Yakuza Minister
Rev. J.K. Hirano
This summer has been very busy and hectic. However, if I compare it to the lockdown of the Covid Pandemic, I will take busy and hectic any day. During the Covid lockdown, I did have the opportunity to visit our 48 contiguous states. I would not have been able to do that without the pandemic. Isn’t it interesting how some of the worst times, can be some of the best times.
From June to August, I have conducted a number of funerals, of course any funeral is a sad occasion. However, these were ladies and gentlemen in their mid to late nineties, lives well lived. I have driven to California, first for the “Crossing Over” Seminar. Then again for the BCA Ministers’ Training Tokudo ordination preparation seminar and again for the BCA Youth Retreat. Upon returning, I officiated at the Salt Lake, Honeyville and Ogden Buddhist Temple Obon/Hatsubon services, along with the many accompanying cemetery services. Carmela, Taylor, and I then took some of Carmela’s family from the Philippines to see our beautiful Southern Utah landscape in and around Moab. Returning to California for a Ministers’ Assistant Seminar and to speak at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Obon/Hatsubon services. In August, I will be returning to the Berkeley Jodo Shinshu Center for the BCA CBE Pacific Seminar. This followed a couple weeks later with the BCA LGBTQ Seminar in Southern California. The last day of August into September I will be flying to Europe for the European Shin Buddhist Conference. Then back home to begin the regular services at our temples.
This is the life of a Buddhist Churches of America Kaikyoshi (overseas minister). I don’t think I would ever have imagined what a fun, busy and exciting life I would have when I began my career in September of 1987. Now I am one of the older and most senior of BCA Ministers. Part of this position is the responsibility to now help to share and teach future generations of ministers. During these various seminars for future ministers, ministers’ assistants, and youth. One of the things we do, is to have them prepare talks and one of my jobs is to comment on the talks. It is amazing how wonderful and open these people are. I love and consider it a deep privilege to share in their spiritual journeys. Listening to the many Dharma Talks and reflections, I reflected on my own life as a Kaikyoshi (overseas minister). About ten years ago, I was asked to speak at the BCA Ministers’ Association Annual meeting and I would like to share part of my own spiritual journey by sharing this talk with all of you, just as I asked these students to share theirs with me.
Please join me in Gassho:
Passages on the Pure Land of Happiness states:
I have collected true words to aid others in their practice for attaining birth, in order that the process be made continuous, without end and without interruption, by which those who have been born first guide those who come later, and those who are born later join those who were born before. This is so that the boundless ocean of birth and death be exhausted.
Know therefore that the monks and laypeople of the last age should reverently entrust themselves to this teaching.
A verse of the Garland Sutra states:
On seeing a bodhisattva
Perform various practices,
Some give rise to a good mind and others a mind of evil,
But the Bodhisattva embraces them all.
Kyogyoshinsho:CWS 291-292
I would like to begin by thanking all of you for allowing me to be a part of this organization. My life has been fulfilled because of being a part of this group of BCA ministers: I am going to read much of this, because I just thought of this last night, and I wanted to make sure to express my feelings towards each of you. The last time I spoke to the Minister’s association was the first or second year I became a minister over twenty-five years ago and the next will probably be, if I live to retire at 70 another 13 more years at my last BCA minister’s meeting.
As I was saying being a part of the BCA minister’s association has fulfilled my life.
More than being a husband, for I haven’t been that good of a husband or as a matter of fact as many of you know, it took me three times to even find a wife who would keep me as her husband.
As a father, I know I should try much, much harder. My patience is not very good, and I must tell myself to try harder daily and I will never win any awards for my fathering skills.
Now that my father has died, I also realize I wasn’t that great of a son and he was a much better father than I could ever be.
However, my Life has been fulfilled by being a BCA minister. Not because I am a great minister, for I am not that good a minister. But as part of our Kaikyoshi kai this “Minister’s association” and being witness to all the efforts of you my fellow ministers and the sincerity with which you fulfill your personal journey of sharing the nembutsu teaching, I am allowed to be a part of something far greater than myself and something I take great pride and humility in being a part of.
