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6-29-19

Gain and Loss

We begin with an opening chant that sets our intention, both for ourselves and for others:   “Universal Well-Being”

May I/everyone abide in well-being
In freedom from affliction
In freedom from hostility
In freedom from ill-will
And may I/they maintain well-being in myself/themselves

This gives us an initial direction for our spiritual practice. We want to experience well-being which is more than just a temporary happiness. Rather it is something that is deeper and more lasting, something that can remain with us even during difficult times.

Another word for spirtual practice is cultivation (bhavana in Pali). This implies ongoing attention to what can be developed. Our aim in this thematic study is to learn from the example of nature and apply these lessons to our life. The Buddha chose to use similes from nature to illustrate many of his points, i.e. handful of leaves.

Today we will look at gain and loss (aka success and failure) as part of the natural unfolding. How do we define gain and loss and is it a reliable measure of our well-being?

Usually, we assess gain and loss based on our personal preferences:

1. If we want something and it happens, we consider that to be gain.
2. If we want something and it doesn’t happens, we consider that to be loss.
3. If we don’t want something and it doesn’t happen, that can also be gain (although less often recognized)
4. If we don’t want something and it happens, we consider that as loss.

My own example from tending the garden: I planted many seeds. They germinated and began to sprout but insects ate them before they had a chance to get strong and resilient. Consequently, I don’t have a crop of beans, carrots or beets.

Problem: the sense of entitlement - these beans are "mine" just because I planted them (clinging/wanting/expecting). When the plants don’t survive, I suffer, thinking “I won’t have a harvest for myself and for other CSA members. How can I not suffer?

   Let go of the sense of entitlement (it’s mine)
   Recognize impermanence/uncertainty
   Rejoice that the insects have food and that they are building soil
   Plant more seeds somewhere else
   Kill the insects

Which of these responses demonstrate generosity, kindness and clarity (the three wholesome roots of action)?

Inquiry

Think of some examples from your own life (see the four types of gain and loss listed above).

Now ask yourself, "Is the gain really a good thing in and of itself"? Does it provide lasting satisfaction? Is there a way that it could lead to something that is not so helpful, i.e. complacency or harm to others who feel differently? Example: I get a raise at work. I use this money to go gambling so I can get even more money.

Is failure always a “bad” thing? Or is there a way that it could lead to something beneficial for you and/or be good for others? Example: I don’t want it to rain on the day of my picnic. It rains. The plants and animals get a drink.

How does this apply to our meditation practice? Do you consider the following to be gain/progress or loss/failure?

I have peace of mind when I meditate……
My thoughts are all over the place when I meditate…..
My body feels relaxed and at ease when I meditate…..
There is pain in my back and legs when I meditate….

What makes the difference in our experience? Is it what is happening or our how we view what is happening which then determines our reaction to our experience? Can we see the same experience from a different angle and experience less/no stress? Consider this Chinese parable.

On a collective level, how does our society view gain or “progress”? Do you think that this way of measuring things is helpful? What does it lead to? How is it similar or different from the example of using one's raise to go gambling?

Revisiting the chant: “Universal Well-Being”

May I/everyone abide in well-being
In freedom from affliction
In freedom from hostility
In freedom from ill-will
And may I/they maintain well-being in myself/themselves

Is the affliction, hostility and ill will something that is imposed on me from the outside or does it have to do with my view and attitude toward what is happening? What helps me to abide free from affliction, hostility and ill will?

Earth Touching Mudra, 6-22-19

In most religions there are symbols, statues and drawings that represent key teachings or are used as avenues of worship, reflection or practice. In Buddhism we don’t actually worship the Buddha and yet frequently there are Buddha statues and other iconography displayed in temples and Dharma halls. This iconography is something that we may or may not relate to depending on how we view them.

Let’s look at a few.

In fact, the Buddha never asked anyone to make a statue of him and never encouraged people to treat him like a God. When asked how to deal with his body after death, the Buddha simply suggested the traditional way of honoring a teacher which was to pile a mound of rocks on top of the place where s/he died. Hence, we have the stupa which is a memorial often usually containing the ashes or relics of the teacher inside. It is usually rounded on the bottom and goes upward pointing towards the sky, possibly signifying the connection between the Earthly realm and the heavenly or sublime realm.

