Love Songs

I must have missed the timing of Valentine’s Day, the season of love, but our society might be looking for some warmth, compassion and love these days to heal our hearts. For that reason, I’d like to share some cute love letters that were introduced on a TV show, written by members of the audience to share their moments of emotional butterflies.

My love, you caressed my hair gently just like a parent would do to his child. Feeling fully supported, my worries were let go.

At the scariest haunted house, you took my hand. I couldn’t see a ghost anymore but you.

Now, we can turn this around and read them in relation to the Dharma, to feel the warmth of Amida Buddha. For example, in the first letter, the joy of being accepted  by a partner just as you are is expressed. “I understand you.” This is exactly how it is explained that you are embraced by the great compassion of Amida Buddha—so fully that you can entrust your heart to the Buddha. The next letter expresses how a world can be seen as a completely different place when you have someone special holding your hand. In Tannisho, we find Shinran Shonin’s words “To practicers who have realized shinjin, the gods of the heavens and earth bow in homage, and deluders and non-Buddhists present no obstruction.” The path of nembutsu followers is “free of hindrances” and is protected, so there is nothing to get scared of.

There is another love letter coming from the partner side that can be read as the heart of Amida Buddha.

When you are sad, when you are happy, I hope it is me who comes to your mind first.

Someone who is in the middle of dating might wish that the new partner would feel this way. Well, at least, the Buddha surely feels this way. “Please remember me, please say my Name.” There is a wish that is reaching toward you and is by your side all the time.

I remember once reading advice by a relationships expert saying, “You might be looking for someone who will unconditionally respect and support you at all times. But please realize that there is no real person on this earth who is capable of doing that.” In a way, he was trying to wake up the dreamers of “love” from something that doesn’t exist so that they won’t destroy the relationships out of over-expectations.

The Larger Sutra teaches us, “Amidst a world of lusting desires, human beings are born alone, die alone, go alone and come alone.” No matter how much we wished not, we are born alone and die alone. The loneliness we might feel from living alone, dying alone cannot be fully cured by others or yourself. It is a difficult task. It is the work of Buddha—to embrace you in any conditions, never abandoning you. When we meet this Great Compassion, our loneliness and sufferings are no longer just the same, and our eyes open up to the joy of gifts and to the true love, and see a new world.

Whenever I ask for the meaning of my life, the warmth of beloved people comes to fill my heart. There are days I want to cry, lament in despair. But I remember your shadow always by my side. When we sing together, the memories fondly come back. I remember the warmth of the sunset at my hometown. In the ordinary everyday is the precious joy. There will be a time when everyone has to say goodbye to this place, but our Life is passed on. To have been born, have been raised, have met, have laughed—thanks to all the gifts.

This is a translation of a song written by Mariya Takeuchi, “Inochi no Uta, ” a song of life. I’d like to borrow her words to conclude my love letter, my thank-you letter, to the life with nembutsu given by Amida Buddha, the truth of the world we live in, in true gratitude to the Buddha, and to all of you. Thank you for all your kindness during this time and I hope you all continue to walk this warm path of nembutsu—finding true Compassion every moment and sharing it. Namo Amidabutsu.

In Gassho,

Rev. Sala Sekiya