It is not by chance that the image of Old Chang Kung should hang in many Chinese kitchens. Kitchens are after all sacred places. Just think of your own kitchen and how people tend to gravitate toward that room. People like to be around food and to take part in its preparation. Our lives are fueled by the consumption of nutrients. Eating is a pleasurable experience filled with texture and tastes. So, I find the idea of a Kitchen God compelling.

The function of this God is to remind the family gathered there of one simple word that contributes to the peace and happiness of any household: "Kindness". Ruth shared with us how the Kitchen God is said to watch over the actions of the family members and is burned in order to deliver an annual report to Heaven. This ritual is a Taoist devotional act, part of the traditional practice of having a home altar in China. The story is included in the Holidays and Holy Days curriculum that the 2nd and 3rd grade class is following this year and is timely in the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God demonstrates the use of the material in order to express a spiritual ideal. Every religion has its rituals and symbols. Through material objects, images and houses of worship, human beings give form to the formless. Religious art embodies human principles and aspirations. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy travel. Greater insight is gained through direct encounter than words alone can impart.

On May 27th, 1997, I found myself on an eleven and a half hour flight to Japan. I had never dreamed that I would be making such a trip! My adventures all began with a course entitled "East Asian Religious Heritage" at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA where I studied to become a minister. The class was a survey of Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Buddhism. A team of three professors who each had an area of expertise taught the course.

On the very first day, Professor Nakasone handed out a flyer describing a Wisdom Tour that he was leading at the end of the school year. The destinations were Kyoto and Nara, the areas that have preserved the most traditionally Japanese style. The itinerary included many Shinto Shrines, Buddhist Temples, and a few Universities. I hung the flyer on my bulletin board at home. As I studied, my eyes would often shift to the image of the Buddha on the top of the page. After studying about the visual arts of Shinto and Buddhism and learning so much from Professor Nakasone's story telling, I decided to sign up for the trip.

At the informational meeting in the Spring, Ron (as I now refer to Professor Nakasone) showed us slides from when he had lived in Kyoto. He and his wife Irene, who was also leading the tour, had lived there for seven years while he was studying to become a Buddhist priest. He showed images of many gardens, statues, and incredible architecture. My face must have registered my amazement because he stopped his narrative to say, "Amy, this is for real!"

The traditional arts of Japan have been revered for centuries for their quality and profound beauty. Unlike the Flower Sermon, where the Buddha allowed the physical form of the flower to impart spiritual meaning, I am going to have to use words to share my experiences with you.

There are many forms of Buddhism. Just like an Episcopalian church is quite different from a Quaker Meeting House although both are Christian, there is also a large range of Buddhist styles, practices and doctrines. Like the interpretation of the Flower Sermon suggests, many distinct Buddhist sects have developed that interpret the teachings of the Buddha emphasizing certain philosophies and spiritual practices. Today I am going to give you a window into two very different expressions of Buddhist truth by bringing you with me to two Japanese Buddhist Temples: Horyuji and Ryoan-Ji.

We visited many holy sites on our tour. The Buddhist temple that I was most excited to see was Horyuji. In studying about Japanese Buddhist art, I learned that many of the oldest and finest examples of sculpture, painting, and decorative arts are housed at Horyuji. Buddhism was first introduced in Japan during the Asuka period that is 552-645 A.D. Shinto is the indigenous Japanese faith but most Japanese people today are Buddhist and Shintoists without contradiction. In 586, that is, right when Buddhism was first being introduced, Emperor Yomei fell ill during the first year of his reign. The temple was built to house a statue of the Buddha of Healing. Ironically, Emperor Yomei died before the project was completed! However, his sister Empress Suiko and Prince Shotoku fulfilled his will. At the same time that the Temple was being built, Prince Shotoku wrote a Constitution of Japan based upon Confucian and Buddhist principles. After lightning set Horyuji ablaze in 670 A.D., it was completely rebuilt. The temple has survived and is the oldest wooden structure in the world.

During our ten days of travel, the weather was sunny and pleasant. On the day we visited Horyuji, the conditions could not have been more different: the sun was covered by dark clouds and a steady downpour. Ron himself remarked, "Well, Shinto should be in sunshine, Buddhism darkness." As I passed the gateway, my eyes locked with someone staring directly at me from the balcony. It was the Ni-o a freestanding clay sculpture. I spun around to discover another on the opposite side. The postures and facial expressions of these figures are so strong as to have real presence. Takaai Sawa explains the role of these benevolent kings as follows, "The impression of power conveyed by the rippling muscles and tense veins of their bodies is intended to deter the would-be evil-doer from knavery. Their rage is directed against any and all who would bring harm to Buddhism." As I scampered through with my umbrella, I sensed that I was entering a passionately protected realm.

The temple compound is the symbolic representation of the Buddhaland on earth and provides a place for people to come closer to the Buddhist truth. The Three Treasures of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. It is through these three vehicles that people find deliverance or enter on the path toward Enlightenment. The Three Treasures of Buddhism are in evidence when visiting Horyuji.

