Dear Kossacks,
Today I have decided to write a diary about Buddhism & Zen. While I want to make it clear that I am no expert on this subject, it is true that I have studied it casually for many years. Because of this, I believe that I am at least competent enough to provide a solid introduction to this 'religion' for those that may be interested. The reason that I am writing about it today is because I think it will be well received and beneficial to many progressives here. Buddhism & Zen share a lot of commonalities with progressives and it seems like the two would make a good match together. I will admit that I was hesitant to do so because no one likes a 'bible thumper' - including me. Religion is a very personal subject for many people. Wars have been waged over the differences in religion and countless billions have died for their religions as well. Yet, I still choose to write this diary because Buddhism is so fundamentally different than all other religions that even calling it a religion doesn't really hit the mark. I personally do not consider it to be a religion, but more like a method or a philosophy. Therefore, I have decided to write this diary as a trial balloon. If it is well received, I will write more in the future. If it is not well received, I will not.
Since this is my first diary on this subject, I feel it would be appropriate to give an overview of what Buddhism is and what it is not. There are many myths and misguided beliefs about this religion and it would be wise to get these out of the way right off the bat.
Who was Buddha?
For starters, who was Buddha? Unlike other religions that have some sort of supernatural deity at the center of their religion, Buddha was just an ordinary man that lived about 2,500 years ago. He wasn't different or special from other people in any way. He couldn't walk on water, he couldn't heal the sick and he didn't have a father that lived in the clouds. He was as ordinary as you and me. The only thing that made Buddha stand out from the rest of us was his incredibly keen observations of the world. That's it. It was only his teachings about life that made him special. So, in other words, it's Buddha's message that is special, not the man.
What did Buddha teach that was so special?
There are many things that Buddha has taught that are important and special. To pin it down with just one statement isn't going to do it justice ...but nonetheless I have to try. Buddha taught us about human nature and how to work within its confines to live a fulfilled life. You could almost say that Buddha was an advisor or consultant of sorts of how to deal with problems and reduce suffering for ourselves and the world as a whole. However, Buddha's advice wasn't situational specific. He didn't say things like, "Be good to the environment." Instead, he taught how to see the bigger picture and out of that 'seeing' you might naturally come to the conclusion that it makes sense to be good to the environment.
He also taught us also how to see 'the big picture' within ourselves. For example, imagine a parent that is hyper-critical towards their children. Now, imagine a parent that has the ability to 'see' that they are hyper-critical of their children. The second is far more likely to make the right changes. Maybe they'll realize they are that way because of how their parents were when they were young. This realization might also lead to the conclusion that until someone does something to stop this chain reaction, it is going to continue to be passed down through each generation, causing much pain and suffering along the way. This is the nature of Buddha's teachings. Even though he never gave direct advice on parenting, one can become a much better parent through practicing Buddhism.
The central idea being that if you can see the whole picture, you'll naturally know what the right thing to do is. But if your mind is clouded with false beliefs and other distractions, you won't be able to properly assess a situation and you'll likely make poor decisions (which of course lead to actions that will create even more suffering).
This is why being present is stressed so often in Buddhism and Zen. In order to see clearly, your mind has to be clear. In order to have a clear mind, you necessarily need to be 'present'. Being present means that you are paying full attention to right here, right now. Buddha believed in direct observation of life, not faith. And this is a fundamental difference with most other religions. Indeed, Buddha believed that any religion which required 'faith' to survive should be rejected outright. I believe it was Zen Master Dogen that once said, "A fool rejects what he sees, and accepts what he thinks. The wise reject what they think, and accept what they see."
Why is Buddha worshipped?
Most true Buddhists would tell you that Buddha isn't supposed to be worshipped. Like many things, Buddha has been commercialized. But understand that even Buddha himself had told his students not to make images of him after he died, as it might confuse people as to the message he was trying to send. Buddha also taught his students that if by using observation through direct experience that Buddha's own words became untrue, then they must reject his words outright.
This is also another fundamental difference between Buddhism and most (if not all) religions. Can you even imagine Jesus saying that if we ever found proof that God isn't real, that we must honor and respect that evidence? Of course, Jesus would never have said something like this because it goes against the whole premise of faith.
What is the overall purpose of Buddhism?
Simply put, the overall purpose of Buddhism is to reduce suffering in the world. Notice I did not say to eliminate suffering. That is impossible. That would be like trying to eliminate shadow from light, or vice versa. Suffering plays a central role in fulfillment. This is how nature is. But, suffering can be reduced quite a bit. As a side note, I have semi-concluded that the Republican agenda is wrought with ways to increase suffering in the world. Everyone here probably understands why I say this. It seems like that's all they do nowadays. Contrast that with the Democrat agenda. While not perfect, it seems to work towards reducing suffering in the world. This is why I say many progressive Democrats might be very interested in Buddhism. After all, the core values seem to be pointing in the same direction.
What exactly is enlightenment and is that the ultimate goal of Buddhism?
