Birthdays, retirement or completing a major project mark the days of our life. Unexpected events outside our local circle, like the launch of Sputnik in 1957, 911 and the Covid pandemic are easily recalled. These events somehow change the direction of our day, and then our life, whether we embrace them or not.
The Buddhist teachings of our interconnectedness in time and space coupled with dependent origination (causes and conditions) offer answers on the whys of this life - why this and why not that…
It removes the dualism of an omnipotent “other” calling the shots in our lives. We do not offer petitionary prayers to this “other” to influence an outcome or the course of our life. We make the choices. We make these choices with the best information we have, knowing it is not possible to have all the information.
Given what we know we plot our course and make plans to get there. The plan may only for the next moment, or the next hour, the next week or for a lifetime. The big question we don’t always think of is where do we want to end up? What is our destination?
We harbor vague ideas of how we would like to live this one life. We also have firm ideas of what we want, like having partners, children, career goals, service to community, etc. Looking back, I wonder how some of mine came about. Trying to tease back a few of the complex causes and conditions can reveal a clue. But rather than looking back, what now? What is the course to set for the rest of ‘now?’
The beauty of this life is we have the option to “do nothing.” This default option is as legitimate as any other. We are closing in on the autumn of 2023. Was this what we had in mind when we begin thinking about our ritualized New Year’s tradition of resolutions last December 31st?
This is where our rudder comes in. Leonardo da Vinci is quoted saying “He who loves practice without theory is like a sailor who boards a ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.” Without a rudder, we drift, aimlessly. Having a rudder is no guarantee we’ll get where we want to go, but it is a near certainty that without one we will not.
For me, Shin Buddhism became my rudder and compass. Do I fully understand it? No. Do I fully live by it? No. I came to Shin from an Abrahamic religion, to Zen to Shin – in other words, over a lifetime. The teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, the teachings of Shin as understood by Shinran Shonin and the support of our Sangha are the rudder and the compass of my journey.
The more often I say the nembutsu, the more I come to compassion, wisdom and gratitude for this life. The nembutsu is the rudder that will help stay my course as I travel in this life.
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Rev. Anita
rev.anita.cbt@outlook.com
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