Category
Chūgenji Temple Messages
(Reprinted with permission from the former chief priest)
Buddhism that Illuminates Life and Death]
Once again, the season of beautiful cherry blossoms has arrived. The weeping cherry tree within the grounds of Chūgenji Temple is likely to come into full bloom in just a few days.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that cherry blossoms are the most beloved flowers of the Japanese people. Throughout Japan, there are numerous places as famous cherry blossom viewing spots, and each year television programs forecast the dates of blooming, as many people eagerly look forward to hanami (flower viewing).
Moreover, the cherry blossom season coincides with graduation and entrance ceremonies, making these flowers deeply intertwined with our lives as they color the memorable milestones of our journey.
Precisely because they have long been cherished by the Japanese, cherry blossoms have, since ancient times, served as subjects of waka and haiku. Among these works are many poems that not only celebrate their beauty but also reflect on the fleeting nature of their falling petals, overlaying this transience with human life and expressing the impermanence of this world.
Ono no Komachi, regarded as one of the Three Great Beauties of the world, composed the poem:
“The color of the flowers
has already faded away in vain,
while I have spent my days
lost in idle thoughts.”
lamenting how her beauty changed with the passage of time.
Likewise, Ryōkan left as his death verse:
“Scattering blossoms,
remaining blossoms—
all are scattering blossoms.”
Through this he conveyed: “My death is by no means unrelated to you. Those of you who remain must also be prepared for the day when your own lives will come to an end.”
Furthermore, when Shinran was about to undergo tokudo (Buddhist ordination), his preceptor suggested postponing the ceremony until the next day, saying, “It is already late tonight.” In response, Shinran composed:
“To think there will be a tomorrow—
that very thought is like the fleeting cherry blossom.
Who can say that a storm
will not arise in the night?”
(It is said that the thought “I can see the blossoms tomorrow” may betray us; who can guarantee that a storm will not come in the night?) Thus, he received ordination that very day.
In this way, cherry blossoms—blooming gloriously for only a brief period in spring, their delicate petals scattering softly with the wind—can be seen as a symbol of the impermanence of this world.
One of the truths realized by the Buddha is Impermanence (Anicca). All things in this world are in constant flux; nothing remains unchanged. Through this truth, we come to understand the nature of our own lives: that life is not merely “birth,” but that aging, illness, and death are themselves integral aspects of life. To seek only health, youth, and vitality—while fearing and turning away from aging, sickness, and death as inconveniences—is to lose sight of the essence of life.
Yoshio Toi, born in a temple in Hyōgo Prefecture and devoted both as a Shin Buddhist priest and as an educator to the guidance of young people, conveyed the mystery and preciousness of life through many poems. One of these is titled “A Bowl That Breaks When Dropped.”
A bowl that breaks when dropped
A bowl that could break at any moment
A life that breaks when dropped
A life that could break at any moment
And yet—
precisely because of that,
this life of mine is dear
unspeakably dear.
That it remains unbroken, here and now,
is no ordinary matter—it is a joy.
That it is not a plastic life
is no ordinary matter—it is something to be grateful for.
This poem teaches us that rather than turning away from a life that is destined to break, and without falling into despair, it is precisely because life is fragile and ever-changing that a sense of wonder and gratitude arises for being alive in the present moment. If we view aging, illness, and death only from the standpoint of youth, health, and vitality—keeping them at a distance—such insight cannot emerge. That which we regarded merely as inconvenient reveals the true nature of life.
Furthermore, why is there no fear or anxiety in the phrase “a self that breaks when dropped”? It is because there exists that which receives and embraces the falling life. Even if we are young and healthy now, as we age, the things we once could do diminish one by one, until eventually there is little we can do, and finally nothing at all—our lives “breaking” as they decline. Yet the working that unfailingly embraces and never lets go of this falling, breaking self is none other than the compassion of Amida Buddha. Indeed, it is precisely because Amida Buddha’s compassion is directed toward such a self—never abandoning it—that we are able to fall and break in peace.
In the Jōdo Shinshū Seiten (Annotated Edition)—which compiles the Three Pure Land Sutras and the sacred writings of Shinran—it is written:
“It is the words of the Buddhas and patriarchs, awakened to truth, that guide us—who live in confusion about life and in fear of death—giving meaning to life and illuminating death.”
The Buddhist teaching is thus that, for those of us who believe “life is everything, and when we die, all is finished,” it grants meaning to living and bestows light even upon death.
English version prepared with AI assistance
(Originally written in Japanese)
Japanese version:
https://hifuka-otibohiroi.net/宿縁 二月号 中原寺ー４/