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| Myoshin Friedrich Fenzl (Nov 4th 1932 - December 8th 2014) |
I have just read
about the death of my nembutsu friend - Myoshin Friedrich Fenzl from Salzburg.
Many new European followers do not know him and perhaps never met him in person, as
he was quite isolated in the last decade due to his advanced age and ilness.
He played a very
important role in my religious life, as he was one of the first persons I came
into contact with, many years ago, in my first days on the nembutsu path. I
remember even now, the great surprise I had when I received his first letter,
together with the best book a beginner like me needed to read at that moment – A Standard of Shinshu Faith by Ryosetsu Fujiwara. At his suggestion I immediately started to translate it into
Romanian, and was soon published by IABC in the Shin Buddhist Romanian Translation
Series, number 1 (2001).
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| The last photo I took with Myoshin, in 2008 |
Since then we’ve
kept a constant correspondence by post mail, as he was never comfortable with internet. Recently, I was thinking to him a lot,
feeling guilty and ashamed that I have not written to him for a long time. I
think it was two or three days ago when I decided again to send him a letter
together with my book, The 48 Vows of Amida Buddha. Then, today, when I
was surfing the internet I read the news of his death on the German
website…..
Too late to send any
letter now, and a hard lesson for me to never again postpone
expressing gratitude to those who helped me on the nembutsu Path. My only relief
is that after being born in the Pure Land of Amida, he will be able to forgive
me and watch over me as an Enlightened friend.
Namo Amida Butsu
Dear Josho,
ReplyDeleteI was so sad to hear of the passing of your dear friend and mentor.
He will be in the Pure Land and will be watching over you and helping sentient beings, and fulfilling his life's purpose and dream.
I hope you find some peace knowing this.
Peace to you my friend.
Gassho, Camille
Thank you, Camille.
ReplyDeleteI was sad that I did not show enough active gratitude to him, before his passing, for his kindness and support when I was a beginner.
There are many people from my distant or recent past, and also from the very present, which are very helpful and supportive to me. The debt of gratitude we owe to Amida Buddha and our nembutsu friends and teachers is indeed, impossible to calculate....
I personally do not have one personal mentor. In fact, all my nembutsu friends with simple faith, are my mentors and teachers. I often learn from reading or hearing their words of faith.
Namo Amida Butsu