Please
let me preface this article by apologizing for the scheduling error I
made regarding my return to the United States from Japan. When I had
originally made the reservations I said, "I need to be back for
the 19th." Unfortunately, my travel agent heard "I
need to be back by the 19th." It was careless
on my part not to confirm the dates more carefully, but it was an
important lesson for me about how important even a single word can be.
It was also a good lesson in that it reminded me how easy it is for me
to take something for granted: I assumed that the difference between
"for" and "by" would be readily understood. Finally,
it was an important lesson in how prejudiced I can be. Because I assumed
that what I communicated was received as I had sent it, I was not able
to hear anything to the contrary and ended up agreeing to purchase
tickets bringing me home by the 19th, when I wanted
tickers for the 19th.
The reason I wanted to preface this article with this apology was (1)
because I sincerely wanted to apologize for my error that caused a great
inconvenience and (2) because I wanted to write my last article for the
Vista View on how important the use of a single word can be in imparting
a completely different "message."
The title for this article "good-bye & sayonara"
was selected because by the time everyone receives this newsletter, my
family and I will no longer be here at Vista. Good-bye & sayonara
seemed an appropriate title because good-bye and sayonara are
both used as an expression of parting. Although I'm sure everyone is
aware of this fact, the expression "good-bye" is originally
taken from the expression "God be with you." This is a
wonderful expression. It is an expression that wishes the traveler that
he or she has within his or her heart that which the person saying
"good-bye" holds most dear: namely, God. When the traveler
repeats the same phrase "good-bye" it becomes an expression
indicating that despite becoming separated that they still hold
something in common: again, God. Given this wonderful sentiment, one has
to wonder why Buddhists didn't come up with a similar phrase. Why, for
example, don't we have an expression like "Buddha-bye"?
Part of the reason for this probably has to do with the definition of
Buddha itself. If we were to create the expression
"Buddha-bye," that would suggest that the Buddha is something
outside of me, a god like figure that could follow me around. Although
it is possible for someone like me to point towards something like Sakyamuni
Buddha or Amida Buddha, from the perspective of a Buddha
this distinction between "me (self)" and other would no make
too much sense. This perspective of the Buddhas is clearly revealed in
the 18th vow of Amida Buddha: "If, when I attain
Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters, with sincere mind
entrusting themselves, aspiring to be born in my land and saying my Name
perhaps even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain
supreme enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the five grave
offenses and those who slander the right dharma."
Put in a different way, the 18th vow can be read,
"unless others become enlightened to their Buddha nature (becomes a
Buddha themselves), then my becoming a Buddha is really
meaningless." Although becoming a Buddha is a "goal" for
Buddhists, a Buddha is none other that any sentient being who has become
awakened to the truth. This truth one becomes awakened to is open to
everyone, to all of the sentient beings of the ten quarters.
This truth surrounds us, encompasses us, embraces us. We can awaken to
this truth while sitting beneath the shade of a tree, while
participating in a morning service, listening to a discourse, or
even--to borrow from Rennyo Shonin--while sleeping or awake as long
as one has life (one should utter the Nembutsu of praising the Name).
As Buddhist we are walking this path towards enlightenment. It may
not, therefore, make too much sense to say, "(May) Buddha be with
you," Buddha-bye because it is our responsibility as Buddhists to
become a Buddha, to awaken to the truth ourselves. It may be more
appropriate for us to greet each other by saying, "may you soon
become a Buddha." But, this is a greeting that would not be limited
to when we part. It is a greeting we would have to use even when we
first meet and then every moment thereafter. However, as part of our
path towards becoming a Buddha we must realize, or become awakened to
the impermanent nature of existence. We must become aware of the fact
that if there is a meeting, there necessarily is a parting. It is
possibly for this reason that in Japanese the expression for parting is Sayonara,
"if that be the case." Sayonara is an expression that
forces us to seen the nature of existence. Despite the sorrow of having
to part, there is the joy and the strength, the affirmation and growth
of knowing that we shared this truth together.
