Dina of Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo asked yesterday if there was a Buddhist invocation. Yes. Like other religions, there are blessings, prayers and such for many occasions.
Then it got me thinking about something that happened this Thanksgiving that I totally LOVED. On many occasions in the past here and on the mainland, if there was a Christian who liked to say grace before a meal, we were most certainly happy to allow them to lead us all in a prayer (even if the person was the only Christian at the table).
This year, before eating I insisted that someone say grace since that's what you do on Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law is Catholic and my nephews were raised Catholic, sort of. Well, this year neither nephew wanted to do it and my sister-in-law had to work so couldn't join us.
So I asked mom if she knew a Buddhist grace. She said, "Of course there is. My father had us all say a prayer before each meal."
Anyway, she explained to us what the words meant and then recited the long passage by heart. I was shocked that she could remember it.
"We said it every day before every meal so of course I remember it," she laughed.
Then I remembered how she and Auntie Grace recited the sutra when we were at Eiheiji (one of the two main zen Buddhist temples in Japan) a couple of years ago. Art and I had sat there with our mouths open to hear them say the sutra from the memory of their hearts.
Mom said that the first part of the sutra is too difficult to explain, but contain some of the tenets of Buddhism. She was able to translate the second part as: "The first bite is to ward away bad things. The second bite is for doing good deeds. The third bite is for everybody's happiness. And every meal is for everyone to find their satori (sort of an awakening of understanding).
And so mom said the first Buddhist grace we've ever heard at our Thanksgiving table.
I can't begin to explain how it felt. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was full of love.
It was like coming home.
Then it got me thinking about something that happened this Thanksgiving that I totally LOVED. On many occasions in the past here and on the mainland, if there was a Christian who liked to say grace before a meal, we were most certainly happy to allow them to lead us all in a prayer (even if the person was the only Christian at the table).
This year, before eating I insisted that someone say grace since that's what you do on Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law is Catholic and my nephews were raised Catholic, sort of. Well, this year neither nephew wanted to do it and my sister-in-law had to work so couldn't join us.
So I asked mom if she knew a Buddhist grace. She said, "Of course there is. My father had us all say a prayer before each meal."
Anyway, she explained to us what the words meant and then recited the long passage by heart. I was shocked that she could remember it.
"We said it every day before every meal so of course I remember it," she laughed.
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| Saying grace at Eiheiji Temple |
Mom said that the first part of the sutra is too difficult to explain, but contain some of the tenets of Buddhism. She was able to translate the second part as: "The first bite is to ward away bad things. The second bite is for doing good deeds. The third bite is for everybody's happiness. And every meal is for everyone to find their satori (sort of an awakening of understanding).
And so mom said the first Buddhist grace we've ever heard at our Thanksgiving table.
I can't begin to explain how it felt. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was full of love.
It was like coming home.
ah, for all of us.
ReplyDeleteHere is hoping that will become a new family tradition.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! I too hope it will become a new family tradition. You will need to learn it, too, Kay, to keep the tradition going far into the future... :-)
ReplyDeleteOh gosh... There's no way I could remember that whole loooong sutra. I don't think I could remember it even if it was in English. I'm afraid I'll have to rely on mom.
Deleteoh Kay what a wonderful story to share with us, this brought tears to my eyes!
ReplyDeletehow sweet and amazing your mom could remember it by heart...
ReplyDeleteYour mom is an amazing person and she has shown that again with her memory of this prayer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful start to your Thanksgiving meal.
Beautiful experience it must have been. I love the way your mom smiles.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kavita. I told her you and many others have said so and it made her smile.
DeleteI didn't know there was such a prayer, of course I never did attend or was a member of a Buddhist church. Your mom is a wonderful, beautiful person inside and out.
ReplyDeleteL...w
She is a kind and strong person.
Deletelike Laurie, this brought tears to my eyes, and as you said "like coming home" - we said this sutra (in English) at the Zen Center in Hawaii where I lived and worked for three years
ReplyDeletethis is the short verse for informal meals:
We venerate the three treasures
and are thankful for this meal,
the work of many people
and the sharing of other forms of life.
your Mom's shining face makes me feel joy - thank you for this, Kay
This is such a lovely verse, Janice. Zen Center? Is this in Nuuanu?
DeleteI love it!
