A wisteria tree twining itself around a pine tree
Today I attended the Buddhist service(Hoji) at my relative’s home.After that there was a dinning with the attendants.I sat next to the priest and I talked him about a big wisteria tree twining itself around a pine tree in the temple. The wisteria tree grows thickly too much and the pine tree thoroughly covered by the wisteria’s vines and leaves looks weak.On the other hand, he spoke an instruction that a wisteria tree lives for a thousand years, twining itself around a pine tree.I heard the meaning is that a wisteria tree cannot become big itself, but by twining itself around a pine tree, it can become big.In the same way as this, because the human being itself is weak, something to support is necessary.That is Buddhism, the priest said.I heard this is the instruction that “Shinran” said and I thought it's an interesting story.