Buddhist Thoughts is the SLC Buddhist Temple newsletter which is mailed to Temple members each month. Here we provide excerpts from archival Buddhist Thoughts.

2000 January

Recipe for Happiness and Joy
by J.K. Hirano

How Joyous I am, Gutoku Shinran, disciple of Sakyamuni! Rare is it to come upon the sacred scriptures from the westward land of India and the commentaries of the masters of China and Japan, but now I have been able to encounter them. Rare is it to hear them, but already I have been able to hear. Reverently entrusting myself to the teaching, practice, and realization that are the true essence of the Pure Land way, I am especially aware of the profundity of the Tathagata’s benevolence. Here I rejoice in what I have heard and extol what I have attained.

Collected Works of Shinran Vol. I

This passage is from the preface to Shinran Shonin’s master work Kyogyoshinsho. In it he expresses his profound gratitude, joy and happiness over having had the opportunity to learn about the teachings. I have been wondering about what happiness is. The following is a letter I am sending out to a variety of people asking for their input as to what happiness is for them. I hope you will send me your own ideas and feelings concerning these matters.

Dear Friends,

The pursuit of happiness is considered an inalienable human right. However, what is this illusive object called happiness. Is it the same for everyone? Does the average person have the same idea of happiness as those more famous citizens in our midst? Is happiness changed or created by monetary success? Does becoming famous or at the top of one’s respective field of endeavor whether it be movies, television, sports, business, government or religion bring about happiness? These are questions that came to me one day as I was driving down the road near my temple.

My name is Jerry K. Hirano and I am the resident minister of the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. My temple is in the process of building a new and larger temple and I was thinking of ways to raise funds for this project. As I was driving near my temple, I spotted a man dancing in joy. I don’t know whether it was drug induced or he was merely having a good day. However, I began thinking to myself, "I wish I could feel happiness to the point of dancing for joy. I wonder what is making him so happy?" I felt like the woman in the movie "When Harry Meets Sally" who tells the waiter, "I’ll have what she’s having." I should have stopped and asked the man why he was so happy, but I didn’t. Although, I didn’t know him, seeing him so happy, made me feel better.

Over the next few weeks, I couldn’t get his image out of my head. As a Buddhist Priest, I often speak about a path or a way to spiritual happiness. However, I have never danced for joy. To be honest, it would probably be a very scary sight. Nevertheless, to uninhibitedly dance for joy, would be something. Through this experience, I began to wonder, "What is happiness for me?" Of course, I could describe a world of enlightenment, world peace, a world without war or suffering. Yet, when it came down to my ideal of personal happiness I wasn’t sure, until I recently had an experience, where I realized happiness was here with me, not something to chase and pursue.

The other morning as my wife and I were in bed. Our youngest daughter Taylor (nine months) began to cry. My wife Cheryl went and brought her into our bed. As I looked into my daughter’s face, lying next to me, she smiled. After about two minutes, our other daughter Kacie (almost four years) came sleepily walking into our room and asked, "What are you doing with Taylor in your bed?" I said, "Come and join us Kacie." She crawled in and the four of us just talked and laughed and lay there together. At that moment, I realized, this is happiness for me. I didn’t get up and dance in joy. However, it was as if my entire life had brought me to this moment. The good and bad of my life had all led up to that magnificent moment. It was as though I could glimpse the Pure Land and Amida Buddha’s brilliant light of compassion shining in my daughters’ smiling laughing faces. A billion dollars in the bank, fame, fortune or any outer vestments of success I could have, would not or could not change the sheer joy I felt.

This brought me to an idea for my fundraiser. Many churches and temples have created cook books to raise funds. Why couldn’t I put together a book filled with people’s ideas or experiences of happiness? Just as that one man dancing on the street made me feel better. I would love to hear and read what happiness was for others. Although recipes of food are wonderful moments of happiness, a book filled with recipes for happiness would be just as interesting. I would like to ask whoever reads this letter, to send me a short letter of their own personal experience or idea of happiness. I will edit and select certain ones for inclusion in this recipe book. Please send them to me. I hope that together we will be able to build this new temple and find what happiness means to each of us.

Metta,

Rev. Jerry K. Hirano

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