Student Shakyo & Shabutsu
What a fantastic day today was!
Twelve students and their professor, all from Hood Theological Seminary, visited Myosho-ji Buddhist Temple today for a day long intense Buddhist retreat. These students were all members of a class on World Religions that is being offered this summer as a graduate level course. Some of these students are already ministers and others are completing their ministerial training.
Several weeks ago their professor contacted me to arrange the possibility of bringing his class here to experience Buddhist practice. Over the next few weeks he and I had a lengthy exchange of emails, phone conversations and even one on site visit. We came up with the idea of having the students participate in a formal Buddhist retreat, a day long activity filled with numerous Buddhist practices.
Beginning with their arrival early in the morning after an hour long drive from Salisbury, NC, they fell right into the routine of ‘being Buddhists for a day”. The day started off with a formal morning service along with incense offerings. No student was required to participate, no student was expected to compromise their deep held Christian beliefs. Many however did feel that participating and joining in was something that they were comfortable with doing. I was so humbled by their willingness to experience the joy of Buddhist practice.
Immediately following the service we had a Shakyo and Shabutsu class. During this session each student was offered the opportunity to either draw a picture of the Buddha or to write a passage from the Bible. I had fully expected that they all would choose the Bible passage, but again I was surprised that several were excited and willing to draw the picture of the Buddha, who is not a deity in our belief.
After the image or passage was completed each person wrote their name on their work and then offered a dedication, for it is traditional in Buddhism that we do not keep the merit for ourselves but instead offer it to others, so that all may benefit from our practice.
Now it was time for lunch and chores. Everyone was assigned a chore, they each drew random strips of paper with chore assignments on them. While some were dusting or sweeping or cleaning the bathroom others were cooking the meal, setting the tables and serving the food.
Our meal together was conducted in a formal Buddhist style with no talking and great attention and appreciation for the gift of the food we received and took nourishment from. Following the meal we relaxed for a time together with each person allotted a time to speak. We had set a three minute limit on speaking time and I was surprised how reflective each person was and how most people actually finished talking before their time was up. As a person finished speaking if their time had not run out we all sat silently until their three minutes had elapsed.
Following clean up from the meal we all moved back into the Hondo, the main hall, for a lecture that was composed mainly of answering a long series of questions the students had asked. While answering their questions I tried to intersperse Buddhist doctrine. Unfortunately not everyone’s questions were answered but hopefully most had at least some of their questions answered.
Finally we closed the days activities with a meditation session, possibly the first such activity many of them had practiced in such a manner.
Then they all loaded back up into their cars and undertook the long drive back to their homes, some having to drive as much as two hours.
My impression after the day was one of great appreciation for the manner in which these folks approached this day. I was impressed with their willingness to fully engage themselves in something that was a completely new experience. Each person I felt really put their entire effort into getting and giving as much as they could. I was also impressed with their professor who so graciously took a full day out of his teaching schedule to allow his students the chance to experience Buddhism as it is practiced in real life and not as just some theoretical or intellectual activity.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to each person who today spent a portion of their lives walking the path of Buddhism.
Gassho
_/!\_
Ryusho