You may have noticed that the Buddha statues vary in posture. They depict different events and qualities that were exemplified in the Buddha’s life. They can be inspirations for us if we understand their meaning.

The Bhumisparsha or Touching the Earth Mudra depicts the Buddha sitting with one hand raised to show that he’s teaching, the other reaching down to touch the Earth below. It represents the moment that Buddha finally defeated all the snares of Mara and gained Enlightenment. Mara, the Tempter, asks who will stand as witness to his right to gain Enlightenment. Buddha reaches down and touches the Earth as he says, “The Earth is my witness.”

As the legend goes, the Buddha made a strong determination not to get up from his seat until he achieved full enlightenment. Mara comes with his army to defeat the Buddha because Mara would rather have people remain in ignorance. Whether or not we look at Mara as external or internal, the temptations to move away from clear seeing are strong. In the case of the Buddha they came in several forms:

temptation to power, gain, honor and reknown
temptation toward sensual pleasures which are fleeting
tempation toward an easy life without challenges or struggle
temptation toward excitement

That’s when the Buddha touches the Earth, claiming it as his witness. Why does the Buddha touch the Earth? How does the Earth serve as his witness?

Here's one of many commentaries that I have found useful for contemplation:

“When Buddha touched the Earth, he accepted the Earth, just as it is. Not an Earth that was re-made into what HE wanted, but the Earth, sky, oceans and rivers, just as they were at that moment. No waiting for it to be better, no waiting for it to change. But the Earth, with all it’s beauty and horror and disasters, as it was in that moment. It introduced an entirely new way of looking at time. Time, for the Buddha, stopped existing.

Not in the literal sense, of course. But from a practical viewpoint, time had effectively stopped. Because Buddha never again obsessed over the past, or feared what the future might bring. He didn’t worry about yesterday or tomorrow. He simply existed outside of the flow of time: Past or future.

With that one act, he found the timelessness inside of time. He found that true time is only to be found in THIS moment. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, not this morning, but right now. There IS no time if you live in the moment, going from moment to moment to moment, accepting what is and what is not.

Simply saying to yourself, “This moment will never exist again. I will savor and capture it fully. I will experience it fully, right now, before it escapes. We say, “Time marches on.” With that one act of touching the Earth, Buddha stopped the march with a single gesture. He taught us to look for the timelessness within time. To stop, not to smell the roses, but to save ourselves. To stop the endless march toward an unknown future somewhere out there. To stop running from past regrets. In the end, to just stop. Because this moment of timelessness is all we ever really have. Just this moment. No other. Just this one timeless moment which includes everything.”
Cindy Bird, Huffington Post

Here's another commentary that adds a different perspective:

“Just before he realized enlightenment, it is believed that the demon Mara tried to frighten him with the armies of demons and monsters including his daughters who tried to tempt him to get out of meditation under the Bodhi tree. While the demon king Mara claimed the throne of enlightenment for himself, his demon army claimed to be the witness for Mara's enlightenment. Mara then challenged Siddhartha about the witness. Then the former prince reached out his right hand to touch the earth as it is believed that the earth itself roared "I bear you the witness!" Hearing the roar from the earth herself, the demon king disappeared. The following morning saw the first appearance of the one who is awakened, the Buddha.

Hence, it is believed that the Bhumisparsha mudra, or "the earth witness" mudra commemorates the Buddha's victory over the temptation by the demon King Mara.This particular mudra does not only represent the defeat of Mara and his demonic army by the Buddha, it also represents the unwavering or firmness shown by the Buddha while he was in the pursuit of enlightenment by meditating under the Bodhi tree.”

Whether you think of this legend as fact or parable, please take the essence of the teaching and see how it applies to your life. Here are a few of my own observations of Mara’s temptations compared to the Buddha’s response:

Mara’s temptation    The Buddha’s example__

power over the Earth - using connection with the Earth, humble
force over people and nature non-combative (turning arrows into flowers)

promises satisfaction in the future discovers satisfaction in the present moment

attention directed outward attention directed inward

distracting with excitement of recognizing the impermanence of all
sensual pleasures conditions leads to dispassion and contentment

What does the Buddha touching the Earth mudra signify to you?

Inquiry and Discussion Questions:

1. What snares of Mara do you experience in your life? What gets you off track, distracts you, or undermines your confidence?

