(The following is a translation of the story on Hongwanji Shimpo newspaper dated May 20, 2007, written by NAKAGAWA, Akira, with a Japanese title "朝露の一つ一つにお日さまのいのちがやどる")
In the village named Hokodate in Nara Prefecture, there lived a man named Seikuro. He made a living by tilling a rice paddy between mountains and lived peacefully with his daughter Koman and her husband Kyuroku.
Seikuro liked children very much. Their bright, shining eyes with big dreams for the future always filled his heart with joy and happiness.
"They might encounter times of hardship and sadness, but I hope they will overcome those difficulties and live strongly. They should help each other and live happily. They should know that there is always someone that is beholding and protecting them." As he watched the children, he always thought of the working of the Buddha with gratitude.
One day, on his way home from the temple, he again and again brought to mind some of the minister's words about the Buddha that had deeply touched him. "The minister said, 'Entrust yourselves entirely to the Buddha. The Buddha saves you as you are.' 'As you are' -- How wonderful this is!" Spontaneously the nembutsu, Namo Amida Butsu, Nammandabu, Nammandabu, came out of his lips. In the beginning he said it quietly, but gradually his nembutsu became louder and louder to the extent that it reverbarated all over the mountains. "Nammandabu, Nammandabu...." His nembutsu did not stop. Then like an echo, another voice of the nembutsu exactly like Seikuro's sounded between the mountains. Seikuro looked around. In front of Seikuro, some village children jumped out.
"Oh, it was you, boys!"
"Nammandabu, Nammandabu!"
The children imitated Seikuro's nembutsu. The evening light of the sun that was setting behind the western mountains covered them.
Seikuro was so happy that his face was rumpled with big smile. He said, "Oh, Oh, there are so many Buddhas here!" Having said so, he straightened his clothes and worshiped the children who stood in front of him while the setting sun was shining behind them. The children, imitating him, also worshiped Seikuro.
"I now know -- I have been worshiped by the Buddha. There is no doubt about it. How wonderful this is!" Big joy filled his heart again. "Thank you, thank you for your great compassion!" He then told the children to climb up the riverbank.
"I have a request. Would you mind climing up the riverbank over there?"
"Why do you want us to climb the riverbank?"
"On top of the riverbank, I want you to say this -- 'Seikuro, come you as you are!'"
"Say that again."
"Seikuro, come you as you are!"
The children thought it was great fun and went up the riverbank. From the riverbank, Seikuro's stature appeared small. He was looking at the children quietly. In unison the children shouted, "Seikuro, come you as you are!" They shouted again, "Seikuro, come you as you are!"
Seikuro, having heard the voice, groveled on the mountain path, saying, "Oh, you are telling this wretched man, 'Come as you are' -- How wonderful this is!" His face was covered with tears. The children did not understand at all why he was crying. Even though they did not understand, for some reason, as if his tears were reflected on their faces, they felt something hot in their eyes.
Having heard the children's loud voice, villagers came out of their houses and gathered around them. Seeing those tears on his face, the villagers were puzzled. "Seikuro, come as you are!" the chilren's voice again resounded. Upon hearing that, he again cried. The villagers were awestricken and looked at the children.
Into the ears of the villagers, Seikuro's voice reached, "You are telling this wretched man, 'Come as you are' -- How wonderful this is! How grateful I am!"
One morning, some children passed in front of Seikuro's house. Then they saw him standing on the taro field and worshiping some things.
"Grandpa Seikuro, what are you doing?"
"Oh, just come here."
"What's up?"
"Take care not to shake the taro leaves. Come here and look." He pointed at a large leaf of the taro plant. In the shallow depression on the large taro leaf, a morning dewdrop was quivering.
"Do you see...? In each one of the dewdrops that are soon to disappear, the sun has taken residence and is shining. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Do you all understand this?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"I was worshiping the sun that resides in each morning dewdrop on the leaves. I was worshiping the sun that resides in there and shines." The children looked up at Seikuro's face and and nodded.
"How wonderful this is! This Gradpa Seikuro is like a dewdrop. The boundless life of the Buddha resides in the life of Seikuro and shines. In the life of each one of you, the life of the Buddha resides and shines. How wonderful this is! How grateful I am! -- Nammandabu, Nammandabu." He gently patted the children on the heads.
"This precious life! This life that has been given! We must take good care of it!" He said gently to the children.
