Phone: (602) 278-0036

Email:azbtemple@gmail.com

The mission of the ARIZONA BUDDHIST TEMPLE is to encourage Sangha:

1) to learn the joyful and compassionate teachings of Amida Buddha;

2) to practice these teachings in their daily lives; and

3) to share the teachings with others.

All beings be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety. All living beings, whether weak or strong, tall or short, big or small, visible or not visible, near or far away, already born or yet to be born. May all beings be happy.

May no one deceive or look down on anyone anywhere, for any reason. Whether through feeling angry or through reacting to someone else, may no one want another to suffer. May all beings be happy.

The Arizona Ondo Kai

We will be performing at the Arizona Matsuri

on February 22nd and 23rd 2025

at Indian School Steele Park!

Donations

We are now accepting Donations online

Click Here to Order or Donate

Or 

You can also send to our NEW Mailing Address

Arizona Buddhist Temple

P.O. Box 23282

Phoenix, AZ 85063

Your generosity is greatly appreciated

Dharma in the Desert

Introducing our video Dharma Talks.

Even in times of great suffering there is always a path to enlightenment

To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Arizona Buddhist Temple, we have put together a series of interviews from some of our Sangha members and what being a part of the Arizona Buddhist Sangha means to them. 

Sunday, February 2nd, 2025

8:30am Walking Meditation

10:00am Dharma Service

Sunday, February 9th, 2025

8:30am Guided Meditation

10:00am Dharma Service

11:00 am Dharma School

11:45am: Nirvana Day/Valentines Day Potluck

-Please bring a dish to share.

Sunday, February 16th, 2025

8:30am Silent Meditation

9:00am Chanting Class

10:00am Dharma Service

Saturday and Sunday,

February 22nd-23rd, 2025

Join us at

Arizona Matsuri

Festival of Japan

Indian School Steele Park

https://azmatsuri.org/

----------------------------------------------------

Sunday, March 2nd, 2025

10:00am Dharma Service

Children's Day

Sunday, March 9th, 2025 

10:00am Shotsuki Hoyo and Pet Hoji Service

Sunday, March 16th, 2025

10:00am Dharma Service

Sunday, March 23rd, 2025

10:00am Spring Ohigan Dharma Service

Sunday, March 30th, 2025

8:30am Walking Meditation

10:00am Dharma Service

Additional Activities may be planned, schedule will continue to be updated.

Stay safe, wash your hands, relax, and try to work on that enlightenment thing you have been meaning to get to.  Its always a good time to practice the Dharma.

Morning Meditation

Please join us for some quiet sitting, chanting, and guided meditation. Most sessions last from 10 to 20 minutes. Sit in one of our comfortable chairs, borrow one of our zafus or bring your own!

-see above schedule for meeting times-

Dharma Message

Sensei Gakubatsu Vonn Magnin

Hello, Dharma Friends! Congratulations!

You’ve made it past the first month of 2025 – and what a month it has been!

  February is an important month for Buddhists since Nirvana Day, the memorial day for Sakyamuni Buddha, is held on the fifteenth of the month. There’s also another day that is important for a lot of Americans this month, too, right? Yes, I’m referring to Valentine's Day. This is usually a day for people to express their love & gratitude for their spouse, partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, significant other, etc. It’s also a day when we can simply let our closest friends know that we “love” them as well by expressing our deepest gratitude for having them in our lives.

  The word, “friend,” has been thrown around a lot over the last several years – especially since the advent of social media. Fun fact: the very first social media platform where you could make friends online was launched in 1997. It was called, “SixDegrees.com”. It’s funny as I always thought the first one was “Myspace.com” but that was six years later! Now we have Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, LinkedIn, Meetup, Snapchat, Discord, Twitter (now known as “X”), Pinterest, Twitch, & a bunch of others. Most of these platforms allow you to connect with or follow “friends.”

