The Buddhist Practitioner

Not sure where to start, really. Why do we orient ourselves as "Buddhist" anyway? Why not, as rational beings, we take things of practical value & use into our lives and leave it at that? It's a question that kept me a long time from simply saying, "I'm a Buddhist" without several qualifications. I guess, you know, Buddhism through the teaching of bodhichitta, has a pretty awesome mission statement, to "bestow on countless multitudes, the peerless joy of blissful Buddhahood, the ultimate fulfillment of their hopes" (my italics!). That's reason enough to say proudly and definitely, "I'm a Buddhist." But I think there's added benefit that to be a Buddhist means that you are somehow a Buddhist practitioner. Why is that important?

Influenced by Taiwan's own, recently deceased, Master Sheng Yen, after reading one of his books concerning environmental ethics (I think I previously had a post on it), I began carrying with me everywhere, a durable but small and attractive bag that I could use in place of the ubiquitous plastic bags that are used whenever I buy things, such as lunch. I also bought some travel chopsticks that I enjoy using so again, when I find myself eating out, which is often, I don't have to use the disposable bamboo chopsticks that are always provided.

If I thought about what I was really doing, I might not do it. I mean the ethics are clear, but to believe I'm helping much at all in the huge, structurally ingrained problem of waste, it's very easy to feel that such actions are 0.000000000001 of the solution, and not worth the effort. But that's exactly where having a practice comes in--and the amazing, endearing power of practice--that all actions get fed back into your own system of behaving. Even remembering to do such daily, ethical things, gives you a perfect way to remember that you do have a practice, which involves daily meditation, chanting, studying, and so on, and that extra chance to reflect on the Dharma in your life is precious. So in conclusion, taking up such ethical things in context to your Buddhist practice, makes both the action and your practice otherwise, richer & fuller.

I think what I have just explained defines a huge division between how I see myself now as a Buddhist practitioner and how I saw myself as before, when I simply wanted to try to improve myself. In one case, the latter, I don't know if I ever could have embraced such ethical habits, in what I feel has been such a positive and fun way. I hope others, new to the Dharma, see this when they come to Urban Dharma and look around---the value of a practice.

Pig Monsters and Wolves

I had an interesting experience a couple of weeks ago during retreat and I thought I’d share it with you all because I know most of you will really be able to relate.

About three or four years ago I was temporarily living in Phoenix, Arizona and was asked to come up to Garchen Institute to talk about a job opening they had. So I packed up my old Redbone Coonhound dog, Gretchen, and arranged to spend the night just offsite next to the Institute at Kathleen Dyer’s house.

First of all, let’s just say that my dog was not happy at all about being in the desert. Redbone Coonhounds are a southern dog used to forests and hunting fields, but here this old gal was in a desert, in a strange house, with failing eyesight and elderly body. (Just where does a hunting dog pee when there are no trees and no grass?) But being the faithful dog she was, she would rather have been with me than anywhere else.

Night time came and the lady of the house brought in her pig for the night. Not just an ordinary pig...we're talking about what looked to be a 175 lb behemoth, named Ludwig, who plopped himself down in the living room of the home. My dog had never, ever seen a pig, but being the gentle soul she was knew that Ludwig was probably not up to befriending a Coonhound and promptly retreated to the bedroom. No sooner had she tried to settle herself when the son of the lady of the house brought his huge, and I do mean HUGE, white German Shepard over into the back yard. So outside this little room where I am trying to reassure my dog that life is fine, there is a huge “wolf” at the window barking like crazy at her and a huge “pig-monster” outside the door waiting, she thinks, to maybe devour her. All she could do was try to make her 85 lb body as tiny as possible and snuggle closer to her mom.

I thought about how this is like the experience of most sentient beings here in samsara. There are wolves at our windows and pig-monsters at our doors, and the best that most sentient beings can do is try to find some bit of security and happiness and try to believe that life will be OK, somehow, some way. The more I reflected on this, the more my heart opened to all sentient beings and the more I knew that I wanted to open to them and help them to be free from suffering. I have to tell you that this reflection preceded one of the biggest outpourings of compassion I've ever experience. I wept like a child.

I wish my heart would continually stay open in this manner. Retreat gave me the time to be quiet enough, for long enough, to allow some small measure of understanding to come forth of what my teachers have been pouring into me for some time now. I am so grateful to the Dharma, my teachers and my deceased dog-teacher, Gretchen, for guiding me. May all our pig-monsters and wolves be seen for the maras that they are. And may we all reach greater levels of compassion and combine it with wisdom in order to help others.

Ani Dadron

Thinking of Ghost Day in Taiwan

Yesterday was the 15th day of the Chinese Lunar Calender which is the main offering day in Ghost Month. This month is said to be when the gates of heaven and hell open and the dead walk freely about. The food is said to be given largely for those who do not have ancestors who regularly make offerings, I guess probably to keep them at bay. Still, I could not help but think of all the lower realms and the states of existence which are certainly unfortunate. Although, these offerings made to ghosts as a defensive measure, I think it reminds us of the help we have gotten in our own lives during unfortunate times.

These ghosts, aren't necessarily limited to spirits we cannot see; really, when we think, there are many in this world, who we can see, that live in very impoverished states. We are quite lucky to live in a time when we have leisure and free time, food, friends, and housing. So many people are born in places where even food and shelter are not taken for granted. I think recently of the famine in Somalia. Animals too, living outside, when it rains, where do they go? They are stuck under trees, bridges, or whatever shelter they can find.

I reminded of a street dog I saw last night when I was leaving the pool hall, thin to the bones, with many red and white rashes across his black fur back. He was being helped by a local veterinarian, well after hours, who had gone inside to get some medicine or food, I guess, and had tied him and muzzled him outside in the mean time.

In many ways we can see the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, our teachers, family, friends, and even our enemies in this way. We are often much like the stray dog, in unfortunate circumstances with little to eat or very desperate for some sort of satisfaction for some other hunger. And, like this veterinarian, they come, even if it is late at night, as was the case here, bring us to a safe place, restrain us to keep us near and from biting our wounds, and then apply medicine and give food, and send us on our way.

It is only due to the kindness of others that we have this precious life and the circumstances of knowing right and wrong. Of course, it is our own karma that we have this life; in this sense it is our own. On the other hand, without those along the way to help us, it would be very hard to make use of our good opportunity; we can say the two exist dependent upon each other. Due to our fortunate karma, although at times we are like the dogs or the ghosts, without anyone apparent to help us, a bodhisattva appears in an unexpected form; they guide us, feed us, and send us on our way.