This Month’s Shoshinge – The Twelve Lights that Embrace Us
Fu hō mu ryō mu hen kō
Mu ge mu tai kō en nō
Shō jō kan gi chi e kō Fu dan nan ji mu shō kō
Chō nichi gak-kō shō jin setsu
Is-sai gun jō mu kō shō
【English Translation】
Everywhere he casts light immeasurable, boundless,
Unhindered, unequaled, light-lord of all brilliance,
Pure light, joyful light, the light of wisdom,
Light constant, inconceivable, light beyond speaking,
Light excelling sun and moon he sends forth, illumining countless worlds;
The multitudes of beings all receive the radiance.
Toronto is becoming more and more excited for FIFA, and now that July has arrived, we have also entered the season of Obon. This year, the Bon Odori held at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre has officially been renamed the Toronto Buddhist Church Bon Odori to more clearly indicate it is a traditional Bon Odori organized by our temple.
Of course, for those who have participated in Bon Odori since before it was held at the JCCC, it has always been known as the Buddhist Church’s Bon Odori. However, especially for those who have come to Toronto within the past twenty years, many people may have thought of it simply as a JCCC event. Through this change, I hope that people who may not yet know about our temple will come to recognize Toronto Buddhist Church as a place where we gather to hear the Buddha-Dharma together…
For this month’s article, I would like to return to my series of Shoshinge. In the April article, I wrote about Dharmakara Bodhisattva, who established the Primal Vow with the wish to bring all suffering beings to Buddhahood. This Vow did not remain merely as a hope or ideal. It was fulfilled and became the working of Amida Buddha. Now, it reaches us as the Name, Namo Amida Butsu.
This time, I would like to reflect on the six lines of the Shoshinge that praise the twelve kinds of light taught in the Larger Sutra. These twelve lights express the virtues of Amida Buddha’s working. Of course, Amida Buddha’s light is not limited to only twelve qualities. Rather, these twelve names allow us to appreciate that light from twelve different aspects.
The first and second lights are Immeasurable Light and Boundless Light. Immeasurable Light means that Amida Buddha’s working is not limited by time. Boundless Light means that it is not limited by space. Put simply, Amida Buddha’s working reaches us “always and everywhere.” Boundless also means that there is no edge or boundary to this light. In that sense, there is no single centre, or we might even say that every place is embraced as the centre of Amida’s compassionate working.
The third light is Unhindered Light. This is light that is not obstructed by anything. Shinran Shonin placed special importance on this Unhindered Light when he wrote about the twelve lights. Generally speaking, the greatest obstruction to becoming a Buddha is considered to be our blind passions. However, Amida Buddha’s light is not obstructed by our blind passions. No matter how deep our greed, anger, or ignorance may be, Amida’s light continues to shine upon us. It is the light that embraces ordinary beings filled with blind passions and brings them to the path of Buddhahood.
The fourth light, Unequaled Light, and the lights that follow may be understood as further explanations of the working of Unhindered Light. Unequaled Light is the light of wisdom that has no comparison. We live bound by conditions from the past that we cannot control, and we are often caught in many forms of suffering. Yet Amida Buddha’s light of wisdom shines upon us and does not leave us trapped within that suffering.
The fifth light is Light-Lord of All Brilliance. This is a bright and powerful light, like a great flame. It illuminates and breaks through the delusions and confused thoughts that arise in our hearts. It also shines upon the kind of life that could lead us toward the three painful paths of hell, hungry spirits, and animals, and opens for us the path of the Buddha.
The sixth, seventh, and eighth lights are Pure Light, Joyful Light, and the Light of Wisdom. These are often explained in relation to the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.
Greed is the mind that always wants more and wants everything to go according to its own wishes. Pure Light shines upon this grasping heart and guides us in a pure direction. Anger is the heart that becomes upset, resentful, or hateful when things do not go the way we want. Joyful Light softens that heart and turns it toward true joy. Ignorance is the mind that cannot see things as they truly are and remains lost in self-centred views. The Light of Wisdom illuminates this darkness and awakens us to the truth.
The ninth light is Constant Light. This is the light that never ceases to shine upon us. Even when we forget the Buddha-Dharma, Amida Buddha’s light never stops working.
The tenth light is Inconceivable Light. This is the light that cannot be fully understood by our limited thoughts and ideas. Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion work beyond the small boundaries of our understanding.
In the same way, the eleventh light is Light Beyond Speaking. It is the light that cannot be fully expressed in words. The working that brings us to birth in the Pure Land and to the attainment of Buddhahood is so deep and vast that no explanation can ever exhaust its meaning.
Finally, the twelfth light is Light Excelling Sun and Moon. This is the most excellent light, surpassing even the light of the sun and the moon. The sun shines during the day, and the moon shines at night. But Amida Buddha’s light shines regardless of day or night, regardless of place or condition. It continually illuminates our hearts of confusion.
This summer, Toronto is filled with excitement around FIFA. Sports have a wonderful power to bring people together beyond differences of nation, generation, and language. Bon Odori also brings people together, but it is not simply a fun summer event. It has been passed down as a Buddhist gathering within the season of Obon, an opportunity to remember those who have gone before us and to reflect on the connections that sustain our lives.
When we dance in a circle, experienced dancers and first-time participants, long-time temple members and those who are attending for the first time are all naturally included within the same circle.
This sense of being included and embraced is also important when we reflect on the light of Amida Buddha. Amida’s light does not shine only upon those who are worthy or accomplished. It does not shine only upon those who already understand the Buddha’s teaching well. It also shines upon those who have not yet encountered the Dharma and those who have not yet received Shinjin. It gently guides all beings toward the Primal Vow.
And those who hear and receive the truth of the Primal Vow are gathered into Amida Buddha’s light and never abandoned. Amida Buddha’s light is the working that illuminates us in the midst of our confusion, guides us, embraces us just as we are, and never lets us go.
In the liveliness of this summer season, some people may come to know our temple for the first time through Bon Odori. For those of us who have long been connected with the temple, it may also become a meaningful opportunity to remember again that this is a place where we gather to hear the teaching of Amida Buddha.
Amida Buddha’s light is still working upon us now. It guides those who have not yet realized it, nurtures those who are living in confusion, and embraces those who have heard and received the Primal Vow, never abandoning them. This working reaches us here and now as Namo Amida Butsu.
Namo Amida Butsu
Rev. Kensho Hashimoto
Resident Minister
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