Practicing With Change And Upheaval

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Dear Sangha,

We are entering a new decade in 2020. In this world, many changes are happening at exponential speed. As natural process goes, the good comes with the bad. We see both laudable feats in science and technology, at the same time more frequent and unpredictable climate related disasters and now Covid-19, all over the world, which cause much suffering. Political and economic upheavals are appearing in more places. Many things are changing, changing, changing, nonstop. In the future, maybe bigger problems will appear. But a bad situation is a good situation; a good situation is a bad situation. So our growing bad situation can help us find the Great Way.

Buddha taught us more than just how to get a good life. When we see the suffering in and around us, we must raise a big question: What is this? What is life? What am I? Now is the perfect time to reach deep into our heart and mind, and wake up. Wake up to our true nature, to the infinite potential we have inside of us to help others. Nurture the true seed we have inside. Here are words from Zen Master Seung Sahn to encourage us:

“End of this world means beginning of the world. You must understand that, ok? Many people want good taste, good time, good feeling. That’s only desire, no? When fruits grow, first they have a very good colour, but are not exactly ripe yet. When it ripens, a little colour disappears. Then it is very sweet, very sweet. It has a good taste. But more time, then it becomes rotten. When rotten, then the correct seed appears. Many people want good taste, but this fruit, this world, its taste doesn’t matter, ok? All completely rotten, then the seed goes into the ground, then again comes up, and again becomes fruit. So, don’t only want good taste. Taste doesn’t matter, understand? Your thinking, your situation, your body, everything will soon become rotten. When your situation, your body, and everything is rotten, but inside your center is strong, then your correct seed appears. If you find your seed, you will not die. Your seed has no life, no death. So we must find our true seed, then only help this world.”

May all beings wake up to our Buddha nature and just do it in 2020.

Hapchang,

Zen Master Dae Bong

Controlling Our Karma

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Since most people are not aware of their karma, they cannot connect the dots between cause and effect. Only sometimes, when results happen immediately after the cause—for example, when we put our finger into boiling water—are we able to connect those dots and learn the lesson. With karma, we only have a choice: either karma is controlling us, or we are controlling our karma. We practice to be in charge of our lives and help others: I control my karma; my karma does not control me.

When we control our karma, we can change it. Most karma is lingering karma, “leftover” karma. This lingering karma is the most difficult to fix, because it is created by very small, insignificant actions repeated every day. We keep repeating and repeating some actions or thoughts over a long time, and in the end, we get the big result of those actions. Surprise! If we really look closely, we will see that big karmic results were created by some kind of lingering karma. So it’s important to be aware of our daily, small habits.

If we want to change our karma, we’ve got to understand our habits first. The next step is to attain that understanding. Being aware that we have some negative habits is the first step, but it is not enough. Understanding can’t help. Attaining the habit means this understanding has some energy. Only then are we able to decide, “I’m going to change it!” After we make a strong decision, we need to have a method of how to change it.

The skillful way to start the whole process is to create what Charles Duhigg calls a “keystone habit.” This one new habit can start a domino effect of changing not only one but many habits over time. Don’t worry about the rest of our karma— only do that one thing. If we try to change too many things at once, we fail. For the Zen student, nothing could be a better keystone habit than the habit of meditating first thing in the morning. In the morning, everyone’s willpower is the strongest. While sitting still and by simply breathing with the lower belly, we can recharge our willpower battery. There is no way to change ourselves if we have a weak center, that is, if our willpower battery is depleted.

So let’s start our day with some practice, just 10 minutes every morning. Over time, this one small habit of 10 minutes meditation every morning will trigger a domino effect of positive changes in our life. Zen Master Ko Bong used to say, “Don’t worry about your karma; just make a habit of strong practicing.”

By Andrzej Stec JDPSN

Becoming Human

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We come into this world empty-handed. What do we do in this world? Why did we come into this world? This body is an empty thing. What is the one thing that carries this body around? Where did it come from? You must understand that, you must find that. So, if you want to find that, you have to ask yourself, “What am I?” Always keep this big question. Thinking has to disappear. We have to take away all our thinking, cut off our thinking. Then our true self appears, then our true mind appears.

In this world, how many people really want practice? Many people don’t practice at all, fight day and night, and all day exercise their desire, their anger, their ignorance. When you lose this body, then you have nothing you can take with you. When this body disappears, what will you take with you? What will you do? Where will you go? You don’t know, right? If this “don’t know” is clear, then your mind is clear, then also the place you go is clear. Then you understand your job, you understand why you were born into this world. Then you understand what you do in this world. When you understand that, then you can become a human being.

By Zen Master Seung Sahn

Our Original Strength and Compassion

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Practicing with don’t-know means practicing with focused awareness coupled with the question, What is this? When something happens as huge as the Earth’s climate change, it can be difficult to face it and to know what to do. There can be the tendency to want to put our heads in the sand.

When I first understood that the ice caps are melting at a much faster rate than had previously been predicted, and consequently the sea levels are rising rapidly, one of my thoughts was “Oh my, this is all going on in my lifetime! Human beings have been around for thousands of years. Why does this have to happen when I’m alive?” Well, that thought is a perfect example of attaching to self and other. It’s also an example of attaching to time and space. It’s not a good example of don’t-know! It came from feeling afraid: afraid for my child, my grandchildren, for humanity, animals, rivers, oceans . . . it’s so hard to conceive of.

When we can take the fear and just own it and learn from it, that is our don’t-know returning us to our original strength and compassion. With our breath, move the fear and sadness down from our head, down from our heart, all the way to our center and ask, “What can I do? How can I help?” Our vow can come to life when we are able to breathe into our strong center. This is our practice.

Kwan Seum Bosal means, “Listen to the cries of the universe.” Cry, fear and enter the lessons this universe is constantly giving. Enter the unknown, before thoughts of heaven and hell, loss and gain. We need to unconditionally move into life, and because of our fear and sadness, we will find our center. Our vow and direction are right there. When we attain that, we can truly find the way to help this thing we call Earth.

By Zen Master Soeng Hyang