  I hope you will pause here & take a moment to truly reflect on what a “friend” is. Is it someone you spoke to twice during your sophomore year in high school? Was it someone you briefly met at a 5K run, but you’ve never hung out with them nor have any plans to do so? Is it someone who is your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate? If so, then you are very liberal in bestowing this special title of “friend” on people. Maybe you really do see these people as true friends. If so, then anyone in the whole wide world can be your friend – which just might make you a bodhisattva.

  But for most of us, including yours truly, I cannot think of the beings in the above examples as true friends. To be 100% honest, it’s taken me a while to realize this. Of the many hundreds of people who have been my “friends” on social media, there are probably fewer than 15 whom I’d call at 2 AM if I desperately needed someone to share my innermost fears & concerns with. Those exceptional few are also friends outside of social media.

  There is a very special term in Jodo Shinshu to describe a “true” friend: zenjishiki. This word can also mean “teacher.” Our founder, Shinran Shonin, shared that it is very rare to encounter a zenjishiki. In this context, a zenjishiki is someone who points you in the “right” direction in life. “Right” meaning the Buddha-Dharma.

  We can honor Sakyamuni Buddha as zenjishiki on Nirvana Day. We can refer to the Pure Land Masters, Shinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin, the myokonin (devout Shinshu followers – most of whom were illiterate & lived simple lives), & many others as zenjishiki for all of them continue to point us in the right direction as we go about our lives on this world. And, we may even think of our closest friends as well as our Sangha members (sometimes they are the same) as zenjishiki. For don’t they all point us in the “right” direction, too? These are the people we can always count on because they truly care for us & aren’t afraid to let us know when we’re off course (& usually will walk along with us to help us get back on the right path).

  I hope this Valentine's Day we will remember to thank our closest & dearest friends, whether they are our significant other or the ones who will answer their phone or door for us at 2 AM when we are most in need. For those who are no longer walking on this Earth, I encourage you to encounter them through the Buddha Dharma & in your hearts. When you are quiet, you will know they are there with you.

Namo Amida Butsu

President's Message

Kris Nakashima - February 2025

  Hello Sangha,

  Welcome to February, that time of the year where you must decide to either take down all the Holiday decorations like the oppressive HOA demands or rebel against the system and leave them out for next year like a true American.  But while the battle for aesthetic value versus personal freedoms rages on, a more important event is just on the horizon this month.

 Once again, we will be participating in the annual Arizona Matsuri on February 22^nd and 23^rd at Indian School Steele Park in Phoenix.  Preparations are already underway and as always, we will need volunteers to help prepare food in the days leading up to the event as well as during the festival itself.

 This is our largest fundraising and public event we hold in the year, so your help is always appreciated.  A sign-up sheet can be found at the back of the Hondo, or you can contact Liz Matsumoto or Beverly Matsumoto for more information.

As you may know our friends at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple were recently affected by the Eaton Fire that occurred last month.  While the Temple is still standing, many members of their community have lost their homes to the tragedy.  A fundraiser has been set up by the Pasadena Buddhist Temple to help aid those who have been affected by the disaster, which you can check out using the link below:

Pasadena Buddhist Temple

https://givebutter.com/ZIFQlN

On Sunday, February 9^th we will be having our Nirvana Day and Shostuki Hoyo Dharma service followed by a Valentine’s Potluck. 

Spring is a busy time for the Arizona Sangha but know that all your contributions are what makes our Temple, and our Sangha, stronger than ever before.   We thank you for your hard work in keeping our community strong and everlasting.

In Gassho,

Kris Nakashima

Arizona Buddhist Temple Women's Club

Betsy and Liz Matsumoto

  We will be preparing for Matsuri during the month of February.  If you would like to help, please ask any BWA member for the schedule.  

There are some ko (plain) mochi available for sale. Please call the temple or attend a Dharma Service on Sunday mornings to purchase some mochi.  

Our next meeting is Sunday, March 8th at 9:00am.  