2. Do you ever feel like taking the easy way out instead of looking directly at a situation to see how things really are -either internally or externally?

3. What fears come up when you are faced with looking at matters deeply?

4. In this very moment - leaving aside both past and future - upon what can you rest with confidence? What do you connect with that serves as a witness to your capacity to awaken?

7/3/2018 2 Comments

Question: What is our highest aim as spiritual practitioners? Is it to purify our own minds and hearts or to help others?

To see the whole article from which the above excerpt is taken, click on the following link: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/jones/wheel285.html

2 Comments

11/1/2017 2 Comments

The Possibilities of Community

How does it feel to be a part of a community? Unless you are a hermit (in which case you probably wouldn't be reading this), you are part of a community - probably several. Communities range in scale from large, less-intentional groups such as cities to smaller, highly intentional groups such as a circle of friends. In-between lies a variety of networks associated with schools, churches, social and environmental causes, recreational interests, etc...A question that can be directed to all of these is: What are the factors that create high levels of personal satisfaction, provide a strong sense of belonging and promote collective well-being?

In this article, I'm choosing to focus on the conditions that lead to satisfaction not just for the individual but for the community as a whole. Many people on the spiritual path believe that transformation or liberation is a solitary endeavor. However, it has been shown that the more self-absorbed individuals are, the higher the level of disconnect from others. As a result of this disconnect, there is an increased sense of loneliness and a diminished sense of well-being.. Conversely, when we care about the health of the collective, our own happiness and well-being increases. As Wendell Berry says, "Only by restoring the broken connections can we be healed."

The term "social capital" has been used by Robert Putnam to describe the quality and cohesion that we experience in our relationships to each other and to the whole. In order for quality to improve, we actually have to spend time together (more than virtual connection). Although we don't choose our families, as we grow older we tend to select people who share many of the values and characteristics that we have. Unfortunately, there is a shadow side to this, namely the exclusion of those who are different. Have you noticed that communities which are more inclusive experience greater stability and cohesion whereas those that are exclusive experience more hostility and fear?

Many religious groups are notoriously exclusive, despite the fact that their founders welcome all. One might think that performing acts of charity is a way of being connected to others. To some degree, this is true. But for generosity and hospitality to really take root, we need structures that counter our cultural tendency toward independence. Interdependence is what builds the fabric of a healthy community. It welcomes those on the margins and sees their gifts as valuable and necessary. When we have common places to meet, to dialogue and to share our visions for the future, barriers of fear and mistrust can begin to be replaced by mutual support and friendship.

Bhikkhu Bodhi, in his anthology entitled Social and Communal Harmony writes:

"...the Buddha did not turn his back on the human condition in favor of a purely ascetic, introspective quest for liberation. From his position as a renunciant who stood outside the conventional social order, he looked with deep concern on struggling humanity, enmeshed in conflict while aspiring for peace, and out of compassion, he sought to bring harmony into the troubled arena of human relations, to promote a way of life based on tolerance, concord and kindness."

In the next four weeks, our Web of Connection community will be exploring various facets of community life. We hope that you can join us for our meditation and inquiry classes on Saturday afternoons where this theme will be the focus (see below for details). If you live at a distance or are otherwise unable to attend, I will provide weekly highlights from each class along with suggestions for bringing the teachings into our daily lives.

Know that you are a valued member of this community and that the connections we share enrich the whole. Without you, we would not be here. Thank you!

2 Comments

10/3/2017 0 Comments

Where is Perfection in an Imperfect World?

We have the possibility of sensing the underlying perfection even in the midst of pain.

Questioner: Can you describe this perfection to me? I want to believe in this underlying perfection, but nothing in my experience of pain has ever lead me to believe in the perfection of anything about the experience. I've read enough to think this might have to do with being awakened, which I most certainly am not. I would definitely appreciate the ability to tolerate that which is intolerable, but I can't honestly, experientially, sense that this state is possible. I'd love to know your thoughts.

Ayya: Thank you for expressing your heartfelt question. I sense that it poses a formidable obstacle to your peace of mind. Understandably so. I hope that the following reflection helps as a way of gaining a new perspective so you can experience more ease and well-being in the midst of the struggle.

