My America?
J.K. Hirano
One should outwardly place emphasis upon the obo (Imperial Law) but cultivate the support Buppo (Buddha’s Law) deeply in one’s heart” Rennyo Shonin Goichidaiki kikigakiki 14
I do not expect America’s politics to align with my personal beliefs of social or economic justice. Growing up in Salt Lake City, I needed to learn to be in the minority in many aspects of my life. From elementary school through college, I was always in the minority, ethnically and religiously. In addition, I was the fat kid with really thick glasses. However, I figured that was just the way it was. I assumed there would always be bigoted people in the world, and in most cases, the majority always wins. I could only act according to my conscience and take responsibility for the outcome.
When I was a student at the University of Utah, I wondered, does it always have to be like this? I was at the University during the late 1970s. The Vietnam War was over, and President Richard Nixon resigned from the Presidency of the United States for various reasons. There were still a lot of issues concerning racial equality, and I had faced racial discrimination for most of my life. I was called a Jap, Chink, Gook, etc. I was also told that I should be more like other Asian kids, study hard, and not talk back to my teachers. (The model minority) However, at the University, there was a Black Student Union, Chicano Student Association, and Red American Student Organization with Ethnic advisors for all three. Why was there no one or representation for Asian American Students? I remember attending countless meetings with the University administrators to establish an office and student organization for Asian Students. My father asked me, “Jerry, why do you have to be vocal and argue about these things?” He then told me, “You know, it is the nail that sticks out that gets hammered down.” I explained, “It’s actually pretty simple. If I don’t do it, who will?”
Looking back over forty years, I know that my righteous indignation was very naïve. I believed that the United States and Utah governments would always look out for me. As stated in the opening credits of one of my favorite T.V. shows at the time, Superman, “Standing for Truth, Justice and the American Way.” However, now that I am sixty-eight years old, although my children are now adults, I know they will be fine in finding their way. I wonder about my grandchildren. Children of mixed race growing up in Salt Lake City or, for that matter, anywhere in the U.S.
At the University, I had planned on becoming an attorney. I wasn’t the type to want to go away to school or move out on my own. I liked living at home; free meals, laundry, and very few restrictions on my coming and going. Why would I want to leave that? However, although I wanted to attend law school as an active student leader at the University, most of the students I worked with in student government were not people I really liked, I didn’t think I would do well with three more years of these same students. I asked my Dad if he would mind if I went to Berkeley and studied Buddhism. I think I had worn him down with my student activism, so he thought it might be a good idea.
I went to the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), eventually received my M.A., and then went to Japan to study for three or four more years. I met with and became friends with Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto and Rev. Russell Hamada during this time. David and I were both students at I.B.S. He had been a successful attorney in Minnesota with his own law firm. Rev. Hamada was a new Kaikyoshi at the L.A. Buddhist Church Betsuin. They were the two biggest influences in my becoming a Buddhist priest. They were about seven or eight years older than me and had been active in civil rights. Russell was very familiar with the Asian American civil rights movement and once wanted to become an attorney. I explained to David my plan to return to Utah and attend law school. He asked if I was sure I wanted to be an attorney. Russell asked me to think about what in my life has given me my sense of self, my identity. David suggested I think about it and why don’t we go to Japan and study and see what happens.
When I thought about things, I realized that if I went into law, I wanted to either be a public defender or a civil rights attorney. The more people I talked with who were lawyers explained that the life of a lawyer is billable hours and not what you see on T.V. Russell had also said, “Jerry, if you become a lawyer with noble intention, those will go away within a few years, and you will go for the money.” I never wanted to get into the rat race of making lots of money and prestige. I thought I could get out of that if I became a Kaikyoshi. I have now been a Kaikyoshi for thirty-seven years.
I began with the passage from Rennyo Shonin, the eighth Monshu of our sect of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Although Shinran was the founder, Rennyo created and developed the Hongwanji organization. I believe he was an organizational genius who knew and understood the society he was living in. This idea of “Buppo, Obo” has been controversial. Some have said it is selling out. However, in one sense, I totally understand why Rennyo would say this. I believe he realized that for Jodo Shinshu to survive, he could not outwardly go against the government. However, if the government worked against his moral principles, survival was more important than personal ethics. I feel a similar manner; we are in a similar moral quandary. I don’t believe our religion can dictate what we believe politically. This is definitely a personal choice rather than something our religion should dictate. However, it doesn’t make things easier. I’m not sure being an American will mean the same thing in a few years. Superman is dead; I wonder what truth, justice, and the American way will mean in the near future. Namo Amida Butsu