This message was originally prepared for Dharma school students when I attended Hanamatsuri in Steveston Buddhist Temple. After I came back from their Hanamatsuri, I was asked to put this message on Bodhi Mind.
I want to bring up a very important point about Buddhism. That point is “What we choose in life…is most important…?”
Learning to choose…making good choices…will eventually create the life that you have. When we are very young, making a choice might seem pretty simple. Do I want Vanilla or Orange Sherbet? Shall we watch Samurai Jack or Sponge Bob? Whatever you decide will be just fine. However, as we get older, our decisions become more and more important. Shall I spend more time studying for the test or play my new video game? Shall I try to finish my assignments or go to the mall? It may not seem very important at the time, but all along, we are learning to choose. We are exercising our will. We are testing our values, exploring and finding out what is really important to us.
Often when I meet with groups of teenagers and young adults from visiting Junior High, High Schools, or Universities, I will say to them, “You are now entering that time of your lives…when you will be making truly life shaping decisions. More than just important, the decisions you make may even alter the course of your life. Your decisions may have consequences so significant…your life may never be the same.
You AND only YOU can make those life choices. Your folks and family may not be there to remind you or guide you. It will be all on YOU. Shall I accept an offer for a ride home from a friend that’s been drinking or a classmate that wants to race his car on the streets? It’s pretty easy to imagine how serious the consequences can be.
The Choices we make can be Life Shaping. And as we are taught in Buddhism, the only way to make truly meaningful decisions is to first “Know Yourself.”
I’ve heard this from another minister, and he said, “There is only One Person you truly need to meet in your Life. And that Person…is YOU. To meet and truly come to know…the most Genuine Person that You Are”.
What in Buddhism, we call, “The True and Real Self….the True and Real Human Being within”. And when you begin to know that person within that is not concerned with what is cool or what is popular; that person that will do what they know is the most genuinely human and decent thing to do. Then you will find yourself capable of making decisions that will give you a chance at experiencing a most fulfilling life.
It’s not always easy. And we may not always quite know what the best thing for us to do is. As some of you have heard me mention before. My father wanted all of his children to play an instrument. His Choice for his son ,Tatsuya, was for me to play the piano. My folks also wanted me to become a school teacher. Instead, I choose to eventually study Buddhism, pursue the Dharma, and here I am.
We may not always know what we want to do with our lives. I certainly didn’t…not for many years. But for our students here today, the best and wisest decision I’ve come to feel…is to just continue to study and do the best you can in school.
Why? So that you can eventually get into a College or University.
Why? Because the College and University campuses are the largest marriage bureaus in the world. Number One on the List of places people meet their future Husband or Wife.
So you must choose your College wisely. That one decision can be life shaping in many, many ways. Where to live, what to study, who to date. And if you’re not sure what career path to pursue, don’t worry about it; just keep going. Keep in mind that the average college student changes their major three times. Even after college…as long as we continue to learn new things and grow…we expand our opportunities to create our own fulfillment in life.
Buddhism is all about…Knowing Yourself…so that we can make better choices…that will give us a chance to find Happiness in Life.
Namo Amida Butsu
Tatsuya Aoki
