"[Lafcadio] Hearn's interest was in the Buddhism of common [Japanese] people, and one of the things he found — much to his delight — was a rich set of names for things. Through Hearn's eyes and writing we can glimpse something of an era when the multiple creatures of the world were still somewhat wrapped in protective nomenclatures. It did not lead to prohibition against use; but it did instill a sense of reverence and restraint.
Hearn recorded many of the names in use at the time. Rockmoss was the fingernails of the Buddha. Swamp-cabbage was Bodhidharma's plant. A certain type of oak was that of the Arhat. Grasshoppers were creatures upon which the blessed dead rode back to town for their midsummer visits with pleased relatives. The Japanese warbler was imagined to be calling out 'hok-ke-kyo,' the title of the holy Lotus Sutra. Even the hammer-head shark was referred to as a priest of the Nembutsu chant because its T-shaped head resembled the mallet used to strike a gong during their prayers.
In reading this today one wishes to wrap or rewrap the whale in some kind of protective name. Could it not be called Serene Bodhisattva of the Sea?"
- William LaFleur, from "Enlightenment for Plants and Trees." Dharma Rain: Sources of Buddhist Environmentalism, edited by Stephanie Kaza and Kenneth Kraft.
