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Why Is Religion Necessary - September 2006 |
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Written by Rev. Tatsuo Muneto
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Saturday, 09 September 2006 |
Editor's Note - This is an excerpt from the September 2006 issue of the Buddhist Wheel
“Why is religion necessary?” This question used to be asked often by Buddhists in America, but not any more. Our answer to this age-old question is still vital in finding a way of becoming truly human in the age of highly developed technology.
About thirty years ago, Dr. Swanson, a British biologist pointed out five important ingredients for human survival: clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, decent food to consume, comfortable clothes to wear and a shelter to live in. Biologically, these items sustain one’s physical being. But human beings are social animals. To relate ourselves to one another with love and care is another basic need. Therefore, communication is an important ingredient for human survival.
Generally speaking, Buddha-Dharma teaches that all things in the universe consist of the four elements of earth, water, fire and wind. Man’s life is not an exception. One’s physical being consists of the four elements and has been nourished by energies provided by all forms of life for many, many years. Each person’s heart, mind, and spirit have been supported by the love, care and favors of many people with whom he or she has come in contact in the past. Human experiences in the past, good and bad, have influenced how one lives today. And how he lives today influences others’ lives in the future.
Nowadays, I am deeply amazed by this huge network of things, people and events that have made my life possible. Each moment, I am able to live as a result of this fantastic network of all things. Each moment, I am becoming a new person because all things go through changes. Without this awareness, I am still able to live, but only biologically, and not as understanding and loving and responsible person.
And yet, I become aware of my naked self that was basically ignorant of the interdependent nature of life. When my life was favorable, I lived in accord with the teaching of interdependence, but meeting with adversity of life, I inadvertently ignored this principle, and manifested anger, greed and ignorance. Jodo Shinshu deals with this self-centered self, and it has shed its truth-light to this foolish self. How grateful that such a self has been enabled to live by the infinite light and life!
Robert Munsch’s popular book entitled Love You Forever illustrates love of the mother that transcends relative realms of good and bad. No matter how tired she became physically in the daytime from raising a very active and rascal son, at night she felt peace and related herself to the son with her genuine love. Every night she carried the son who was asleep, rocking him back and forth gently and sang:
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living,
my baby you’ll be.
To me, the author’s message is that there is an enduring love that is transmitted from generation to generation. This love derives from the infinite life of Amida Buddha.
For Jodo Shin Buddhists, religion is not a matter of one’s relation with a supernatural power or deity. It is to be embraced by the infinite life, whose nature is to grasp and never to abandon. Buddhism is a great religious tradition in the world history that contains the infinite life and light, the Dharma, whose texts teach us how to receive it and thus how to become the enlightened one. Its rituals teach us to express the joy of becoming truly human.
Yes, religion redefined above is necessary for you and me to live and die in the infinite light and life.
It is again O-higan time for us to dedicate our lives to listening to the Dharma.
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