[The Way of HBS]
How to practice, How to live
as a HBS Practitioner
Rev. Nisso Fukuoka
Mind and Body
"Please attend Oko services" .
"Endeavor to visit the temple"
"Participate in study sessions"
HBS is very strict about their parishioners visiting the temple and participating in their activities. There is no other religion beside HBS that is so strict. Why is this?
There are four reasons:
Buddhism originally placed importance on practices. A religion that does not engage in practices is not Buddhism. There are two forms of practices in Buddhism. One is placing a great emphasis on the mind; a meditation practice (Kannen Kampo) to discipline, polish, and enhance attainment of enlightenment through concentration. The other is a practice by mouth and body. It is a practice using the mouth to chant the Odaimoku, and the body to visit the temple and attend Oko services.
An instructive poem of Nissen Shonin stated: "In the age of the last Dharma, one's faculty to engage in severe practices is lacking, Thus, one should not attempt to understand enlightenment by mind, but to use the body to accumulate merits in this age (of the Last Dharma) by visiting the temple".
Using the body to visit the temple, chanting the Odaimoku by mouth, and listening to sermons are the first reason.
One attends a school to pursue one's studies or hobbies. The purpose of visiting the temple and participating in Oko services is to pursue knowledge about HBS's religion. This is the second reason.
"Why is it necessary to visit the temple or Oko services when we can chant the Odaimoku before the altar and save time traveling?"
Chanting the Odaimoku at home is a fundamental duty of a practitioner, but by doing only this, you deny yourself sermons and this becomes a self-style practice. By neglecting to listen to sermons, a soul of distrust and doubt will arise. A visit to the temple is important from that standpoint. This is the third reason.
An older or middle-aged person sitting idly at home increases his chances of becoming senile. Men must use their brain and body to keep fit. Similarly, by not engaging in religious practices, listening to sermons and communicating with others, one will become religiously senile. This is the fourth reason.
The legs are for the purpose of walking. Do not use them for the pursuit of greed. Use them to accumulate merits.
The following are the teachings of Nissen Shonin concerning temple visits:
"Use the legs to visit the temple for religious practices, and the mouth to chant Namumyohorengekyo." These are the basic practices of HBS.
"The legs are active for leisure purposes, but weak for visiting the temple or Oko services".
"Depending on one's degree as to whether they do or don't visit the temple or attend Oko services acts as a barometer."
