a young monk at Sekizan






















Kayaki Sensei emerging from the goma-do after giving a Dharma talk to the crowd.
















The crowd outside the Goma-do, Nov 23,2010



Below, Ajari Utsumi's disciple Kogen, who will begin the Sennichi Kaihogyo (1,000 day marathon) next March. Here shown performing a juzu (prayer bead) potlatch.

SCROOGE McDUCK

Do you identify with this iconic image
of the joy of diving into your pool of treasures?
Yet rather than the wealth of coins or gold
or the other pleasures of the world
you can discover the inexhaustible treasure trove
of the Buddha-mind possessed by every person.
Calmly and quietly concentrate within, in the center of the chest
and visualize a pure clear raindrop-like gem
called a CINTAMANI.
You can dive deep within and find all the treasures of the Dharma
and all the solutions to each and every problem
and be blessed with the happiness of liberation and freedom.
O
Every person who concentrates his mind and looks within
will discover unending realizations of the Dharma
as described in the Lotus Sutra:
O
All the teachings of the Tathagata
All the transcendent powers of the Tathagata
All the treasure houses of the hidden essence of the Tathagata
All the profound aspects of the Tathagata

Fall-Winter-Spring Classes

October Full Moon

CHICORY

TARWEED

Complete photos & text of the Temple Dedication

Now posted on the website at:
*
http://caltendai.org/dedication.html
*
Included are two reports from Japan, along with translations
*

Brush-and-Ink Buddha

by Ven Shinkei Shibayama, abbot of Miroku-ji temple
"You should call on my name
and be wrapped in the light of compassion"

"Ennin reaches the China Sea"

During the years 838-847AD Jikaku Daishi (Ennin)
traveled in Tang-dynasty China in search of the Dharma.
Today's Tendai practices, ceremonies and chants
are derived in most part from this one great bodhisattva
and what he learned and brought back from China.
This is JOSHIN Jon Driscoll's 3-panel sumi-e.

Ven Ichishima photo

Ichishima Shoshin was honored as a "Top Scholar of Tendai."
With Kobori-sensei in the center, Ven Ichishima is to the left
and his son Gen-san is directly behind him.

first hint of autumn

big leaf maple

Two Saicho Quotes

"EVEN WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS IT IS DIFFICULT TO MASTER THE WAY UNDER UNFAVORABLE CONDITIONS; LIVING IN A QUIET PLACE IN THE BOSOM OF NATURE IS THE MOST CONDUCIVE FOR PRACTICE. IT IS BETTER TO RELY, AT FIRST, ON THE PLACE RATHER THAN THE MIND."
---from John Stevens' book THE MARATHON MONKS OF MT HIEI, P40
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"IF ONE ABANDONS ALL VAIN DISPUTATION ONE WILL ARRIVE AT THE POSITION THAT DHARMAS ORIGINALLY NEITHER ARISE NOR PERISH."
---from Waka Shirato's article in the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1987, p122

HENS AND CHICKENS

The Great Calligrapher Hokai Shibayama

Ven Shibayama and his entourage arrive for the temple dedication














The Bodhisattva Sadaparibhuta, whose story is told in the Lotus Sutra Ch 20. His practice was to never despise anyone, telling all that they will become Buddhas. This is one of the themes of the work of Ven Shibayama.



















Ven Shibayama produces the character "terasu" which means "to illuminate" at his show in Berkeley's Jodo Shinshu Center on April 25








To everyone who asked, he made for them a character of their choice

Marathon Monk in California

The 1000-day kaihogyo incumbant Uehara Gyosho DaiAjari approaches the goma-do to perform the fire ritual and bless the participants.
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The Tendai priest Kayaki Kansho of the Enryakuji dedicates this temple as part of his Shugendo Horyu lineage.

TEN MORE PHOTOS

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Two Tendai leaders: Monshin Paul Naamon of the NY Betsuin and his teacher the bodhisattva Professor Ichishima Shoshin of Senzoji Temple