Matsuri Festival 2025

  The 2025 Matsuri Festival is on Saturday & Sunday, February 22 & 23 at the Steel Indian School Park, 300 East Indian School Rd. in Phoenix.  Matsuri is our biggest fundraiser event, so please save February 22 & 23, 2025 on your calendar.  This year, in addition to the food booth, we will also have a craft booth and, along with the JACL, we will also help with the soda & water booth.  Therefore, we ask that everyone help as much as possible.  For anyone volunteering in the food booth who does not have or has not renewed their Food Handler’s Certificate, please do so.  The certificate can be obtained by taking a test online with an ANSI-accredited food handler training company.   A list of the accredited online testing companies can be found on: ANSI-Accredited provider .  There is a fee for taking the test, so look for companies offering Food Handler Certificate, Training, Program, for Maricopa County, Arizona.  Also, look at the cost of taking the test with that company.  More information can be found on the website:  https://www.maricopa.gov/5114/Food-Restaurants .

A sign-up sheet to volunteer for Matsuri is on the information board in the back of the hondo. More information about Matsuri will be published in the next Prajna.

Dharma Services

Dharma Services and Dharma Talks will in person and live streamed online every Sunday. Please visit the Temple website at https://www.azbuddhisttemple.org/ or our Temple Facebook page to view the Dharma videos.

Adult Discussion Group

Adult discussion group will be conducted by Sensei Lynn Sugiyama. Please check the calendar for dates.

Meditation Class

8:30 Am on most Sunday Mornings.

Online Donations

The Temple now has online donation payment methods on the Temple website https://www.azbuddhisttemple.org/. The Temple thanks you for your dana.

Religious Needs

Sensei Lynn, Sensei Vonn, and Sensei Michael are all available for any religious needs including memorial services. Please reach out to them directly or via email at azbtemple@gmail.com for any needs!

Community Information:

Everyone’s mental health is important.

If you are in need of help, please call:

2-1-1 or 1-800-273-8255 for English.  

Tetris Mobile Crisis Unit, please call 602-222-9444.  

For Spanish please call 1-888-628-9454.

For Japanese please call 1-800-654-5341 or 1-877-990-8585.

Suicide Hotline -9-8-8

For all emergencies, please call 9-1-1.    

Our Temple Maintenance Crew worked hard to trim our evergreen tree at the Temple. Thank you for your hard work to take care of our temple grounds! Pictured are Katsuji Uchiike, Mino Inoshita, Sumiko Tokudome and Nancie Haranaka.  We would also like to thank Hiroo Tokudome and Fran Johnston on the AZBT Garden Team

Our Maintenance crew welcomes anyone who would like to join! The schedule is variable, however the group meets 2-4 times a month depending on the weather and needs of the trees. Please see Fran Johnston if you’re interested!

Information on recent fire adjacent to the Temple.

Donation to the Buddhist Temple. 

https://arizona-buddhist-temple.square-site/

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/1406103 

Buddhist Churches of America:

Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter and in Opposition to Racism

  Today we find ourselves in a time of deep unrest and pain. There is no justification for the killing of George Floyd, of Ahmaud Arbery, of Breonna Taylor. These and other countless racially motivated misuses of force against Black people are a travesty that must not continue. The pain and anguish of the Black community is resounding throughout the United States and the world, and is touching the hearts of many more people, including our own ministers and members.

Amida Buddha is said to have the “Wisdom of Non-Discrimination.” This is manifested in the Great Compassion that embraces ALL beings. Amida Buddha does not reject anyone based on age, gender, class, race, or any other basis. Although it is difficult for us as unenlightened beings to manifest this Wisdom of Non-Discrimination, this radical equality is an ideal in our tradition.

Although it is difficult for us as foolish beings to manifest the all-embracing Great Compassion, this kindness and caring is our model to strive for. However, this equality will never be reached until Black Lives Matter.

Buddhists are not immune from racism. The insidious influence of racism is learned from many sources, usually unconsciously. It is important for us as Jodo Shinshu Buddhists to engage in self-reflection, and to be open to finding this racism within ourselves, as well as within our temples.

