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Thinking about September 11th and Beyond
I have been looking at some of the old Zen sutras to see what wisdom they offer for moving beyond September 11th in some sane compassionate way. "Several Verses on the Faith Mind" by the Third Zen Patriarch, Sengtsan, has been enormously helpful. Here are some of the verses in Stumbling Toward Enlightenment:
"Finding peace isn't hard
if you have no opinions.
Gushing yes or gushing no need to be absent
for clarity.
Even a little opinion gets in the way.
Even a tiny opinion
separates heaven and earth in infinite miles.
So.
If you really want peace
To be happy,
Secure
Then hold no opinions.
None for.
None against.
The need to categorize everything into
What we like or dislike
just makes us crazy.
(But you already knew that.)
When you let your opinions get in your own way
so you can't see what is really going on
You'll never find peace.
What a cost.
How unnecessary."
We have so many opinions. The trouble is that all they are is a collection of habitual tendencies based on past tense experiences that have very little use in a world that is constantly changing. Who ever would have guessed, for example, that President Bush would have a 90% approval rating by United States citizens by the end of September, given the problems with the national election.
Opinions lock us into dualistic thinking - good/bad; right/wrong - at a time when what we need the most is creative, intuitive, compassion based responses to a world gone slightly awry. What is more helpful is to take refuge in the precepts instead - not to harm, or lie, or steal, or muddy our minds, or promote violence. That's where the 360 degrees of response freedom lie.
Here's a small example of what I mean. On the sidewalk outside of Still Point Abbey is a bus stop. Every afternoon an elderly gentleman stands there waiting for an afternoon ride. For our first week in the abbey I was spending most of my time carting garbage out to a rented dumpster just next to the stop -- or putting recyclable things out on the street for a free garage sale. The first time I walked past him I said hi. He ignored me. Second time, a grunt. It sounded sort of nasty, sort of leave me alone, to tell you the truth. Third time, the grunt again.
It I reacted with opinions I would have said to myself, "What a grouch!" and tried to carry out the garbage when he wasn't around.
The precepts however, are about all the time kindness and he felt a little lonely to me. So the fourth time I saw him was fresh and new as far as I'm concerned. "Hi!" Accompanied by a grin. A grunt response. Fifth time? "You movin' into the hood?" Sixth time? "What's your name?" By the seventh time I was inviting him to our housewarming party and he was telling me the history of the street.
Lots of prostitution and old Detroit wealth, followed by anarchist collectives and a secret rose garden two houses down. Frustration with the casino that is here, and sorrow that the baseball park isn't open any more. We'll be best friends if this keeps up.
"At the moment of peace
in that breath of understanding
your heart will soar beyond
appearances
and opinions.
And you will realize that everything you think is real
only seems real because of ignorance of the way.
Don't search.
No flashlights, strobe lights, candles.
Just give up your opinions."
For the sake of our children's children.
