REVENGE OF THE SITH AND JODO SHINSHU

One commentary.- Rev. John Iwohara

“You were supposed to be the chosen one!” were the final words of Obi Wan Kenobi as he left Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vadar, to die on the molten world of Mustafar. This climax to the film occurs with the transformation of the Jedi Knight (the good guys) Anakin Skywalker into the Sith (the bad guys) Darth Vadar. Although there were external circumstances that aided in this transformation into the dark side of the Sith, the choices made by Anakin were all his to make. At each turn we were allowed to see the inner struggle Anakin had in making the choices that he made, choices that all could have been made differently. The inner struggle that Anakin battled with, however, existed only because Anakin knew that he had choices, and despite knowing this still made choices that could only lead to the dark side. In the final scene, for example, Obi Wan and Anakin were in the middle of a life and death light saber (sword) fight while floating on a river of molten lava. During this struggle, Obi Wan was able to get off the floating platform the two were struggling on and get onto dry land before Anakin was able to.

 

 

 

 

 

During the ensuing face off, Obi Wan warns his ward not to continue with the struggle because he has the higher ground and an insurmountable advantage. Despite this direct warning from his teacher, Anakin continues the fight with dire consequences to himself. As stated earlier, at the conclusion of this struggle Anakin was left to die on the molten world without his arms or his legs. Although his evil mentor, Darth Sidious, would later save his physical life, Anakin Skywalker could not escape the hell he himself created that would be lived as the life of Darth Vadar. In becoming Darth Vadar, we are led to see that Anakin was blind to his own passions and always ready to blame others or circumstances. He never considered his own responsibility for the situation he was in.

Each and every one of us creates his or her own world, and although we would probably not like to identify ourselves with Darth Vadar he is probably the character that Shinran Shonin would most closely identify himself with. For example, in the Chapter on Faith in his Kyogyoshinsho, Shinran Shonin quotes the following passage:

“One is to believe deeply and decidedly that you are a foolish being of karmic evil caught in birth-and-death, ever sinking and ever wandering in transmigration from innumerable kalpas in the past, with never a condition that would lead to emancipation.” (Collected Works of Shinran, p. 85)

Again, in the Tannisho, Shinran Shonin is quoted as having said: “But I am incapable of any other practice, so hell is decidedly my abode whatever I do.” (Collected Works of Shinran, p. 662). Although Darth Vadar is eventually saved by the faith his son, Luke Skywalker, has in him, how did Shinran Shonin live his life to be revered as a Shonin and not feared or abhorred like Darth Vadar? For example, his idea that his life was fit for hell is in marked contrast to a fundamental Mahayana Buddhist concept of “All Sentient Beings Have Buddha Nature.” Instead of emphasizing this, Shinran Shonin took a more “negative” view of human life. How could this be popular? In looking at our own lives, however, how often do we think of this Buddha Nature of ours? Do we ever try to nurture it? Instead, do we tend not to fall short of our potential and hear instead a remorseful voice shouting, “You were supposed to be the chosen one”? This was, I believe, the voice that Shinran Shonin heard. What are we to do?

 

We, like Anakin Skywalker, are blind to our passions partially because of our fear. It is the fear of not being accepted, the fear of not being appreciated, the fear of not living to one’s potential, and the fear of failure. Shinran Shonin, too, like myself, like many, has these fears. What did Shinran Shonin do? This doubt that Shinran Shonin felt in his own heart was transcended by the heart of Compassion, the heart of the Buddha. It is the heart of the Buddha that says, “I will not take Enlightenment, unless all are able to be born in my land.” It is hearing this promise of the Buddha that allowed Shinran Shonin to say:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Wholly sincere, indeed, are the words of truth that one is grasped, never to be abandoned, the right dharma all-surpassing and wondrous! Hear and reflect, and let there be no wavering or apprehension.” (Collected Works of Shinran, p. 4)

Through these words, we too can discover a world that transcends fear. Instead of fear, we anticipate a world of beauty, a world of Enlightenment, a Pure Land shared with a Buddha. In that anticipation, Shinran Shonin shows us a world of joy, a world of sharing, and the world of appreciation: Shinran Shonin has showed us the world of the Nembutsu, a life we can live and share, here and now.

Rev. Iwohara is the head Minister at Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

 

 

 

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