Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Members of Amidaji: Hokai Sylvie Kirsch from the Cook Islands
Monday, February 26, 2024
Plans for Amidaji in the year 2024 - water and sewage system
Amidaji has a few buildings on its property so I need lots of pipes and a few professional workers to bring the water in. The total costs for the first phase of work (pipes and other materials as well as the workers) are around 1000 euros. From this, around 600 euros is only to pay the workers and the rest is for various materials. If I successfully raise the amount needed, I will do the first phase and make a report with photos after which I will continue with the second step.
https://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/p/donation.html
Thursday, February 22, 2024
A big nenju has been gifted to Amidaji temple
My Dharma friend Cheusa Wend (77) from USA donated this beautiful big nenju (mala/Buddhist rosary) of around one meter and a half to Amidaji temple Romania in the name of her late husband Koun Eb Whipple, and her parents Phyllis Latham Stoner and William Richard Stoner. May all their obstacles be removed and may they create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land!
The nenju now adorns the hands of the statue of Amida Buddha in the Amidado (Amida Hall) of Amidaji temple Romania until we decide where to keep it. We intend to use it in some ceremonies, perhaps in chanting the Nembutsu in a circle, and other liturgies to express faith in Amida Buddha and our gratitude for being saved as we are.
As you might know, in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, the nenju represents faith in Amida Buddha and the Nembutsu of faith. It shows our devotion and connection with Him.
Namo Amida
Bu
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Remember to say the Nembutsu
You must believe that Nembutsu possesses supreme merit and that Amida Buddha with His great compassion of the Primal Vow, will come to embrace one who recites Nembutsu even ten times or just once. Thus believing this, practice Nembutsu for your entire lifetime without negligence”[1].
Commentary:
As I showed in chapter “The Nembutsu is true and real” from my book Simple Teachings on Emptiness and Buddha nature, by quoting many sacred texts, the Name contains the merits of Amida and all Buddhas, as well as the virtues of all Buddhist teachings and practices. “It is the treasure-sea of merits of true Suchness, ultimate reality”[2], as Shinran said.
Also,
Amida protects and embraces those who entrust to Him both in this life as well
as in the moment of death when He welcomes them into His Pure Land of Bliss.
After
pointing out that the number of recitations is not important for our birth in
the Pure Land, Master Honen encouraged us to say the Name for our entire
lifetime. Just as one who was saved from fire will always be grateful to his
savior, we should also not be negligent in expressing our gratitude to Amida Buddha
for saving us from the repeated births and deaths. This is the reason why
sometimes Honen, but also Shinran and Rennyo, insisted on remembering to say
the Nembutsu. It was NOT that the number of recitations is important (it isn’t!),
but because we should remember to say “thank you” to the one who assured our
liberation from samsara.
The
Nembutsu is also the expression of faith, so if we really entrusted ourselves
to Amida, we’ll surely like to express it by saying His Name.
[2] Shinran Shonin, Kyogyoshinsho, chapter II, Kyogyoshinsho – On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment, translated by Hisao Inagaki, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p. 9
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
On the "here and now" spiritual trap
Like in the good movie, "Groundhog day” , the minds of unenlightened people dwell constantly in an ever repeating "here and now”. Unfortunately, they like this "here and now" so much that they even create spiritual ideologies to keep them focused on it. Being extremely attached to the "here and now”, they refuse to speak about death and rebirth, or the aspiration to be born in Amida’s Pure Land, calling it a reminiscent of folk religion or a distraction from the "here and now". Unfortunately, they will also die one day, in the exact moment they dream about ‚"here and now" and will be born again, in another "here and now" - the same here and now, but painted differently. How sad this is…