Speech

It was too good for me to get it.

In Japan, everybody tells me that I don’t look like a minister because of my hair.

So I recommend this hairstyle.

I also recommend that if you want this hair style, you should ask your parents first before going to hair salon.

Kusunoki and all of you who gave me this great opportunity to share my Dharma message.

Today, I’d like to share with you about one of Buddha’s teachings.

Buddha says that “life is suffering”.

But, it is not negative.

Have you ever had the feeling that things are going against you?

Sometimes we have difficulty with human relations, sometimes we fail at school, and so on.

As for me... Before I came here, I was thinking that I would get a girlfriend within three months.

Although I’ve only been in America for three months. Thanks to American food, I got fat rather than the girlfriend!

Do you know this? +unnecessary+

But I can’t live there, because humans can’t breathe under the sea.

And also, I wanted my life to be energetic and optimistic like his.

When I was in junior high school, I belonged to the tennis club.

I practiced [my serve/backhand/forehand] very hard every day, because my tennis coach was severe.

My goal was to be the #1 tennis player in Japan.

Although I was an amateur, when I was in the last Summer of junior high school, I won the first prize in the national tennis tournament in Japan.

I became vain because their praises had puffed me up.

However,they gradually stopped making such a fuss.

That made me sad because I thought if I achieved my goal, I would attain happiness and it would last forever.

However, after winning the game, I could not stop the feelings of pain and suffering.

One day, I listened to the Dharma speaking at temple.

The story was that "life is suffering".

It brought me back to reality.

After that I finally realized that no matter how hard I work, life was going against my ideals, which means we cannot have our own way in everything.

Even though I accomplished my goal, I didn’t feel satisfied.

Also, we can't escape the reality of death.

Thank you for that great introduction, Candice.

It was too good for me to get it.

In Japan, everybody tells me that I don’t look like a minister because of this funky hair. [Funky is very informal of course -- not offensive, just informal, which is what I think you were going for.]

So I recommend this hairstyle.

I also recommend that if you want to have this hair style, you should ask your parents first before going to the hair salon.

First of all, I would like to thank Rev. say thank you to Rev.

Today, I’d like to share with you some thoughts about one of some of Buddha's words.

Specifically, Buddha's statement that “life is suffering”.

But, it is not just negative. [Personally I think this is okay.]

It expresses a reality of human life.

Have you ever felt that everything is going against you?

Sometimes we have difficulty with human relationships, sometimes we fail at school, and so on.

Myself, before I came here, I was expecting that I would find a girlfriend within three months.

I would rephrase this to make the joke clearer: Unfortunately, I’ve already been in America more than three months, and still no girlfriend. What I have gotten, however, is fat, thanks to American food!

It’s true.

When I was in high school, I discovered him and I wanted to live in a pineapple house like him.

But I can’t live there because we humans can’t breathe under the sea.

And also, I wanted to have an energetic and optimistic life like his.

A better transition may be: I'm reminded of my junior high school life.

When I was in junior high school, I belonged to a tennis club.

I practiced in tennis very hard every day because my tennis coach was severe. [You don't have to say serve, backhand or anything like that like Chuggo suggested.]

I dreamed of becoming the number one tennis player in Japan.

Although at first I was a beginner, in my last summer of junior high school, I won the first prize in a national tennis tournament in Japan.

I became conceited because their praises had puffed me up.

However, gradually, the fuss began to calm down.

That made me sad because I thought if I achieved that goal, I would attain happiness that would last for a long time.

However, after winning the game, I remained a feeling of pain and suffering remained with me.

One day, I listened to a Dharma speak at a temple.

The message was about Buddha's statement, "life is suffering."

It woke me up to the reality of things.

After that, I finally realized that no matter how much I did my best to achieve my goals, life was sometimes going to go against my ideals, which means I would not always have my own way in everything.

Even though I accomplished my goal, I wasn't satisfied.

It was an experience that caused me to learn something about reality.

You may have each experienced something that has led you to come to know a similar reality in your lives.

Truly, your suffering would remain, even if you achieved your goals.

Buddha tells us that life is suffering, which is a realization about how I am living my life now, and a revelation of my true ego or ignorance.

Buddha's wish is to save us from this world of suffering.

The way of Jodo Shinshu way is to live with our suffering.

Also, another reality we can’t escape is death.

“Everybody dies,” “Life is finite,” these are an unchangeable and inescapable realities for all human beings.

By continuously listening to the Dharma, we come to realize the reality of our existence or our lives.

Dharma enables us to awaken to the true reality of our situation.

Then someday, you will encounter opportunity to find a way to a way to live positively in this impermanent world.

I hope my message will touch you many of you as much as possible.