When We Walk in the Rain <br> We Get Wet

When We Walk in the Rain We Get Wet

By Rev. Koshin Ogui

Rev. Ogui is currently the resident minister of the Midwest Buddhist Temple. An 18th generation Buddhist priest who has lived in the U.S. for over 35 years, Rev. Ogui now serves as a trustee of the Parliament of World Religions based in Chicago. A contemporary and friend of Zen Masters Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and Eido Shimano Roshi, Rev. Ogui founded the Zen Shin Sangha in 1978 to introduce both Zen and Pure Land Buddhist teachings to Americans. His first book on Buddhism, entitled Zen Shin Talks, has recently been released.

May I be generous and helpful. May I be pure and virtuous. May I be patient. May I be able to bare wrongs about us. May I be strenuous, energetic and perseverant.

May I practice meditation and attain concentration and oneness to serve all beings. May I gain wisdom and be able to give the benefit of my wisdom to others.

Good morning and happy Visakha Day. First of all, I'd like to extend thankfullness to Asayo Horibe, the chairpersons, the Buddhist Council of the Midwest and all her staff members who are so devoted and the committee members who spent time and energy to make this event possible. I am very thankful to Rev. Robert Thompson, senior minister of Lake Street Church, and his staff members and board members who opened this church for this event. I am thankful to all the clergy of different traditions of Buddhist heritage and members and friends who gather this morning to make this event a very meaningful one.

Celebrating first, the birth of Buddha, then, enlightenment, and the day of entering into Nirvana of Sakyamuni Buddha we are able to get together here. To me, recognition of differences is a way of Oneness. We don't have to expect to be the same as others, but we can make an effort to see the differences and acknowledge and respect differences and then, we are able to be united. Not only among Buddhist followers but of all followers of the religions of the world and the citizens of this planet. Buddhist traditions emphasize and recognize the Universal Way of Togetherness, not only among human beings but all sentient beings. Life itself is equally respected by any life.

“I am the most honorable one in heaven and earth” is a proclamation at the birth of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Each one's life, without any questions, is very honored and respected, the most honorable one in this entire universe. The Buddhist teachings emphasize the three treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Wherever people are practicing in their tradition they are always based on the three treasures: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. Dharma is the center of Buddha and Sangha. Sangha is the people who are seeking the Dharma. All the clergies in Buddhist traditions are seeking, practicing and sharing the Dharma. Then, what is Dharma? With my limited understanding I'd like to share some essential parts of Dharma. It is translated into English as ultimate reality, Universal Truth, things as it is, as they are, and so on. But to realize it is another challenge and difficulty. What does it mean to my life?

I am not too serious anymore. Since I passed by age of 55; I decided to take it easy and smile a lot. Once I was young and serious. At a Buddhist monastery, when I was there, I kept asking what is Dharma, what is Universal Truth. Looking at my seriousness, observing my eagerness when I asked these questions to my teacher, he asked me back, “You seem very serious. By the way, did you have breakfast this morning?” I said “Yes sir.” “What did you eat?” he asked.

I thought, “What the heck is he asking me? I'm asking about Universal Truth and he is talking about breakfast.” Who cares about breakfast. He smiled at me and asked “Did you appreciate the breakfast?” I didn't have much time to appreciate the breakfast because I had to do something. “Did you wash the dishes?” he asked. I said “yes sir.” Then he smiled and walked away. That's one of the secrets of Buddhist traditions—don't stay too long. Wise men always leave faster. We really adapt in the struggles and arguments for long hours. We show that we are not wise enough to leave.

But I didn't understand what he was talking about. Then some other time, knowing my seriousness, he asked me to take a letter to his friend, who lived in the next village. It was a rainy day. I was so proud that my teacher asked me, knowing that he recognized me as an excellent student. When I returned, I was so proud of myself, but I was soaking wet. He was waiting at the gate, which surprised me. When I walked through the gate he grabbed me and said “What did you realize, my student?”

I didn't realize anything. I was soaking wet. I wanted to change my clothes. But I was so proud. He asked me again, “What did you realize, my dear student?” I was kind of scared and quiet. Then he smiled with his whole face and said “You think you got wet?”

Then he smiled again and said “When we walk in the rain, we get wet.” I was astonished but couldn't think of anything else deeper. I thought it was a very common, ordinary thing. Everyone knows that when we walk in the rain we get wet.

Then he smiled and said “This is a manifestation of the Universal Truth” and he walked away again. I was left alone and didn't understand what he was talking about.

Now at my age of 59 years old, I can clearly understand what he meant. When we walk in the rain, we get wet. It is a manifestation of Universal Truth. There is no question that whatever I am saying, whatever we practice, whatever we believe, we are getting older, minute by minute. I used to think if I keep eating, I could live forever. When I was working hard and saving money I used to think I could live forever.

Now I realize that whether I am eating or saving money, I am getting older. I don't know what could happen tonight. We commonly say let's do something tomorrow. But when we have a heart attack tonight, there is no tomorrow. As clergy, so many people call me crying on the phone saying my husband died of a heart attack this morning. Even if she was dying of terminal cancer and her husband died early, before her, that happened. When we walk in the rain, we all get wet.

Most of the time, people who are so opinionated or practicing religion are always frustrated by the question “what do we believe.” If you believe, or if you don't believe. Do you believe him and so on. Then we think we are different because what we believe is different. But interestingly, the manifestation of Universal Truth is beyond our belief. I don't have to believe that I am getting old. I don't. But my wife said, my parents said... they don't have to say it. I can see myself in the mirror. I was once 17 years old, you know. I don't have to believe it. I don't have to believe that I get wet when I walk in the rain. I am stubborn enough. I don't have to believe it. But, I get wet when I walk in the rain.

Teacher might say keep walking, keep walking in the rain. You'll realize it. Truth is always manifest beyond our belief. So please do not get frustrated by the question what do we believe. Universal Truth—Dharma is always manifested in our life.

Some of the God—believers are frustrated by whether we believe in God or not. Don't worry about it. God believes in us. So Universal Truth is always manifest in our life. Why not relax, practice meditation, or look around? See the flowers are blooming, birds are singing and I am getting old. Things are so it is, so they are.

The Universal Truth is manifested in our life. I am living in the Dharma. I am Dharma itself.

That is my sharing this morning, celebrating the birth, enlightenment and passing into Nirvana of Sakyamuni Buddha. I am honored to share my limited wisdom with all the clergy and friends of the Universal Truth.

Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from a Dharma talk Rev. Ogui gave during the 1999 Visakha Festival's religious service in Chicago. The Visakha Festival is sponsored by the Buddhist Council of the Midwest.

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