I have been asked
to talk about Higan, since the autumn Higan is drawing close. I
recall at an IBC hoza here last spring, Higan and ancestor veneration
were the topics talked about.
At that time, I briefly talked about what
I had heard at RK/US a few months earlier.
In San Antonio and Oklahoma, some
American members said that ancestor veneration may not easily be adopted among
Americans, while in NY, people said that they often see Americans visiting
cemeteries to pay their respects on such occasions as Memorial Day.
It
reminded me of Joe Dimagio, the popular, major league baseball player, who
annually offered a rose at the grave of his former wife, Marilyn Monroe.
TheＭeaning of Higan
Today, I
will first tell you the meaning of the term "Higan." The world of birth
and death is called "Shigan" meaning this shore, or this world on this
shore. The realm of nirvana, by contrast, is known as "Higan," meaning
the other shore, or the shore on the other side.
The word "Higan"
was originally translated from the sanskrit word, "paramita," which refers to
the crossing over from this shore of illusion to the other shore of nirvana, the
state of enlightenment or awakening (attained by Shakyamuni
Buddha).
During Higan, which lasts for a week, with the middle day
falling on the spring or autumn equinox, the time when day and night are equal,
the spirits of ancestors are remembered. Though there is a lot said about the
origins of Higan and how Japanese Buddhist denominations carry out rites
and family graves are visited, I would simply sum up by saying that Higan
is the week in which we thank our ancestors for their virtues and renew our
determination to practice the Dharma.
In Rissho Kosei-kai, we have sutra
recitation. Today, my wife is attending the Higan service at the Suginami
church.
Reciting the sutra is an important practice both for transferring
merit to ancestors and for deepening ones own understanding of the Way. RK puts
emphasis on practice the teachings in day to day living.
Now, let me
introduce to you some memorable, impressive examples of things I heard on
various occasions from Founder Niwano.
SutraＲecitation and a Birth of a Baby
First is the one which took place in the founding period.
There was a pregnant woman who was unable to give birth to her baby even several
days after the due date. She was agonizing. When Founder Niwano saw her, he
said, "Wholeheartedly recite Chapter 7 of the Lotus Sutra. " As she was
desperate, she obediently did so. Then, the baby was born safely.
I asked
the Founder if there was any specific reason for selecting Chapter 7. He simply
replied, "Oh no, it just happened to be the seventh day of the month." Chapter
7, the "Parable of Fantastic Castle-city" is rather long.
If the woman
sincerely devoted herself to reciting that chapter, she must have learned what
was needed for practicing the teachings diligently. Thus the blessing of the
Buddha might have been given to her. That was what I understood the Founder may
have meant.
A Zen Temple Wife
These days, particularly in
urban areas, many babies are raised on powdered milk formula instead of being
breast-fed.
But years ago, when Rev. Niwano visited a Zen temple in
Niigata Prefecture, he heard that the wife of the chief priest was distressed at
being unable to breast-feed her infant properly. Learning this, the Founder
asked her whether she was honoring the spirits of the ancestors of the
parishioners.
She indicated that she had not been offering such things as
water, boiled rice, incense, or flowers at the temple altars, or reciting
sutras. Rev. Niwano suggested that she should begin to care for the spirits of
the ancestors of the parishioners.
Not honoring them properly is just
like not offering food to those in the afterworld following their deaths. They
are spiritually starved. Particularly during times of her husband's absence from
the temple, he told her, it was the duty of the wife to read the sutra and make
offerings .
Following Rev. Niwano's advice, the chief priest's wife began
chanting sutras and honoring those spirits sincerely. Soon after, it is said,
she was able to feed her baby sufficiently with her own milk. She understood
through her own experience the importance of ancestor veneration through sutra
recitation and became diligent in doing so.
It is said that even in Zen temples, the priests are accustomed to
recite some chapters of the Lotus Sutra.
Understanding the
Sutra.
The late Most Venerable Etai Yamada, the 253rd head priest of
the Tendai Buddhist denomination, was on very close terms with Founder Niwano.
When, at the invitation of Pope John Paul II, more than 150 religious leaders
from around the world gathered at Assisi, Italy, to take part in a World Day of
Prayer for Peace in October 1986, each religious group prayed according to its
own rites. Rev. Yamada observed the Rissho Kosei-kai members' prayer and sutra
recitation led by Rev. Nichiko Niwano, then president-designate, who was
attending on behalf of Founder Niwano and was much impressed. He said, "Their
feelings of reverence and devotion are expressed naturally in the form of their
prayer."
About the sutra recitation from the Japanese reading of Chinese
characters conducted by RK members, he continued:
"What to do in order to
make everybody understand and how to implement what one can understand are what
Founder Niwano always emphasized. This is apparent even in sutra
recitation."
