Abbot's Teaching
"Imagine Peace"
by Michael Zenkai Taiun Elliston Sensei
September 2, 2000
Address Given at the Centennial Olympic Park Celebration, September 2, 2000
Good evening, and greetings from the Atlanta Soto Zen Center. The theme of this gathering is "IMAGINE PEACE". For peace in this world to become and remain a reality, it must begin with our being able to at least imagine it. But of course we all know that it is not enough to just imagine peace for it to become a reality. We must be able to act in peace for peace to manifest. In order to act in peace, we must experience peace, we must actually be peace, in any circumstance. In Zen, we experience this "peace which surpasses understanding" directly, through zazen - Zen meditation.
Ordinarily, when we are not at peace on either a personal or social basis, we look to find the cause of our trouble, usually in a circumstance in which we find ourselves. "Circumstance" is, by definition, not central, but peripheral. So that which we typically identify as the cause of the trouble is not ourselves, of course, but something or someone else - for example, a lack of something we think we need, or the behavior of another; the issue at the center of the conflict as we see it.
In Zen, the central source of all conflict is the self. This self is not the "true self" that you may have heard mentioned in a Zen context, but the illusory self of "me and mine". When we are in conflict - not at peace - this self is in full flower. When all is well - we have everything we want or need at the moment, and no one is bothering us - then we seem to be at peace, but this is a peace dependent on circumstance. Then when change occurs, in an unfavorable way, this illusory peace is shattered. This is when true inner peace is tested, and can be seen - if we have found it.
There are many stories about this in the history of Zen. Some have to do with the Samurai, the warrior class of medieval Japan, who were often students of Zen masters, sometimes not. One such tale has a Zen master boarding a boat with a man who happened to be the best swordsman in Japan at that time. The story goes that a drunken Samurai forced his way onto the already overfull boat. The zen master urged the surly Samurai to be careful, as he might capsize the boat. In response, the belligerent Samuraie angrily struck the master in the forehead with the handle of his sword, drawing blood. As the boat pulled up to land, the swordsman leapt nimbly ashore and stood waiting for the Samurai. Here the storyteller says that there is someting about the stance and expression of a master swordsman that is unmistakable - the Samurai was facing imminent death. However, the Zen master intervened, saying, "Here is where we show our Buddhism" and he and the swordsman walked away.
Another famous tale that illustrates the true source of our trouble has a Samurai visiting a famous Zen master, and inquiring as to the Buddhist understanding of heaven and hell. The Zen master answered in an insulting way, something like "What would an inferior type such as yourself be able to do with such information?" - casting pearls before swine. The Samurai, the story goes, turned red in the face before the gathered assembly, and rising quickly to his feet began to draw his sword, intent upon repaying the insult with the priest's life. Looking up into his eyes, the master declared, "This is hell!" Realizing the compassion of the master, the Samurai was immediately mollified, and re-sheathing his sword, sat back down. "This is heaven!" said the Zen master.
Of course, the import of these stories is not the glorification of violence and bravery. And it is comforting to imagine that we could behave in like manner under such dire circumstances. The important point is that the anger that we feel when confronted by unfavorable circumstances is the direct manifestation of this illusory self, which these Zen masters have seen through. Illusory because when we examine it closely, we find that we cannot find it. Everything associated with this self - our body, our mind, our family, our possessions - is clearly impermanent.
Buddha taught that there is the existence of suffering in every aspect of this existence, and that we are to fully understand it. The source or origin of this suffering is our own craving - the thirst for sense pleasures, existence and becoming, even non-existence - and that we are to abandon it. The cessation of suffering is the giving up of this very thirst, and we are to realize it in this lifetime. The path leading to the cessation of suffering, is the way to actualize this in all dimensions of everyday life.
In the midst of life, people turn to sex, drugs, rock and roll - anything and everything to divert their attention, to satisfy craving. It's because they know that there is an end to the suffering - that it is possible. But they go about it in ways that do not work, even make it worse.
Natural suffering - sickness, old age and death, has no end in this existence. The kind of suffering that can come to an end is the man-made kind - self-inflicted and mutually-inflicted - which, from personal strife to world war, is rooted in the self. But we cannot bring an end to inflicted suffering until we have come to terms with natural suffering, and thus free ourselves of dependence on circumstance. We do this through Zen.
My teacher, Matsuoka Roshi, when asked about what is now called "engaged Zen", said "This is the most you can do." - indicating zazen. Please take these words to heart. Once we can put our whole self into meditation, and relinquish our personal craving for things to be the way we want them to be, we can wake up to the suffering of the world. Once we haev true spiritual peace, we can share peace with others of good will.
Let me close with the three refuges. In light of the difficulty of actualizing a Zen life in this complex and difficult world, we take refuge in the three jewels of Buddhism - the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. If you would like to join in the response, please do so following each bell.
Please repeat the English after me:
Namu kie Butsu - I take refuge in Buddha, the original nature
Namu kie Ho - I take refuge in Dharma, the compassionate teaching
Namu Kie So - I take refuge in Sangha, the harmonious community
Thank you.