Compassionate Rain

by Rev. Shokai Kanai

There is almost no rain in Southern California for over a half-year period from April to November. Mountain fires burn many acres every year. Once the fire starts, it is hard to control because of the dry plants and strong winds. It continues to burn thousands of acres for several weeks.

Because of the shortage of rain, it is currently dusty and dirty all over the Southern California. The beautiful blue roof tiles of our temple are dirty with dust and smog these days. We need rain!

I would like to talk about the Compassionate Rain, a story in Chapter 5 of the Lotus Sutra as follows:

There are countless number of plants such as trees, shrubs, flowers and weeds in the mountains, forests, woods, deserts, villages, towns and cities on this earth. They all differ in their shapes, sizes, colors and fragrances. Some plants can be a medicine for human beings while others are poisonous.

Suppose a big black cloud appears in the sky and covers the entire planet. Rain starts to fall and all the plants are watered. Rain falls without any difference as to whether the plant is tall, medium or short, has beautiful or ugly flowers, or is a herb or poisonous. Each one of these plants receives just enough water depending on their need.

The cloud and rain are the same as the Buddha. Buddhas Sakyamuni has appeared on this earth like the large cloud. He expounded the Dharma to gods and men just as the large cloud covered all the trees, shrubs, grasses and weeds. The Buddha taught us his teachings with no difference to him or her, the rich or the poor, the Buddhists or the non-Buddhists.

In the preceding chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha lead us to the highest teaching, the Lotus Sutra, step by step, according to the level of our understanding just like the story of the Penniless Man Becomes a Millionaire in Twenty Years. In this chapter, the Buddha reveals that people vary in their education, race, culture and moral behaviors, but his teachings were equally given to all people without any differences.

The parables in the two chapters mean that the Buddha is always trying to lead all living beings equally to Buddhahood although they may need a different step by step guidance.

Some people understand his teachings a lot while others a little. Even though we understand his teachings differently, the Buddha gives us his compassionate teachings equally without discrimination just as the cloud gives rain without discrimination.

Let us try not to discriminate others.

Lotus Sutra Teaching Series

"empty in meaning -- practice w/o joy, life w/o the great vehicle dharma {daijo myohorengekyo}"