Regarding Yamada's comment, Founder Niwano added, "Whether
people can understand the meaning of the Sutra or not is important. Since Ven,
Yamada deeply understands Buddhism, he refers to the point immediately. Unless
the meaning is understood by people, Buddhism has no value. The Dharma exists to
save (or help) people."
In 1995, when the Founder gave guidance to
students of the Hoju Vocational College for Women , he first opened the Sutra
for daily recitation and quoted from Chapter 3, "Ten Merits," of the Sutra of
Innumerable Meanings. His sermon about the "Ten Merits" was very comprehensible
and concrete.
Recently, on occasions such as memorial services for parishioners in
traditional Buddhist denominations, sutras written in the Japanese reading of
Chinese characters are being used in order to achieve better understanding. Dr.
Reeves' translation of the Lotus Sutra into modern English is another attempt to
increase understanding.
Grateful for Time to Chant the
Sutra
Since the Founder treasured the Sutra, his recitation will be a
good example for us. He once recalled: "During the early period after the
founding of RK, since I was running a business it was difficult to find
sufficient time to talk with believers and keep them
satisfied.
Being suddenly
asked to come to a home where a family member had become ill was another urgent
demand on my time. In those circumstances, there was not enough time to recite
the Lotus Sutra." "That is why I have always been eager to have sufficient time
for Sutra recitation," he said. "Now, both at home and abroad, many members are
earnestly spreading the teachings. It is not necessary that I alone make the
desperate effort. Thanks to the endeavors of so many members, I have enough time
for recitation. I am very grateful for this. I recite the Sutra with joy and
gratitude."
The time he could
devote to dissemination work in a single day was sixteen hours. During the
remaining eight hours, Rev. Niwano had to eat and sleep and run his business. He
continued in this way for a long time, and it would be many years before he was
able to have enough time to recite the Sutra as he wished. Thus he expressed his
gratitude for being given such valuable time.
In the early years, members
who were running a service trade or business sometimes did not finish their work
until after midnight, then gathered for a religious meeting. The founder then
taught them the Dharma. And he awoke very early each morning to conduct his own
business of delivering milk. It was not an easy life.
He once said this:
"From time to time, I was overcome with drowsiness while chanting, fell backward
and dropped off into a doze. When I came to myself, I was lying flat on my back,
still holding the sutra!"
A dream of a Deceased
Father
You may find the fourth incident related to higan especially
interesting. About ten years ago there was a female masseur who cared for Founder
Niwano by giving him a massage from time to time. She was a qualified leader
(nyushin) of RKK. One day, during a massage, she said to the Founder,
"While we are still alive, we can receive guidance from you, the Founder. When
we go to another world after death, Myoko-sensei, the co-founder, will be
waiting for us.
Both in this mundane world and after death, for us there
is no worry at all. RKK members are very happy."
Then she continued.
"Recently, my Dharma parent (michibiki-no-oya), an area leader (shunin) of a
chapter, suddenly lost her husband at the age of 69. He was a wonderful person,
liked and respected by everyone who knew him.
The area leader was very
sad and wondered why her husband had died. She had two daughters, an older one
was a chapter head(shibucho) in the church to which the family of her husband
belonged and a younger one who was not ardent in the faith. Around the 49th
memorial day of her father, he appeared in the younger daughter's dream.
In the dream, the father said to the daughter, 'The second floor of
where I am now living is where Myoko sensei lives.
From time to time I
can meet her, and I can always hear her voice chanting the Sutra. '"Hearing this
from the daughter, the area leader became very happy and told the story to the
masseur. She added that the younger daughter then began chanting the sutra, and
transferring the merit to her father.
The Founder is always with
Us
Founder Niwano entered nirvana in October 1999. A year later, the
Precious Stupa of the One Vehicle (Ichijo- Hoto) was completed. The
memorial symbolizes the permanent abode of Founder Niwano's preaching of the
Dharma of the One Vehicle. The founder's relics are installed
inside.
President Nichiko Niwano teaches us that the teaching of the One
Vehicle is central to nearly all Mahayana scriptures of which the Lotus Sutra is
representative, and it is the means through which all sentient beings can be
saved.
He also says, "Whenever we have faith in the Buddha and put that
faith into practice, that is when the Founder is together with us in our
minds."
During Higan, members of RK may pay their respects to Founder
Niwano, as well as to Co-founder Myoko sensei and their own ancestors, both at
the Precious Stupa of the One Vehicle and at the grave at the Kosei
Cemetery.
Finally, though it is in Japanese, I would refer to the Haiku
made by Basho, "Kyo Higan bodai no tane o maku hi kana."
You may see
the meaning as, "On the day of higan, we may sow the seed of aspiring to
Buddhahood."
