Reflections Regarding Sunday Service
A moment of decision arises when one discovers that Buddhism
is more than just an interesting philosophy or a quaint religion
that may or may not run in the family and that, in fact, it may
be the key to the Great Matter of life and death. In that moment,
one may very well come to fully and decisively take refuge in the
Buddha as one’s teacher, the Dharma as the teaching and the
Sangha as the community that will enable one to follow the
teacher and the teachings. Now, this moment is not about
switching from one creed to another nor is it about reciting a
simple formula in order to gain cosmic reassurance or
consolation. No, this is a moment whereby one establishes a whole
new way of life, a whole new set of values centered around the
Three Jewels of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. For some
people, this may lead to a full-time commitment to studying,
practicing and teaching the Dharma to others; but for most, a
life based on the Buddha Dharma will be lived out as a lay person
in the midst of the daily routines of work and family. This means
that, for the lay person, the guidance of the Dharma and the
example of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion become the
basis for one’s daily life. But what about the Sangha, the
community, what role does that take in the life of the typical
lay follower? Does it have a role?
From the time of Sakyamuni Buddha until this day in Theravadin
countries each quarter-moon has been known as the uposatha observance
day. The uposatha is a day of fasting, meditation and
reflection for both the monastic community and the laymen and
laywomen who gather at the temples and monasteries. For those lay
people who participate, it is a chance to renew their commitment
to the Three Jewels and participate, however briefly, in the
monastic life which is the ideal way of life in Theravadin
Buddhism. Here in North America, Mahayana Buddhists do not
observe the quarter-moons nor do we consider the monastic life as
the only authentic Buddhist way of life. We do, however, gather
together at regular intervals, usually on Sunday mornings, to
renew our commitments, rejoice in our faith and to benefit from
the experience, knowledge and deep faith of those who have become
full-time disciples of the the Buddha. In this way, we create the
Jewel of the Sangha with each other, both lay and ordained. In
Theravadin countries, the uposatha day of observance
allows the laity to briefly participate in the life of the
Sangha. In North America, we Mahayana Buddhists believe that the
entire community is the Sangha, and we show our solidarity as a
Sangha every time we practice together.
Furthermore, as Nichiren Buddhists we do not see ourselves as
merely lay or ordained disciples of the Buddha. If we take our
faith in the Lotus Sutra and the guidance of Nichiren
Shonin seriously, then we should have the deep conviction that we
ourselves are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who are the original
bodhisattva disciples of the Original Shakyamuni Buddha who have
vowed to uphold the True Dharma which is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
Whenever we gather together in the presence of the Original
Shakyamuni Buddha and recite Odaimoku, as we do during the Sunday
service, in that very moment and at that very place we are
manifesting the Ceremony in the Air within this Saha world. How
could we fail to do this, how could we fail to take joy in such a
precious opportunity?
The Lotus Sutra teaches that “Only a Buddha
together with a Buddha can know the True Reality of All
Existence.” This is because Mahayana Buddhism does not
recognize any enlightenment that can be enjoyed alone as
authentic. The True Dharma is not about saving
“oneself”, it is about discovering that life is
actually dynamically relational with no place for the boundaries
of self and other. Enlightenment, therefore, is about letting go
of the self and opening ourselves up to the empty and marvelous
true nature of things. When that happens, even slightly, we begin
to realize that the true aim of our lives is an inherently shared
experience. It is this which is expressed and celebrated whenever
we assert our true natures and reenact the Ceremony in the Air
for the benefit of ourselves and all beings during the Sunday
service and at all other times when we gather together and uphold
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
The Three Refuges are like a stool that will inevitably topple if
one leg is removed. Unfortunately, too many people try to make do
with just the Buddha and the Dharma and neglect the Sangha. They
do not realize, perhaps, that the Sangha is not “them,”
meaning the priests who are supposed to be there when we need
them to help facilitate various ceremonies and observances. The
truth is that the Sangha is “us,” all of us who recite
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo and therefore qualify as the Bodhisattvas of
the Earth. Hopefully, all of us who have taken refuge and who
strive to wholeheartedly uphold the Lotus Sutra will
seriously consider our role and our responsibility as the very
Sangha that we take refuge in. Each of us is needed to mutually
encourage each other and to pool together our joy and intentions
to save all sentient beings. Chanting the Odaimoku may be the
Lion’s Roar of the True Dharma; but how much better if the
roar is that of a pride of lions on a Sunday morning?
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