At our last Fuken in Berkeley, Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto expressed his sentiment that our association was the most important organization in the world. Do you remember that? When I first heard him say that I thought to myself, “Come on David, that’s a bit much…. Most important in the whole world? I might except a small city, but the world?” My cynicism was out in full force, and I have had a while to really think about what he said. And I had to remind myself, “This is Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto who said it, and he’s way smarter than I could ever hope to be and for that matter, almost anyone I know.” As a result, I really had to think about what he said:
I have realized that when I was in college there were many things I wanted to be. First, I wanted to be a professional trumpet player. My Dad told me to find an ad in the newspaper for a professional trumpet player. And now I realize, I was lucky to have not found such an ad, for I would not have had as great a life as a professional trumpet player, as I do as Kaikyoshi.
Next, I wanted to be a philosopher and my dad once again said, find a want ad for a professional philosopher. Being on the board of IBS for over twenty years, I now know I would never have made it as a philosopher or any type of academic, nothing like Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto for sure.
I had a light bulb moment when I saw the movie “The Godfather”. This cemented it and I knew what I wanted to be: A consigliere for the Yakuza! It was Tom Hagen, the Robert Duval character, a consigliere for the Mafia. I wanted to be a lawyer for the Japanese Mafia, the Yakuza.
However, life has a way of looking out for us, for I then met Rev. Russell Hamada and Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto. They both convinced me that I would not enjoy being a lawyer for anyone, let alone the Yakuza.
But now looking back over the past twenty something years as a BCA minister, I have realized: Being a Kaikyoshi, let’s me express my true feelings on a stage, every week or even more with a captive audience. I don’t think an ego can be stroked more than we Kaikyoshi are allowed. It is much more than I could have dreamed of as a professional musician.
More than any Philosopher, being Kaikyoshi has allowed me to really try to delve into the questions of who I am and why am I here, the important and deep questions of life. As Kaikyoshi we are allowed to do this, far more honestly than any Philosopher or academic would ever be allowed to.
In my various roles I have held, BCA minister’s association chair for 8 years, IBS board of trustee member for 30 years, CBE director and Correspondence course instructor and of course BCA temple minister, is far more enjoyable than being an advisor to the Yakuza. I loved the idea of the Mafia and Yakuza, because of the dedication and loyalty that they held toward one another. And I liked their tattoos.
The Mafia was so appealing to me because of how that movie portrayed the life of the mafioso. Living a life of trust, loyalty and a bond of fellowship for a shared cause. As part of the BCA minister’s association, I find a bond of friendship as much as fellowship and it is much better to be a part of this group of nice, sincere fellows and gals, than any group of good fellas.
I began with this passage from the Kyogyoshinsho. It has always been one of my favorite passages. For it expresses our journey as Kaikyoshi. A practice for attaining birth, in order that the process be made continuous, without end and without interruption, by which those who have been born first guide those who come later, and those who are born later join those who were born before. This is so that the boundless ocean of birth and death be exhausted.
These words help me better understand Rev. Dr. Matsumoto’s statement to the BCA Minister’s association as the most important organization in the world, these words have really began to resonate true. I do see this organization as the most important organization in the World. Just as Shinran expressed in the Tannisho, he realized that the vow was for the sake of himself alone. I too realize that this is the important organization in the world to me! Not with cynicism but in reality. For this is my life and Shinran’s words.
The last words of the Kyogyoshinsho speak to what I witness in working with my personal Bodhisattvas, the many men, women of the BCA ministers’ association. Watching and learning from each of you, who daily, are praised by some and very often spoken badly of by others. But continue to embrace them all in sharing the nembutsu teachings.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this organization. The most important in the world.
Please join me in Gassho:
A verse of the Garland Sutra states:
On seeing a bodhisattva
Perform various practices,
Some give rise to a good mind and others a mind of evil,
But the Bodhisattvha embraces them all.
Namo Amida Butsu!