Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A Thousand Winds

Sung in Japanese "Sen no Kaze" by Masafumi Akikawa on the 2007 edition of Kohaku Utagassen to music written by Mitsuru Arai.

A Thousand Winds
by Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004)

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.

I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.

I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I did not die

Recently, the beloved mother of my very good friend, Michi, passed away.
To help soothe her greiving heart, I sent her the above poem.
This lovely, inspirational poem has an interesting history. So many variations of the poem can be found, and so many different claims of authorship have been made, and still being made. But it is said that the best evidence indicates that it was written by a Baltimore, U.S.A. housewife, Mary Elizabeth Frye, in 1932, to console a German Jewish friend, Margaret Schwarzkopf, who was unable to visit her dying mother in Germany due to anti-semitic feelings in Germany at that time. She told Mary Frye that she lamented the fact that she was not able to "stand by her mother's grave and shed a tear." These words inspired Mary Frye to write the verse to comfort her friend
The many variations and disputed origins of this poem occured mainly because it was never formally published nor copywrited.
For many years the poem's origin was generally unknown, being variously attributed to native American Indians (especially Navajo), traditional folklore and other particular claimant writers. It has appeared, and continues to appear in slightly different versions and different titles.
The complete story of the research made on the origin of this beautiful poem, can be found on Business Balls.
Originally, This poem did not have a title and the first line, "Do not Stand at My Grave and Weep" became the first title by which the poem was known. The poem can be found with different titles, but I like "A Thousand Winds" best.

Marie

Friday, September 12, 2008

Thank you

To all who participated, helped out and/or attended the service for Rev. Miura, thank you all. It was wonderful to see so many people and cards of well-wishes for the family.

To the ministers who were part of the service, a big thank you as a number of them also came from out of town.

It was terrific to see so many people help out...we had a long list of things to do, and we were able to get it all done.

Thank you again.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Impermanence and Interdependence.

One precept in Buddhism that death is part of life. If you are born, you will die. Or, if you weren't going to die, then you would never be born.

The impermanence of life. Rev. Miura, our minister for almost 13 years, passed into Pure Land last week and today his body was returned to ashes.

As a Sangha it has been one long and hard week. Despite of it, many people came together and helped pull together a service and otoki. Although we, ourselves, were our own guests, we also had guests from out of town, many from the towns of the temples that Rev. Miura previously served.
People because they wanted to helped with many different things, from hospitality for the guest mininsters and bishop, otoki for everyone afterwards, setting up the offsite video and audio, setting up the extra chairs, moving flowers, registering the flowers and keeping track of the koden.

It was an amazing interdependent act of compassion and heart.

Many BCA ministers also participated in this service, there many connections to Rev. Miura.

After the service, people were talking and visiting with each other, staying as long as they could before their bus left for Central Cal or to catch their flight back home.

There were many people that helped, and eventually I will be able to let Mrs. Miura know who they were so she could show her appreciation.

Today on the other hand was a very private occasion. The seventh day memorial service was conducted at Fukui Mortuary, then a crematory service at the crematorium at Evergreen Cemetary.

One push of the button, one last act.

“When I deeply contemplate the transient nature of human life, I realize that, from beginning to end, life is impermanent like an illusion. We have not yet heard of anyone who lived ten thousand years. How fleeting is a lifetime!

Who in this world today can maintain a human form for even a hundred years? There is no knowing whether I will die first or others, whether death will occur today or tomorrow. We depart one after another more quickly than the dewdrops on the roots or the tips of the blades of grasses. So it is said. Hence, we may have radiant faces in the morning, but by evening we may turn into white ashes. Once the winds of impermanence have blown, our eyes are instantly closed and our breath stops forever. Then, our radiant face changes its color, and the attractive countenance like peach and plum blossoms is lost. Family and relatives will gather and grieve, but all to no avail? Since there is nothing else that can be done, they carry the deceased out to the fields, and then what is left after the body has been cremated and has turned into the midnight smoke is just white ashes. Words fail to describe the sadness of it all.

Thus the ephemeral nature of human existence is such that death comes to young and old alike without discrimination. So we should all quickly take to heart the matter of the greatest importance of the afterlife, entrust ourselves deeply to Amida Buddha, and recite the nembutsu. Humbly and respectfully.” (translated by Hisao Inagaki et al)

From the Letters of Rennyo Shonin, the 8th Monshu of Hongwanji.

Gassho

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

"A Place In The Sun"

One Sunday this past year, Rev. Miura had both Japanese- and English-speaking Sangha together. So to our surprise, he pulled out a harmonica and played along to the following Steve Wonder song. He was very good at the harmonica (he said it was because he was into folk songs early in his life). He got many of us to sing along. He incorporated the song to his Dharma Talk about "movin' on" and the impermanence of life.

"A Place In The Sun"
by Stevie Wonder

Like a long lonely stream
I keep runnin' towards a dream
Movin' on, movin' on
Like a branch on a tree
I keep reachin' to be free
Movin' on, movin' on

'Cause there's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for ev'ryone
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Got to find me a place in the sun

Like an old dusty road
I get weary from the load
Movin' on, movin' on
Like this tired troubled earth
I've been rollin' since my birth
Movin' on, movin' on

There's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for ev'ryone
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Got to find me a place in the sun

You know when times are bad
And you're feeling sad
I want you to always remember

Yes, there's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for ev'ryone
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for ev'ryone
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for ev'ryone...

In Gassho...

September 8, 2008 at 3:00 pm

The funeral service for Rev. Kyogyo Miura will take place at 3:00 pm at Gardena Buddhist Church. Parking is limited.

Koden can be received at Gardena Buddhist Church, 1517 W. 166th Street, Gardena CA 90247.