Silent Thunder: The Story of Matsuoka Roshi - Final Trailer

Is there a Middle Way?

"If wound too tight it will break; if too loose it won't play." Advice in Buddha's time pointing to the value of a middle way, a way avoiding extremes. We are on the edge of extreme social control out of a reasonable sense of fear regarding something we have never experienced, a pandemic.

A journey down the rabbit hole.

I fear that often our fear, no matter how reasonably based, causes us to put our safety above all else. Social isolation, closing businesses, retreating into the digital world for our social needs, will, it seems to me, have long lasting and profound effects not only on our economy, but on our basic humanity.

We are "homo sapiens" or from its origins, "wise men." One of the characteristics of homo sapiens is we are a species that works in groups. Our identity as a species is defined through our group membership, Forming groups is our natural way to survive, thrive, and feel safe. When we are cast out of our group we feel unsafe, cut-off, isolated, and threatened.

What happens when we believe our neighbor is a threat to us? Think about that. What happens when our larger group, our government, decides to shut down our places of business and social interaction? What happens when grocery items are essentially rationed? What happens when (outside of digital means) we are effectively in the dark about what is going on around us? My personal sense is: nothing good.

Our social connectivity will erode making it possible to see others as threats and, thus, requiring us to defend ourselves at our most basic level: family. Home becomes our safe zone and our prison of which we must defend at all costs. I read this morning that guns and ammo sales have went through the roof since this virus became real here in the US...so? Portent?

It seems to me that some middle ground could be established which would allow for public gatherings, open restaurants, and the like. Precautions could be taken; gloves, masks, anti-viral sprays, for example. In this way we might avoid taking those very slippery steps toward a semi-totalitarian state where government becomes our parent.

I'm considering hosting a series of focus groups online to discuss matters such as these. Let me know if you might be interested.

Gassho,

The First Bodhisattva Vow

With palms together,

On the First Bodhisattva Vow:

"Being are numberless, I vow to free them."

The Buddha Way is not only about personal awakening, but the practice of freeing all beings. One way of looking at this vow is to say that through our own awakening all beings are awakened. This comes from a deep understanding of the first truth in Zen Buddhism, The Absolute Truth where it is realized everything is one with no separations.

Another view, so to speak, is from the second truth, the Relative Truth, that we are all individual beings, unique to ourselves. We practice to realize, internalize, and hold both of these truths to be true at the same time. So, when I say the way is not only about personal awakening, but the practice of deep compassion for all beings so that all beings become free from suffering, I mean they are one in the same.

Here we are, now experiencing the truth that we are all interdependent and deeply interconnected. The darkness that is this pandemic is teaching us something about the Absolute Truth, our oneness.. My hope is that through this teaching we also become aware that the light is also inherent in the Absolute Truth. Through our compassion for each other we model the Buddha Way for to be compassionate we must practice to allow mind and body to fall away. In this process we ourselves in everyone and everyone in ourselves.

While unique we are as beings, we are also "everyman,"

Let us each and every one live in this way.

Daiho Hilbert