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.