Dear all
Today is Hanamatsuri, the date of the celebration of the Buddha's birth in Japan and a flower festival (hana = flower, matsuri = festival).
Shohaku Okumura recently released an e-book on celebrating the three Buddha festivals in the year (his birth today, enlightenment at Rohatsu (December 8) and death at Nehan-e (February 15)) called Plum Blossoms in the Snow which is very lovely: https://dogeninstitute.podia.com/plu...ms-in-the-snow
In that he says the following words on Hanamatsuri:
Baby Buddha.jpg
So, today, we can celebrate and give thanks for the birth of the Buddha because of which we can follow this path of Zen, but the truly best way to repay his kindness is on each day and in each moment, to keep giving birth to the Buddha through our own life and practice.
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-
Today is Hanamatsuri, the date of the celebration of the Buddha's birth in Japan and a flower festival (hana = flower, matsuri = festival).
Shohaku Okumura recently released an e-book on celebrating the three Buddha festivals in the year (his birth today, enlightenment at Rohatsu (December 8) and death at Nehan-e (February 15)) called Plum Blossoms in the Snow which is very lovely: https://dogeninstitute.podia.com/plu...ms-in-the-snow
In that he says the following words on Hanamatsuri:
When bodhisattvas are ready to be born as buddhas, they reside in the Tushita heaven until it’s time from them to descend and be born in the world. In the case of Shakyamuni, he was born in Lumbini Park [currently in Nepal], and Dogen says we always have this park because its not just the physical place in India but any time and place in which we celebrate Buddha’s birthday with our practice. The zendo is Lumbini Park and we should make sure that Shakyamuni is born here and now. When we practice, Practice Buddha is born at that moment. Our practice is the parent of Buddha and is also the newborn Buddha. Dogen is asking, “Is the Buddha born through your practice?” If our understanding and practice is the expression of what Buddha taught, then we give birth to Buddha.
This entire Buddhist tradition originates with one baby’s birth. A world without Buddha’s teaching would be really different from the world we are living in now. After his awakening, he decided it was better to enjoy peacefulness and live quietly by himself, but had he chosen that ay of life in the end, Buddhist wouldn’t be here today. One person’s life, one person’s experience and one person’s birth changed this entire world – and each of us may be such a person. As Dogen said, our life is as precious as Shakyamuni’s, and we can’t say that his path is more precious than outs. Our influence may not be as great as his, but doing just a small thing that is positive for other people or beings is one portion of what the Buddha did. Our zazen, work and study continue in Buddha’s tradition. No matter how tiny, what we do is part of Buddha’s work so we should really appreciate what we’re doing.
This entire Buddhist tradition originates with one baby’s birth. A world without Buddha’s teaching would be really different from the world we are living in now. After his awakening, he decided it was better to enjoy peacefulness and live quietly by himself, but had he chosen that ay of life in the end, Buddhist wouldn’t be here today. One person’s life, one person’s experience and one person’s birth changed this entire world – and each of us may be such a person. As Dogen said, our life is as precious as Shakyamuni’s, and we can’t say that his path is more precious than outs. Our influence may not be as great as his, but doing just a small thing that is positive for other people or beings is one portion of what the Buddha did. Our zazen, work and study continue in Buddha’s tradition. No matter how tiny, what we do is part of Buddha’s work so we should really appreciate what we’re doing.
So, today, we can celebrate and give thanks for the birth of the Buddha because of which we can follow this path of Zen, but the truly best way to repay his kindness is on each day and in each moment, to keep giving birth to the Buddha through our own life and practice.
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-