It is difficult to tap into the great perfection when so many things both internally and externally seem to be in chaos. Whether it's our own dark moods, past traumas or the present day earthquakes and mass shootings, the world seems to be falling apart at the seams. Of course, we don't always get to see all the beautiful things that are happening simultaneously. The quote you shared is potent because it is saying that the pain and the perfection aren't separate. Such a non-dual perspective is not apparent on the surface of things.

"How to tolerate the intolerable?" you ask. Calling it intolerable, makes it so, keeping it at arms length from us with judgment and disdain. Calling it deeply painful, disappointing, heart-breaking, etc...allows our hearts to feel the pain and to break open. We don't want to see ourselves as being connected to the horrific in any way and if we do see our connection, we judge ourselves or blame others as the cause of our suffering. In either case, we are caught in the separation that perpetuates the pain.

You may be familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh's famous poem "Call me by my true names" in which he identifies with both the aggressor and the victim. How can this be? We usually side with one or the other. This peaceful monk asks us to look deeply at things in order to see that we "inter-are". There is only the flow of the river, sometimes crashing down wildly and other times serenely reflecting the open sky above. Where will this river take us? Why am I even on this wild ride? How can I get off? Why can't I be in control of the craft I am in so as to steer clear of the eddies and rapids that catch me and toss me around? Obviously, I"m not in control and facing this fact is disturbing....unless we let go of the need to have control.

Many people choose to surrender to a God who they believe is in control. But if this God has control, how could s/he let all this madness happen? And if there is no God in control, are we left to the vices of fate which seem to favor the lowest common denominator? In the Hindu tradition, there is at least the acknowledgment of the different faces of God - creator, sustainer and destroyer. If we look at nature, we can see all three of these processes happening at once. As green leaves turn to brown and flowers fade at the end of summer, the soil takes in what is discarded as nourishment that will build and sustain manifold life beneath the surface. Death renews itself in life, the flow of the two are not separate. It is easier to accept the perfection in nature than in the human realm but how are we different? Could it be the mind fancies itself to be autonomous? Is it not that sense of separation which is at the root of all problems be it the internal wars that manifest as depression and despair or the external ones that manifest as racial prejudice, violence and domination? Our confused mind with its distorted perceptions and tainted motivations gets in the way of the intrinsically perfect nature of our being. It's not that the perfection isn't there, but that it is not realized (hence, the admission of not being enlightened).

You are right, there are many questions. One leads to another and another....We crave answers. We crave solace. We crave resolution. Where is the perfection? The Buddha would say it is in the giving up of craving. We may think that letting go of the demand that things be other than the way they are is passive and won't have any affect on creating the world that we want to see - a world that is more just, inclusive and harmonious. Actually, our immediate experience, being connected as it is to the whole, cannot help but have an impact both energetically and physically, though it may not be evident as quickly or specifically as you like. Giving up craving doesn't mean that we give up the longing for peace, love and harmony, but that we don't seek to find it in the mind that divides ourselves, others and events into self-entities that stand apart from the whole.

The mystic saints have shown that it is possible to enter the silence and know the "God" who is beyond all names and forms and yet lives within every being. We lose that silence as the mind screams "intolerable", "imperfect", and "unacceptable". As the story goes, the Buddha held up a flower in the midst of an assembly. Only one person understood the message and smiled. In that flower, there is perfection: the present life which contains beauty, its continuous changing nature, its apparent diminishment or dissolution, and the seeds for future life. We want to to see only the aspects that please us and not the ones that offend our senses. The heart that is free is spacious enough to contain it all. May you open to that heart and be at peace.

We have the possibility of sensing the
underlying perfection even in the midst of pain.

Questioner: Can you describe this perfection to me? I want to believe in this underlying perfection, but nothing in my experience of pain has ever lead me to believe in the perfection of anything about the experience. I've read enough to think this might have to do with being awakened, which I most certainly am not. I would definitely appreciate the ability to tolerate that which is intolerable, but I can't honestly, experientially, sense that this state is possible. I'd love to know your thoughts.

Ayya: Thank you for expressing your heartfelt question. I sense that it poses a formidable obstacle to your peace of mind. Understandably so. I hope that the following reflection helps as a way of gaining a new perspective so you can experience more ease and well-being in the midst of the struggle.

