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

2002 October

Boo!
by J.K. Hirano

The Buddha's power is without limits, and so even one who is heavily laden with the hindrances of karmic evil is not burdened. The Buddha's wisdom is without bounds, and so even one who is bewildered and wayward is never abandoned. Only Faith is of supreme importance, and nothing else is necessary.

When I was a child, it seemed as though I was afraid of all sorts of things. I was afraid of the dark. I didn't like scary movies. The thought of being by myself would also scare me. I didn't like staying over night at my cousins' house on Friday nights, because they always watched "Nightmare theater."

Even the temple was a scary place.I still remember the Halloween parties at the temple.The Y.B.A. would set up a spook alley on the stage and the Dharma School kids would walk through it. I was one of the kids that was too afraid to walk through by himself. There was no way you would get me to walk through that dark place.

Seeing that I wouldn't go through myself, Connie Kasubuchi, now Connie Okumura, kindly picked me up and carried me through. I don't remember much about the alley, other than it was very dark and people kept popping up yelling "Boo!" Toward the end of the alley I decided to open my eyes. Just as I did this, someone popped up and yelled "Boo!" Their face was just about the same level as my foot. I kicked as hard as I could and my foot landed square onto the make believe boogie man's chin. I remember that boogie man screaming some things other than "Boo!" I felt a lot better after having taken care of the boogie man. I can't say the same for the boogie man.

Since that time, I have pretty much conquered my fear of scary movies and things that have to do with the supernatural and go bump in the night. However, this Summer I had an encounter that had me wondering. It was late one evening after Cheryl and the girls had gone to sleep. This is when I like to feel I am the King of the castle. For I am in full control of the television remote. I finally get to choose what to watch, no lifetime channel, no Barney or Disney videos. I'm the boss and can do what I please. I can sprawl out on the sofa and watch whatever I want. I choose to watch, a special on ghosts or hauntings in history. I have gone from hating scary movies and stories, to really enjoying them. I don't believe most of what I see or read, but it's fun just the same. These scary documentaries can make me feel a slight chill every now and then.

It was at just one of those times that I heard a strange squeaking noise. I thought it must have been one of the dogs wandering around. However, the noise kept up and I had to look up to see what it was. To my surprise, the recliner was rocking back and forth. I figured one of the dogs must have bumped it, so I watched, waiting for it to stop. To my amazement, it didn't slow down and stop. In fact, it began to rock faster as I was watching. In my head I heard the little girl from the movie Poltergeist saying, "They're here...." I quickly turned the light on and stared at the recliner, it kept rocking faster and faster. I shouted for my dogs, Sammy and Shoyu to come out. They ran over to me from the other room, but the chair kept rocking. I was starting to run to the bedroom to wake Cheryl up to witness our haunted chair, when I ran around the haunted chair, I saw the demon. It was Kacie smiling up at me. She quietly said, "Did I scare you Daddy? I can't sleep." I let out this strange laugh and I think I may have scared her. I picked her up and we both had a good laugh.

To answer the question I began with, "What scares you?" I realize that the one thing that is really scary is me. I scare myself. No matter how much I may think, I am beyond this or that, when the causes and conditions are such, I'm ready to run out of the room. This weakness of mine, just shows me that I can only rely on Amida Buddha. Next time you get scared, remember the only answer to "Boo!" can be "Namo Amida Butsu."

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