In the hour of his
death in 1871, Tu-eka-kas, the father of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces
Nation, called his son near to make his final request. Chief Joseph
describes the death of his father as follows:
"My
father sent for me. I saw he was dying. I took his hand in mine. He
said, 'My son, my body is returning to my mother earth, and my spirit is
going very soon to see the Great Spirit Chief. When I am gone, think of
your country. You are the chief of these people. They look to you to
guide them. Always remember that your father never sold his country. You
must stop your ears whenever you are asked to sign a treaty selling your
home. My son, never forget my dying words. This country holds your
father's body. Never sell the bones of your father and your mother.' I
pressed my father's hand to mine and told him I would protect his grave
with my life. My father smiled and passed away to the spirit-land.
"I
buried him in that beautiful valley of winding waters. I love that land
more than all the rest of the world."
Honen
Shonin began to propagate the Pure Land teaching in 1174, at the age of
42, when Shinran-sama was an infant of two. There was a 40 year
difference in their ages. Honen Shonin was 69 years of age when Shinran-sama,
at the age of 29, sought him out. Although Shinran was an unknown monk
and Honen a renown figure for many years, Honen accepted him as his
student. Shinran only spent six years under the guidance of his teacher,
yet this time was to have such an inspiring affect that it lasted his
entire life.
Honen's
father, Tokikuni Uruma, was a military chief for a local township. Being
without children, Honen's parents entreated Buddha for a child. In a
dream, Honen's mother envisioned that she had "swallowed a
razor," the emblem of a spiritual teacher, indicating the shaving
of one's head upon ordination into the priesthood. Honen was born on May
20, 1133.
In
1141 when Seishi Maru (Honen) was 9 years old, there was an attempt on
his father's life by the eldest son of the governor of the province.
Honen escaped from the bedroom and secluded himself in the house, where
through a small aperture, he observed his father being hit with an
arrow. The wound proved incurable. When his father drew near to death he
turned to his 9 year old son and said, "Don't let this lead you to
avenge my enemy. This misfortune was the result of some heavy karmic
affliction of mine in a former state of existence. If you harbor
ill-will towards your enemy, you will never be free from my enemies.
Without delay forsake the worldly life and become a priest. Then pray
that I may attain Buddhahood, and seek earnestly for your own
liberation." He then died (at age 43).
Honen's
father knew that he could not be saved physically, yet he asked his son
to save him spiritually. This illustrates the relationship between a
father's concern for his son even beyond death, and a son's
responsibility to himself and to his father. It also illustrates how the
movement of the Buddha's Wisdom/Compassion connects us in this way.
Honen-sama
was put in his uncle's care, the Abbot Kwangaku of Bodaiji (temple).
When Honen was about 14 years old, he left his uncle's tutelage to
become a monk on Mt. Hiei. At that time he said to his mother, "The
best way for children to show their gratitude to their parents is by
turning away from the temporal, and devoting themselves to the
eternal." With that, he abandoned all hope of worldly fame or
profit, and formally began his pursuit of the study and practice of the
Law of Buddha.
From
the time Honen Shonin was a child until he grew to manhood, he could not
forget his father's dying counsel. He deepened his resolve to give
himself up forever to a life of retirement from the world. Although
Honen-sama had no desire or intention of becoming a father himself, he
was like a father to many. Honen was not only a great spiritual teacher
to Shinran-sama, he was his father-figure as well.
Upon
returning to mother earth and seeing the Great Spirit Chief, Tu-eka-kas
asked his son to think of the land which now holds his bones as the
spiritual home of a people. In similar fashion, upon returning to the
Buddha's country, Tokikuni Uruma urged his son Honen to also seek the
way home to Amida's Pure Land. Always reaching out to us through wisdom
and compassion we live in the midst of Buddhahood. This potential for
all of us to awaken to the Buddha's mind is like adulthood being
inherent in a child, or the ability of a son to one day become a father
to his son. We have already been provided with all that is necessary to
release us from the bondage of birth-and-death. We must uncover this
treasure within ourselves. The Summoning Voice of Buddha is beckoning
all of us to awaken to Bodhi Mind. Entrusting to the Wisdom/Compassion
of Buddha, all fathers truly come to know their children, and their
children truly come to know their fathers. Happy Father's Day! Namo
Amida Butsu…..
