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 April

Questions of Life and Death
by J.K. Hirano

It is hard for us to abandon this old home of pain, where we have been transmigrating for innumerable kalpas down to the present, and we feel no longing for the Pure Land of peace, where we have yet to be born. Truly, how powerful our blind passions are! But though we feel reluctant to part from this world, at the moment our karmic bonds to this Saha world run out and helplessly we die, we shall go to that land.

Tannisho CWS pg. 666

The other day, we took Kacie to the viewing of Cheryl's Uncle George. It was the first time Kacie had really seen a dead body. We had talked of death before, but this was the first time she had really seen the dead body of someone she knew. I feel the emotions and images which the experience have left her with, will remain with her for the rest of her life.

As we walked up to the family and the open casket of Uncle George, I tried to explain to her that Uncle George had died. She asked, "Daddy what is dying?" I said, "Kacie, we are all dying, from the moment you are born, we begin to die. There isn't anything we can do to keep from dying, it's natural just like living and playing. Sometime you and I will have to die also."

"What happens when we die?"

"When we die, it's like waking up from a dream. You know what it's like to wake up from a dream don't you?" She nodded her head. "When we die, we go to the Pure Land."

"Oh..." she said, somewhat unsure of what I was talking about.

As we walked up to Uncle George, I carried Kacie in my arms. Looking down into the casket, she just stared at him. I softly said to her, "See Kacie, there's nothing to be afraid of, doesn't he look like he's sleeping?

"Daddy, will Uncle George wake up from his dream?"

"No honey, we won't see him wake up. To Uncle George, we are like the dream. This body is only a part of Uncle George. The real Uncle George is awake with Amida Buddha."

"Oh..."

She continued to stare at him. While I was explaining these things to her someone nearby said, "At that age, they ask a lot of questions." I just shook my head in agreement. Kacie then turned and put her head in my shoulder and we walked over to the seats where all the family members were sitting. I placed Kacie in the chair next to me. She leaned into me and I could feel her crying. I asked her, "What's wrong honey?"

"Daddy, I don't want Uncle George to die.... I don't want to die."

"Kacie, there's nothing we can do about Uncle George for he has already died. But I hope that you will live for many, many years. But there is nothing to be afraid of. Death is natural. It happens to us all. Someday I will have to die and I don't want you to be afraid when it happens. You might not be able to see me, but I will always be with you. Okay? When you say, Namo Amida Butsu, we will always be together. Okay, honey?" She looked at me, with tears in her eyes and shook her head and said, "But I don't want to die Daddy."

"I know honey, I don't want to die right now either." With that she seemed alright for the moment. Although I don't know how long until the next barrage of questions.

Kacie is only 4 years old. When that person said, "At that age, they ask a lot of questions." I felt like responding, "Have you ever asked yourself these same questions?" How would you answer them. We often feel that our children ask a lot of questions. As a minister I often get asked, "How do I explain this to my child?" I have to first answer, "How would you explain this to yourself?" How many of you have asked these same questions? How many of you feel comfortable in answering these questions? I believe that these questions are probably some of the most important questions any of us can ask and should ask.

As I answered Kacie's questions, two quotes came to my mind. One was from Honen Shonin, where he says, "While alive, we accumulate the virtures of the nembutsu. When we die, we will go to the Pure Land. Knowing that in either case this self has nothing to be distressed about, I an not worried about either death or life." The other quote is I begin this article with, it is from Chapter 9 of the Tannisho. I read the first quote in the translation of Rev. Jitsuen Kakehashi's lecture which he presented at the BCA centennial. It was entitled The Shin Buddhist View of Birth and Death. This lecture was translated by Rev. David Matsumoto published as a booklet by the BCA Research and Propagation Program in association with IBS and the endowment foundation. It's a wonderful talk subtitled "The path transcending life and death."

As Rev. Kakehashi says in his lecture, "the transcendence of our samsaric existence of birth and death is a problem that is very difficult to solve. Yet, seriously thinking about and seeking to clarify the meaning of our life and our death is the single most important thing that a human being can do."

I know that from my own experience, it was the death of my Grandfather and the questions which arose upon seeing his body lying in the casket, was the beginning of my own questions concerning life and death. Why did he die? What happened to him? These questions led me to my present understanding and appreciation for our Jodo Shinshu teachings. I hope that each of you will feel comfortable in asking questions. There are many members of our temple that are afraid to ask these questions. To be honest, they are not easily answered. However, our teachings do have answers and more questions to these very important questions of life and death. Let's ask them for ourselves and then we can provide something for our children.

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