ReplyDeleteRather than reciting a prayer in the morning (silent or not) I would have my students speak and sign the following.
I pledge allegiance to the world
To care for earth and sea and air
To cherish every living thing
With peace and justice everywhere
I LOVE this! It's so beautiful and perfect, Jenn. I wish children in America could pledge this also.
DeleteKay, I'm surprised your Mom didn't insist on her prayer before meals as you were growing up. (Not that I had such tradition, but many households do.) She seems to be even more patient, and more priest-like than your Grandfather. To have waited all these years, until asked, patiently waiting until the "students" wanted to learn. She's more than just your Mom, she's amazing! Wonder if she'd permit a video, maybe with her sister, reciting the prayer to pass along to offspring. You've learned so many things from her, just recently, like the doorway cane piece for New Year's, the umbilical cords. Please ask her what else she / we are supposed to know! Aloha, DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteYes! to all DrumMajor's ideas here! And Kay, will you share such a video, please?
DeleteShe didn't insist when we were younger because she felt we wouldn't understand it. She felt we were being Americanized in every way and wouldn't want to memorize anything like this. I do like your idea of videotaping her doing the sutra. Thank you for thinking of it.
DeleteAnd, thank you so much for sharing it with us. :)
ReplyDeleteI have read all your posts about visiting Molokai and your memories about your grandfather – what a great series! I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about your feeling about Buddhism and other religions and the comments you received. I don’t know if your readers realize that, just as in Christianity, there are different denominations (traditions) in Buddhism. I see you family is Zen Buddhist, mine (husband and daughters) tends to be Theravada. In Georgia I believe there are more people following Tibetan Buddhism (of the Dalai Lama) than any other. I think your grandfather must have been more like an interdenominational Buddhist priest at the time to serve everyone. For example in Paris there is one American Church – it is a Christian church but interdenominational serving all Protestant sects. In San Francisco in the 60s I belong then to a Japanese Buddhist temple, it was of the Nichiren tradition, not Zen. And even within each tradition there are other different “schools” of thought. Buddhism (all schools) has between 350 and 1,500 million adherents worldwide and maybe more if you count people like me who do not go to a temple and are no longer a member of a temple (because there is not one here in my tradition of thought.) It is truly a religion and philosophy that encompasses a variety of beliefs, practices and tradition. Just like a Mormon is not exactly the same as a Jehovah Witness, Catholic, or Russian Orthodox - all Christians.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased your talked about this as I believe, mostly in this country, everyone expects you to be a Christian (not so much so in Europe though anymore.) Saying a Buddhist grace was a wonderful idea – we have said several at Thanksgiving at our table when we were celebrating in our own home. A great post, Kay.
Thank you, Vagabonde. Yes, definitely. Everything you say is true. In fact, Art belongs to the Hongwanji Temple which is different from our Soto Mission. However, he defers to mom since it means so much to her. Actually the Hongwanji Temple is stronger here in Hawaii than the Soto Mission. I believe Nichiren is also very popular. I'm afraid I haven't learned much about the others. I have really enjoyed the sermons at the Hongwanji Temples I've been to.
DeleteLovely and your Mom is beautiful as always. Dianne
ReplyDeleteOh Kay, this is marvelous! Through tears of joy I thank you for this post, the best ever!
ReplyDeleteAnd this is so wonderful: "And every meal is for everyone to find their satori (sort of an awakening of understanding)."
ReplyDeleteThe way you tell the story of this post is satori for me. Thank you all.
Thank YOU, Dina! You're the one who made me remember this.
DeleteYou are such lovely people!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful story, Kay!
ReplyDeleteAnd now you've blessed us as well! Arrigato Gozaimasu
ReplyDeleteAloha to YOU
from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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By the way, Kay, this is no longer your Blog. It's your Mom's! What fun! With all respect, it's "True Budda by Blog." DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteOh too funny! Well, I'm claiming the blog back tomorrow. :-)
DeleteWe no longer follow the religious practices I grew up with, and yet, on certain days like Thanksgiving, it does seem like there should be something. How wonderful that you have found your something. Your mother is just full of surprises.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how I'm discovering and learning so much from her since I've moved back.
DeleteA very heart-warming post. I also enjoyed Jenn's prayer to her students.
ReplyDelete