On a recent Sunday afternoon, someone made a special delivery of an Ikeda’s Blueberry cobbler.
Unfortunately, Linda and I were not at home to properly receive such a delicious dessert. However, one of our sons was home.
When we asked, “Who brought it?” he replied, “I’m not sure.” “What did they look like?” I asked.
“You know, an elderly woman, black hair, glasses,” he described.
“Well at least you eliminated half of the temple members, the males at least,” I retorted. “What else? Is she a temple member? How come you didn’t ask for her name?”
“Cuz, I think I’m supposed to know who this person is.”
Obviously, my son was embarrassed and felt badly. And we too, are embarrassed and feel badly that we are not able give proper thanks to whoever was thoughtful enough to bring us that delicious blueberry cobbler.
Whoever it was, please know that it was deeply appreciated and gone very quickly.
Thank you.
As I reflect upon this situation, I realize that my life (all of our lives) is truly the result of infinite lives. Some I can recognize and acknowledge. With others, I have no direct contact and thus cannot “see” their influence upon my life. And because I cannot see or fail to see, I do not extend my appreciation, as I should. But if I truly think about it, those indirect connections are also very important.
Some time ago, I watched a TV show called, “Dirty Jobs.” The host of the show goes to a variety of locations to try his hand at a “dirty,” messy, disgusting jobs that probably most of us would avoid at all possible costs. One job included making fireworks–handling the fine dusts of explosives that burst into brilliant colors. Another job was working on a chicken farm where he not only had to sort eggs but also had to clean the bottom of the chicken pens with a tractor. The episode that struck me most was where the host had to clean Porta Potties.
Many of us have had to use a Porta Potty at some point in our lives. We have seen them at outdoor concerts, little league baseball tournaments, and art and wine festivals. We even have to have them at our Obon Festival.
I usually try to avoid them. One summer, I went to an Earth Wind and Fire Concert in Berkeley. While we were waiting to meet our friends at the entrance, I thought I should go to the bathroom before the concert started. Unfortunately, the only toilet outside the Amphitheater was a Porta Potty. As I approached the Porta Potty, I realized that I wasn’t the only one that had to go. A line of about 5 or 6 people were in front of me. As we patiently waited our turn, we all joked about how we hate using them. Some people were very quick. Others took a long time.
Finally, it was my turn to go. I walked in and couldn’t believe the condition it was in. It was so messy and smelly. If I could have, I would have walked right back out and went in the bushes. After I finished I walked out, and right away I said to the next person in line, “It wasn’t me that made the mess in there.”
So as I was watching the TV show, I could totally relate to the host who “voluntarily” had to clean the Porta Potty. He had to scrub the walls around the top of the toilet, pump out all the stuff inside. And as he was doing so, he was gagging and retching. I finally had to change the channel.
After seeing the show, I realized, “Somebody has to clean them.” Usually we try to avoid the Porta Potties; and if we have to use them we hope that they have just been cleaned. Ultimately, we know that they will be used and they will get dirty.
To clean a Porta Potty is a “Dirty Job.” It is not glamorous work, but it has to get done. Perhaps, this example of the Porta Potty is a bit extreme, but is it not the same for people who come to take our garbage, bus our tables at restaurants, cook our food, fix our plumbing or simply bring us little gifts of blueberry cobbler? These are the people who live and work beyond our direct sight as if in the shadows of our existence.
One of my teachers, Rev. Kosho Yukawa, tells the story of a man who thought that his shadow was his most useless possession. So when a merchant offered to buy it, the man gladly sold it thinking that at least he made a profit out of something so useless. Shortly thereafter, everyone who saw this man without his shadow thought that he looked strange and eerie. He seemed to be a ghost and so out of fear, they avoided him at all cost.
As no one can live all alone, the man was found dead not too long after.
We truly live our lives owing so much to the effort of others. The Japanese use the expression o kage sama de. Kage literally means shadow. The O and sama are honorific expression thus indicating a person other than one’s self. De means because of.
So in other words, o kage sama de means because of your shadow (efforts) I am able to live. This truly represents the sentiment behind the Buddha’s teaching that all life is interdependent.
In order to see the shadows that embrace our lives, we need the light of wisdom. This light of wisdom helps us become aware that our lives exist beyond our own.
The brighter the light, the darker the shadows become allowing us to truly become aware that our lives are truly enriched by the shadows of others.
Let us enjoy the light and warmth of Wisdom and Compassion as Spring approaches.
Gassho,
Rev. Dean