From the Archives: Buddhism Towards Unity

This speech was given by Rev. Okimura in 1986 at a Hawaii Buddhist Council event.

Last year we celebrated a very eventful year in the history of Hawaii: the Kanyaku Imin, 100 year anniversary of contract labourers to Hawaii.
We are truly grateful to our Japanese ancestors for their building our foundation in the island. It is through their vigorous hard work and endurance that has built this present day Japanese Community.
How is the next 100 years going to be? We must remember that the foundation that our Japanese ancestors has provided [can] only continue to flourish if we know how to protect and guide it.
As a seed planted in the soil is needed to be nursed. We offer water, fertiliser, etc.  The outcome is a tree that bears flowers and or fruits.  The past 100 years has fruits and flowers.  We must look again to see how we can bear flowers and fruits in the tree again.
​Our ancestors worked with their bodies .  This was known as happaiko.  In modern society we've forgotten this happaiko.
We've gained much from our scientific development, which is very important, but with it comes problems like pollution.
Three major points to reevaluate how to return to nature:

1. In which we think about things and how we see things in terms of the whole.
2. Truth is to be found in this world, by the idea that all things have the Buddha nature.
3. Development of the body.

In modern way of thinking, the self is very important. We view the world from the standpoint of the self.  Conflict of self-interest.  How we deal with others.  [In] Eastern thinking, we do not look at the whole from the standpoint of the self, but we see the place of the self within the whole. [In] Christianity, God created the world and we can use all creatures for our purposes, for the sake of human beings.  But are we that superior? 
In Buddhism, the world issai shujo refers to all living things: grasses, trees, dogs, etc., and not only human beings.  [In] Buddhism, the central position is not given solely to human beings.  Modern society must appreciate all living beings.  The centrality of human beings is over.  To appreciate the equal-ness of all beings [we have] four obligations called shion:

1. To parents
2. To country for peace and order in the nation
3. To all living beings, being nonjudgemental and appreciate all
4. To the Three Treasures: Buddha, teachings, and brotherhood

Respecting these four obligations [realises] the equal-ness of all beings.

All things have Buddha nature.  [We have] many differences: strong, beauty, wise, etc.  We live in the world of competition [where] the strongest wins.  But in Buddhism, even the weak are valued.  In all religion -- different faiths -- all have value.  All religion is equally important.
Kobo Daishi used the term kaihatsu, which means to open up and develop one's own inner Buddha nature (Bodaishin) [and] to understand and respect each others' good and bad qualities and values.

Body is not meant to just sit and think.  Not only using the mind, but, like our ancestors' happaiko, action of the body.  We say we understand Buddhism religion with our minds, but we need to also comprehend with our bodies.  With eyes we see the Buddha.  With mouth and ears we receive and hear prayers.  With feet we go on pilgrimages to church.  [In other words] the whole body is in use.

1. Otsutome - prayers
2. Osoji - cleaning
3. Osettai - giving from inner self

These are sanmitsu: our body, mouth, and mind.

Buddhism is the knowledge of the Oneness of all life.  There is no superior, but equality.  Buddha nature is to develop the positiveness of one's self: awareness, motivation, control, direction, discipline.  The dimensions of open mind-ness.

Let us live in this great Oneness in unity and harmony with Buddha.