Zen precept #16: Not disparaging the Triple Treasure.
On this journey to taking the buddhist precepts in a Jukai ceremony on Sunday, I have made a lot of preparations: sewing a rakusu over 17 months, learning and reviewing the precepts, examining my life and behavior, and having lived more like a monk these past 16 days -- with a minimum of sugar, sex, and fat. It has been everything: euphoric, challenging, mundane, prickly, numbing, humbling, etc. Yet, in an ancient wisdom sort of way, it has given me a powerful experience of my true self, my buddha nature and basic goodness. It has reminded me again what is important in this fleeting life. It has opened more of my heart to myself and others, with me having a sense of oneness that I don't usually feel everyday.
For me this precept is about reminding myself to live an upright life or as my Zen teacher says "keep 'uprighting' ourselves." No, this isn't a course in perfection or fixed-ness, but rather a fluid and powerful path that encourages me to keep remembering my essential self, to keep seeing my interconnection with all beings, to keep coming back to this moment and out of the world of delusions. The idea of uprighting myself reminds of a toy that no matter how you put it down, the toy uprights itself and returning to its true state. In my case, this Triple Treasure and accompanying precepts are my self-righting mechanism, and for that immensely grateful. With a deep bow, Joe
No comments:
Post a Comment