The First Treasure: The Buddha. The Kondo or Main Sanctuary is the residence of the Buddha. The Shaka Triad is a bronze sculpture found in the center of the Kondo. Shaka is the resplendent enlightened Buddha who sits on the highest altar. The symbolism contained in this one statue speaks volumes about the faith, which inspired its creation. His hand is raised in a gesture that means, "Have no fear", a kind invitation to the worshiper. The head protuberance is evidence of the Buddha's expanded consciousness. The long earlobes are a reminder of his royal heritage because Indian princes wore heavy earrings. The simple garments show that he gave away his material riches to become a spiritual teacher. The peaceful smile is characteristic of the enlightened.

Buddha means "one who is awake". Buddha woke up from the dream of being a separate ego in a material universe. Instead of clinging to material attachments, illusions of grandeur and separateness, he taught the release of suffering through mindfulness. His message was simple but not easy: "You are all Buddhas. There is nothing you need to achieve. Just open your eyes." Buddha statutes often sit upon a lotus pedestal. The lotus root goes deep into the mud at the bottom of the water just as we must sit with the muck and hardship of this world if we are ever to blossom with compassion and harmony. When a worshipper encounters a Buddha statue, she presses her hands together and bows in reverence. This is an act of honoring the Buddha not as a god but out of respect as a teacher and model for living.

The Second Treasure of Buddhism is the Dharma. The Dharma is the doctrine or written scriptures, the collected wisdom of the Buddha and its interpretation. Daikodo or the Great Lecture Hall at Horyuji is where the monks of the temple study. There is also a special building to house the Buddhist sutras. The teachings are another vehicle to put an end to suffering and to ensure peace. The ultimate aim of the Dharma is to end universal suffering.

The Third Treasure is the Sangha or community. Horyuji stands as a classic residence of a religious community. The Buddhist Sangha includes four assemblies: monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. These groups collaborate closely in the running of the community. Each path is considered of value.

Now, Horyuji contains hundreds of sculptures, paintings, and textiles; each one is a National Treasure. I could spend hours telling you about the five-story Pagoda, the Golden Beetle, the Nunnery or the parade of brightly colored umbrellas moving through the compound on that dark and rainy day. However, I would like to switch gears at this point to offer you window into another facet of Japanese Buddhism.

The sun was bright and the air was clear on the day we visited Ryoan-ji. This temple was constructed much later than Horyuji, the end of the 15th century. This temple belongs to a Zen Buddhist sect and gives form to the Zen philosophy of Buddhism. Zen arose in part as a reaction against the scholasticism and formalism of other schools. This is the form of Buddhism that is the most widely known in America. You may be familiar with the mini-Zen Gardens that you can buy: a sort of sand box for adults with little rocks to arrange and a small wooden rake that you can use to comb patterns through the sand.

As our group entered the main building, we removed our shoes as we had done upon entering all holy sites and homes. This simple act of removing your shoes helps not only to maintain cleanliness but increases mindfulness as your feet walk gently through the space.

In contrast to the ornate passionate design of Horyuji, Ryoan-ji has a more plain elegant style. The lines are simple, the colors black, white and the warm glow of natural woodwork. What is regarded as the masterpiece of Ryoan-ji is not a statue nor a painting but a simple rock garden. Ryoan-ji is built in a way that the indoors and outdoors are connected. The building opens to several different gardens framed by low earthen walls. The most remarkable garden is a rectangle of 30 by 10 meters. Unlike the ornate Japanese gardens containing lush trees and flowers, there are simply fifteen rocks set among a sea of white gravel. A simple gallery of steps invites the visitor to sit and gaze at the rock garden.

Zen emphasizes transmission of enlightenment outside the scripture with no dependence upon words, but looking into one's own nature. The principle discipline is zazen or sitting meditation. J. Blofeld describes the practice of Zen meditation as follows: "The seeker after Enlightenment allows a few moments for his mind to become calm, and then strives to put his mind into a condition to receive intuitive knowledge which, it is believed, enters only when the mind is perfectly still and devoid of thought."¹:

Outside of the tearoom is a stone washbasin with a dipper made of bamboo for washing your hands. The inscription around the basin of water reads "I learn only to be contented." This concept is central in Zen philosophy. The person who learns only to be contented is spiritually rich. The person who learns for other reasons perhaps for the attainment of status or dominance or material gain may be materially wealthy but spiritually poor.

One of the joys of being a Unitarian Universalist is the recognition that life is a continual process of growth and discovery. We are empowered as spiritual seekers to engage in direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder. Unlike some religious traditions that uphold a single truth, we affirm that there are many paths for encounter with the source of ultimate meaning.

I offer you these two windows into Japanese Buddhism today not necessarily to inspire you to become a Buddhist practitioner, but to remind you of the diversity of expressions that impart spiritual truth. Both through words and through visual arts, human beings give form to the formless. Each is a path beyond the ordinary or conventional realm of existence. Statues, paintings, decorative arts, houses of worship.