REASON OF ONE'S BIRTH
by Rev. Shokai Kanai of the Nichiren Buddhist Temple

Have you ever wondered, "Why I was born?" "Where did I come from?" "What is the purpose of my living?"

One day, Sunday school children visited a nursing home in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of the children was shocked to see so many old people in wheel chairs or walkers. The child was raised in environment where she had not seen the elderly. The old men and women's eyes were sunken and watery, their limbs were shaking, their mouths were slobbery, and they could scarcely talk. That night she had a nightmare.

The founder of Buddhism had the same experience. When Siddhartha Gautama was born, his father invited a prophet to foresee the new-born baby's destiny. The sage told the king that two pathways were open before the feet of the prince; he would either become a mighty king wisely ruling all of India, or else he would leave his palace and become the Supreme Buddha.

In order that his son should not become a Buddha, the king surrounded him with every pleasure and amusement, choosing for him only young and happy playmates, and keeping him carefully away from all knowledge of sadness. So the prince grew up to manhood in a pleasant seclusion without once setting foot beyond the palace wall.

One day when the prince was over 20 years old, he was finally allowed to go out of the castle. There, he watched three kinds of sadness; a sick man, an aged man, and a funeral procession. All of which he had never seen before. The prince wondered why they suffered, whether he would suffer like theme too, and what was the solution for these sufferings of old age, illness, and death.

Thus, the mental struggle went on in his mind. The only way to find the answers was to renounce the pleasant life and to become a monk. So he left his lovely wife and child, and also parents to pursue the monastic life. After six years of ascetic practice, the suppression of the human body and passion, he finally attained Enlightenment and became the Buddha.

What he found was Nirvana, a way to stop the cycle of birth and death. Once we are born, we are subject of old age and death. If we are not born, we would never get old nor die. Whether you wish to be born again or not, as long as you have karma, you will be born in cycle of rebirth in the six realms such as hell, hungry spirits, animals, quelling, ordinary human beings, and heaven. Each birth should be improvement into higher realm until we reach to Nirvana; however, we may continue rebirth back and forth. Our states of mind evolve sometimes but also degenerate sometimes depending on our daily conducts, thought, and spoken words.

In the "Yokuryoshu" of The Lotus Sutra says:
"The Buddhas appear in this worlds in order to OPEN the gate to the insight of the Buddha and to cause them to purify themselves, in order to SHOW the insight of the Buddha to all living beings, in order to cause all living beings to OBTAIN the insight of the Buddha, and in order to cause all living begins to ENTER the way to the insight of the Buddha."

It was the sole reason that the Buddha Sakyamuni was born in this world to preach the FOUR INSIGHTS of the Buddha.The reason why we were born is to improve our own karma and improve our living styles mentally, spiritually, and physically. We are living to accomplish these tasks generation to generation. So your descendants must be in a better situation.

As we celebrate Buddha Sakyamuni's birthday, let us remember the purpose of his birth and think of our own purpose in our lives on this earth.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo - Namu Myoho Renge Kyo - Namu Myoho Renge Kyo