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You say you are not a flat earther and don’t believe in dragons? I beg to differ. We all have a some flat earther in us. We all have dragons we fear, sometimes so much so that we may even refuse to acknowledge them. We just avoid getting close to them.
It may be as simple as “knock on wood,” or walking around, rather than under, a ladder. What about beginner’s luck, crossing your fingers or not wanting room 13 on the 13th
floor of a hotel? Or about praying for a passing grade or cutting deals with god(s) for good results on medical tests.
Most of us bonbu mortals have some flat earther lurking just out of sight. Even rational Buddhists have it. We thank the amygdala portion of our primitive brain for this. It helps us recall dangerous situations, situations to be avoided. It is our edge of a flat earth where our own dragons live. Dragons that are very real, very dangerous and fearsome as only our own creation can make them.
We spend a lifetime acquiring them and then, at some point, we seek liberation from the fears that hold us back from living life fully, from entrusting life. Over time our exploration of life became more limited, closer to home, basically, flat. Now we want out from that fear. We come to Buddhism for the answers, for the way to free ourselves because for some reason, we couldn’t find the playbook for the way out in the faith religions we grew up with. We felt the way they were shared not only didn’t liberate us, but in some cases our understanding of them made our world even more constricted and more dangerous.
For many, this is when we become Nightstand Buddhists, with a Buddhist book on our nightstand, to find a way to reduce, if not end, dukkha. Taking the next step, finding and visiting a Sangha, took courage. Depending on our initial faith group, going to a Buddhist temple may be the equivalent of getting too close to the edge of that flat earth where dragons will get us and salvation is no longer possible.
Attending a Buddhist service or sitting with a Zen group may be understood in at least three ways. Buddhism offers a way of life, and that way of life does not appear to be in conflict with our initial faith but compliments it. Buddhism is a philosophy, a philosophy that is unlikely to complement our initial faith, but is not a competing religion. A third way is to understand Buddhism as religion: we embrace it fully with its teachings, its way of life and its philosophy.
I was a version of that person, starting as a Nightstand Buddhist. As I came to understand and test the teachings the path to where I am now just became wider and easier to walk. The fact that Buddhism is all inclusive and is
open to all, even those who hold other faith beliefs made this day possible. There are no “demands/requirements” put to me while learning the Buddha Dharma. We are all welcome, at any level of understanding, at all times.
Once on the path, we experience the liberation from illusions allowing us to live without fear, to live more fully. Life, once again becomes a joy. Exploring outside our small circumscribed circle we realize the earth is not flat, that there are no dragons waiting for us.
Is life difficult? Is life painful? Yes, life is difficult and painful, but it is how we view it that makes the difference. We can keep our illusions and “stay safe” and live with fear of what is out there. Or we can begin to learn they are illusions and be liberated from irrational fears we carry. That edge of a flat earth? It is an illusion. The dragons waiting for us? They are the illusions of our own creation.
Human beings barely make up 0.01% of the life forms on earth. How rare and fortunate it is to be born human! We can live more fully, without irrational fears. We can laugh and enjoy life as a human. Is it easy given our culture and the mountains of illusions we live under? No, but it may be accomplished with the Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
Namo Amida Buddha
Namo Amida Buddha
Namo Amida Buddha
In gassho
Rev. Anita
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