The Lost Buddha of Saipan (サイパン島を失った仏像) Part 1

(photo; DOD/USMC)

"The three of us sat down in a sacred park near by on the edge of a cement fence built around a pedestaled, steel-shelled Buddha which had suffered considerably from shell fragments--hits in the chest and behind the right ear. We opened a pack of K rations for breakfast. We had hardly dug into the can of pork and egg yolk when a bullet whizzed close overhead. We hit the dirt behind fence..." "World Battlefronts" TIME Magazine , July 17, 1944

Life is full of odd coincidences. I was paging through a Japanese language photographic history entitled the Battle of Saipan ( サイパンの戦い - Saipan no Tatakai ) when I came across a remarkable picture of two Marines taking a break during the fight for the city of Garapan in front of a large metal Buddha atop a granite or cement stelle. This monument had been fenced off to form a small memorial park. From the smoking wreckage in the background it was evident that the battle for the city was still going on or had just ended when the photo was snapped. It appeared that the Buddha statue had survived the fighting mostly intact. I could make out some Japanese kanji on the front of the monument. I could barely make out the hand mudra of the statue and it appeared to be that of Shakyamuni Buddha. The top on the stelle on which the figure sat had been fashioned into a lotus seat...a wonderful artistic feature that added an almost art nouveau touch.

Totally fascinated by this unique Buddha, I began searching through every blog and online travel diary that I could find hoping to find some additional information on this unique memorial. I ordered other histories of the Saipan campaign as well as general histories of the Mariana Islands. I spent hours going through photo lists. Still nothing. This statue seemed to have disappeared from the pages of history after the USMC photograph had been taken.

But what exactly had happened to it?

Had it been carried back to the USA as war booty? Was it sitting in a war museum someplace? Had it been returned to Japan after the war? And most importantly; where was it now?

In frustration I fired off a series of emails to the Saipan Division of Historic Preservation and waited...

To be continued...

Impermanence

My wife and I and a friend had dropped by a party at the home of a co-worker. We were settling in for a pleasant time and meeting many new people under the shade of an ancient oak tree. Then the sound of a loud crash resounded in the air. In a nearby intersection a large touring motorcycle and a compact car had collided head-on. Sprinting to the scene I found that the two motorcycle passengers, a man and a woman (both helmet less) were both unconscious, but breathing and with no serious bleeding. The car driver was sitting in a daze on the sidewalk with no visible injuries. Fortunately, some medically trained people were in the crowd and could take charge of the injured.

Seeing the need for quick access to the scene by emergency crews I immediately began to direct traffic through the intersection to keep the area clear. Being a Sunday, traffic was quite heavy and people naturally slow down to see what is going on. Even after police and EMT arrived they had trouble taking over the scene due to lack of manpower. I was encouraged to stay at my post and continue traffic control. The last time I had done this sort of thing was in the guard many years ago...I think it the odd sight of an old grey haired guy in civies directing traffic did much to shock people into compliance. I returned to the party almost two hours later, dehydrated and thoroughly shaken.

The lesson of impermanence had been driven home in a very direct manner. In seconds our warm dreamlike illusion of permanence and security can be ripped away. In an instant our lives can be changed. We are continually treading the razor edge between life and death but we refuse to even acknowledge it.

No deaths but lives forever changed for the worse by severe injury and trauma. Accidents will happen but let's try to be safe out there gang. Wear your seat belt...wear your helmet...and operate your vehicle in a manner that will avoid suffering to yourself or others.

Monju Bosatsu (Monjushiri - 文殊師利 )

Monju Bosatsu riding a mythical Shishi

Western practitioners of Buddhism often shy away from the more sacramental aspects of the faith, feeling only comfortable with the philosophical and historical. For this reason the study of the bodhisattvas as divine instructors and guardians is often belittled or ignored.

Whether you view these beings as quaint folklore, archetypes to be held up as an inner ideal, or as real entities that exist on some other level of reality, this study is worthwhile to all practitioners of all schools. Americans are familiar with Kannon and Jizo, but often are overwhelmed by the complexity of Buddhist iconography from all countries in Asia.

Monjushiri (Monju) Bosatsu is one of the bodhisattvas that are often overlooked. In Sanskrit his name is Manjushri or Manjunatha. In Chinese he is Wenshu Pusa. This "Bodhisattva Beautiful Lord of Supreme Wisdom" represents the wisdom of the Buddha...the personification of his teachings. He and Fugen Bosatsu (Samantabhadra Bodhisattva - Skt.) are the bodhisattva attendants most often associated with Shakyamuni Buddha (forming a trinity).

Monju Bosatsu is most often depicted as carrying a sutra scroll in the left hand and a "sword of wisdom" in his right. In Japanese art the sword will be held upright...in Tibetan art it is often shown being swung above the head as if to actively strike down ignorance and delusion. Many times he is shown riding on a lion (or shishi) that represents the ability of Buddhism to overcome every obstacle.

As the Bodhisattva of wisdom and insight, Monju Bosatsu appears in many of the Mahayana sutras such as the Flower Garland Sutra and the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. Some sutras refer to him as a teacher of the Buddhas.