To learn more please check out the following links:

Thoughts about Black Lives Matter -Buddhist Church of Sacremento -Reverend Matt Hamasaki

The Importance of Sangha

Cole Siegrist

A few weeks ago I was part of a group that travelled to San Fernando in the LA area for the Southern District JRYBL Seminar 1 event. The six paramitas were the focus of the workshops and discussions, and during the closing message Rev. Usuki introduced us to an activity that would demonstrate all six. I was fortunate enough to participate in the game, which was similar to musical chairs, except everyone needed a seat when the music stopped and chairs were removed. To us, the activity was a challenge we needed to overcome; to the rest of the Sangha, it was entertainment as they watched and laughed at our struggles and victories. At one point I tried to give someone a piggyback ride, thinking it would simplify matters a bit. At the last stage of the game, with one chair left for the 14 of us, I figured one less pair of legs to worry about should make it easier, right? Wrong, as we found out when I tried to balance on someone’s knee and we both came crashing to the ground. 

On the surface, this activity was a 15 minute period of watching 14 teenagers trip over each other and attempt to sit on chairs in creative ways. But on a deeper level, it allowed the group of us to work together and rely on each other. We practiced Dana, the generosity of our peers to help each other; Sila, the moral discipline to pick each other up and provide encouragement after we fell; Ksanti, the patience when we had to adapt; Virya, the effort we put into problem solving; Dhyana, the mental fortitude to continue and persevere; and Prajna, our mindset throughout the process and belief in ourselves. We trusted that if we were about to fall, one of our friends would catch us and hold up our legs or arms to fulfill the objective. 

This idea also forms one of the basic principles of Buddhism. We as human beings cannot walk the path to enlightenment by ourselves. Sure, we can try our best to and strive to follow the teachings Sakyamuni preached, but if we do so alone, we have already failed. At some point along the journey, we are forced to lean on other people, whether it be something minor like a ride to school or something more significant, such as the emotional support from family or a close friend after the loss of a loved one. Everywhere we look, throughout our lives, others have been there for us. Parents, siblings, teachers, friends, coaches, even strangers have impacted our lives. A kind word when we are having a bad day, a voice of motivation when we’re feeling defeated, a consistent reminder of what we’re trying to accomplish in this life as well as the support and assistance to do so. 

Every Sunday we sing the phrase ‘I go to the Dharma for guidance’. The Dharma contains teachings such as the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, and the Six Paramitas. These ideas provide a roadmap for us to follow in our lives. However on a much more physical and realistic level, we turn to the people around us for guidance, we go not only to the Buddha and the Dharma but also to the Sangha. The Buddha teaches us the Dharma, but without the Sangha we have no one to ask questions to when we are confused or struggling with our lives, no one to lean on when we can’t hold ourselves up, no one to walk the path with us. We would be alone in our suffering. We would have the Buddha and the Dharma to look to, but at a much more primal level, we need others. We need others to care for us, to nurture us, to keep us disciplined, to push us forward toward our goals and aspirations. We need others to help us solve problems, and to help us sit on a chair currently occupied by 12 other people. The Three Treasures of the Truth are a vital part of Buddhism, and the next time we sing Vandana and Ti-Sarana, find new meaning in the words ‘I go to the Sangha for guidance’.

-Cole Siegrist

The Jr. YBL at Conference 2019.  Ehsa Murray designed the poster and won first place. Way to go Ehsa!

Aaron was in the Chigo Parade when the Gomonshu came to L.A.

First Row (l to r): Naomi Mayer, Sean Belcheff, Aaron Murray.

Second Row (l to r): Fran Johnston, Kimiyo Oka Duda, Mia Duda,

Lauren Kawashima, Kendall Kawashima, Joshua Tominaga, Cole Siegrist,

Kenji Matsumoto, Zack Siegrist, Nicholas Murray, and Joe Murray. 

THE KIESHIKI AFFIRMATION CEREMONY

  A group of 45 people went on a trip to Japan from June 20th to July 1st.  It was a wonderful trip and everyone learned so much and enjoyed the many places we visited.   This included a trip to Hompa Hongan-Ji, the mother temple of our tradition Shin Buddhism.  During our visit to Hompa Hongan-Ji, 14 people (9 Jr. YBA Members, 2 children, and 3 adults) took part of the affirmation ceremony, called Kieshiki, to receive their Buddhist Names.   

