It seemed too good to be true. I was able to ride a bicycle without ever having to practice. But I had been practicing effortlessly on my scooter all along. When I had given up trying to balance myself, I had unwittingly let an internal sense of balance develop within me without any calculation or effort. Of course, riding a scooter takes much more effort than riding a bike but the effort was different.

We need to ask ourselves what is the purpose of our justice system. Is it to discourage others from committing crime? This has not been shown to be an effective deterrent. Is it to merely punish? If so then to what end? Do we want moral justice? This approach is often followed when we hear calls for a “war on crime” and what happens to these individuals after their sentences have been completed?

All of us are embedded and embraced within the infinite. This is much like waves whose essence is no different than the ocean itself. We usually live our lives on the surface, judging others when we are all share in this oneness. A oneness that is our birthright, not something that has to be earned.

For Buddhism to exist then it must be a path for all beings, equally, with no exceptions. Surprisingly, this is not idealism but instead pragmaticism. Buddhism only exists if it can make good on this promise of guiding all beings, equally, to awakening. Hōnen and Shinran provided such a path, it is the Pure Land Path of Namuamidabutsu that is both effective and practical for all beings without exception or preconditions.

In my earlier blog, Twenty-Five Years in the Making, I highlighted the 25th anniversary of my family’s first OCBC Sunday Service, May 16, 1999. With the recent passing of Rev. Akio Miyaji, this date carries even more significance for me now because Rev. Miyaji gave the Dharma talk that day. He was the very first Buddhist I ever heard speak in person and it was nothing like I ever thought it would be.

This idea of “nothing to do” is sometimes referred to as “No Practice” but this does not mean that you do not have to do anything. This is because there are two kinds of practices. There is right practice and there is wrong practice. Right practice is the practice that is generated beyond the calculating mind due to understanding.

For now, this is my favorite book. It opened up Shinran’s heart to me so that I can appreciate his teachings emotionally. The meaning is now in front of me and not trapped within the text. It is now within my heart and mind. This book has helped me understand the difference between the confidence of Shinjin and the joy of Shingyo. So no longer synonyms after all.

There are many writers and teachers with different styles, each one having something to offer us. Not only do writers and teachers have to find their style but as students we also have to find our own style. Our teachers are out there but we have to find them. They are the ones who resonate with us in ways that are uniquely their own and our own.

Buddhism also has a complicated relationship with bugs. Even the Dalai Lama has addressed these vexing bug issues. We are supposed to respect all life and yet there may be a mosquito drinking blood from my arm at night while I am sleeping.

I have always wondered what a Shin koan might sound like. Maybe I can be just as confusing and pithy within our tradition. For example, whenever a Minister Assistant is nervous about giving their first Dharma talk I always remind them that ...

“You only have to give your first Dharma talk once.”

In 1968, I was eight years old. It was startling to me to see how quickly we went from the Summer of Love to hate. There were the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King along with many violent Vietnam War protests, both for and against. I found this all very frightening. I assumed that there was something wrong with our leaders or our culture until I saw this bumper sticker.

If anyone could develop focus it would seem that a monastery would be a very good place to start. Perhaps the only place. It is very difficult to find prolonged focus within everyday life. So perhaps a better approach for everyday people is to merely take it all in and “just smell the roses”. Seeing and validating all aspects of our lives, both good and bad. The struggles and the victories as the very things that give our lives meaning and make us who we are.

Have you ever noticed that “Hans Solo” is the lone wolf, he is independent and likes to go “solo”? There is also “Darth Vader”, the character of the “Dark Father”. “Darth” is a variation of “Dark” and “Vader” is Dutch for “Father”. And of course, the name “Luke Skywalker” is obvious and needs no explanation. “Luke Skywalker” is a “Sky Walker”. Artists work very hard to ensure that their message is received by the viewer. This also occurs with Buddhist sutras. We can see this throughout the Larger Sutra. Nothing is hidden. It is all there in plain sight for the reader to experience.

In popular culture, the term “Zen” has lost almost all meaning. Sadly, it is no longer a noun that refers to a Japanese school of Buddhism. Instead, it is now an adjective that connotes anything that is “cool” or “relaxing” or “minimalist”. It is an aesthetic type of design element. It also refers to a commodified form of self-help through mindfulness. As a lay person I understand this but as a Buddhist minister it still frustrates me.