Good Morning everyone

Thank you for coming our Sunday Dharma school service this morning.

“Circle, triangle, rectangle… Circle, triangle, rectangle”

“Oh, Kana-mochi. How are you this morning?”

“Circle, triangle, rectangle… Circle, triangle, rectangle”

“I know the song, Kana-mochi. Last Sunday, Rev. Nori Ito shared it with his guitar playing. It was very impressive.”

“Yeah, I was in the library listening to his Ohigan message. It was very good and he sang a very interesting song.”

“I hope he will come back as our guest speaker again soon.”

“Oh… Ouch…”

“What is wrong with you, Kana-mochi?”

“Oh, I am fine…”

“Why do you cover your head with your left hand”

“It’s nothing… I am fine.”

“Hmm… It looks like you had something happen to you. You should show me.”

“Oh, no…”

“What is happen to your head? Why do you have a band aid on your head?”

“I had a quarrel with Sakura…”

“What? Did you fight with him??”

“Well… Yes… but I was right…”

“There is no right way of fighting. Why did you fight with him?”

“Well… Last Tuesday, Sakura and I were waiting at the front of our school for our school bus to take us back home. At that time, Sakura started taking about fishing with his dad.”

“Ok, and what did he say…”

“Sakura said his dad caught a trout which was 30 inch long.”

“Oh, that’s a pretty good size. I’ve never caught a big fish like that…”

“No, Rev. Kaz. Please listen… Before, my dad caught 32 inch trout. That’s why I said to Sakura… my dad is the Number 1 fisherman.”

“Mmm… I think… both of your dads are good fishermen.”

“No, my dad is better than his dad. Then, Sakura said his dad caught 34 inch trout when his dad was a college student. So, Sakura said his dad is the Number 1 fisherman. But…

…you know when his dad was a college student, he did not have children yet, so he was not yet Sakura’s dad!”

“Wait, wait…Don’t get so excited. Why do you insist on making your dad the Number 1 fisherman?”

“Because, my dad is the Number 1 and very best daddy.”

“Oh… I see… I think I understand what you are trying to say. I am sure that your dad is a Number 1 daddy. And I think we can also say that Sakura’s dad is also a Number 1 daddy.”

“How can you say that?

“Because, it is of no use to compare your dad with his dad. Even if you compare your dad with his dad, what do you expect from the results?

I am sure that such a competition would make people more stressed and maybe even angry if they are judged a Number 2 or Number 3....”

“Well…”

“In Buddhism, we have to learn one very important truth. Everything is precious and everything has unique and special same qualities...”

“What does that mean?”

“Well… I will try to explain that. As I said, your dad and Sakura’s dad are both Number 1 dads.”

“Yes, you said that.”

“And you should try to consider why I said this is so.”

“Hmm… I don’t understand.”

“Ok, I will tell you. Your dad is the Number 1 for you. And Sakura’s dad is the Number 1 for him. Your dad and his dad have a lot of differences… They have different hobbies, different shapes, different jobs, different favorite foods and so on…

But, both your dad and his dad are very precious dads for their families and friends. That is why, I said that it is no use to compare your dad with his dad. They are both precious, unique and special.”

“I see.”

“And we should remember that it is useless to make comparisons and try to judge, which one is better.”

“I see. Thank you, Rev. Kaz.”

“Well, we have talked a long time. We had better save some time for Rev. Bob’s sermon.”

“I will try to make up with Sakura.”

“Ok, Kanamochi. See you later and good luck.”

“See you Rev. Kaz”

In Gassho

In Buddhism, everything is precious and everything is unique and special. So, we should remember that often we make useless comparisons and try to judge things a good or bad, better or worse…

Such comparisons can makes people stressed and even angry.

As Rev. Ito said last Sunday, we should know that we are living together in Diversity; circle, triangle and rectangle…