Thoughts On Being a Priest

“The emperor and his ministers, acting against the Dharma and violating human decency, became enraged and embittered. As a result, Master Honen, the eminent founder who had enabled the true essence of the Pure Land way to spread vigorously in Japan, and a number of his followers, without receiving any deliberation of their alleged crimes, were immediately sentenced to death or were stripped of their priesthood, given secular names and exiled. I was among the latter. Hence, I am now neither a monk or layman. For this reason, I have taken the term Toku “stubble-haired” as my name.

— Shinran Shonin

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The reading I began with is from the postscript of the last chapter of “Kyogyoshinsho.”  

Shinran wrote this in opposition to the government officials and the emperor, only after Honen Shonin and some of his disciples, Shinran being one of them, were stripped of their priesthood and exiled to remote parts of Japan.  

Honen Shonin’s only crime was to advocate the saying the Nembutsu, a religious act which when practiced exclusively, could lead any human being to salvation in Amida’s Pure Land.  

However, Honen’s radical Pure Land interpretation did not sit well with established Tendi monks on Mount Hiei. So through political maneuvering, they had Honen and his followers persecuted. Some were sentenced to death and others were stripped of their priesthood and exiled.

As Jodo Shinshu followers, the words “neither priest or layman” should be reflected upon and how it relates to our lives.

I’ve been a minister now for almost 24 years and at times, I can honestly say it’s still difficult for me to believe I’m a Buddhist priest.  

A couple of weeks ago, I drove home to see my kids, grandkids, family and friends. Do you think they treat me like a minister?  My kids call me “Dad,” my grandkids call me “Papa,” my friends call me “Bill” and everyone else, including my little cousins, call me “Junior.”  

Our conversations are centered around what the family is up to, school, work, play and local politics. The Nembutsu seems to be the farthest thing from my mind ,,, at least consciously. After work, I go home, throw off my shirt and tie, get on my sweats and raggedy T-shirt, crash on the sofa, turn on the television and watch the news.

It is within these words of Shinran, “neither priest or layman” that I see myself caught up in a secular world that leads me to chasing my dreams and desires. How I’d love to get that Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible with six-speed manual transmission.  

And yet, I am given the privilege to share and study the Nembutsu teachings with you and to the many visitors that come to our Betsuin.  

I find my marriage with Nobuko (Higashi Kaikyoshi minister) to be very meaningful in that we can share our thoughts about the Nembutsu. It is through our relationship that I feel that I am on the Nembutsu path. It is through our deep discussions of our understanding of the Dharma during dinner or driving that I realize that I am neither a layman … of course, not in the same profound sense that Shinran expressed himself.

You don’t have to be a minister to reflect upon Shinran’s words either. Are you so preoccupied with the frivolous stuff that you forget about finding the true self?   

Priest or lay person, we cannot escape this mundane world. Even Shinran could not escape this reality. Shinran lived a life in clear violation of his vows. Although he continued to share the Nembutsu teachings and wore priestly robes, he also got married and had a family. Shinran’s marriage and family life were definitely not something that monks were doing at that time. 

Shinran Shonin showed us the way to live in this mundane world.  And though Shinran lived almost 750 years ago, we are still plagued with the same everyday problems of survival. 

Even getting old, sick, and yes, even death, are part of this mundane world, yet through self-reflection, through the Nembutsu teachings, we consider what is really important to us, and aspire to understand and seek ultimate truths which remain constant in spite of ever changing conditions of our mundane world.