It is difficult to tap into the great perfection when so many things both internally and externally seem to be in chaos. Whether it's our own dark moods, past traumas or the present day earthquakes and mass shootings, the world seems to be falling apart at the seams. Of course, we don't always get to see all the beautiful things that are happening simultaneously. The quote you shared is potent because it is saying that the pain and the perfection aren't separate. Such a non-dual perspective is not apparent on the surface of things.

"How to tolerate the intolerable?" you ask. Calling it intolerable, makes it so, keeping it at arms length from us with judgment and disdain. Calling it deeply painful, disappointing, heart-breaking, etc...allows our hearts to feel the pain and to break open. We don't want to see ourselves as being connected to the horrific in any way and if we do see our connection, we judge ourselves or blame others as the cause of our suffering. In either case, we are caught in the separation that perpetuates the pain.

You may be familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh's famous poem "Call me by my true names" in which he identifies with both the aggressor and the victim. How can this be? We usually side with one or the other. This peaceful monk asks us to look deeply at things in order to see that we "inter-are". There is only the flow of the river, sometimes crashing down wildly and other times serenely reflecting the open sky above. Where will this river take us? Why am I even on this wild ride? How can I get off? Why can't I be in control of the craft I am in so as to steer clear of the eddies and rapids that catch me and toss me around? Obviously, I"m not in control and facing this fact is disturbing....unless we let go of the need to have control.

Many people choose to surrender to a God who they believe is in control. But if this God has control, how could s/he let all this madness happen? And if there is no God in control, are we left to the vices of fate which seem to favor the lowest common denominator? In the Hindu tradition, there is at least the acknowledgment of the different faces of God - creator, sustainer and destroyer. If we look at nature, we can see all three of these processes happening at once. As green leaves turn to brown and flowers fade at the end of summer, the soil takes in what is discarded as nourishment that will build and sustain manifold life beneath the surface. Death renews itself in life, the flow of the two are not separate. It is easier to accept the perfection in nature than in the human realm but how are we different? Could it be the mind fancies itself to be autonomous? Is it not that sense of separation which is at the root of all problems be it the internal wars that manifest as depression and despair or the external ones that manifest as racial prejudice, violence and domination? Our confused mind with its distorted perceptions and tainted motivations gets in the way of the intrinsically perfect nature of our being. It's not that the perfection isn't there, but that it is not realized (hence, the admission of not being enlightened).

You are right, there are many questions. One leads to another and another....We crave answers. We crave solace. We crave resolution. Where is the perfection? The Buddha would say it is in the giving up of craving. We may think that letting go of the demand that things be other than the way they are is passive and won't have any affect on creating the world that we want to see - a world that is more just, inclusive and harmonious. Actually, our immediate experience, being connected as it is to the whole, cannot help but have an impact both energetically and physically, though it may not be evident as quickly or specifically as you like. Giving up craving doesn't mean that we give up the longing for peace, love and harmony, but that we don't seek to find it in the mind that divides ourselves, others and events into self-entities that stand apart from the whole.

The mystic saints have shown that it is possible to enter the silence and know the "God" who is beyond all names and forms and yet lives within every being. We lose that silence as the mind screams "intolerable", "imperfect", and "unacceptable". As the story goes, the Buddha held up a flower in the midst of an assembly. Only one person understood the message and smiled. In that flower, there is perfection: the present life which contains beauty, its continuous changing nature, its apparent diminishment or dissolution, and the seeds for future life. We want to to see only the aspects that please us and not the ones that offend our senses. The heart that is free is spacious enough to contain it all. May you open to that heart and be at peace.

0 Comments

9/7/2017 0 Comments

Bummer

"There's a crack in everything. That's where the light gets in."
- Leonard Cohen

The Buddha's "First Noble Truth" (dukkha), is often translated as suffering. Alternative translations which are more relatable to the average person who is not starving on the street is "unsatisfactory". One of my favorite translations is the one offered by the Dhamma teacher Leigh Brasington: bummer! This first noble truth that points to the often overlooked inherent unsatisfactoriness of all conditioned existence. But this is not definitive of ALL there is. The Buddha's third noble truth states that there is an end to suffering. To get from step one to three requires an understanding of the cause of our distress and that doesn't always happen as quickly as we would like it to.