  In this ceremony, an official from Hongwanji performed the ceremony before the altar of the  Amida Buddha.  All the participants took the important step of affirming their reverence for the Buddha (Sakyamuni), Dharma (the Buddhist Teachings), and Sangha (the Buddhist Community), and their determination to follow the path to Buddhahood.  This path is of great value to all followers because they are entrusting themselves to Sakyamuni Buddha’s teaching.  For this reason, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are called the Three Treasures.   

  As part of the ceremony, the officiant touches the head of each participant with a scroll inscribed with the words of the Buddha.  This is referred to as Chokyo, or receiving the teachings.  The affirmation ceremony in Shin Buddhism has deep meaning because the participants are declaring their entrusting heart and mind to the Buddhist teachings. 

  By participating in the affirmation ceremony, one receives a Buddhist name, or Homyo.  The name begins with the kanji, Chinese character, for Shaku or “disciple of Buddha,” then followed with two kanji characters of Buddhist meaning.  To be the disciple of Buddha signifies that the person has joined the followers of the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, a community that transcends race or nationality.  As Shin Buddhists, the participants endeavor to hear the teaching of Amida’s Primal Vow, and teach it to others who want to learn.   

We congratulate the recipients who received their Buddhist Name.

The Chuck Matsumoto Memorial Scholarship

              This year’s scholarship recipient winner was Emiko Jay. She has received the Chuck Matsumoto Memorial Scholarship. We would like to share her essay below. Congratulations Emi!

Q: What is an example of a time when you had a hardship that you overcame by the Jodo Shinshu and Buddhism teachings?

My life has often felt as if I am landing in an airplane feeling the jolt of the brakes pushing me--and the plane-- back, preventing me from stopping. I need to hold on long enough to push through the pressure and then everything will run smoothly. Finally, I can walk through those plane doors to a new day.

Growing up in a predominantly white area I have always viewed myself as not “White” enough. At age two I was adopted from China; and by having no connection to my Chinese roots, I never felt  “Chinese” enough. However, the small Asian community I am connected to comes from temple. Because most members of the temple are Japanese, it has resulted in me never feeling “Japanese” enough either. It didn’t seem like I had a solid place to feel accepted and at peace with who I was. Consequently, I have always felt as if I would never be good enough for anything. This mindset was the catalyst for the constant cycle of trying to prove my worthiness to everyone.

In my junior year of high school I moved across the country from Arizona to Connecticut. I was no longer competing against my life long friends and acquaintances anymore. Instead, they were complete strangers. The scrutiny of my new peers was at its peak; and with the addition of sitting alone in class everyday, I felt like an alien. I thought of how much easier it’d be to make friends if I was more White. If maybe I could have blue eyes. The snarky seniors in my math class whispering I would get an A, “because I was Asian.” All of this contributed to the shame I felt in being me.

  I used to find escape from these feelings at temple surrounded by the teachings of the Buddha, but once I moved away, I felt as if I fell off the Eightfold path and was lost. Though I would feel more similar to everyone around me, the color of our skin didn’t mean cohesion. I know a variety of Japanese traditions and all about their history, but nothing about my Chinese roots. I’d sit and think, “If only I could be Japanese” during meditation, unable to clear my mind. Why couldn’t I be Japanese or White like everyone else? I felt isolated with no one to talk to, no place to fit in. That is until I became more heavily involved with the Jr.YBA, where I had the opportunity to meet more people like me, who were adopted into a Japanese lifestyle; we’d relate on feeling out of place and I finally felt understood and no longer alone.   

Jr.YBA led me to the friends who would unconditionally stick by my side. When I’d fly to see them, it was refreshing to be able to open up about my feelings. Opening up for the first time, led me to accept my differences rather than be ashamed of them. The teachings of the Buddha that we would discuss and learn more about at the events, along with the camaraderie of everyone is where I learned that concept and importance of interdependence. Our similarities and differences are what allow us to grow closer and bring people together as a whole.  

