Every so often as I look through my past files of articles and papers and come across an article which still resonates with vitality and meaning. They evoke feelings of gratitude for the freshness of spirit they continue to convey.

This month I want to feature an article originally written in Japanese by the late Bunpo Kuwatsuki Sensei, who was formerly the resident minister at the Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles. I was befriended by Sensei, especially in my student days in Kyoto from 1962-1967. He was serving as the Director of Overseas Affairs for the Nishi Hongwanji. Sensei, it seemed to me, always had time for overseas students like myself. His words and presence, as I recall, were always focused on a deep awareness and appreciation of the subtle daily nuances of living within the Nembutsu. He never preached to me, but always listened attentively and engaged me wisely. And also I often felt he was stripping me of my pretensions and immaturity in a kind and compassionate way. His humble presence and availability often guided me through the many difficulties of studying and living in Japan at that time. My feelings of gratitude and thankfulness continue to this day whenever I read his article entitled, The Answerless Answer (Muto no to).

The Answerless Answer

Rev. Bunpo Kuwatsuki

The world renowned French Existential thinker, Jean Paul Satre, once alluded to the fact that this self (this I, me) was one day suddenly thrown like a clod of dirt into this extremely contradictory human life and society. In such a world, I really do not know how to truly live nor do I even have the desire to seriously think through the sufferings of life itself.

Yet, in spite of this reality, I am still living my particular life and dying my particular death. I am walking a unique and single path that no one else has walked in the same way. In this sense too I cannot find another person who can substitute for me and live my unique life and die my unique death. There is, in essence, no one who can take my place for me. Shakamuni Buddha taught this truth in the Larger Sutra that "One is born alone; one dies alone. One comes into this world alone and leaves this world alone."

As a unique individual who walks alone in this universe, what am I to do with my life? How can I truly live my life? Human kind throughout its history has struggled continuously with such fundamental questions. But often the questions have ended futilely. Still, in the very midst of my human dilemma and sufferings, I search for an answer to these questions; often there is no one who can provide me with the answer for my search.

I search for answers in the many areas of human knowledge. Philosophers and psychologists have their answers and responses. Scientists too have their answers and responses. There are many different teachings from many intellectual disciplines that respond and answer in their unique way. Yet, they do not answer and resolve MY suffering. In other words, in spite of the wealth of knowledge human kind has accrued, I continue to stand alone in the very midst of an answerless silence, no different than that pitiful clod of dirt which was cast into this world.

It was in such an existentially answerless condition, where one reaches the end of one's worldly hope, that Shinran Shonin exclaimed from the depths of his being:

"In this foolish being filled with blind passion, living in this transient world of burning house, all things are empty and vain. Only the Nembutsu is true and real."

For Shinran Shonin, the Nembutsu was the sole answer to his existential suffering and dilemma. The Nembutsu responded to his fundamental questions. What am I to do with my life? How can I truly live my life? In responding to the meaning of life in the Nembutsu, Shinran Shonin was reborn as a human being. In Namu Amida Buddha he recovered his true humanity.

Thus the person who is at one with the Tathagatha (Amida Buddha) lives with the answer to the dilemma of human existence itself and clearly walks the great way of absolute freedom. Who is the person of Nembutsu? The person of Nembutsu is one who answers and responds clearly to the meaning of life itself.