In my last essay I said flatly, “We cannot expect flowering herbs to become towering oak trees.” Before I leave Chapter 5 and the Simile of the Herbs I want to take one last bite out of this topic in answer to those who would argue that there are right and wrong practices and a need for practicers to adhere to proper actions, especially when new in faith.
When I was in high school, I joined the cross country running team. I chose cross country because that was the only team that accepted everyone. All the coach cared about was your willingness to complete the 2.1 mile course. With work and perseverance, I became good enough to co-captain the junior varsity team, but I never possessed the fluid ease displayed by the varsity team runners.
In the off season I was expected to run track. I hated track. I could run up hills and across streams and down into valleys and back up the hills, but eight times around the flat, quarter-mile track – that was unbearable.
One season of track was enough. When track season came around the next year, I told the coach I would just practice distance running on my own and join him for the next cross country season. The coach said if I didn’t run track, I couldn’t be on the cross country team. So I quit running, took up smoking and drinking and spent most of my senior year at the beach. I did so poorly in my first year of junior college that there was no way I could defer the draft board’s interest in me. I escaped the Army by joining the Navy and replaced a ground tour of Vietnam with an 11-month cruise in the Gulf of Tonkin.
In pushing one practice over another, in criticizing in any way the sincere intent of another, we smother the flame of faith, especially in those new to the Lotus Sutra. I would never suggest someone must practice as I do, especially my 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra practice. Rev. Igarashi at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church never urges others to emulate his practice of reciting a full fascicle of the Lotus Sutra at each of his three daily services.
Nichiren stressed the importance of the Daimoku for a reason. My hourlong morning service and hourlong evening service is no more important than a single, heartfelt Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Rather than attempting to force all of the round pegs into square ritual structures, we would be much more helpful encouraging sincere, good intentions and emulating the Buddha:
“I am not tired of giving
The rain of the Dharma to all living beings.
I have no partiality for them,
Whether they are noble or mean,
Whether they observe or violate the precepts,
Whether they live a monastic life or not,
Whether they have right or wrong views,
Whether they are clever or dull.“Those who hear the Dharma from me
Will reach various stages
[Of enlightenment]
According to their capacities.”
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