At a very young age we learn about The Golden Chain of Love.  I will have it memorized in my mind forever. When I think back to learning it, I used to perceive it as just a children’s lesson that would not apply when I was an adult. For example, this line has shown much significance to my troubles as a teenager:

“... knowing what I know now, not only affects my happiness or unhappiness but also that of others...”

I have learned that it is not all about myself, that it is also about everyone that surrounds me; it is chain made up of a numerous people, all trying to attain the unanimous goal of being their best self. We are all connected in this chain of love, togetherness and unity, interdependence. Without everyone else’s group effort, there would be no chain. Each member of Jr.YBA is a part of this chain, including me. I am a part of something much bigger than myself, contributing to better myself and the world around me. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and let go of your ego and selfishness. I finally realized not everything is about me, everyone else has their own insecurities too and are suffering in their own ways. I decided to stop dwelling on how my differences hurt me and ‘what could be’ to what it is and bettering myself.

With that push forward I began joining more clubs to put myself out there. I stopped focusing on what people think of me because of what I look like, but how they’d think of me based on who I was. A year of my life wasted, being isolated with no one in class to talk to. What I needed to figure out earlier was that it doesn’t hurt to try; the worst that could happen is they don’t like you. In certain classes I wasn’t scared to talk in front of the class and participate anymore; I needed to stop caring and set myself free.

I learned you can’t do everything alone, and that’s okay. Life begins with ignorance, uncertainty, and it definitely has its fair share of difficulties, but it will always find a way to make sure you do walk through those plane doors to a new day. Without the acceptance and love I found through the teachings of the Buddha I don’t know where I would be; I am so thankful to be apart of such a supportive and caring community.

Dharma School Kid of the Month

Our Dharma School Kid of the Month is Sean Belcheff! Sean made a wonderful picture about family! Great job Sean!

Japanese American Citizens League, Arizona Chapter 

Announces Flower Growers Memorial on Baseline Road

  PHOENIX, AZ— On October 20, 2019, the Japanese American Citizens League, Arizona Chapter (JACL-AZ) in collaboration with the Circle K Corporation and the City of Phoenix, will unveil a memorial to the Japanese American farmers who grew flowers on Baseline Road for over 50 years. The memorial will be located at the northwest corner of 40th Street and Baseline Road and will include photographs of the fields and a short history of the Japanese American families who lived and farmed along Baseline Road.

  Funded and installed through a donation from the Circle K Corporation, the memorial was conceived and included during the master plan redesign of the Baseline area. Historian Pamela Rector and former JACL-AZ president Ted Namba worked with the City of Phoenix and Circle K to ensure that the vision of the memorial was fulfilled.

  The unveiling will take place on October 20, 2019 at 10 am at the northwest corner of 40th Street and Baseline Road and will be followed by a reception at Baseline Flower Growers, 3801 E. Baseline Road, Phoenix 85042.

Contact: Kathy Nakagawa, Board Member, Japanese American Citizens League-AZ Chapter, email: nakagawa@asu.edu, phone: (602) 373-7322

AZBT Wants YOU!

-Volunteer Today-

Dear Sangha, 

  We are looking for additional volunteers for the Toban schedule. The Temple needs more people to help keep our Hondo and associated facilities clean. Right now the schedule is 7 groups rotating every other week with 3 people in a group. The cycle is about every 2 months. 

  It takes about 1 hour to vacuum the "Hondo" (Main Hall) area and mop and clean the restrooms and kitchen. We would appreciate any availability anyone has to help keep our Temple clean. 

  To sign up or for more information, please contact Mine Tominaga at

 480-­‐838-­‐3057 or see her at Sunday services. 

Thank you! 

