Till You Are Full
Supposedly there is an old custom of greeting folks in Chinese. Instead of simply asking ‘how are you?’ people would inquire ‘have you eaten until you are full?’ This form of greeting may have originated from a time when food was scarce, perhaps not even knowing when the next meal would be.
I bring this up because frequently people ask me how much Odaimoku they should chant. This comes primarily from those who may have been previously taught that they should chant a certain number of hours each day.
While there is nothing wrong with setting an individual goal for your daily practice, I do think that sometimes it obscures our fundamental goal, that being the attainment of enlightenment, the elimination of suffering.
I think a better approach is to chant until you are full, and I almost always give this as the response.
“All of you, know this, join your hands together, and wait with one mind! The Buddha will send the rain of the Dharma and satisfy those who seek enlightenment.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter I)
By chanting until you are full I am meaning that sometimes we may be especially distraught and thinking that a fixed length of time chanting will solve the problem is bordering on magic thinking if not down right magical thinking. It certainly is an approach that works out like this: I’ll give you an hour a day if you give me a lifetime of enlightenment. It sounds to me like a deal making in progress, and if somehow the deal doesn’t work out then all bets are off. Fundamentally who is the deal being made with?
There may be times when 2 or 3 or more hours isn’t satisfying or other times when 30 minutes is. Part of Buddhism is, as I have said before, the examination of oneself, the brutal honesty about our life, our thoughts, our feelings, our motivations and our sincere efforts. A certain number of hour commitment does not lead automatically to this kind of genuine, honest, brutal reflection.
“He satisfied himself with what little he earned. He did not wish to get anything more. He did not notice the priceless gem fastened inside his garment.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter VIII)
This practice is not about fulfilling an obligation to anyone but oneself.
Learn to clearly see yourself in the mirror of Buddhism, gain self confidence in the efficacy of the Odaimoku as it assists you in changing and revealing your fundamental enlightened state.
“You, the World-Honored One, are our leader. You give peace to gods and men. Hearing that you assured us of our future Buddhahood, we are relieved and satisfied.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter XIII)
Chant until you are full!
