|
Ekyo's Blog Sharing form the heart
|
|
Gift from Tushita Heaven |
|
April 18, 2008 This is just a short post to share something very precious to me. For several years I have been dreaming about going back to Bukkokuji. First I was not able due to severe Arthritis in hips. The conditions in this temple are difficult even for healthy person, but for me climbing up and down to zendo many times a day was out of question… Finally I was feeling much stronger and dreams of going to Bukkokuji were more realistic. But, last year my mother died just about when I was starting to plan trip to Japan. And a free ticked which my friend Seth gave me to go there was used for immediate trip to Poland instead. This year I am grieving the fact the there is no money this spring… Yesterday Bodhisattva Nyogen, a friend from Japan sent me this precious short video. Seeing the snapshot of Tangen Harada Roshi now at age 85 made my day… I am praying that he is well and strong still for long time.
Tangen Roshi in much younger years. Click picture to view video Thank you Nyogen!
Note:
Here again Nyogen comments that monkeys and cranes are roaring with
laughter after I called him a Bodhisattva…
July 7, 2008 It took a little while to arrange second part of this page. Biography came from Poland. It was translated thanks to kindness of Fujin and my teacher Eido Roshi. The biography of Harada Tangen Roshi Born on August 24, 1924 in Niigata prefecture, Japan. In 1943 during WW II, because the war situation got worse, at the age of 18, he applied to be a commando (which means flying an airplane carrying a bomb, in order to directly attack enemy warship). He received strenuous training to become a pilot in one year period. On august 15, 1945, though he was scheduled to depart at 1 in the afternoon, at 12 noon on that day, the Emperor of Japan declared capitulation. He missed the chance to give his life to his country. Later, he became a prisoner of war in Russia. Luckily, he was able to come back the following year in 1946. However, thinking of his friends who trained with him and lost their lives in the war, he suffered immensely. Days passed with great uneasiness. So it happened someone mentioned the name of Harada Sogaku Roshi, he then went to Hosshin-ji sodo. He told Sogaku Roshi about his internal struggle. Sogaku Roshi said, “If you believe what I say, and practice with all your might, the problem which you have now will undoubtedly be solved.” Whereupon Harada Tangen Roshi promised to Sogaku Roshi, “I give my life to zen practice.” Thus his Zen practice began. About one year later, he was able to solve the problem of life and death. After that, for about ten years, he continued to practice under Sogaku Roshi at Hosshin-Ji. In 1955, at the age of 30, he became the Abbot of Bukkoku-Ji. Ever since, for over half a century, he has been receiving practitioners from Japan as well as foreign countries, teaching true Buddha-Dharma, guiding all in zazen practice. Translated from Japanese by Eido Tai Shimano Roshi and Fujin Attale Formhals Thank you Eido Roshi and Fujin!
|
|
© 2009 Ekyo's Blog |
