SWISS BUDDHIST PRIEST ON THE GO, A MAN OF MUCH IMPACT He is busy. He seems to be always running around. 'Sorry for having kept you waiting,' said Kurt Kubli (photo), 58, a Swiss Buddhist priest, almost out of breath having returned from an outing. 'A TV station in Tokyo came to interview me. Please, this way,' Kubli said as he started walking the long corridor. It was at Muryokoin near Kongobuji temple, the head temple of the Koyasan Shingon Sect. Befitting its description as a 'quasi head temple of exceptional rank,' Muryokoin is vast and has a solemn air. 'It's 28 years since I came to Japan. I entered the priesthood 11 years ago,' he said. 'In those days, not many scriptures relating to the Shingon Sect were translated into English and I had a hard time learning difficult Buddhist terms by heart.' The small room that he showed me was filled with books and photographs of many countries. 'To tell you the truth...,' he said as he proceeded to trace his colorful career. He said he had experienced many lines of work: bank employee, interior designer, photographer, etc. Perhaps because of that, he is fluent in English, German, French and Italian in addition to Japanese. He is also well versed in Sanskrit and Pali, both essential to the study of Buddhism. His multilingual lectures and tours around the temple are popular. Fascination of Buddhism He hails from Zurich. He has been fascinated by Oriental cultures since childhood and started practicing yoga when he was 12 years old. He met his Japanese wife while studying at an art university in Florence, Italy. Could it be the influence of his wife that he chose to become a Buddhist priest? When I mentioned this, Kubli said, 'No, no, no,' shaking his head vigorously. 'I entered Koyasan of my own will.' It has been said that esoteric Shingon Buddhism, founded by Kukai (774-835), is 'a mass of ideological heat, which could burn you if touched.' One of its doctrines, 'Nyuga Ganyu,' means 'Buddha enters my body, while my body also enters Buddha's. The union of the two is called the 'attainment of Buddhahood or becoming a Buddha in this life,' which is the ultimate state of enlightenment.' This is difficult to understand for an ordinary person like me. Kubli lives in such a world of philosophy. He climbed Koyasan (Mt. Koya) for the first time in 1981. The scene is still vivid in his mind: Giant cedar trees stood tall and straight, and the sound of bells reached him floating through the forest. He was fascinated by the solemn air. 'I want to practice asceticism here. This is the only place for it.' Since then, he has been following rigorous ascetic practices. Many achievements Kubli is a man of many achievements. He has been appointed as a 'Yokoso! Japan' goodwill ambassador (yokoso meaning welcome) in the government's Visit Japan Campaign. Recently, he delivered lectures on Japan, the Kansai region and Buddhism in Los Angeles, California. Two years ago, he helped build a school in Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos. With 12 million yen donated with the cooperation of mass media, the religious community and other parties, he was instrumental in constructing the school building and procuring personal computers and microscopes, among other things. The school has 45 teachers and 800 pupils. His dreams expand further. 'I would like to build sisterhood ties with cities in Southeast Asia, a region rich in ruins of ancient Buddhism, and organize pilgrimage tours. At Koyasan's temple lodging, one can experience Buddhism through religious practices such as devotional exercises. How do you like this idea??His Buddhist name is Genzo. Currently, he is writing a book on Koyasan in three languages. A Buddhist priest from abroad is breathing vitality into the emaciated spiritual culture of Japan. He is sending messages on and from 'Japan' to the world. (Omori) 3/23/2009
" When it rains we shall think about rain" Genzo