January 2010
Socho Fujikawa with Sarana
ceremony participants in Calgary, November 2008
The time & tide waits for no one. The year 2010 is not
new anymore & progresses on and on. Towards the end of
the last year I came across a term, "perpetual
procrastinator" in the newspaper, which was new to me.
According to the dictionary, procrastination means
‘postponement’ or ‘delay’. In the month of December many
people go shopping to send gifts to their family members,
relatives and friends. But some people hesitate to buy
things because they think the price may come down next
week, Boxing Day, end of the year or after New Year’s Day.
They are perpetually losing the chance to buy.
I guess there are two kinds of people; the first group of
people would buy things, because they want things right
away, at whatever the cost may be. And the second group of
people would wait and see until the price comes down or the
commodity, such as computers gets improved the following
year. They may postpone the purchase perpetually.
This term reminds me of the teachings by Rennyo Shonin who
was the 8th Head Priest of Hongwanji and considered the
second founder of Hongwanji tradition. He said, "You have
to learn Buddha-Dharma when you are young and sharp.” As
you get older, you get hard of hearing and understanding.
When it comes to religious education, the younger the age
is the better. Also he said, “As for Buddha-Dharma, there
will be no tomorrow. You have to make time to learn
Buddha-Dharma.”
In the Buddhist community I often see people finding
excuses for not coming to the temple; too busy, too young,
too far, too old, not interesting and so on. I wonder when
people can really learn the truth of impermanence which is
the most urgent question of life, so that they can live in
peace right Here and Now, hopefully for many years to come.
Special Request: As I was preparing this update, the News
came through of the magnitude 7 Earthquake in Haiti. In
wake of this devastating tragedy may I urge all of the
temples in the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada
contact your local Red Cross and raise Earthquake Relief
Funds to aid those affected by the Earthquake in Haiti.
Thank you for your cooperation.
In gassho, namo amidabutsu,
Orai Fujikawa
昨年の暮れでした。新聞の記事の中に｢永遠に買えない人｣というのが目に留まりました。あるものを買いたいと思うのですが、ちょっと値段が高い、ひょっとしたら明日にでも、いやボクシングデーには、もしかすれば新しい年のセールのときには、もっと安くなるかもしれないなどと考えているうちに、結局伸ばし伸ばしになって、何も買わないでいる人がいるそうです。
本願寺の八代目の門主でありました、蓮如上人が申しておられます。｢仏法は若いときに聞け。年をとると歩行もおぼつかなくなり、耳も遠くなる｣ また、｢仏法には、明日はなき候｣とも言われています。
私たちは、「まだ若い、大丈夫、お寺参りをする年ではない。忙しくてお寺参りなど出来ない」などと後生の一大事を聞かせていただくことを、後回し、後回しにしてはいないでしょうか？ 浦島太郎ではありませんが、いつの間にかアッという間に年をとり、あわてても後の祭りです。早めに信心をいただき、毎日慈光のなかで、生きてよし、死んでよしと
いう人生を送りたいものです。
合掌。