For ministers and lay people alike we can think of a minister or a “sensei” a teacher whom we can look back on and recall their profound effect upon our lives.  In my life I can recall many zenchishiki or good teacher friends.  Some were younger some were older.  Some I knew very well and others came and went in and out of my life very quickly.   It is interesting that as time goes by my recollection of these sensei becomes clearer and their words and actions easily recalled.  The list would be too long to put down here on paper all of those ministers, but I recall two ministers who were bound together like brothers and whose effect on my life was profound. 

A few days ago I was standing outside the temple and I noticed a squawking blue jay flying around the garden.  In my usual unmindful way I thought to myself, “What is he squawking about?”  He flew near me and landing nearby allowing me to see him clearly.  It was then that I noticed he had one good leg and one badly deformed leg.  He stood on his one leg effortlessly and as he hopped around the garden, I thought to myself, “That is why he is squawking,  he has a bad leg”.   As I watched the bird hobble around and squawk I continued to have this conversation with myself and said, “kawaiso , how sad for that bird”.  Then as if to respond to my pity the bird squawked and flew around in circles and landed squawked and flew away.

I reflected upon my conversation and realized that I in my self- centered way was making judgments, assumptions and conclusions about the blue jay, and all the while the blue jay was just being himself/herself.    I had made the assumption that the bird was squawking because of his leg and that it was sad for him because of his leg.  In reality the bird was fine and was just being a bird.  He was not a handicapped bird or a sad bird, but just a bird, pure and simple.    Only my deluded mind had created a bird that was not a bird true and real.  In reality it was I who was creating this delusion. 

Two thoughts occur to me, one is that we all to often do this with animals and people as well.  We view them and extend our pity towards them and view them as handicapped rather than as just human beings.  The other thought is that we fail to just be ourselves as well.  We try to be someone, or something other than who we are.   As Buddhists we are seekers of the true and real self.  This is an elusive task as the true and real self is sometimes difficult to see. 

I spent an important part of my life at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley.   Reverend Kusada and Reverend Eidmann were my teachers and were an important part of my introduction to Shin Buddhism.  Reverend Eidmann was in a wheelchair during all the years that I knew him.  He had contracted polio at a young age and spent the rest of his life confined to his chair.  In all the years that I knew him he never complained, never bemoaned his “handicap” and never expected special treatment.  He simply lived his life and taught us the dharma.  I had made all sorts of assumptions about his life and his relationship with others.  But truly Rev. Eidmann was just being Rev. Eidmann true and real and embraced in the life and light of Amida Buddha. 

The Buddha in his early life was profoundly affected by the human condition.   He saw the sick and weary, the dead and dying.  He then left his home and went in search for the answer to human suffering.  When he sat under the Bodhi Tree and reached his deep awareness or enlightenment, he realized that all beings are embraced in the compassion of Amida Buddha.  Our worldly discriminations of handicapped and whole are not relevant to the Buddha.   Through the eyes of the enlightened all human beings are recipients of kindness, goodwill and compassion. 

Thorough our encounters with others we are made to see the true and real self.  Through my observation of a blue jay and my reflections on Rev. Eidmann I am made to see my self centered view of the world, my misplaced pity and my assumptions.  How grateful I am to my sensei who dedicated his life to teaching me and many other students the Buddha Dharma.  Through his example I am reminded to make every effort to be true and real, to be me.  Rev. Eidmann was a great example of being just right for him.  I will always be indebted to him for his support, kindness and example of true and real.