Lay Thoughts

When my gate rolls open after a long day’s work, something sighs inside of me.

Coming home in the evening means a lot of things. It means my husband, my daughter, and my mother waiting to share their stories from the day, smiles all around. It means a warm dinner, it means the comfy couch with the big indentation in it from years of roosting in my favorite spot. It means my dog
wiggling her bottom at the sight of me. It’s about getting the warm-fuzzies;
despite being an English major, I can’t think of describing it any other way.

Returning to Jodo Shu as an active member after years of haphazard
participation is indeed like coming home. My grandfather was a Jodo Shu
missionary, and indeed, we operated like a church family. Our lives were filled
with Nembutsu, learning o-bon dances, and Sunday school, and my grandmother
and mother were active participants in fujinkai, the temple’s women’s association.
After my grandfather passed away, then my grandmother, and then, in the 80s,
I moved across an ocean to my new home on the mainland, Jodo Shu was no
longer something I thought about every day.

2010’s Goju Soden lay conferral at Jodo Shu North America changed that. At
Rev. Tanaka’s behest, I attended as part of my “duty” as a lifelong Jodo Shu
follower – but what I got out of the retreat was nothing short of miraculous.
In three short days, I recalled why I was and am a Pure Land Buddhist. My
grandfather, as I recall, was more of an organic vs. a doctrinal minister – and also
because I was so young at the time, he never sat me down and taught me the
concepts and precepts as explicitly as we learned them at Goju Soden.
But everything I was taught during the retreat resonated in my bones. Jodo Shu,
I realized, was always a part of my culture, my upbringing, my family experience.
Goju Soden had somehow activated in me a life memory, a muscle memory, of
who I am, and what my existence means.

At the closing dinner, we were advised that this conferral made us
formal “disciples of Buddha.”

Wow, that sounded important. But what did it really mean? For me, it meant daily
recitation, caring for the altar, reminding myself that above all else – mother,
daughter, wife, professional – I am a Buddhist. And it also meant community

outreach – seeking out others who have been searching for a grounding force
in their lives and who have found it in Jodo Shu. What I found in my search was
staggering. My mother always said that the converted are the most faithful, and
did she ever hit the nail on the head. In my outreach I have met people who are
more knowledgeable, dedicated, committed, and simply more faithful than I’d
ever been.

There are only three states in the US with Jodo Shu otera (temples): California,
Hawaii, and Illinois. I was and continue to be amazed at the number of people
who not only find Jodo Shu, but also establish their own local sangha and virtual
dharma groups to talk about Pure Land philosophies. People would always ask
how to connect with a “real” temple, and with Jodo Shu ministers. The truth is,
the people who have found us remotely, all around the country and the world,
are the very lifeblood of Jodo Shu in the West, regardless of whether they
recite Nembutsu in a brick-and-mortar building. Their passion, connectivity, and
heartfelt outreach efforts demonstrate that they indeed are the home of Jodo Shu
in the West, where Pure Land resources are rare.

In discussions with converted Jodo Shu members, one thing became clear: Jodo
Shu, perhaps due to its distinct and sometimes impenetrable Japanese-ness,
hasn’t built much of a following in the US, has relatively few educational volumes
translated into English and very few places of worship, but despite this, people

still found Jodo Shu.

Imagine what our outreach efforts might accomplish if we de-mystified Jodo Shu
for beginners, opened our doors to Western followers, and otherwise encouraged
an open, honest dialogue on both the simple and complex issues with Jodo Shu
followers around the globe.

That is, in part what we hope to do with our new Web site. A community section
is also in the works, and we invite you to share your experiences, photos, ask
questions, challenge philosophies, and ask for help when you need it. We’re
so glad you found us, no matter how you found us. The important thing is now
you’re here. So get out your tatami mat and have some tea – we’re here for you.

Welcome home.