Rev. Koetsu Morita was born in 1913 at Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As the fourth son of a Soto Shu priest, Rev. Morita learned to chant the sutras and practiced Buddhist rituals from a very young age, together with his five brothers. When he was in fifth grade he took up Kendo, the ancient art of Japanese swordmanship, which later he excelled in, achieving the fourth level of black belt or 4 Dan.

On December 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, Rev. Morita was arrested and interned until December 1945. During his internment he was transferred from Sand Island, Oahu, Hawaii to California, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and again to California.

Celebrating Buddha's Birthday in Dirty Clothes
Although it was April, snow remained on the ground. The rooms needed to be heated morning and night, but it was comfortably warm during the day. And so we formed teams and played baseball in the afternoons. Even at this time we had not yet received our care packages containing winter clothes from our families back in Honolulu. Fortunately we each received two to three pieces of over-sized underwear from the government, so I was able to wear clean underwear by washing them daily. But, since December I had been wearing the same pair of pants, which had become disgustingly filthy. What’s more, I didn't have a belt for my pants, so I was still using a piece of rope from a tent on Sand Island.

Included among the first group of internees who had been shipped out of Honolulu were a group of 30 Buddhist ministers of various Buddhist sects from all over Oahu… Because there were so many ministers, one elderly gentleman said, “You know, it’s okay for me to die at any time. With this many ministers chanting the sutras upon my death, it's clear that I will go to the Pure Land. On top of this, no donation is needed here. Namo Arigataya (how grateful).” In spite of this, luckily everyone in the group stayed healthy and not a single funeral was held.

April 8, the day of Buddha’s Birthday celebration called Hanamatsuri in Japanese, came along. But no minister had a robe with him except for Bishop Kubokawa, who was asked to officiate because he had been arrested in his robes. The ceremony was held in a large hall in the barracks. The officer in command was also present at the ceremony. We chanted the Hannya Shingyo (Heart Sutra) and Bishop Kawakubo delivered a Dharma talk. He said, “I am very pleased that due to the kindness of Officer Rogers, we are all able to gather and celebrate the birth of the Buddha. Your participation in those filthy clothes can be likened to the Buddha’s teaching of the lotus blooming in the mud. Let us hold on together, praying that peace arrive as soon as possible, and may we be guided by the Buddha’s teachings and life of peace.” To this day I can still hear the voice of that nearly 80-year-old priest…

Excerpted from Turning Wheel, Fall 2000