Making Monks

Sōni—Monks and Nuns

2008-11-07T11:21:00.003+09:00

For thousands of years a group of individuals—both male and female—have devoted their lives to embodying the Buddha Dharma. These individuals are called monks (sōryo, 僧侶 or biku, 比丘) and nuns (nisō, 尼僧 or bikuni, 比丘尼) and their calling was more than simply living a life according to a set of rules. The Buddha Dharma means nothing if it is not experienced, if it is not lived. Monks and nuns literally give life to the teachings of the Buddha. Naturally, the Sangha is not limited to these individuals because a great number of humans, past and present, continue to experience the Buddha Dharma but the special devotion and commitment of religious professionals is absolutely essential for the health and stability of the Buddha Dharma. All existence preaches the truth of the Buddhist teachings. In this way, all beings are driven toward enlightenment in the same way the Buddha himself was—through the experience of being alive. However, who is to articulate this truth so that all sentient beings may experience the joys of a life informed by Buddhism and the purity of the Dharma? History tells us that individuals with a more complete devotion have not only ensured that Enlightenment in Nirvana (nehan, 涅槃) is a possibility for all sentient beings but they have also enriched the art, philosophy and ritual traditions by which Buddhism pierces the darkness and opens the way to attainment. More often than not, these individuals are Buddhist monastics—i.e. monks and nuns.

Traditional Monasticism

Without question, traditional monasticism has been as extremely successful model for perpetuating the Buddhist Dharma and continues to be a model par excellence in many traditionally Buddhist cultures throughout Asia. Empowered by the contributions (fuse, 布施) of the Sangha, Buddhist monastics lived lives characterized by austerity and adherence to the monastic code or vinaya (kairitsu, 戒律). The monastery was—and remains so in many traditionally Buddhist countries—a location where the highest religious values were refined and perfected and, then, broadcast to the community such that the entire Sangha could enjoy their purity and richness. These are the values, rituals, practices, art and philosophy inherited by Buddhists today.

Monasticism in the Modern World and Institutions

Modern societies, especially since the 1960s, have become inarguably more hostile to and less trusting of institutions of all kinds—governments, corporations and, of course, religious institutions. Consequently, religious institutions and life-styles have been called into question both publicly and privately. In other words, individuals are less willing to trust or at least less likely to admit that they trust institutions. Establishing this kind of vigilance is an important and potentially positive asset for society. Individuals should press and mold institutions into beneficial centers that meet our needs and expectations. Institutions should be community centers—places where our highest values are refined and our deepest ambitions realized. This is one of the reasons that I created Making Monks—a new center for the Sangha and place to encourage the growth and development of our unique community of active and engaged members. Institutions should not simply be thrown out because we would throw out a great portion of what we have earned with centuries of diligence. Rather, institutions should be reformed to give better access and more fully meet our needs. Making Monks is part of this new step into the future of the Sangha. We will be a community that can meet here from anyplace in the world to cultivate the highest of human values.

Specialization

Our world has always been one of constant and unrelenting change. This is one of the most profound truths of the Buddhist Dharma and a reality we experience each and everyday. Also, in addition, life in modern society is increasing characterized by specialization. Few individuals in society have the time or resources to master more than one field—namely, the field they chose as their profession. However, specialists are important and make massive contributions in very field. This is true for scientists who continue to astound us with new breakthroughs and it is also obvious for craftsmen that ensure the electricity and plumbing of our homes and offices work smoothly. Furthermore, just as scientists are responsible for those breakthroughs, they are also responsible for providing us with easy-to-use interfaces that allow each of us to enjoy the computers and the internet. Similarly, plumbers and electricians give us faucets and switches so that we may access freely the systems that their hard work put into place for us. Finally, this is true of the Buddhist Dharma. Had the Buddha not invested the long years discovering the Dharma and, subsequently, making it available to us all, the human race would have remained in darkness and delusion. The Buddhist values that continue to have a growing influence on Western society—inspiring ecological movements, philosophical developments, psychological health and social awareness—are largely the work of Buddhists professionals that had a singular devotion to the teachings of the Buddha. Just like scientists that give us computer keyboards and electricians that give us switches, these rare and special Buddhists give us the religious ideas and texts, meditation techniques and artwork that allow us to enjoy easily the fruits of their labor. Without them, how could anyone experience Buddhism?

It is our responsibility to support those brave individuals whose very lives give meaning to ours.

Thank you again for your gracious support (fuse, 布施) and your compassion (jihi, 慈悲).

Gasshō (合掌)

Jōji (盛慈)

!!!News Flash!!!

2008-10-15T17:25:00.007+09:00

I wanted to thank everyone for their support. This has been an exciting couple of weeks for Making Monks. Our small but powerful sangha has been noticed by Global Voices Online-- an international internet-based news feed-- and we have received our first headline.

Check out the story here...

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/15/japan-making-monks/

Global Voices Online offers an entire array of late-breaking news and information. With a number of easy to use searches, it is certainly worth a look if you get the time.

