At West Covina Buddhist Temple’s annual Obon Service, Rev. Gregory Gibbs clarified meaning of “Practice” in Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism and pointed out its universal aspects.
WCBT held its special afternoon Obon Service, on July 18, 1999. The service was well attended, and included several guests from the community. After Sutra chanting and the Hatsubon Candle Offering, participants were treated to an informative talk by the popular Rev. Gibbs from the Nishi Betsuin in Downtown LA. Incidentally, congratulations go to Rev. Gibbs and his wife Kyoko, who are the proud new parents of a cute and very active little toddler named Sho (actually, he’s not that little!). After the talk, everyone was treated to a delicious and complimentary otoki dinner.
In the talk, Rev. Gibbs began by emphasizing the universal aspect of Buddhism. He said that this universal aspect stems from the very definition of a “buddha,” which, he stressed, is “Anyone awakened to the profound and intimate oneness of all life.” Of course, as Rev. Gibbs pointed out, the idea of “oneness” is difficult to truly take to heart. For instance, while our ministers are often heard to say things like “Everything in life is supporting us,” this however doesn’t mean we must literally “Love all people and all life,” he said. “We can however be accepting and appreciative of all life.”
Regarding the actual practice of Jōdo Shinshū, Rev. Gibbs stated, “I recommend reciting Namu Amida Butsu; this expresses our deep realization that everything is related to us. Our tradition in fact comes out of Namu Amida Butsu,” he added. Rev. Gibbs went on to explain that one way of understanding Namu Amida Butsu is as the expression of our “recollection of Buddha.” The word “Buddha” here refers to Amida Buddha, the Buddha of limitless wisdom and compassion. Thus another way of understanding Namu Amida Butsu is as the expression “I rely on the awakened one of limitless light (wisdom) and life (compassion),” or “I rely on the one that comes from suchness, from life as it is.”
Of course, there are many ways of “recollecting” Amida Buddha, which correspond to the many different Buddhist traditions. However, as Rev. Gibbs pointed out, “The preferred way has come to be to say his name, Namu Amida Butsu.” To demonstrate that the reciting of Nembutsu is a common thread that runs through much of Buddhism, Rev. Gibbs related that about 70% of the estimated one billion Buddhists in the world all share the practice of saying Namu Amida Butsu, or one of its variations.
Rev. Gibbs concluded his talk by saying, “Namu Amida Butsu is thus a form of ultimate reality; something precious and reliable. It is a broad and vast reality that is embracing us and trying to get us to see that this is one life, that every living thing needs to be respected and nurtured. Every time someone is treated kindly, it enhances our life; every time someone is treated insensitively, it diminishes our life. A person who is awakened sees the inseparable reality of this luminous, non-dual oneness.”
Go Back to Dharma Talks