“The offence of doubting the Buddha-wisdom is grave.
If you come to understand this mind of doubt,
You should hold the mind of repentance as essential
And rely upon the inconceivable Buddha-wisdom.”
“You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
He’s checking it twice,
He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
And he knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
”
The first passage I began with is from Shinran Shonin’s Shozomatsu Wasan (Hymns of the Dharma Age). Among Shinran Shonin’s many writings, these wasans are the writings I have read the most. In them I have found how well Shinran Shonin understood the human condition. In this passage 82, the last wasan of this section, he says, “the mind of repentance is essential.” The second passage is the quintessential Christmas song about Santa. The making a list, checking it twice, and he will know who has been naughty or nice. I had often thought the third line was not “you better not pout.” I thought it was “you better not doubt” just as the wasan is also concerned with the mind of doubt. Like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, if we don’t believe in fairies, she dies! I believe, I believe, Santa please don’t die! Santa’s reindeer never get old.
As many in our Sangha know, the end of November until the middle of January is my favorite time of year. As Andy Williams croons, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” The holiday season for me is defined from Thanksgiving to Hoonko. The reason I love this season is the reflection and gratitude that is an essential part of its celebrations. However, I would have to say, between Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Hoonko. Christmas Eve and Day are my favorite, even the idea of Jesus Christ’s birth.
It seems non-intuitive for a Buddhist priest to love Christmas, since it is associated with the Christian religion. However, I believe you should define your religious principles based upon the results you experience in your personal life. Not by books or what a teacher says. I have always only had good experiences with Christmas. I have publicly stated if my father had told me, “Buddhists don’t celebrate Christmas,” I would have definitely told him, “Well Dad, I guess I’m not a Buddhist. I still believe in Santa Claus.” Christmas in particular is a time when the central idea is to believe in the good and reflect on our personal deficiencies and to forgive those deficiencies in self and others.
I have heard a Buddhist priest say, “There is no repentance or remorse in Jodo Shinshu.” This was a young priest who really didn’t have a lot of life experience and possibly had not studied as much as he should. The context of the talk was a reaction to the Christian idea of sin and God’s grace. However, there are differences. Remorse, regret and even repentance are a part of Jodo Shinshu, although not as clearly defined as in the Catholic Church: “The Catholic Church teaches that sacramental confession requires three "acts" on the part of the penitent: contrition (sorrow of the soul for the sins committed), disclosure of the sins (the 'confession'), and satisfaction (the 'penance', i.e. doing something to make amends for the sins).[4] The basic form of confession has not changed for centuries, although at one time confessions were made public.” In Jodo Shinshu, there are no defined parameters for your penance. However, gratitude or the true expression of the Nembutsu cannot be realized without a heart of remorse, regret and reflection. There is no fear about the wrath or anger of Amida Buddha. If we honestly look at our true nature, unless you are a total sociopath, you cannot be without remorse and regret when reflecting on your life. Namo Amida Butsu is Amida Buddha in our current realm of existence, but it can only come out of your mouth in gratitude, upon reflection.
In some ways, this has reminded me of the stories I have told my girls about Santa. No matter how bad my girls may be, with Santa watching and checking off good and bad acts, they have never not received presents. However, with Santa at my home, if my daughters were to tell me, “I don’t have to be sorry for anything I’ve done, and Santa is okay with that!” I’m sure Santa would not have been happy. I would tell them, Santa and I are very close. So you better be good.
Shinran may not be closer to Amida Buddha than I, but let’s just say he has an inside track. Although 2021 has been a very unusual year, it is full of things I feel very grateful for. Among them are the Sangha of all the temples I serve; Salt Lake, Ogden, Honeyville and Idaho Oregon. Each of you makes me feel as though my life has meaning and purpose. You not only support me financially but spiritually. I have written about the Invisible Reality of our lives. During COVID, I have not seen a lot of you, but I can sense you and I deeply appreciate and thank you. My family and I hope you will each have a safe and wonderful Holiday Season. “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Namo Amida Butsu.”
~ Rev. J.K. Hirano