The Training Course at the Buddhist Academy
“I Never Imagined There Would Be a Place Like This in the Ephemeral World We Live.”
We have received letters from our Dharma friends who have completed the training course at Gakuin, The Buddhist Academy. Let us introduce some of them.
“I have never imagined there would be a place like this in the ephemeral world we live in,” Kiichi Tabata said after he completed a short training course at the Academy. The lecturers themselves cooked for the participants and cleaned up the kitchen in order to maximize the lecture time. When it was cold at night, they even prepared hot-water bottle especially for the elderly. “It was really unusual that the lecturers themselves showed so much concern about our food and comfort at the Academy. I had never experienced a training course like this before. I could not get enough sleep because of anxiety before going to the Buddhist Academy. But after I completed the training course, I still couldn’t sleep but this time out of joy and excitement. I was worried whether I could do the same activities as youngsters… That was the only concern I had. However, there was nothing to be worried about after all.”
Because Life’s Purpose is Important, I Make Efforts to Get Along With Others.
“I have to admit that I had difficulty getting along with others. I firmly believed that happiness was to be with people who share the same likes and dislikes and values as I do,” says Hidenori Miyoshi from Tokyo.
“However, what I learned from the training course was totally different from what my common sense told me. Getting along with others is of most importance because of the importance of the purpose of life. I heard that Wagoso wo mamoru – making efforts to get along well especially with Dhamra friends is important. It was a life-changing experience.” “And also,” he added, “I kind of disliked cleaning up just because I felt it to be compulsory. I thought it’s good enough to just clean when the need arises. However, I learned that cleaning and organizing our belongings are the basics when we listen to Buddhism. I would like to change my behavior in order to be a person who can be trusted. I was amazed to learn that my daily life can be devoted to seeking the truth if I put my mind to it.”
Shinran Followers’ Hearts Overflowed by Kindness “I Want to Come Again Next Year”
“When I came to such a clean environment as the Buddhist Academy I realized for the first time about my own image,” says Yayoe Sakurai from Osaka. “I understood that I’m not even doing some ordinary chores properly. After I returned to Osaka I held a meeting with my family in order to change our daily life habits and be able to continue the practices I had learned at the Academy.”
“Also, people who went with me were very nice from the beginning till the end and I appreciate the time we spent together. I once participated in a sports camp, training my children to play kendo and baseball. Usually when many people get together some problems arise in how people relate to others, but there was none of that at the Buddhist Academy. There were all Shinran followers whose hearts overflowed with kindness and I felt very happy that I could become one of them. “I would like to come here next year too,” I told the woman who shared the same room with me.”
Source: The Buddhist Village Times #29 | 2013, The Training Course at the Buddhist Academy
Like our FB page: www.facebook.com/InternationalBuddhistAcademy/ Visit our website: www.purelandschool.com
Source image: Free Wix Images
The Buddhist Village Times #29
