When we think of people who put a spin on something negative to make it sound OK what group do we think of first? Other than lobbyists, who come in near the bottom at around 5%, it is politicians. As a nation, our trust in politicians continues to decline. What is surprising is who we do trust the most - actors, people who get paid to read scripts written by others, rank near the top of the list, like Tom Hanks.
The first group says what they do to get elected and actors, well, they get paid to act out scripts written by others.
Rather than shaking our heads ‘yes’ in agreement, or not, let’s turn this question around. How much of what we say is calculated with spin - how much is us just being bonbu? Or, are they the same?
In 2023 our Cleveland Buddhist Temple devoted a few minutes after the service was over to learning how to put the First Paramita, Dana/Generosity, into action. In 2024 we added the Second Paramita, Sila/Moral Conduct to the first, Dana. The Sila paramita, or perfection, includes three aspects of the Eightfold Noble Path. For the next few months we will focus on Right Speech in our daily life.
Why do we even bother? Right speech eliminates gossip, or saying things that make us look good even at the expense of another, or spinning a message to get what we want… just to mention a few. What will we gain? We aren’t the monks or nuns expected to practice the Six Paramitas and the Eightfold Noble Path.
We live in the everyday world of family interactions, work intrigues, bills to be paid, illnesses to be suffered, old age and death of loved ones. We are only lay people living in the real world, a messy one at that. If we choose to experiment even with this one aspect, Right Speech, on a daily basis, what we may gain, or awaken to, is our own true non-ego self.
As we awaken to our own self, we may then begin the discipline of trying to implement, in small steps, the Bodhisattva’s path. But isn’t it enough to be accepted, without condition, by Amida Buddha, never to be abandoned? Why go to all the bother of all these paths, precepts, resolutions, etc.? This, to me, is the most interesting question of all, a question that each must examine for themselves.
My ego self, in this age of mappō is not capable of seeing itself for what it is. We have already heard the call of Amida Buddha to us, it is real and it works because now we know and can trust that life can be different. The call has awakened us to something inside that desires the liberation we know exists.
Just as we experienced the how everyday Dana, generosity without expectation of reciprocity reduces attachments, we can experience how everyday Sila
of Right Speech, can help reduce not only the suffering of others, but awaken us to a self that can overcome at least one bit of ego self.
Returning to the question asked at the start…. how much of what we say is calculated with spin - how much is us just being bonbu? With conscious awareness and practice, we will come to see they are the same.
Live without gossip every day? Live without spinning my stories everyday so I look good? This is no small undertaking. This is painful mostly because we don’t even know we are doing it. We see it in others, but rarely in our self. Just as the Hindu god in todays perceived “… the god decided his new home was inside man himself. He observed that man is too busy looking and seeking and scaling heights outside of himself to look inside. Therefore inside man he would surely not be seen or disturbed.”
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Rev. Anita
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