Childlike
Children’s Day
May fifth is set aside as Children’s Day in Japan, there is no official day set aside in the United States for such a special day. There have been in years past various observances and proclamations concerning a Children’s Day in the US, but nothing has become permanent. In Japan it is thought that observances of Children’s Day go all the way back to the Empress Suiko (593-628 CE).
There are five practices of Bodhisattvas, known as Gogyo. These five practices are; saint practice (study and practice), Brama practice (no wanting), nature practice (reality), child practice (delight, humble), and sickness practice (spiritually ill).
“They will feed on two things: the delight in the Dharma, and the delight in dhyana.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter VIII)
When we think of children we may have all sorts of images. Some that come to my mind is how they are not prone to discriminate and how they are curious, and how much joy they find in the simplest of things. As children grow older though, sadly they learn of differences and discrimination, their curiosities are discouraged, and life is much too serious.
Then as Buddhist we strive to go back to being childlike. We strive to eliminate our attachments to differences, our clinging to being better or not as good as, or all the other ways in which we perceive difference. We also seek to reestablish joy in our lives, in our hearts, and in our minds. Further we practice our curiosity about our environment and our relationship to the environment and the things we interact with continually.
“Thereupon the two sons went up to the sky seven times as high as the tala—tree, and displayed various wonders because they were thinking of their father. They walked, stood, sat, and reclined in the sky. Then they issued water from the upper parts of their bodies, and fire from the lower parts. Then they issued water from the lower parts of their bodies, and fire from the upper parts. Then they became giants large enough to fill the sky, became dwarfs, and became giants again. Then they disappeared from the sky and suddenly appeared on the earth. Then they dived into the earth just as into water, and stepped on the surface of water just as on the earth. Then they went up to the sky and stayed there. By displaying these various wonders, they purified the mind of their father, that is, of the king, and caused him to understand the Dharma by faith.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter XXVII)
I can almost see these two sons romping around with pure joy and delight as they naturally reveal the truth of the Dharma in their lives. Next time your down, think of these two children.
