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
1 comment:
I remember how Rev Terada did the Gobunsho in Japanese and Rev. Miura did the Gobusho in English. They had their own style. This is the first time I heard Rev. John say it Japanese. It was very resourceful.
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