Buddhism In My Life 

By Sara Jay 

Since I was 5 years old, I have been attending the Arizona Buddhist Temple on Sunday’s, as well as attending seminars and conferences in Los Angeles in the Bay Area for the Jr. Youth Buddhist Association. Because of my dedication to Buddhism, you may think I completely rule out any other religion. However, my father has taught me the complete opposite. The many teachings I have learned, only sought to teach me that everyone in this world is made up of events that make them different and unique from each other. However, our connections to each other, interdependence, make us a unifying force in the world. Our differences are not meant to make us defy each other. They are meant to contribute to a grander force that will better the world and make a more peaceful place. By following the Eightfold Path, I have been able to see the brighter light and that you make your own path. By doing so, I have pursued a more open lifestyle, accepting the change I see in the world instead of running from it.  

One of the most substantial events in my Buddhist life that helped me to become who I am today is my first leadership conference at Nishi Buddhist Temple my freshmen year. It was an event that brought us so much closer to one another in a period of hours. We were in a room with posters around us that read: school, friends, family, economic status, the future, yourself, etc. Then the administrator would say, “go to the side of the room that makes you feel secure.” Because of this, I was able to witness who felt most comfortable at home, and who was most comfortable with their friends. Then they would say, “go to the side of the room that you hide from the world.” This was the point that made me said. I saw people at ever poster. Some were insecure about themselves, others who lacked friends, and some who had troubles at home. This made me see that so many people lead different lives than us. We may know them as our friends from YBA, but that is only one small, minute part of their life. Similar to what we see in everyday society, you really cannot fathom what people are experiencing in their lives, as humans are very skillfull at picking and choosing what they express on the outside.

The teachings I have learned from seminars, conferences, and weekly Dharma service discussions have taught me that each and every individual is different. There are aspects of our lives that intertwine us, but the events, people we have met, and places we visit separate us from being identical. I learned that there are reasons why some one may have said a rude comment, or why someone chooses to be extremely quiet in school. We should not judge them for this, as we most likely express some of these habits ourselves. But if we can learn to identify and express understanding towards one another, then we will only better ourselves and the world as a whole. Overall, Buddhism has taught me that diversity is a beneficial attribute, and we should rejoice in its presence instead of shying away from it. 

What Reincarnates: A Clear Explanation 

David Belcheff 

    I have received valuable responses to my article, “Buddhist Peace—Before, After, and During This Life”, (Prajna, November, 2016; and the British journal, Pure Land Notes #30, December, 2016). The problem of traditional Buddhist doctrine simultaneously upholding the notion of no-self (anātman) and the contradictory notion of reincarnation has been an object of sustained contemplation for me and a topic of discussion with Dharma friends for years. One Dharma friend directed me to the work of Ian Stevenson. Another Dharma friend claimed that the Buddha simply left us with a mystery regarding the simultaneous assertion of reincarnation and denial of substantial selves. So, with help from my friends and the Larger Sutra, I pressed on, trying to make sense of this “mystery” until, at last, discovering a satisfactory explanation that conforms to Siddhārtha Gautama’s rational methodology and to his great insight into the issue of impermanence: It is relationships—most technically, patterns of relatedness—that reincarnate, not individuals. For humans, especially, patterns of relatedness between our genes (biology), memes (communications culture), and extended phenotypes (material culture) reincarnate. This view takes the Buddha’s assertion of no-self seriously. Also… 

• It explains all of the phenomena related to testimonies of reincarnation, including visitations from dead loved ones, without positing survival of individual personhood after death. Think of patterns of relatedness rippling across regions and generations, much like the hundredth monkey effect.

• Relationships exist between the “extremes” of pairs (or groups) of subjectivities. Therefore, relationships accord with the principle of the Middle Path. And, as such, relationships are not accessible to the grasping or calculating mind. Relationships are homeless. Relationships do not dwell exclusively in this or that personality, but visit them all.

• If patterns of relatedness persist, life after life, then the unique personalities involved in a given relationship are merely – and wonderfully, and deliciously – incidental, accidental, finite, mortal, evanescent, special. From the gratuitous aid of a stranger to a loving life-long relationship, the “and” of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou” spontaneously manifests, ever fresh and alive, as the dependent arising of mutually-acknowledging subjectivities.

