What Is Buddhism?

The West Covina Buddhist Temple belongs to the Jodo Shinshu (joh-doh-sheen-shoo, or "Shin" for short) sect of Buddhism, which was brought to America originally by the first generation of Japanese immigrants around 100 years ago. However, the basic teachings of Buddhism go all the way back to the Buddha himself, who was born around 2500 years ago in the area now known as Nepal. One of the most basic teachings of the Buddha is impermanence. This is the fundamental truth that all life is always moving, flowing and changing. Buddhists call this truth the Dharma.

Buddha awakened to the Dharma of impermanence while meditating under a Bodhi tree. The Dharma, or truth, humbled him; he saw that his own life was fleeting. But he also realized that not just he himself, but that all living things - his loved ones, the bird, the tree - would someday also be destroyed by impermanence, and he felt great compassion for every living thing, and saw that all life is interdependent. He also saw that we suffer because we tend to consider our "self" (our ego or identity) as something that is fixed and permanent, but that this puts us in conflict with the truth of impermanence. When the inevitable changes occur to us or to our loved ones - such as aging, illness or death - we may find ourselves asking "What did I do to deserve this?," or "Why me?" Upon awakening to the Dharma, he devoted his entire life to helping all people also awaken to the truth and end their suffering.

All Buddhists join their hands together and bow their heads in deference to the Dharma. Shin Buddhists call this act gassho. In addition, as we bow, we say "Namu Amida Butsu" (naw-moo-ah-mee-dah-boot-soo). "Namu" indicates the attitude of the humble student or seeker of the truth; "Amida Butsu" means the Dharma of impermance (truth). Thus, "Namu Amida Butsu" essentially means "Bow to the Dharma." If we imagine our head as a "cup" which is currently full of our self-centeredness, the act of bowing "empties our cup" so that it can then be filled with the Dharma (truth). This is the essence of the Buddhist awakening.