Monju Bosatsu appears in the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra where he answers Miroku's (Maitreya Bodhisattva) questions about the ray of light emitted by Shakyamuni Buddha that portends the teaching of the sutra. More significantly, he appears in the middle of chapter 12 ("Devadatta") arriving from the palace of the Dragon King Sagara which was located under the ocean. There he had been teaching the Lotus Sutra. When questioned on how many he has preached to, uncountable numbers of Bodhisattvas spring up out of the sea. He is questioned further on the ability of those practicing the Lotus Sutra to attain Buddhahood. Monju Bosatsu then tells them of the 8 year of daughter of Dragon King Sagara who is a dedicated and earnest practitioner. Some in the gathering are skeptical, proclaiming the route to Buddhahood to be long, difficult and only possible for males. At this point the daughter of the Dragon King immediately appears before the assembly and proceeds to demonstrate the instant attainment of Buddhahood...showing that Buddhahood is accessible to all living beings irrespective of their physical form. Later, Monju Bosatsu also appears in chapter 14 and Chapter 24 of the stura.

Monju Bosatsu does not seem to have any special abode or location of manifestation. In the Chinese version of the Flower Garland Sutra he is believed to have his earthly abode on Mount Wu-T'ai ( Wutaishan ) in the province of Shanxi which became of center of veneration to him. From here he was introduced to Japan by the monk Ennin (794-864 AD) who visited this area during his travels in China.

Monju Bosatsu is one of the 13 major deities of Shingon practice. In the Tendai sect he is a deity of the kitchen. His image is found in the meditation halls of most Zen temples and his name is found on the Gohonzon of the Nichiren schools. He even appears in the Theravadan tradition as one of the ten disciples of the Historical Buddha (identified with Shariputra).

It is said that today in China and Japan his popularity has diminished, but he remains one of the more popular bodhisattvas. Even today students in Japan still invoke his name for help in passing examinations. In the Chinese zodiac, if you were born in the Year of the Rabbit (1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 etc.) then Monju is your patron deity.

Nichiren Shu Summer Retreat in New Hampshire

The Nichiren Order of North America (Nichiren Shu) will be holding its 2009 retreat in the New England area. The host will be the Nichiren Buddhist Sangha of Greater New England of Haverhill, MA. The retreat will be held from July 31 to August 7 ( Friday to Friday) at the Aryaloka Buddhist Center in Newmarket, New Hampshire.

While focused on practice, there will also be lectures and discussions for beginner and advanced students. If you have only been to Zen retreats you will find Nichiren Shu events very different as they are called the "noisy Buddhists" and place great emphasis on chanting, drumming etc.
There will be much chanting of the Lotus Sutra and their "Shodaigyo" meditation is a form of deep (and loud) chanting. There will also be quieter practices like "Shakyo" ( meditative sutra copying) and "Shabutsu" (copying the image of the Buddha). And for the hardy there will be traditional Japanese "Suigyo" water purification. For further information visit the NBSGNE retreat web site at:

http://www.nichiren-shu.org/boston/pages/retreat.htm

or you can call the Rev. Faulconer (617-314-7782). Since NONA has rarely had events in the New England region this will be great for people who have had little experience with traditional Nichiren Shu practice (in Japan this sect is actually larger than the Zen schools!).

Is Maine the "Inari" State?

Fox statue at the Fushimi Inari shrine complex Inari Yama, Kyoto

It is a historical fact that residents of the state of Maine in the 19th Century were referred to as "foxes" due to the large numbers of red foxes seen in the forests and fields. Well it sounds a bit more romantic than "Mainers" or even the current "Mainiacs".

In Japan Inari is the Shinto god of the rice harvest and foxes are considered his messengers. In spring they naturally come down into the rice fields in search of mice and are considered an auspicious sign. Foxes are often portrayed carrying a "cintamani" jewel on their tails or in their mouths. Sometimes they will have the key to a rice storehouse clasped in their jaws like the one pictured above. In Maine they are also a harbinger of spring and can be seen in the fields even before the snow is gone hunting mice and voles.

Although common in Shinto belief the fox also appears with syncretic deities like Izuna Daigongen (飯綱大権現) who is pictured riding a fox and who has many of the attributes of both the the Buddhist Fudo Myo and the Shinto Tengu.

A Zen Retreat in Central Maine

The Treetop Zen Center in central Maine follows the Soto Lineage. They have announced that their Spring week-long retreat will be held from June 14 to June 21. So if you live near the Waterville / Oakland area in Maine be sure to contact them for full details:

Treetop Zen Center
293 Country Club Road Oakland, Maine 04963
207-465-7563
treetopzen@earthlink.net
www.treetopzencenter.org

Shingon in Maple Syrup Land - Mandala Vermont

Kōbō-Daishi 弘法大師

I have always had a fascination with Japanese Shingon Buddhism so I was very surprised to find a group in Vermont that practices in this esoteric school. They are under the guidance of the Rev. Ajari Jomyo Tanaka, who visits yearly, usually in the fall. Their next retreat under his guidance is scheduled for September of this year. You can find out more about Mandala Vermont at their updated website:

http://www.mandalavermont.org/index.html

They have added a lot of new links and information. Would love to visit their retreat but will be busy with my own temple's retreat around this time. I have fond memories of attending a goma ritual at Takahata Fudo temple outside of Tokyo. So if you live in this corner of New England you might want to check them out.