Good morning!
The moon is now almost half full, quickly changing from the full moon we saw at the last sesshin, but brightly shining forth with other stars. The sun is now high and brilliantly shining over the autumnal colors – daylight savings time having ended last night – as if a glittering ocean ornament for celestial beings. We are now in penetrating purity, peace, and prognosis after sittings.
The hurricane clouds were big enough to cover Japan proper and caused hundreds of casualties – millions suffer in flooding and freeze without light and heat – as if a Frankenstorm bloodbath for devilish beings. The warmed ocean and air cause severe storms, devastating droughts, fierce fires, and so forth. Global problems are increasing, but their solutions seem scarce.
From where do our disasters and sufferings come? They come from the triple poisons of delusion, desire, and divisiveness. Thus, we have individual, social, and ecological disasters and sufferings. The Buddha offered us a drastic revolution of life and living. Anyone can witness it in unconditioned peace and unsurpassed awakening any time, anywhere.
Zen practice includes the triple learnings of sîla, samâdhi, and prajñâ. Whenever we sit, we go beyond all problems and sufferings. The practice gives a good day everyday. We need a society of buddhas enjoying penetrating purity, peace, and prognosis. That was why the Buddha always traveled, to share the wholly wholesome life revolution with all.
Hopefully human society will become the true sangha, living in the Brahma-vihâra (residence), in the four limitlessnesses of friendship, compassion, joy, and equanimity. When we are not caught up in our shortsighted gains and goals or in daunting disasters, we are not hit by “the second arrow.” As Ryokan said, “When we meet a disaster, we had better just meet it.”
We should not damage our limitless life by our limited ideas and actions. Then, we can find the greater ocean beyond small bubbles, and we can enjoy limitless life, light, liberation, love, and learning. The awakened way is the bodhisattva way, going constantly with the world without worldly worries. We hope this life revolution will revolutionize our way and world.
We are going to have elections here and soon in Japan. The changes in government do not completely change our world. So, we must change our ways completely, and then the whole world can change. At least we can change, our communities can change, and our sangha can change with the four limitlessnesses. We can enjoy a good day everyday by our practice.
So, let us practice this life changing way, the awakened way, not hurt by the damages of disasters, not hit by disasters themselves, and not creating disasters in the first place! Instead, we can create a dragon palace out of this planet of water, a life giving source – as if enjoying the limitless life path, the palace for fish that enter the dragon gate and change into dragons.
11/4/12
