20.11.07

Be nice to each other! And be sincere!

There have been a few folks out in the blogosphere talking about some subjects near and deer to me, so I put up a couple of Master Dogen’s old talks on the subject below. I feel like a broken record on this but since I see it keep coming up maybe the right thing to do is just rehash it.

Kind Speech & Love words, I feel are really at the heart of Buddhism, Right up there with Zazen*! I know that is a bold statement but here me out. Our main way of interacting with others is through communication, Here it is written, but it could be through speaking or other actions as well. Zazen* is a great practice, but while you may be able to plunge into it and get to the truth about reality, most folks are not ready, willing or able to do that yet. So clearly we should not be adding to suffering by making matters worse by acting superior or speaking down to others, belittling them. Instead try to raise them up if you can, or say nothing if you can’t.

There are exceptions! Sometimes, particularly when someone (like me) is particularly deluded, some harsh words might be in order to get someone to wake the heck up. But great care and compassion should be taken in that effort, because regardless of your intent, what comes around usually goes around.


May all be well and happy,
Jordan


* I acknowledge that others may have other practices that may be different, Zazen dose it for me.

8 comments:

gniz said...

Thanks Jordan, well put.

SlowZen said...

AAron,

Thank you!

Jordan

oxeye said...

Jordan - just wanted to let you know I'm still reading but am busier than a one armed shakuhachi player right now. working under a deadline for another week maybe.. as always, thanks for the good stuff. - jeff

SlowZen said...

Jeff,

Thanks for stopping in!

Take care,
Jordan

Carol said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Jordan! I wish we could all be together but we must wait for the next holiday. Know that our thoughts are with you and your family.

Love,

Mom

Yamakoa said...

Senor Jordan,
Great stuff. Like Oxeye, my work volume seems to have increased exponentially. Unfortunately, even my sitting has been less. I have tried to make up for this by being more mindful and taking my sitting with me everywhere. The peculiarity about being more present and mindful has not only brought me more peace of mind during some very stressful moments, but my peers and workmates have commented on my demeanor. For instance, yesterday one of our patients was coding (impending death), this is always a very volatile situation. By concentrating on what needed to be done, I systematically started going through the appropriate steps. Halfway through the code one of the senior attendings (Doctor with more experience)
took over. Right away the tension level increased. The nurses who were calm before were now frightened. By being mindful of the situation I quietly mediated both positions and went about trying to save our patient. When I noticed that efforts would not work , I discretely put my hands on her and said a couple of words. At the moment I felt a great sense of peace and I was trying to transmit that to our patient. Just like that, the senior physician put an end to our efforts. Suddenly there was peace among the chaos that had just ensued. I know by having been in that situation many times, it is very easy to get caught up emotionally. This is the second time that I have been able to find this sort of balance and peace in the midst of medical chaos. I do not know if it is a result of my sittings or not. What I believe is that the fleeting glimpses of balance that I find during my sittings allows me to appreciate each and every experience more thoroughly without the cloak of emotions that we attach to it.
Take care.

SlowZen said...

Mom, Good to talk to you this morning, Have a great Thanks-giving!

Love,
Jordan

SlowZen said...

Yamakoa,
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
I am truly grateful for your practice.

In appreciation,
jordan

Thanks for looking!