The Buddhist Revolution and the Buddhist Dream

By Rev. Eric Matsumoto

            I would like to introduce to you Tsukasa Matstueda's article “The American Revolution and the American Dream." In this article, he says “The American Revolution gave hope and inspiration to the rest of the World. Leaders of the new country attempted to establish a government that would ensure freedom and equality for all people. However; the American Revolution did not apply to all  (some) could not have the same rights. Women were not considered equal to men.. Through the years, the Bill of Rights was expanded (but even Today.. (many).. continue to strug­gle to be treated as equals. The American Revolution has not been completed and the "American Dream" remains only a dream for many. The chain that binds.. society has been loosened, but it still has not been broken...".

Now, you might be wondering how and what does this have to do with Buddhism? I would like to focus on the lines.  “The American Dream has not been completed and the “American Dream” remains only a dream for many. The chain that binds... society has been loosened, but it still has not been bro­ken.” We might presume that with drafting and passage of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the American Revolution and all that it promised is complete, but as the article points out it is not complete and till this day there are people who are struggle for equal rights and to be treated as equals. I would like to adapt Tsukasa Matsueda's title from “The American Revolution and the Ameri­can Dream" to The Buddhist Dream and the Buddhist Revolution and the Buddhist Dream.^”

 

          In the Shin Buddhist Tradition, we hear about the Bodhisattva Dharmakara who 10 kalpas ago made 48 Unprecedented Vows. How upon fulfillment of these 48 Vows the Bodisttva became Amida Buddha, the Buddha of immeasurable Life and Infinite Light. When we hear this we may have a tendency to interpret everything in the past meaning that everything has been done and completed by the Bodhisattva /Buddha (Amitayus-Amitabha). In one sense, it is true that everything has been done and completed for the Bodhisattva became Amida Buddha and the Vow to effect our enlightenment is a reality. But in another sense, the Vow(s) of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara-Amida Buddha is not yet completely realized. Even today, right now, it is in the process being completed. The Vow and the Power of the Buddha’s Wisdom and Compassion is not something dead and static, but something that is always moving with vitality, dynamic and active, always moving forward timing at the transforma­tion of this "old self' into a "new and greater self" In its fullest end ultimate the Promise (Vows) of Amida Buddha is still being completed. The Vow in part reads "If when I attain Buddhahood all sentient beings in the lands of the 10 directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me wishing to be born the Pure Land call my Name Namo-Amida-Butsu) perhaps 10 times should not be born there, I have not attained supreme enlightenment..." The emphasis is on "all sentient beings." This is how great Amida's compassion is. It does not limit itself to only a few, a select group. It in­cludes everyone. In fact it is not limited to people. It includes all forms of life, animate and inani­mate. Let us reflect on Shinran's exclamation “the trees and greens, the whole land attain Buddhahood.” Buddhism aims at the happiness of all life not just human life. This is the Buddhist Dream. The World of the Buddha is perfect equality and perfect peace for all life forms. Until and unless, we all attain Enlightenment equal to the Buddha themselves, Amida's promise cannot be said to be finished and complete in the truest sense just as the mere physical writing of the Constitution did not mean that everyone is being treated as equals. We are all apart of the true completion of Amida Buddha's Vows. The Vow includes us in it from the very beginning. The Buddhist Dreams not only for human beings and it is giving hope and inspiration to all life. Hopefully, this is the attitude and per­spective with which we live life, a feeling of the Oneness of All Life and to see how our lives with oth­ers are intimately connected and related (the Interdependency of All Life). As living examples, I would like to share with you the tho'4rts of 2 modern Buddhists, the first Thich Nhat Hanh who wrote the following poem "Little flower, may I cut you? Dear Bodhisatt'ra thank you for bringg such beauty into my life." And secondly, Tokuso Sakakibara who places his hands together in gassho, a gesture of reverence and respect in the Buddhist Tradition, to a radish rerning a he would a bodhisattva. In both cases, flower and radish are selfless~ giving their own life for the sake of another (me). If I deeply reflect on my thoughts and actions, this Buddhist Dream of reverence, respect and equality for all forms of life is still that a dream. The Peaceful Buddhist Revolution which historically started on our planet over 25OO years ago with Sakyamuni Buddha turning the Wheal of the Dharma which is trying to change transform our way of thinking and thus our actions/life is still going on.  Amida Buddha’s part in all this is that Amides the one Bodhisattvas reaching out to help those who fall short of this goal through self power by endowing us with Amida Buddha's Other Power; the Power of the Vows which will enable one and all to attain Supreme Enlightenment.

 

          Let us keep this Wheel of Wisdom and Compassion turning in response to the Compassion of the Buddha by encouraging one another to listen to the Dharma and then sharing it with others. For as Robert Thurman quotes the Buddha "every intelligent being could understand the Truth, that such understanding would lead to di­rect experience of reality, and that such experience would result in freedom, happi­ness and transformation. The greatest gift one could give others thus was teaching; it could help others come to understanding& freedom and happiness." Namo-Amida-Butsu I entrust myself to Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Immeasur­able Life and Infinite Light taking refuge in the Buddha's l8th Vow.

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