by BISHOP KOSHIN OGUI
Buddhist Churches of America

I came to be known among the local agricultural trainees from Japan as a reliable priest, someone that could be trusted to be helpful and discreet. It was an honor.

They started coming around the temple in the evenings. One time, they came and brought beer and other drinks and we had a party every two or three days. They were all young and drank heartily. I was also 25 and single so I enjoyed the time and was able to keep up with them.

The more they drank, the more they talked about the things that were going on in their lives. They talked about everything, from their hardships to relationships with the opposite sex. Since I was the head priest, I of course talked about life and all sorts of things.

From our conversations, I learned that there were about 100 Japanese women living nearby in suburban towns around Oxnard. These women were married to American men, a large number of whom were away fighting in Vietnam.

These young, hot-blooded university students informed me that it was inevitable for them to get to know these Japanese ladies, who were suffering from unbearable loneliness. As a priest, I warned them to be careful.

I also found out that prostitutes regularly came to visit these students from Los Angeles. Apparently, they would come in a big Lincoln Continental and park the car on a footpath between the fields of the farm. I laughed when I heard that the deed could be done right there, in the front or the back seat.

Intimate relations between men and women have been around since the dawn of human history. Countless dramas have occurred, and hearing these stories from these young people, I was amazed and mystified by the emotion of it all.

The drama of intimacy between the sexes continues, and to this day, at age 68, I am still mystified by the wonder of it. The best thing, of course, is to have human relations that are based on sincerity and good faith.

Gassho

Translated by Lefteris Kafatos