In this way, the warm- and kind-hearted Seikuro rejoiced in the nembutsu and lived the nembutsu. It was two hundred fifty-seven years ago that he passed away at age 73.
In the village named Hokodate in Nara Prefecture, there lived a man named Seikuro. He made a living by tilling a rice paddy between mountains and lived peacefully with his daughter Koman and her husband Kyuroku.
Seikuro liked children very much. Their bright, shining eyes with big dreams for the future always filled his heart with joy and happiness.
"They might encounter times of hardship and sadness, but I hope they will overcome those difficulties and live strongly. They should help each other and live happily. They should know that there is always someone that is beholding and protecting them." As he watched the children, he always thought of the working of the Buddha with gratitude.
One day, on his way home from the temple, he again and again brought to mind some of the minister's words about the Buddha that had deeply touched him. "The minister said, 'Entrust yourselves entirely to the Buddha. The Buddha saves you as you are.' 'As you are' -- How wonderful this is!" Spontaneously the nembutsu, Namo Amida Butsu, Nammandabu, Nammandabu, came out of his lips. In the beginning he said it quietly, but gradually his nembutsu became louder and louder to the extent that it reverbarated all over the mountains. "Nammandabu, Nammandabu...." His nembutsu did not stop. Then like an echo, another voice of the nembutsu exactly like Seikuro's sounded between the mountains. Seikuro looked around. In front of Seikuro, some village children jumped out.
"Oh, it was you, boys!"
"Nammandabu, Nammandabu!"
The children imitated Seikuro's nembutsu. The evening light of the sun that was setting behind the western mountains covered them.
Seikuro was so happy that his face was rumpled with big smile. He said, "Oh, Oh, there are so many Buddhas here!" Having said so, he straightened his clothes and worshiped the children who stood in front of him while the setting sun was shining behind them. The children, imitating him, also worshiped Seikuro.
"I now know -- I have been worshiped by the Buddha. There is no doubt about it. How wonderful this is!" Big joy filled his heart again. "Thank you, thank you for your great compassion!" He then told the children to climb up the riverbank.
"I have a request. Would you mind climing up the riverbank over there?"
"Why do you want us to climb the riverbank?"
"On top of the riverbank, I want you to say this -- 'Seikuro, come you as you are!'"
"Say that again."
"Seikuro, come you as you are!"
The children thought it was great fun and went up the riverbank. From the riverbank, Seikuro's stature appeared small. He was looking at the children quietly. In unison the children shouted, "Seikuro, come you as you are!" They shouted again, "Seikuro, come you as you are!"
Seikuro, having heard the voice, groveled on the mountain path, saying, "Oh, you are telling this wretched man, 'Come as you are' -- How wonderful this is!" His face was covered with tears. The children did not understand at all why he was crying. Even though they did not understand, for some reason, as if his tears were reflected on their faces, they felt something hot in their eyes.
Having heard the children's loud voice, villagers came out of their houses and gathered around them. Seeing those tears on his face, the villagers were puzzled. "Seikuro, come as you are!" the chilren's voice again resounded. Upon hearing that, he again cried. The villagers were awestricken and looked at the children.
Into the ears of the villagers, Seikuro's voice reached, "You are telling this wretched man, 'Come as you are' -- How wonderful this is! How grateful I am!"
One morning, some children passed in front of Seikuro's house. Then they saw him standing on the taro field and worshiping some things.
"Grandpa Seikuro, what are you doing?"
"Oh, just come here."
"What's up?"
"Take care not to shake the taro leaves. Come here and look." He pointed at a large leaf of the taro plant. In the shallow depression on the large taro leaf, a morning dewdrop was quivering.
"Do you see...? In each one of the dewdrops that are soon to disappear, the sun has taken residence and is shining. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Do you all understand this?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"I was worshiping the sun that resides in each morning dewdrop on the leaves. I was worshiping the sun that resides in there and shines." The children looked up at Seikuro's face and and nodded.
"How wonderful this is! This Gradpa Seikuro is like a dewdrop. The boundless life of the Buddha resides in the life of Seikuro and shines. In the life of each one of you, the life of the Buddha resides and shines. How wonderful this is! How grateful I am! -- Nammandabu, Nammandabu." He gently patted the children on the heads.
"This precious life! This life that has been given! We must take good care of it!" He said gently to the children.
In this way, the warm- and kind-hearted Seikuro rejoiced in the nembutsu and lived the nembutsu. It was two hundred fifty-seven years ago that he passed away at age 73.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.