In our fast food culture, we want results immediately, but this isn't how quality happens, whether it's with food, a relationship or a life. Just knowing that something better is possible doesn't mean it's going to automatically happen or that we can will it to manifest. Sometimes we just have to hang out in the messy middle, pause and wait for the murkiness to clear. This is not what we want to hear and the last thing we want to do. No better time to bring out our self-compassion mantra. We start with ourselves because this is what is needed before we can effectively reach out to others.

You can make up a self- compassion mantra using your own words, but it needs four parts. First, the acknowledgment of pain, i.e. "This is tough right now", or "This hurts", or "I'm struggling". Along with whatever words we choose to acknowledge the pain that is present, we need to feel it in our bodies. Where does it hurt? Does it change, vibrate, pound or just weigh like a ton of bricks on your chest?

Secondly, welcome yourself to the human club: "Life is like this sometimes", "I'm not the only one who struggles with this", or "Life as a sensitive being is not easy". By saying this, you are not dismissing the pain or trying to rise above it. You are expanding your perspective so that you see that it's not all about ME (which is what makes the story so painful in the first place).

The third step is to invite in compassion. By opening to a loving, accepting space around the object, it no longer seems so all-encompassing. We begin to see that experience is a series of waves within a vast ocean. As we rest in this ocean of compassion, the feeling of drowning in the water can shift to one of being held and supported. However, in order to let in something new, we have to let go of something old. If we continue to hold onto our habits of fearful or anxious thinking, our mind will continue to obsess and feel stressed. Breathing slowly and deeply, our bodies can start to relax and our mind/heart can release into the place of our true belonging.

The last part of the compassion mantra is a short phrase that adds a comforting touch, i.e. "This too will pass." "I've been here before and made it through" or simply, "It will be okay." It's important not to jump to this phrase without going through the previous steps. That would be another fast food approach, also known as "spiritual by-passing". It's not about rosy platitudes or magic balms. We have to embrace the messy middle, ride the rumble and not opt for a convenient escape into our preferred coping strategy.

The result of doing this practice is transformative. Instead of reinforcing old habits of avoidance, complaining, self-pitying, judging others or bemoaning the world situation, we come face to face with what is happening in our direct experience both on a somatic/feeling level and on the level of thought and language. We acknowledge the pain, admit that this territory is part of being alive and open to what is bigger and more true than the stories we tell ourselves. We lean into the suffering in order to move through it - however long it takes - with compassion!

Send in your mantras and let's share them with each other.

0 Comments

8/1/2017 0 Comments

Social Justice

These days, social justice is big topic amongst people who consider themselves to be spiritual, conscientious or just plain responsible citizens. One doesn’t have to look far to see examples of unfair treatment, inequality, violence toward minorities and silenced voices to know that our “land of the free” isn’t quite living up to its name. Responses to this glaring incongruity range from grief to outrage and from determination to despair. For a while, I have been considering what is the most appropriate response in light of the spiritual teachings I have been exposed to.

In the Christian tradition, Jesus explicitly told his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the poor. He also was quick to point out the hypocrisy of the pharisees, the religious elite who found it easy to justify their oppression of those less privileged. Similarly, the Buddha clearly wasn’t in favor of the caste system, admitting even the “untouchables” into his order of monks. He was also critical of the ruling religious authorities (Brahmans) who had no qualms about maintaining their high position at the expense of others. And yet, the Buddha saw further into the roots of the problem.

Commenting on passages related to conflict and injustice in the Pali Canon, Bhikkhu Bodhi says, “We can see from these texts that the Buddha does not clamor for changes merely in the outer structures of society. He demonstrates that these dark phenomena are external projections of the unwholesome proclivities of the human mind and thus points to the need for inner change as a parallel condition for establishing peace and social justice.” I’ve taken this quote from a text published in 2005. In the recent edition of Buddhadarma, Bhikkhu Bodhi calls for a “bolder agenda, a program of collective resistance inspired by a radically different vision of human interconnection, one that affirms our duty to respect and care for one another and to maintain a habitable planet for generations yet unborn.”

The key work is parallel; these two approaches can happen simultaneously. We need to be able discern both internal and systemic causes of distress rather than addressing symptoms alone. To use Dr. David Loy’s analogy, Christianity encourages us to pull the drowning man out of the water, but doesn’t always ask how he got pushed into the river in the first place. Worse yet, some Buddhists will see the man drowning in the water as his karma and, at most, wish him a more fortunate rebirth. Of course, both traditions could be understood in a much deeper and more inclusive way.

