By Chigan Roland Jaeckel Roshi
As winter draws closer and we approach the last few weeks of the year, the days get shorter and darkness outlasts the sunlight hours. Along with the natural phenomenon of the changing seasons, change is also unfolding simultaneously in our society and the world. As a spiritual person, a human being who is walking the path of the Bodhisattva, how do we move forward in difficult situations? How do we embrace societal challenges as opportunities for practice instead of falling into despair, anger, or fruitless struggle? How do we make a real difference?
In a world where division, polarization, and fear are used to compete for power and influence, the promise of a path that guided a human being named Siddartha Gautama to become a liberated being—a Buddha—is of the utmost importance. Although we practice as individuals, we inevitably awaken to the insight that life is indivisible. An essential step in our spiritual journey is to examine the workings of the two-dimensional mind and look deeply into the nature of duality. We learn that viewing the human condition exclusively from a dualistic perspective reinforces the cycle of suffering, known in Buddhist teachings as samsara. Concepts like victory and defeat, winning and losing, or us versus them, are dear to the dualistic perspective and fuel the workings of a limited, self-referential mind. Through introspection, cultivating stillness, and quieting this mind, we discover that these two-dimensional concepts are delusions. Another aspect of the self-referential mind is identity, a function crucial in society and interpersonal interaction. As long as we understand that identity, at its core, is merely a set of safe limits that allow us to interact, all is well. But when we attach to a fixed identity, we imprison ourselves in just a tiny compartment of our whole being and inevitably suffer the effects of spiritual poverty.
When events in the world provoke fear, disappointment, or concern, we tend to react with opposition, resistance, and anger. As practitioners, we are called to step beyond the two-dimensional mechanics of opposition. Merely reacting in this way only perpetuates fragmentation and strife.
Formal Zen training is a unique way to realize and experience the indivisibility of all existence. Continuous and diligent practice is needed to ripen and mature our ability to embrace challenges and act in a more holistic and wholesome manner. New York Zendo Shobo-ji and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji are rare places that offer this time-honored practice of introspection and awakening. We offer the world access to this practice and are grateful to everyone who chooses to walk this path. The need for places of refuge and safe practice, such as our temples, where this exploration is available in a supportive environment, is of increased importance in times of significant challenges.
As a token of our appreciation, we have shared an affirmation to help refresh our commitment to the path of the Bodhisattva. Let it remind us of the need to awaken, be clear, and walk with determination and unwavering curiosity.
