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2008 New Year's Greetings

Rev. William Masuda

I wish all of you health and happiness in this year of the rat. Thank you again for your many expressions of kindness and support during the past year. We have seen the passing of a number of our dharma friends in our temple, but also have welcomed a number of new dharma friends. May our journey together in the dharma continue to enrich and affirm our mutual life in our sangha with meaning and gratitude. Kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness, and patience are all key ingredients in making this temple a "special place" for taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

My previously shared thoughts with you also continue to have a very special place and meaning in my heart as we begin the new year.

I realize that life is changing rapidly for each of us. We have no control over change itself, but we do have a measure of control over how we live each moment as change occurs.

I realize that each moment we receive is the nly moment we have. The present moment is the only moment of reality. The past cannot be recaptured or experienced in the same way; nor can we fully grasp and hold our illusive future. Reality, as it is, in this present moment, is absolute; never to be repeated in the same way.

I realize that the new year is for living, creating, and appreciating the gift of each precious moment we are given. This moment is always fresh and new. It is fresh and new of spirit, of commitment, of our capacity to see and live clearly. True awareness of self and life happens only in this absolute moment.

I realize that life does not always go our way - "my" way. This often leades to feelings of frustration, agitation, confusion, loneliness, disenchantment, and even other afflictions. We struggle for solutions in our past or future, but the solution often escapes us. They escape us because we often look in the wrong places. Our sufferings and afflications are not separate from who and what we are now. We are our suffering now. We own all that we are now. The solution and answer are with and within us, here and now.

I realize too because we cannot escape who and what we are, our only recourse is to realize and accept ourselves as we really are, just as we are, in the preset - fragile/strong, itelligent/ignorant, willful/vulnerable, courageous/fearful, giving/selfish, modest/opinionated, etc. When this realization and acceptance occurs authentically and clearly, a new indescribable dimension of life opens us for us. Our self-generated sufferings become less burdensome as immeasurable light (amitayus = wisdom) and immeasurable life (amitabha = compassion) illuminates and transports our life. We are, in this very moment, joined in "one body" with Amida Buddha.

I realize now that we are not lost nor confused when we are fully present to immeasurable light and immeasurable life. Nothing is added or subtracted from our life. We are fully present to our real life just as we are. We are, in effect, simple who we are. Joyful gratitude and deep feelings of humility and wonder naturally emerge.

Namu-amida-butsu is the name we are given in voicing and affirming this genuine moment of awakening and acceptance. This is the most selfless spiritual and liberating gift we receive in our daily, ordinary life. This unconditional gift of Namu-amida-butsu empowers and fulfills our deepest human wish for peace, harmony and fulfillment. Namu-amida-butsu too is the compassionate prayer of Amida Buddha for the spiritual awakening and liberation of all beings in their quest for meaning and authenticity.