Enlightenment simply means that 'you get it'. That you understand completely. And yes, that is the purpose of practicing Buddhism. That being said, it is important to understand that 'enlightenment' is not some end point that we reach or attain in life. Enlightenment is not static. It doesn't work that way. Instead, we move in and out of enlightenment on a regular basis. We have moments of enlightenment where we understand a situation so clearly and completely that we know without question what we need to be doing about it. Enlightenment comes and goes and comes again. By practicing Buddhism, we learn how to spend more time being 'enlightened' than being 'deluded' and 'confused'. Therefore, the practice never ends. It is a life-long endeavor of becoming better and better, all the while knowing that you will never reach a permanent state of 'perfect enlightenment'.
Why meditate?
There are many myths about meditation. It is not something special or spiritual. If that's what it is to you then you aren't really meditating. Meditating is simply just a way of practicing being present-minded, not distracted or daydreaming. The Japanese word for meditation (which escapes me at the moment) translates to 'just sitting'. To understand the purpose of meditation, we must not focus on the word 'sitting', but rather on the word 'just'. Indeed, you do not need to be sitting to meditate. You can be 'just driving' or 'just doing the dishes'. If you are fully engaged in something and are completely present minded, you are meditating. By practicing this, we learn to be present minded more often. By being present minded, we pay greater attention to our surroundings and the situations we are in. By paying more attention, we 'see' more clearly what is really going on. And, by seeing more clearly, we know what the right thing to do is. This is the end result of any religion - knowing what is right. Buddhism is the only religion that I am aware of that teaches you to decide for yourself what is right as opposed to telling you what is right. Again, this is why I have a hard time classifying buddhism as a religion; it lacks so many of the characteristics of typical religions.
What about reincarnation?
Honestly, this is an area that is confusing about Buddhism. In some teachings, Buddhism seems to promote the idea of reincarnation. In other teachings, it seems Buddha's real ideas about reincarnation were misunderstood. Many of the ancient Zen masters do not believe there is life after death. Dogen once said that a person cannot come back to life anymore than a pile of ash can go back to being a fire-log. I do not feel qualified enough to get into a deep discussion about where Buddha stands on this, but I do think it is important to know that there is not a consensus that Buddhists believe there is an afterlife or that reincarnation is a Buddhist philosophy. Many believe Buddha meant that things go on but in different forms. Leaves that fall to the ground become part of the soil, etc. This perspective not only fits with Buddha's other teachings but also happens to agree with the first law of thermodynamics. For me personally, this is what I believe.
Zen Lessons
Like parables in the Bible, Buddhism is full of Zen Lessons. These are very short stories that are designed to give examples of how Zen and Buddhism works. There are many popular ones. My first diary at KOS, which I wrote on 9/11/2009, was The Farmer's Neighbor. It was well received and seemed appropriate for the day. I will end this diary with another Zen Lesson called simply 'The Zen Lesson'. I sincerely hoped you enjoyed this diary and would appreciate any feedback on whether you would like to hear more about Buddhism. Thank you.
The Zen Lesson
Once upon a time, there was a college professor whom taught philosophy at the local community college. When it came time to teach his students about Zen, he felt it might be fun and interesting to have a real live Zen teacher visit the classroom. After a few telephone calls, the professor was able to locate a old, well-respected Zen teacher that was willing to give a guest appearance. On the day of the appearance, the professor introduced the Zen teacher to the class. The Zen teacher stood up and asked the class what they would like to know about Zen. A student replied, "Could you give us a Zen lesson, so that we may know what Zen really is." The Zen teacher bowed and stated, "As you wish." He went over to his jacket and pulled out a banana from the pocket. He said to the class, "Now pay very close attention." He began to deliberately peel the banana in front of the class. Then, once the banana was peeled, the Zen teacher took a bite of the banana. After swallowing, he asked, "Now, what does this mean?" The philosophy students began confidently raising their hands. The Zen teacher called on them for responses.
"Does it mean that we must first work before we can enjoy the fruits of life?" a young man asked.
"No, that is not what it means." replied the Zen teacher.
"Does it mean that we must peel away at something to discover its hidden truth?" asked a young lady.
"No, that is not what it means." replied the Zen teacher.
"Does it mean that something can contain both good and bad, as the banana is to the peel, and we must accept it with both?"
No, this is not right either." Replied the Zen teacher.
Observing this, the college professor became a little annoyed with the Zen teacher. Smugly, he said "Excuse me sir, my students are accustomed to being able to find many different meanings in things, any of which may be valid. I felt that these responses were adequate. Yet, you tell them they are wrong even though there could be dozens of philosophies regarding the meaning behind peeling a banana and eating it."
"That is why philosophy is useless." replied the Zen teacher.
Angrily, the professor said, "Well, if that is how you feel, perhaps it was a mistake for you to come here today."
"I am very sorry to have upset you. I shall get my things and leave." replied the Zen teacher. Silently, he walked over to get his coat and started for the door. A student stood up and asked, "Excuse me sir, I am curious, what exactly was the meaning of peeling the banana and eating it?" The Zen teacher stopped and turned towards the student. Smiling, he replied, "It meant that I was hungry." At this, he bowed and then walked out the door. Instantly, the classroom was enlightened.