Zen and hard times

Look at the light of this hour

Robert Creeley

I wrote a piece on repurposing to send to you this month, and then war broke out. I’m saving that piece for another time. Right now it seems important to address the elephant in the room. There’s no question that we are living through unrelenting challenges. Just as we seem to be digging ourselves out of one hole we are plunged head first into another--a pandemic that seems to never end, floods, fires and droughts from climate change, dictators in multiple countries, the spread of false news, fascist regimes and now war. There is no sugar coating it, our world and life on this planet is in peril. The first noble truth of suffering has always been operative but now we are made aware of each twist and turn due to unending news from home and abroad. A good portion of us are on compassion overload and may even feel guilty for any pleasure we get to enjoy. I was commenting on how beautiful the day was to my friend and she reminded me that this beautiful weather is un-seasonally warm because of global warming. We need rain, she reminded me. That is no doubt true, but isn’t it just as true that the sky is bright blue, the grasses are green and there is fragrance from jasmine in the wind?

It’s hard to resist the eddy pulling us into the doomsday thinking that surrounds us. Negativity and cynicism may appear more realistic than optimism, which some think is the realm of idiots and fools, but is it? It’s uncomfortable for us to not have answers as to why there is so much suffering in the world. We may feel helpless as we witness the hurt around us. We may even feel guilty when enjoying a beautiful day while so many are suffering.  Buddhist wisdom does not shrink from the truth of suffering. It also teaches that suffering is not the whole story.

Zen has valuable wisdom to offer us for hard times such as these. The first bit of wisdom is the bed rock practice of not knowing. The Zen teacher, Roshi Bernie Glassman, wrote, “Knowing is a snapshot, the idea of how things are; therefore, it’s not deep wisdom. The perfection of wisdom is the functioning of things as they are. We say, not knowing is most intimate. If we can really see this basic point of life, we can function with no limitations or restrictions; we can do everything!”  While meditating we don’t judge or comment on our thoughts, we just watch them arise and pass. We focus on the vital field that the thoughts arise and pass in and out of.  Resting in not knowing allows us the space to let go of tension and viewpoints if only for a few minutes. We feel the positive emotions alongside the challenges without judging either.

Back in the everyday world the dark may appear more real than the light. But believing there is only darkness is as naive as believing there is only light. Both exist and both can be experienced without commentary. But we seem to give greater credence to the dark side. We watch the news forgetting that there are also beautiful things happening all around us. Good news is not as dramatic as bad news. Good news doesn’t make good copy. We need to take a beat and refresh ourselves, to expand our perspective in order to come to problems with fresh eyes. When we refresh ourselves we return to everyday life with an open heart and increased clarity. We listen for whatever compassionate action is called for in each unique moment. Just as our life gets tighter and smaller when we cling to viewpoints and possessions, our life opens up as we release our surety and rest in the koan of not knowing.  

Anger is a powerful motivator, and there is much anger being ignited right now all over the planet. If compassion is to have its say it needs to be emboldened. It needs the strength to not be bowled over by the anger and greed charging at us at breakneck speed. Not an easy task. We who hold to a compassionate vision of what life on Earth can be need to fortify ourselves daily with nature, meditation, wisdom, generosity and beauty in order to develop the strength to stand up to the fire of anger and greed that is burning down our beloved planet. It is not a betrayal of our responsibilities to the Earth to enjoy a beautiful day or laugh with friends or snuggle with a loved one. Part of not knowing is not knowing how this story will turn out. But we can continue to pull the ship in alignment with mother Earth while enjoying her many, many gifts.