You have my very deepest appreciation. Thank you for visiting and supporting Making Monks. You help to guarantee a future informed and improved by the Buddha Dharma.

I am certain that the karma seeds we plant now will bring a bountiful harvest in the future.

Gasshō (合掌)

Jōji (盛慈)

Fuse—Making Monks in Modern Soceities

2008-10-11T21:36:00.007+09:00

I wrote previously about one of the major underpinnings of Buddhism in societies that are traditionally Buddhist—namely, the practice of begging for alms or takuhatsu (托鉢). And, I as I mentioned, this practice is dependent upon the compassion (jihi, 慈悲) and generous contributions (fuse, 布施) of others-- this was the function of the sangha or Buddhist community. In the West and even many parts of Buddhist Asia, increasingly Buddhist monks encounter societies that are less willing to support their enlightenment with charitable acts. Given the fact that Buddhism is a lived commitment, Buddhist monks form the heart of the Buddhist tradition. However, in modern societies monks are met with mounting pressures which encourage them to discard the righteous Buddhist path in order that they may survive. The result is that the life blood of Buddhism is choked off because Buddhist monks are cast back into societies ruled by indifference where temporary fulfillment of desires serves as a major value and guiding principle for most people. In other words, the sangha is it traditionally exists is less able to produce those very special members of society that are absolutely vital for the survival of Buddhism. I recently came across on striking example of this situation.

After leading a protest for non-violence in his home country of Myanmar (formerly Burma), the young Buddhist monk U Kovida was forced to flee to the United States. You can read more about his courageous story here.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,7143,0,0,1,0

However, U Kovida was quickly beset different with an entirely new set of challenges upon arriving in the United States. Although he valiantly continues to maintain those parts of his monastic life that are possible given his situation, he is forced to increasingly make concessions to the reality of his situation. Under ordinary conditions, American society simply does not support those individuals on the quest for enlightenment (kyūdō, 求道). This is one of the tragedies of most modern cultures because it is modern cultures that are in the greatest need of religious, spiritual and ethical guidance. Societies such as the United States, which have an awe-inspiring concentration of certain types of power (financial, military, etc.), are often display a daunting indifference for improving the lives of human beings and the state of society. Indifference is what prevents individual human beings from performing acts of compassion that have can achieve salvation (jigu, 慈救) in this world, right now.

I hope that in time, this website with be the first in a new wave of inspired acts of compassion that re-think and reinvigorate the way monks receive contributions. In other words, using modern technology to protect instead of destroy those pursuits that are so essential to the growth of human beings and, more importantly, the attainment of Nirvana. I am the first in what I hope will be a long line of Buddhist practitioners that receive alms via an international community of internet supporters that engage in this website. And, although this webpage is not even a week old, that international community is already forming and offering donations that are making monks. I am as surprised as I am delighted. The is truly nothing greater than power of compassion.

Although my dharma name, Jōji (盛慈), means “thriving compassion,” it can also be read to mean “prospering [because of] compassion.” The generosity of the contributions I have received can never be matched by my efforts but this is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Buddhist path—striving to attain that which is undeserved and unattainable. This is the beauty of human beings and of Buddhist teachings, and I consider it the nature of true perfection. It is probably best stated as the four vows of a bodhisattva (siguseigan, 四弘誓願):

1) Though they are infinite, I vow to save all sentient beings.

(shujyōmuhenseigando, 衆生無辺誓願度).

2) Though they are innumerable, I vow to free myself of the roots of suffering.

(bonnōmuryōseigandan, 煩悩無量誓願断).

3) Though they are endless, I vow to master the teachings of the Buddha.

(hōmonmujinseigangaku, 法門無尽誓願学)

4) Though it is unsurpassed, I vow to realize enlightenment.

(butsudōmujōseiganjō,仏道無上誓願成)

The shear positive force of Buddhist message never ceases to amaze and inspire me. I hope that it will amaze and inspire you to acts of compassion as well.

Thank you again for your continued generosity. I am sure that seeds you plant now will bring you blooming flowers in the future.

Gasshō (合掌)

Jōji (盛慈)

Kyūdō—The Long Road Ahead

2008-10-04T20:54:00.013+09:00

Enlightenment in Buddhism is often depicted as a road, a path or a way. The pursuit of this way is called kyūdō (求道). I believe that the path to enlightenment is not separate from the state of enlightenment itself. In other words, the journey is just as important as the destination or, to put it differently, if you never set out on the journey you never make it to the destination. I want to thank all of the people that have contributed to this cause thus far and I hope you will allow me a moment to explain some of the steps that lie ahead on my journey.

