Shingyo Dojo Experience – Gratitude
Because of who, are we able to achieve things in our lives? There is nothing that we do or have done that cannot in some way be linked to someone else. From conception to death we are always in debt to others.
Continually throughout my Shingyo Dojo experience this point was brought home to me. Over and over what small victory or success I had was directly the result of someone else’s effort.
Just getting to Shingyo Dojo required other individual’s help.
Language proved to be the biggest non-physical barrier. Without the help of Kanjo Bassett to a large degree and Ryunin Sorenson and some of the Japanese young men who could speak a smattering of English I would have found myself continually doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Also when it was possible Kanjo provided the bulk of the translation of the lectures.
There were many other instances where positive results of my action were only due to the direction of others. When it came to ceremony and service manner I could not have been better trained than I was by my Sensei Ryuoh Faulconer. Because of his dedicated effort to make the ceremonies and services available to non-native Japanese language speakers I was able to be very well prepared. While I might not be the best example of his efforts it can not be denied that he has provided a valuable service to the spread of Nichiren Buddhism in America.
The biggest and most dramatic victory however came with the successful climb of Mount Shichimen.
One of my biggest fears going into Shingyo Dojo was climbing Mount Shichimen. I was certain that with my breathing problems as well as hip problems I would not be able to make it to the top.
During Shingyo Dojo I caught a cold which caused a lung infection in the early days of Shingyo Dojo. I went to the hospital for this and received medication. The treatment was successful however, the infection return within several days which meant I had to return to the hospital for more antibiotics and remained on them until the end of Shingyo Dojo.
Part of the doctor’s advice was he did not recommend I climb Mt. Shichimen. There was a part of me that was relieved to hear this advice. However, the head Sensei Toyota was determined that somehow I should be able to achieve the victory of the climb. It is important to understand that his determination was not something that didn’t consider my physical limitations. In fact I made an extra trip to the hospital at his advice to see if there were any extra precautions that I could take if I chose to make the attempt. His determination was such that he wanted to support me in any way possible if it was my wish to make the climb.
Due to his compassion and his support I did begin to feel excited about the possibility of actually doing something that I thought might be impossible. He gave me the courage to dream about doing the “impossible”.
After careful consideration and several discussions we decided that I would try. That together with a couple of other individuals with physical problems and a support group we would attempt the climb and if at the first major rest stop it looked as if we couldn’t complete the effort then we would turn back.
On the day of the climb our small “special” group began our climb about four hours before the regular group. We each had a couple of people assigned to us to assist with things like bags or physical support. In my case Kanjo Bassett was also assigned to be with me to act as my interpreter in case of a medical emergency, and everyone was given instructions about my medication and told to monitor my usage.
The day began as rainy and cold, both of which are very bad for my breathing problems, so it was a bit of a discouragement. However by the time our van arrived at the drop off point the rain had stopped and the wind had died down somewhat, even the sun began to occasionally peak out from behind the clouds.
We began the climb very slowly making frequent stops to rest and drink extra fluids. We kept this up throughout the climb to the first major rest stop. It was exciting, we were all making it! We got to the first stop and all agreed that we wanted to continue, we were all excited about the possibility of doing what we thought was impossible.
By the end of the day we arrived at the top of Mt. Shichimen only about 30 minutes before the main group and together we walked through the main gate as one victorious unit. It was so exciting.
The next morning as if to signal that the heavenly deities were blessing our efforts we were able to welcome a beautiful sunrise over Mt. Fuji with our prayers and Odaimoku. It was a fantastic moment. Generally during Shingyo Dojo there are no pictures to record the event however at the end of Shingyo Dojo all three of us Americans were given photos of the sunrise over Mt. Fuji as a record of our victory.
Even though it was my feet that were plodding the trail up and down Mt. Shichimen it was only because of the support of countless people that made those steps possible. This was a reminder that it is not through our efforts alone that we accomplish our goals in life but through the efforts of countless others and it is important to never loose sight of the fact that we need to be grateful for all of that support.
It may not be possible for us to directly repay individuals for that help. However by spreading the dharma and teaching others we can indirectly repay our debt of gratitude. If on the other hand we fail to spread the Buddha’s teaching then we are guilty of a kind of arrogance that ignores our debts to our teachers and others who have supported us along our own path.
