Assumptions & Judgements

Life continues to teach lessons every day if we only are aware of them. Case in point: last Sunday as i walked out of the house with our dog, a bit bleary-eyed and wearing loose sweats and not quite 100% awake, I did happen to notice that the Sunday paper was not sitting on the driveway. Walking the dog I mused how this little incident would not make my partner very happy--he loves the Sunday crosswords. So as I re-entered the house to announce the lack of a newspaper, I said I would go to the store and pick one up and be right back. I also remembered at that moment that the day before I had received a card from the newspaper announcing their new online paper. Immediately thought that I had inadvertantly cancelled our regular subscription. I told my partner about this, and said as soon as I returned with the paper from the store, I would call the paper to get our delivery reinstated.

Now it seemed perfectly logical to assume that the cause of the lack of newspaper was due to my signing up for the online paper. But when I returned with the paper from the store, which turned out not to be the local paper after all, but I never noticed as I was rushing. As I was on the phone with the subscription department I was told that all paper deliveries were going to be late that day due to a problem with the presses. As I was hearing this news, I was also hearing from my partner that the paper I bought wasn't the right paper. Apparently the store had stocked up on another local paper due to the lack of deliveries.

What I am ultimately getting around to saying is that while I had made what I thought was a very accurate assumption for the reason we didn't get a paper delivered, it turned out to be totally incorrect. It got me, later in the day, to reflect on how often we make assumptions and judgements and could be totally off-base, even when we feel pretty darn sure we are right.

That got me to recalling how earlier in the week I had gone to the local Social Security office to begin processing for Medicare for next March's 65th birthday. While giving the person all of my information, including that of my long-divorced ex-husband, I told her that he was dead, as I had read his obit a few years ago. She tells me, looking at the computer, that he isn't dead. Well, I had felt pretty certain that the obit I read was his, but concluded our business. Upon further investigation at home on Facebook and Google I discovered that he is alive, and a person with his exact name, not a common name, and including the Jr. at the end of it, had died near where we had lived. Again all the signs had pointed to that being my ex, but when I got to to part of the online info that said he died at the age of 88, I know I had been wrong. Again, wrong assumptions, but the clues seemed clear to me. Makes me wonder about trials and eye witnesses and so forth.

I will try to be a bit more careful, if I can, in my assumptions and judgements. "Only a buddha, together with a buddha" can determine the true sequence of cause and effect in our lives.

Harmony-Let's Make Beautiful Music!

Somewhere in my past academic life I vaguely remember the notion of the harmony of the spheres. There was a belief, as I recall, in ancient Greek philosophy that there existed the perfect order of sounds, which would then result in most lovely music. The planets and stars they observed the heavens were also felt to exist in a sort of harmony, a perfect order, which allowed for them and our earth to exist in balance, a beautiful balance of physics. This harmony was then extended into the area of our daily lives, where if we only could realize it, we could be in harmony with one another as well as ourselves.

This idea of harmony came to my mind recently as I saw the quote by Nikkyo Niwano, founder of Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhism: "The secret of the Buddha Way is harmony with those around you." It was one of those moments where something I had read many times before (the quote) recalled something I had learned long ago (the harmony of the spheres). Connecting those two thoughts made me see not only the interconnection of all, but also that the way we live our lives affects the universe. Living in harmony with those around us creates a world of sharing, compassion, and peace. Not living harmoniously creates the world we see most often, a world of fear, hate, greed, and war. The world of harmony, just like musical harmony, is balanced and beautiful, making one want to experience more of it, maybe even trying to create some of that harmonious music ourselves. The world of discord, like the music of discord, is harsh, unpleasant, and we want it to stop.

We all have our own conceptions of beautiful music. For some it is classical symphonies, operas, concertos. For some it is rap, heavy metal, or disco. We don't have to dance to the same music, but we all like to get up and move with joy when we hear "our music." We feel the harmony in the music we love. How wonderful it would be to feel that same harmony in our daily lives: with our family, co-workers, friends, neighbors, all political parties, all countries, all religions, all genders and lifestyles. And so on. I guess I see a world that really can exist with all of us in harmony with one another, with all living things, and it would be that lovely harmony of our favorite music playing everywhere.

Teaching & Kindness

For the past couple of weeks I have been working with someone in the role of a teacher. Our work together involved studying some chapters of the Lotus Sutra, one of Shayamuni Buddha's last sermons. One of these chapters is entitled "Teachers of the Dharma," and among other things it outlines the qualities of a good teacher: Compassion, Patience, and Equanimity. I think I want to narrow those 3 qualities down to one: Kindness. If we are being a kind and good teacher we will embody compassion, patience, and equanimity. And being kind is a good quality for being a good human being.

Being kind brings about joy, too. The person being kind feels good, and the receiver of the kindness feels good. This joy makes both parties then feel grateful, grateful being able to help and grateful for being helped. This gratitude then empowers us to continue these acts of kindness, as we wish to continue to feel these pleasant feelings of joy and gratitude. This creates a cycle of positive behavior as opposed to negativity. We feel we can, want, will do something for others, rather than can't or  won't. It reminds me of that song from the 60's, I think, "Love Train." Come on aboard the Love Train and it will take you to wonderful places.

