Dharma Talks

Good morning, everybody!

It is very pleased to see you all again. I am Rev. Chishin Hirai and your new head minister of this temple. She is my wife, Ritsuko. We used to be here. We had been here for 7 years and then left for California. It was 6 years ago.

As you know, this year is the year of the snake. Last year was the year of dragon according to the Chinese zodiac. The dragon is a very popular motif in Buddhism. Please look at the hanging lantern. A big dragon is there. The dragon is always watching you.

Dragon is also popular in Nichiren Shu. Do you know the Shichimen Daimyojin? When Nichiren Shonin was at Mt. Minobu, he preached on the top of a rock. A young beautiful lady was often coming to his dharma talk. Other people wondered who she was and asked him. He said to her that everybody was wondering who she was and showed them her real nature. She asked him to give her some water. He poured water on her. She appreciated deeply and was transformed to a dragon. She was Shichimen daimyojin, the deity of Mt. Shichimen, the protector of Mt. Minobu and believers of the Lotus Sutra. She flew back to Mt. Shichimen and everybody there shed tears of joy.

You may wonder why it was a dragon. Let me share a story of a dragon with you today. One sutra tells this story. One day, a couple of big snakes and their son were walking in a forest and hiking on top of a rocky mountain. They saw the beautiful white Himalayas from there. The father says, “Why don't we go to the beautiful Himalayas?” and so they continued their hike.

During the daytime, it is comfortable. However, after sunset, it becomes cold quickly and they cannot continue. There is no food for them at such high altitude. They are suffering from cold and hunger. They were too hungry to eat food even if there were some food for them. The more time goes by, the thinner they become. Considering this situation, the father says, “I will jump off from that cliff. Eat me and go back to the forest.” He climbs up a huge cliff with the last of his strength and leaps from the cliff to the ground in front of his wife and son.

The Buddha and Bodhisattvas are always watching everything from on high. The Buddha with profound compassion watches and gives Kannon Bodhisattva an order. Kannon Bodhisattva flies through the air with her supernatural power and catches the father snake in her arms. The father snake says, “There is no other way to save my hungry wife and son. Please drop me in front of them.” He implores the Bodhisattva again and again.

Kannon Bodhisattva is so impressed with his self-sacrifice and devotion to his wife and son that she moves them back in the forest and gives them strong arms, sharp talons, and keen teeth like a crocodiles. This is the reward for the father's compassion.

The dragons have a deep appreciation for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So, they protect monks seeking the Buddha Dharma. If monks are freezing, dragons come and coil themselves around the monks to keep them warm. Such stories and sculptures are sometimes found in India.

In Asia, we think that the snake is something that brings us fortune. Therefore, the dragon is a sacred being in Buddhism. It looks scary but they are our protectors who are warm hearted and compassionate. That's why we can find many dragons even in this temple.

As you may know, I was installed as the new head minister of this temple on Jan. 1st. However, I am still the general manager of Nichiren Buddhist International Center in Hayward, CA. I have to take care both of this temple and NBIC. I will go back and forth between Hawaii and CA every 2 weeks. I am sorry for not being able to do everything here at this temple. I hope you understand a situation and forgive me your inconvenience.