Foreword ..................................................... xiii
Introduction: Buddhism of the Heart ............................. 1
Amida's Birth, Our Birth ........................................ 5
Amida's Nembutsu ................................................ 8
Once Upon a Time ............................................... 10
Strawberries ................................................... 14
Appreciating the Furniture ..................................... 16
Inner Togetherness ............................................. 18
Co-living ...................................................... 21
Offering Incense ............................................... 23
Mindfulness of the Land of Bliss ............................... 26
Fear of Falling ................................................ 29
Trusting the Dharma ............................................ 33
A Universe of White Ashes ...................................... 36
Charmless ...................................................... 40
Playing in Someone Else's Backyard ............................. 43
Buddha-Nature, Scorpion-Nature ................................. 45
Hard-Assed and Sore-Throated Buddhists ......................... 48
Our Debt to the Foundresses of Jodo Shinshu .................... 51
Incomplete Nembutsu, Open-Ended Gratitude ...................... 53
Shin without Amida ............................................. 56
Common Destination ............................................. 60
All Beings Have Bush-Nature .................................... 63
Amida Is Foolish Too ........................................... 67
Deep Hearing ................................................... 69
Flowers of the Pure Land ....................................... 72
A Parcel of Vain Strivings ..................................... 75
Whatever Land, Whatever Body ................................... 78
All Wars Are World Wars ........................................ 81
The Tip of the Iceberg ......................................... 83
From Sincerity to Compassion ................................... 85
Receiving the Gift ............................................. 88
Two Aspects of Amida ........................................... 90
Reconstituting the Sangha ...................................... 93
Gratitude for Food ............................................. 95
Buddhism Is Bullsh*t ........................................... 97
Preferences, Prejudices, and Mistakes in the Narrative of
"Americanized" Shin ......................................... 99
Refugees ...................................................... 102
Floating Downriver ............................................ 104
The Essence of Shin Buddhism .................................. 106
Appreciating the Sutras ....................................... 108
Nembutsu: Not for Parents ..................................... 110
The Dharma of Johnny Cash .................................... 112
Dirty Jobs .................................................... 114
Hitler's Buddha-Nature ...................................... 116
Amida's Emancipation Proclamation ............................. 118
In the Pot .................................................... 120
Namu Death .................................................... 122
Thanksgiving Service .......................................... 124
Just As We Are ................................................ 127
Death Wish .................................................... 129
Transformed ................................................... 132
Wonder-Struck ................................................. 134
Permanent Defeat .............................................. 136
Bittersweet Buddhism .......................................... 138
Awakening the Buddha Without .................................. 140
Shin Conflict Resolution ...................................... 144
Grateful for Suffering? ....................................... 146
He with Horns Is Self ......................................... 148
Sinking into the Vow .......................................... 150
Trustingly We Cry ............................................. 153
Buddhism, Addiction, and Twelve Steps ......................... 155
Just Trusting ................................................. 161
Literal and Metaphorical ...................................... 163
Vegas Memorial ................................................ 165
Meat and Eating Disorders ..................................... 175
False Impression .............................................. 178
Rebirth vs. No-Self ........................................... 179
Ail-Embracing ................................................. 183
Off the Wagon ................................................. 186
Relationships Are the Realm of Awakening ...................... 189
Hearing and Listening ......................................... 193
Scattered Nenju ............................................... 195
Form and Content .............................................. 197
Just Existing ................................................. 199
Changing and Sharing .......................................... 202
What Have You Done Now? ....................................... 206
Green Rice .................................................... 208
Always Present, Always Hidden ................................. 211
Buddhist Dancing .............................................. 212
Acknowledgments ............................................... 215
Glossary of Terms ............................................. 217
For Further Reading ........................................... 223
Index ......................................................... 225
About the Authors ............................................. 235
|