Being Grateful for Busyness-Part 2

Last time I wanted us to think about how wonderful it is that we have so much to do. Without these duties, committments, engagements, etc. we would stagnate. Actually we do change, but not for the better.
That is the other great part about busyness. It provides us those opportunities for changing, growing, in a good way. Of course there will be things we just cannot do, whether we are physically unable or the option is not in sync with who/where we are at the moment. But as much as we can, let us embrace each moment, each opportunity. It has truly amazed me since I have been working on this (please note that I am still worikng on this, just like you) that those opportunities that I most dreaded or expected very little from were the ones that provided me with the most joy, the best lesson, a new insight. Moving into the unfamiliar or uncomfortable, be it person, place, or thing, wakes us up. That is a huge part of enlightenment, the waking up. Most of our lives are so pre-programmed. We do this on Monday, this at 2pm, that at 9pm, and so forth. We may not want to do that thing at 5pm, because we won't have to much time free before the 9pm thing, but that 5pm thing could change your life.
I guess it is all about being open, accepting.

Being Grateful for Busyness

It's been a while since I've posted any thoughts--not that I haven't had any, but I have been pretty busy. But who isn't busy these days, you may ask. Our lives certainly haven't become any less complicated with technology, and the current economic situation seems to make most of us scramble just to stay afloat. Grumble, grumble. Yes, I do that, I hear myself do it. Tsk, tsk.

Every situation life sends us, whether pleasant or not (in our opinion, of course), is an opportunity to grow, to do better, to be a better person. Those moments when we feel overwhelmed it is good to just sit back for a moment--we can all do that, really. Taking that moment allows us to remember our path, to get back on it if we stumble astray, and then to be grateful that we DO have all of these things to do. That is life, after all. I guess I envision monks out there somewhere spending their day meditating, but I also have a feeling that they grumble inside their heads about the food (gosh, more pureed turnips, or such), or the weather (my bones ache because of the dampness), or the sitting (I am still not quieting my mind after all these years). But their regimen is no less a cause for suffering than is ours. We all suffer. But that suffering, if we let it, can open us up to the "stuff" of life. Without that "stuff" we would have little in our lives to, well, grumble about. That grumbling, again if we let it, can help us see that all of those things we grumble about are our stepping stones to improvement. How can we possibly grow if everything is always just fine? Being in the human realm gives us the opportunity that no other realm has--the chance to suffer, reflect, and change for the better if we so choose.

So here I am back at you, and I will try to post these ramblings more regularly. Let me know how you are doing.

Savor the Good--Joy in the Dharma

Have just started reading "Buddha's Brain," a great book that reaffirms the Buddha Way in scientific terms. May want to use it as a book class this fall. Anyway, one of the things the authors stress, as well as Buddha, by the way, is that we can change our minds. One way to do that is to focus on the Good. We will still encounter unpleasant things in our lives, but by pairing up those moments with a conscious thought of goodness can counteract the pain of that unpleasant moment. Moreover, by dwelling in the good moments a bit longer, not letting them slip away too fast, we can ingrain a bit more peace and joy in our brains and lives.
Yesterday was my day to volunteer at Hospice House. I bring my dog, Buster, with me to help break the ice and bring some liveliness and joy into the rooms I visit. We met a man yesterday that was worried because he was there in Hospice House, and his wife had been admitted to the hospital next door. He hadn't heard from her and didn't know how she was. After several phone calls I was able to determine that she had been discharged. I tried the home number, and gratefully she answered. The man was SO happy to be able to speak with her. I left feeling so happy--for HIM. I felt my action was minimal.What was important was he got happiness. Then I got some, too. Pretty nice. Like when I saw the picture of Jan Rose in Japan sitting with a beautiful Japanese meal in front of her. Her smile of joy warmed my heart--really. Her joy became mine, and I was joyful for her. This is Joy in the Dharma.

More Thoughts on Buddha Nature

Last time I remarked how it is apparent that my dog likes anybody. He has that innate ability to connect with everyone. Like humans, he sees himself as separate from other living beings, and I have seen him get a bit testy with other dogs in certain situations. Yet, he always looks joyfully at his next encounter. It now seems that while I have been focusing on this whole notion, the universe is showing me more examples of buddha nature in animal life. I guess Buddha is knocking me over the head, and maybe I'll finally get it.

One of our members emailed me about a scientist that worked with elephants in Africa, and upon his death, the elephants he worked with showed a long mourning period. Another member emailed me about a whale that got enmeshed in many fishing nets. A small group of divers spent a long time cutting the nets away and freeing the whale. Upon his release to each diver, looked them in the eye, and gently touched them before swimming away. And finally, a very small note in the latest National Geographic says that rats have shown empathy and joy when their companions get out of a trap.

What of all of this? Well, animals, as part of the giant web of living things, can show us humans that every living thing is precious. Moreover, we can learn to appreciate and be joyful about each new encounter. Every living being shares in that essence of the Buddha, that eternal life force. As such, one one and no thing is more important or valuable. We are all necessary and worthwhile in this web of life. I found the stories of our animal friends as a reconfirmation of that fact. Hope you do, too.