Good Morning Everyone!
I want to thank everyone for attending our 3rd Sunday Dharma school service for the month of April. This morning we had our founder Shinran Shonin’s monthly memorial service from 7 A.M. So, I am sleepy now… Since the end of last month, we have had rain, rain and more rain… Yesterday, I drove Downtown and onto Highway 160. One of the highway exits was closed because of flooding. Last January, I talked about Discovery Park being flooded. Now, the Sacramento River water level is very high. So, I hope we have no more heavy rain.
Last week, we welcomed Rev. Ron Kobata who was a wonderful guest speaker for our Hanamatsuri service.
After our Hanamatsuri service, we moved from this Hondo to the Kaikan to enjoy our Dharma school students’ entertainment. The theme was “the giving tree.” I brought my new movie recorder, so this is the first time I recorded one of our Dharma school activities. I also made a DVD of the play. The DVD lebel says “2006 Hanamatsuri at the Sacramento Betsuin Kaikan”. My recording skills are not the best. But our Dharma school students’ performance was excellent… and Rev. Bob said my recording turned cut very well. Our Betsuin office already has copies of the play all packaged into a DVD case. So, if you are interested, you can buy it at our office for only $5...and the money will go to the Betsuin special Endowment fund.
Last Monday night, Rev. Kobata also gave a special lecture class. He talked about the Shakyamuni’s life of awakening. That night, Rev. Bob asked me to print copies of Rev. Kobata’s lecture hand out. It was one sheet of paper. Rev. Bob said “please make about 35 copies.” I answered “ok” and made 35 copies.
We prepared class rooms 2 & 3 for the lecture. When I brought the hand outs to the classrooms, the classrooms were already overflowing. I passed them out to those in attendance and I said “oh, my… oh, my… 35 copies are not enough. I rushed back to the office copy room and I copied 25 more….
Finally, Rev. Bob said “we shall move the lecture to the Hondo”… I am sure that over 55 people attended Rev. Kobata’s lecture. Needless to say, his lecture was very well done… and very well received.
Rev. Kobata was invited from the Hawaii District to the Main land BCA District to become the executive assistant to the Bishop. I am sure that he is one of the best speakers. If you missed coming to the Betsuin last week, please look for his sermon on the Internet.
2 weeks ago, I shared my story about incense burning. Do you remember that? I said that I feel every Oshoko is special and if the white ashes could… they would tell us many stories. When the burner is full of ashes, it may be easy to think “just throw them away.” If I think of the white ashes as having no meaning, then the ashes are just garbage… easy to throw away. But if I think the ashes have meaning, they can become my Dharma teacher…
After the Sunday service, many people asked me the same question. “Rev. Kaz, you said that you have kept all of your incense ashes. What do we do with the ashes if we cannot throw them away?” So, I answered “oh, no… you do not have to keep it. I also throw the ashes away when I have too much… When someone throws something away without feelings or thinking, there is no meaning or appreciation. Then, the incense ashes will be just garbage. But, if we feel, think and appreciate something, then even if we do not keep it, it will have deep meaning…
Maybe your incense burner was given to you from your parents or grand parents… They burned incense in them and left the ashes. When you think deeply about the ashes, you will remember your parents and grand parents. Their memories are in the ashes… I think maybe my explanation was not clear enough to understand for many people. So, when you have questions, please feel free to ask me.
It is important to think and feel deeply. In Japan, we have a word that express how we feel when we think deeply about our lives. Do you know what it might be? I think some of you may know this word…
It is Mottainai. Do you know the word of “Mottainai”? Today I want to talk about the word Mottainai.
The simple English translation of “Mottainai” is “do not waste”. But “Mottainai” contains 2 meanings in my Japanese Dictionary.
No.1 – I am sorry that I wasted and did not appreciate something so valuable.
No.2 – I feel unworthy that someone is so good to me.
I think these meanings of mottainai may not be very familiar with people living in a western culture… because the feeling of mottainai is based on Buddhist culture. So, there is no word to explain “Mottainai” in the English dictionary. Japanese people use the word of Mottainai very often. Everyday I say Mottainai, 2 or 3 times to my wife, Michi.
I will try to explain the feeling of Mottainai.
When I was child, my mom always said to me “Mottainai”. She would say to me, “Mottainai, Mottainai” more than she would said “I love you”. Oh,no…
Anyway… when I would throw something away, she always said “Mottainai”. So, one day, I asked her “why do you say Mottainai so often.” She answered “it still has value, yet you throw it away. So, I just want to remind you that you are wasting something”.
If the word of Mottainai means just “do not waste”, it just tries to make us behave less wastefully. But, when we feel that we are sorry that we waste something that still has value… we can really understand the deep meaning of Mottainai.
Even if we must throw something away, if we feel and think “Mottainai” Then even our garbage can remind us to be grateful…
Everyone and everything can be our Dharma teachers and help us to realize more about our wonderful Buddhist teachings; we only need to be aware…
Gassho
Mottainai Mottainai. All of you have come here today… spending your valuable time to listen to my message… I feel sorry that I have wasted your time that is very valuable. I know that this morning can never come back to us…
But I wanted to try to share the idea of Mottainai… because it is a very important feeling that helps us to understand our wonderful Dharma teaching…
Mottainai Mottainai.