Rev. Patti Nakai
Resident Minister
Buddhist Temple of Chicago
Speaking Buddhist Truth to Power
by
Rev. Patti Nakai
(Note: The following invocation was given by Rev. Patti at
the Chicago City Council meeting, May 31, 2023.)
Let us quiet our thoughts for a moment of meditation.
[Ringing of hand bell followed by brief silence]
Let us open our hearts and receive the words of the Buddha:
“All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life.
Seeing myself in others, then whom can I hurt?
What harm can I do?
The person who seeks happiness by hurting those who also seek
happiness will never find happiness.
… But the one who … lives in quietness and virtue, who has ceased
to harm all other beings, he is a true seeker.
With energy and virtue, be harmless, be blameless.
Awaken to the teachings and free yourself from all sorrow.”
These words come from the scripture Dhammapada, from a chapter titled “The Rod” because in the Buddha’s time, 2500 years ago, violence was seen as the act of hitting a person or an animal with a rod. But now in this city at this time, there are people experiencing violence in a variety of forms, not just the violence of being struck by clubs or bullets.
It is violence for people to not have enough to eat, to not have someplace to sleep.
It is violence for people to have their air and water poisoned by industrial waste.
It is violence for people to be treated as “less than” because of their skin color, gender identity or immigration status.
None of us here wants to experience such violence. But the Buddha asks us to identify with all beings and not be party to inflicting such violence on others.
In the Buddhist tradition, there is a cosmic figure called Guan-yin. In Japanese art Guan-yin is usually depicted as a male with feminine features but in Chinese culture, Guan-yin is female and often looks very motherly. The name Guan-yin means “one who perceives the cries of the world.” It means Guan-yin hears, sees and feels the suffering of others and responds to their cries.
Some images of Guan-yin show her with many arms and in each hand is a different tool, in recognition that our human problems require a variety of tools to solve them.
Today I am invoking the spirit of Guan-yin because for all of you here today, the mayor, the alderpersons, the elected and appointed officials, your job is to be Guan-yin for the city of Chicago. You are the ones who listen to the voices of the people of Chicago and respond to their needs.
And I hope you not only hear the voices of those with wealth and property but that you listen to those who are struggling to make ends meet, to those who may speak a different language from yours, and to those who are too young to vote now but are the future of this city.
Like Guan-yin you have many tools and resources to use in your communities and you know many problems require a patient multi-layered approach not a quick fix.
So this is my Buddhist invocation today – that as you fulfill your responsibilities from now to the end of your terms, know that each of you can be the manifestation of Guan-yin – hearing the voices of the people and responding to them in wise and compassionate ways.
Namu Amida Butsu.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
Amen. Shalom. Peace.
Rev. Patti Nakai
Buddhist Temple of Chicago
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