THIS MONTH’S DHARMA TALK

Buddhist Way to Practice Wisdom

The Practice of Wisdom

We have been learning about the bodhisattva's six practices which are: charity, precepts, endurance, endeavor, meditation and wisdom. In this issue, I would like to share with you the last one, the practice of wisdom.

Wisdom. Let me talk about something which had occurred at a nursing home recently. We've been visiting nursing homes on Tuesdays. During the visitation, we hold a Buddhist service for the happiness of the elderly staying there and for their ancestors. After the service, we used to give our sermons. However, it was hard for them to listen to the sermons. Honestly, we didn't even know whether they were awake or asleep. Instead, we now sing songs. We are now sure that they are awake and they even sing songs together with us, moving their bodies with the rhythm and clapping their hands during and after each song. Isn't that amazing?

One day, when we visited the Island Care Home on Alexander Street near Punahou Street, everyone, not only the elderly but the workers and even the owner enjoyed singing so much that they asked me to sing more. They especially wanted me to sing some Beatles songs. I sang the song "Yesterday". Then, they asked me to sing one more song. I was having hard time picking a song, then, somebody said, "please sing "Let it be"! I thought in my mind, "okay. That's a song that I can sing... Wait. Aren't there words in that song like, "Mother Mary comes to me..."? Can a Buddhist minister sing a song about Mother Mary? But, I don't disrespect other religions. I respect Christian people, too. That's the way Buddhists should be". I made up my mind to sing the song after seeing all the happy faces waiting for me to sing. So, I started singing. "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be..." What a nice song and lyrics. According to the song, the words of wisdom are "let it be". That sounds like a Buddhist way to see things and matters as they are. In addition, after I came back here, I looked up the home-page of the Beatles, I found an article about the words, "Mother Mary". When the composer and writer, Paul McCartney was interviewed, he, himself, said that the "Mother Mary" in this song was his own mother and not Jesus' Mother Mary. I was relieved...

Now, I would like to tell you the difference between wisdom and knowledge.

To know things is called knowledge.

To know things and make them useful and meaningful for your life is called wisdom. So, learning and practicing should both be included in the meaning of wisdom. We've learned so much wisdom since I came here, such as the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Noble Path, the Four Sufferings, the Three Poisons, the Three Seals, the Middle Way, etc. It is very nice to hear and learn those Buddha Dharma, but it's a bit difficult for you to memorize all of them every time you hear them, isn't it? But, don't worry. We have Namu-Myohorengekyo.

Do you know why our founder Nichiren Shonin strongly recommended us to chant it? Because, in the 21st Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni says that "All the doctrines possessed by him, all his supernatural powers, the storehouse of all his secret essentials, and all his most profound matters are revealed and clearly expounded in this sutra". That means the Buddha Shakyamuni proclaimed that he put all his wisdom in the Lotus Sutra.

Then, he says after that,

"Anyone who upholds this sutra will delight in endlessly expounding the principles of the various doctrines and the names and words of this sutra, like a wind in the open sky moving everywhere without hindrance or block".

Therefore, you just can uphold the name of the Lotus Sutra which is Myohorengekyo. Just put "Namu", which means "I devote myself to..." before that, then, that is "Namu-Myohorengekyo".

The power of wisdom possessed by the Buddha Shakyamuni is in it. That's why Namu-Myohorengekyo has power. So, the more you learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma, the more your chanting of Namu-myohorengekyo becomes powerful. Namu-Myohorengekyo is a word of wisdom. Nichiren Shonin always comes to you and whispers the words of wisdom, Namu-Myohorengekyo.

I'll tell you an interesting fact. In the country of Korea, they chant, "Namo- myop-pah-yon-fah-gyon". Some Chinese people chant it "Namo-Myo-hua-lin-hua-chin". My Indian friend chants it "Namo-Saddharma-Pundarika-Sutra". And, people in other area of the world chant it "Namu-Myohorengekyo". It actually does not matter how or in what language you chant it as long as you chant the title of the Lotus Sutra. Even a Japanese famous poet, Kenji Miyazawa, who was a devoted follower of the Lotus Sutra chanted it "Namo-Saddharma-Pundarika-Sutra". Millions of people all over the world are now chanting it because it has the power of wisdom.

Now, you know the words of wisdom, Namu-Myohorengekyo. I will try to share with you as much wisdom as I can as a minister here. Please listen to me and acquire the Buddha-Dharma to strengthen your power of Namu-Myohorengekyo. The name of the Lotus Sutra encompasses and contains all of the Buddha Shakyamuni's wisdom. Believe it and chant Namu-Myohorengekyo. That's the way of practicing wisdom. (Rev. Imai)