Mokugen Kublicki, Rev. Master

Whilst we are on this earth, it is unlikely that we will find or create a sort of heaven realm for ourselves. As the young Shakyamuni realized, suffering exists inherently in this samsaric realm that we inhabit. The pains of birth, death, sickness and separation will be encountered by us all, and the ups and downs of life are many. Thankfully the Buddhas and Ancient wise ones have all helped point the way to finding spiritual peace and freedom within these conditions, allowing them to be the very Dharma doors and catalysts to a deeper understanding. By not clinging to or rejecting them – sitting still within them – they themselves can transform from the arrows of pain and confusion to the lotus blossoms of acceptance and compassionate understanding.

So many good words and pointing to this mysterious activity of ‘being still’ have been expressed in each generation. Yet the presence of our Buddha Nature and capacity to connect with it – and not be spun out in fear and confusion – is something that we are born with. This capacity is and will always be there. We are even reminded of it daily by the many beautiful images found around us of the Buddha sitting serenely in meditation.

“To be still.” These words point to resting in our vibrant True Nature. At times in practice this is difficult.

It is natural that we sometimes feel the adrenalin of ‘fight or flight’. Our bodies are hard-wired to respond and react to perceived or sometimes imagined dangers…an oncoming car if we are in the middle of the road, or a fire that we need to flee from. And at times the suffering of the world, or of others or in our own life, can make us feel fearful, restless and prone to avoidance and displacement. The witnessing of this can provoke that impulse to fight or flee!

However, it is our capacity for a positive Preceptual response that matters, and fortunately that is not dependent on anyone or anything else. By accepting and embracing our current conditions, sympathizing with our own humanity and that of others – and not then settling for any low common denominator – we can allow our current situation to spur us to the True Refuge within the heart. Faith and ‘turning the stream of compassion within’ can then allow our pained thoughts and feelings to be turned inside out as it were –revealing that their inner golden lining shines with the compassion of the Unborn which weaves together all within its infinite fabric.

None of us knows when conditions are such that we are called to a deeper abiding or an even more patient endurance within our personal or collective societal conditions. It is said that karmic consequence falls into the three periods of time. Even so, the bedrock of daily practice in both ‘good’ times and difficult times deepens insight and equanimity and allows for a wider perspective when conditions cause turbulence that is difficult to bear. The humility of our own tender experience can bring forth the sincere call of the Heart and an asking for help within it; and the bringing of our palms together and bowing our heads, not only opens us wide to the deepest Dharma, but also opens our heart in great sympathy to others.

And what of the times when our inner world and the outer world seem to be spinning out of control and appear incomprehensible. It is then, that is the very best time to be still and place our faith and trust in the power and merit of being still. My Master often used to say: “When the earth starts shaking…sit still!”

This is not an act of inertia or avoidance, but a reaching into the heart of That which will be of the most help and healing. Nor is it choosing a sort of vacuous torpor where we block ourselves from the suffering of the world. Rather, it is a full entrusting to the wisdom of the Three Treasures and a putting down of noisy attempts at external solutions. The wisest ways to act, if needed, will undoubtedly come from this very heart of stillness.

When in distress we can find wise ways that work for us to settle our heart and emotions and come to a deeper acceptance and being still. Being patient with ourselves without heavy expectations can help that. Offering a stick of incense, making an act of kindness, taking a short walk with a moment to gaze up at the sky. Such things may help us to pause and remember to turn the stream of compassion within, remembering the larger picture and True Refuge.

At times working through difficult times takes considerable and sustained effort. And yet, what a blessing that our Buddha Nature knows that this is the right way to go. In putting this into practice, we learn from our very own blood and bones’ experience: that conditions are not permanent, pains and griefs dissolve, and that there is an abiding compassionate core of the Love of the Eternal which sustains in the very heart of all beings. It is the wonder of our unified thread of wholeness and oneness. We can learn, not only from a book or saying, the truth of this. We can experience the ‘water of the spirit’ within our very being and know that it is shared by all.

“The means of training are thousandfold but pure zazen must be done.” This might sound like an admonition, but it is actually a wondrous affirmation that there is cessation of suffering and there is a Path that leads to it. If we choose ‘sitting still’…long enough…we witness that even our moments of seeming worst extremis dissolve into the ‘Pure Lake of Kindness’.

The power and merit of sitting still clears clouds, moves mountains. For myself, I have not lost my awe and gratitude that this is so. It is not ‘my’ or ‘our’ power and merit. It is the power and merit and grace of the Unborn which eternally holds open the Treasure House of wisdom and healing for all.