We need to recognize that the roots of injustice are deeply embedded in the human psyche and so is the capacity to bring forth what is beneficial and beautiful. The outcomes we see will depend on which conditions we support. When we realize how interconnected we are, we will know that helping ourself and helping others is no different. All beings - not only human - depend on healthy food, clean water and supportive relationships. May we not lose sight of our shared humanity by pursuing individual goals at the expense of the whole.

References:

Bodhi, In the Buddha's Words, 2005
Bodhi, "Let's Stand Up Together", Buddhadarma, Spring 2017
Loy, David R. A New Buddhist Path

0 Comments

7/2/2017 1 Comment

What is certain?

"When nothing is certain, everything is possible."

One of the central teachings of Buddhism is impermanence or uncertainty (Pali: anicca). As a concept, it is pretty easy to accept on an intellectual level. And yet we continually resist it's application throughout our lives. Intrinsically, it is a law of nature that is neither bad nor good; only our relationship to the circumstances in which it arises makes it appear to be so. For example, if I like something, I don't want it to change and tend to resist or get angry when it does. If I dislike what is happening, I welcome the change. If I am indifferent or ignoring of a particular condition, then I usually don't pay attention the transition because it doesn't impact me personally. Nonetheless change happens.

Another translation of the word anicca is "uncertain". We readily accept this law of nature as it pertains to the weather, the stock market and the price of gas but we tend to overlook or even deny that it applies to significant relationships, our health or our eventual death. Moreover, we cling to beliefs, ideas and emotions as being substantial, thereby creating an identity that we falsely rely upon. When our assumptions and beliefs are countered, we become offended or feel undermined as an individual or group. Furthermore, our investment in this self-made illusion requires sustaining, defending and embellishing if we take it too seriously.

Underlying this craving for certainty is the feeling that we need to control our circumstances in order to face what we perceive to be a potentially threatening future. We are living in times where there is much anxiety in relation to the political, social and ecological influences that bear heavily on our lives. The powers that be are unpredictable and the game is not being played according to the rules we used to count on. Hence, fear, aggression and despair are on the rise, leading to a variety of divisive and harmful consequences.

We can easily feel justified and righteous in the position that we take, rarely acknowledging that other viewpoints have validity. It requires discernment to sift through the myriad and diverse "facts" that are presented by the media. Most often, we select the ones that confirm the perceptions that we have already adopted. Once the Buddha was asked by some villagers how they should know which of the many assertions made by itinerant teachers was true. In response, he cautioned against believing in things simply because they seem agreeable, are popular views or are touted by authorities. Instead, he encouraged us to know directly how our beliefs impact the way we live. Do they lead to wholesome actions - those devoid of greed, hatred and delusion - and are they for the welfare of all beings?

Rather than shrinking from uncertainty, what would happen if we embraced it? Before labeling something as "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong", can we be open to the possibility that the change we experience may lead to a variety of responses. In the long run, some events may even prove to be necessary and helpful? The fact that we don't know for certain what the outcome of events will be does not limit the fluidity of the situation (except in our mind where the contraction is felt as suffering).

Without the reactivity of grasping or pushing away, we come into an intimate relationship with what is happening in the moment. Only then can we begin to see the situation clearly. By observing our own body and mind, we can know directly the effect that our views have on our well-being. Are we tense, agitated, riled up with anger or are we calm and circumspect with a heart that is open to the pain of others? As we learn to relate with honesty and clarity to what is happening, it becomes possible to transform our stressful experience into one that yields insight. With deeper understanding, compassion arises. Together the two open the way for the most creative and skillful response possible.

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Ayya Dhammadhira is a Buddhist monastic trained in the Thai Forest Tradition in lineage of Ajahn Chah. She spent eleven years at Amaravati and Chithurst Buddhist Monasteries in England from 2001-2012. In 2012, she took the higher ordination as a bhikkhuni in Los Angeles, CA. As an alms mendicant bhikkhuni living outside the support structure of a monastery, Ayya Dhammadhira relies on the ongoing support of individuals like you to continue her practice and service in community.

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