    Furthermore, relatedness (rather than personalities) reincarnating is falsifiable. Our relationships with others—whether alive, dead, or fictional—already reincarnate from instant to instant, so we can empirically test the correctness of this view at any time. It is not persons, but relationships that are reborn each instant. It is patterns of relatedness that account for personalities, and that “return” over and over again in the “return to earth-school until getting it right and graduating from the wheel of samsara” analogy; for example, centuries-old conflicts that still persist today.

    This view puts to rest worrying about what happens after we die. Liberated from such ontological anxieties, we are free to focus on peaceful and happy relationships (which is what we really are), rather than obsess about the right-or-wrong, he-said-she-said, rule-bound, tit-for-tat exchanges within relationships—whether generous or mean-spirited. Am I so mighty? No matter how great my self-cherishing, my precious identity, my spiritual ego, my “annoying humanity” (as my wife calls it), I am still going to face the same oblivion as Shelley’s “Ozymandias.” Yes, it is true that everything we think, say, and do matters a great deal, and we are all “responsible for our actions,” as we robotically remind ourselves. But when we misunderstand a self (whether our own or another’s) as an atomistic automaton, rather than a complex assemblage of relationships, we fall into error. When we attack another, we never just attack an individual being, we attack an entire network of relationships. Likewise, when we love another, a wondrous union of relational love flows through us into the midst of another wonderful gathering of relationships, affecting untold revolutions of “peace and happiness” (see Dharmākara’s thirty-third vow).  

    Ultimately, then, it is our relationships that really matter. Relationships are powerful. Individual identities only seem so. Shin Buddhism has a wonderful term that helps us understand relationships, rather than individuals, as the locus of life-activities, and even of consciousness: “Other Power” (Tariki). Other Power undulates through friendships, studentships, parenting, devotion, pastoral care, diplomacy, charity, etc., and also through our relationships with food, technology, and other non-human beings we encounter in the world.  

    When understanding patterns of relatedness, and not individual persons, as that which “reincarnates,” the term, Sangha, and Shinran’s notion of Dharma friends (ondobo/ondogyo), come to mean so much more, and the Shin canon can be heard in a much deeper key

1) Amida Buddha selects all helpless, hopeless, foolish, ordinary beings drowning in the karmic ocean of birth and death as the targets of his inconceivable Vow. This means that we have a special connection with all other beings as fellow targets of Amida’s Vow. How, then, could we not naturally aspire to regard all others with the same compassion expressed in Amida’s Vow “to remove the roots of the afflictions of birth and death of all” (Larger Sutra 1:6)?

2) In his “causal stage,” as the bodhisattva, Dharmākara, Amida Buddha learned an eternal practice from his teacher, Lokeśvararāja. This practice is called kuyō (Skt., puja, lit. “worshipping with offerings;” see, e.g., the twenty-fourth vow). Kuyō involves visiting countless Buddha lands, making offerings to them all, and learning relational wisdom from the “good and evil natures of heavenly and human beings living there.” The practice of kuyō emerges spontaneously from the relationship between Lokeśvararāja and Dharmākara, spreading out like rebounding ripples in a pond, expressing itself as the Vow to save all beings, to make each and every one a Buddha. Identified especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth vows, and supported by all forty-eight vows, the relationship Amida has with all beings, the kuyō selected as his eternal practice, manifests in his Name. 

    From these two relational templates, we develop an awareness of every being we encounter as: 1) a fellow target of Amida’s boundless compassion, and, thereby, 2) a Buddha in the making, or a teacher of relational wisdom. Amida’s Vow-mind, then, models the correct attitude to maintain towards every being, in every moment, in every incarnation.  

    For further study, see: the third, sixth, and ninth chapters of the Tannishō; and the third, fourth, fifth, and forty-fifth vows of the Larger Sutra, reading the events of past lives as history, and the beautiful, homogenous golden appearance of humans and devas as relational rather than as personal forms of being, i.e., as love.