The Awakening of the Call to Enlightenment

I have spent the last 14 years of my life studying the religious traditions of the world. My studies have ultimately run up against a roadblock and, although I had lived in temples before and committed myself to meditation retreats in the past, I felt that in order to really understand I would have to commit more completely to a practice that will help me realize the fruits of my studies. To put this feeling differently, I was inspired to experience Buddhism and attain enlightenment. This feeling is called hosshin (発心) or bodaishin (菩提心)-- Bodhicitta-- in Buddhism and is considered the critical first step toward enlightenment without which human beings remain satisfied with both delusion and worldly desires.

My Ordination

On October 27th last year, I had my head shaved and I was given the dharma name (hōmyō, 法名) Jōji (盛慈) by my master the aged and respected monk Seiyū (盛雄) in a ceremony known in English as a tonsure and in Japanese as a tokudoshiki (得度式). At this moment, I entered an esoteric lineage of Buddhism that is hundreds of years older than Zen which consists of secret teachings and rituals passed from one generation of monastics to another for thousands of years. I am the first American in history to achieve this honor and enter the monastic lineage. However, this is not where a monk’s journey ends but where it begins.

The Journey’s First Steps

In order to become a full-fledged monastic, I must spend four years studying at Taisho University mastering both Buddhist texts and ritual. This experience will culminate in a set of rigorous training periods known in Shingon Buddhism as kegyō (加行). Cost of this endeavor is roughly 11,000 US Dollars a year. However, with the compassion (jihi, 慈悲) and generous contributions (fuse, 布施) of everyone that reads this webpage, of all the humans in the world and of the Buddhas, I am confident that I will be assisted in my journey. This journey will test my heart, mind and body, and, ultimately, help to forge a human being capable of authentically contributing to the betterment of the world and mankind. This is really what I am asking you to contribute to. I am praying that you will extend your compassion to me and make a contribution to something wonderful and pure. Of course, I will constantly update my progress and activities at this website because this enlightenment belongs to those who donated and supported me, and to all life and existence.

I deeply appreciate your generosity as I continue to pray for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.

Gasshō (合掌)

Jōji (盛慈)

Takuhatsu—Begging for Enlightenment

2008-10-04T18:25:00.008+09:00

My dharma name (hōmyō, 法名) is Jōji (盛慈) which means ‘thriving compassion’ and I want to express my profound appreciation for all those who take the time to visit this blog. I also want to extend a special invitation. You have the opportunity to become a part of something that has never been done before—at least never done over the internet. You get to help create a very unique Buddhist monk.

Monks of the Past

In the past, most Buddhist monastics were supported not by powerful and rich patrons but by the charity of the average person. Everyday, in the earliest hours of the morning, monks and nuns poured out of the monastery and into the streets with their begging bowls where they received food and materials necessary to sustain their lives. This practice of begging for one’s living (and, in effect, for one’s own enlightenment) is called takuhatsu (托鉢) in Japanese. Average individuals supported the monastics and the ideals they stood for—the ideals those same monastics devoted their lives to. These same ideals added richness and meaning to the lives of everyone involved. This relationship is an expression of true enlightenment because enlightenment is not achieved, nor does it belong, to just one person. Nirvana or ‘enlightenment’ is the fruit born from human beings cooperating to fulfill something higher—forgetting themselves in the production of authentic goodness.

My Route to Enlightenment

However, in the present and, especially, in the West, society lacks this socio-historical structure for supporting those who choose the Buddhist path. Furthermore, even in Japan, those who ‘select’ the Buddhist path are born as sons or daughters of temples or cater to rich and powerful patrons to ensure their success. Although their hearts are true and their religious practice pure, I have selected a different route. I want to be made a monk by my fellow human beings—people like you. I am going to beg in hopes that you will help me attain enlightenment.

My Plea

This brings me to the project that I have established here. I am going to enter Taisho University, an inter-sectarian Buddhist university in September of 2009, and begin the training that will make me the first American in history to become a fully-ordained monk in the Buzan lineage of Shingon Buddhism. I have lived and studied in Japan for the past four years and I possess complete Japanese fluency and literacy. Furthermore, through the completion of my master’s degree at the University of Hawaii, I possess extensive knowledge of both religion in general and Buddhism in particular. My preparation is complete. However, because of the high cost of attending a Buddhist university, such as Taisho University, I cannot do this alone and, because I believe that I can become a true Buddhist monk with the support of good people with good hearts, I ask humbly for your help. Please help sponsor my education and my practice. Anything you can contribute will be appreciated more than you know and I am sure you will be rewarded not only by the feeling of contributing to something special and pure but, also, in your life.

Realization Through a Webpage

Even the creation of this webpage has served as an important form of Buddhist practice—a practice of no-self. I have admitted that I am a human being with limitations to the entire world and my individual abilities and talents, no matter how great, cannot provide for my enlightenment. However, I believe in the goodness of humans and the teachings of the Buddhas. I believed you will assist me in discovering the heart of Buddhism and meaning of religious practice and, in turn, I hope to share this discovery with you here and with the entire world any way that I can.

Thank you again and I will keep you in my prayers.

Gasshō (合掌)

Jōji (盛慈)