Cole Goodwin 4/10/22 Cole Goodwin 4/10/22

How Does Buddhism Impact Those Around Us?

In this installment of the Spiritual Roundtable Reverend Scott See shares how practicing buddhism impacts those around him.

Introduction by Cole Goodwin

Welcome to The Spiritual Roundtable, an interfaith roundtable featuring a diverse range of spiritual belief systems in the Gorge Community.

Each week, spiritual leaders and learners share their take on some of humanity's biggest questions, starting with: What does your spirituality mean to you? And ramping up into discussions about the nature of existence, the soul, the divine, and of course…a question as old as time itself: why are we here?

Roundtable writings will be published each Saturday and Sunday morning of the month.

Now take a deep breath… Meditate for a moment…And when you’re ready…keep reading to explore one of the many diverse faiths, belief systems, and philosophies that exist in our communities.

This Month's Question: How does your spirituality (faith, practice, belief system, philosophy) impact those around you? How does your (faith, practice, belief system, philosophy) encourage healthy relationships with other people, animals, and the earth? (Platonic, romantic, etc) What is love? How can we be more loving?

Why this question was chosen: This question asks us to examine how choosing to live a spiritual life can impact those around us.

**About Scott See:** Scott first became curious about Buddhism in 1983 in Ladakh, India where he met people living in primitive and challenging conditions whose smiles shone so bright that Scott wanted to learn more about this Buddhist culture. Fast forward to 2015, Scott approached Thay Kozen at the Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple with an offer to barter website services for Buddhist teachings. Scott was ordained as a student of the Lay Novice Buddhist Ministerial program at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple in April of 2019 and was given the Dharma name, Minh Tự. (Pronounced: min-dun — with the final n very muffled.) Scott also maintains a personal blog that reflects on his journey on the Path.

How Does Buddhism Impact Those Around Us?

by Scott See

In our meditation services, we at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple often begin with a Chant of Compassion which starts with, “May we surround all forms of life with infinite love and compassion.” And we end with a Dedication of Merit which includes, “May the merit of this penetrate into each thing in all places so that we and every sentient being can realize the Buddha’s way.” These beginning and ending phrases set the intention of our practice–to become the best version of ourselves so that we can be better able to serve others. Those last two words are key–”serve others.” The teachings at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple emphasize that, all our efforts, while they are directed at our own spiritual health, ultimately is to benefit all people. I should say, to benefit all people, all sentient beings, and the world we live in including our environment. Buddhism teaches us to let go of the differences between our self and others. If we do something to help ourselves, we are indirectly doing something to help others. If we do something to help others, we are indirectly doing something to help ourselves.

A Buddhist meditates by the water in Trout Lake, WA

Not 2

Human beings are very good at categorizing and labeling things. I am American/German/Chinese/etc. I am Buddhist/Christian/Jewish/Muslim/etc.. I am Caucasian, Hispanic/Asian/Black/etc. The lists go on and on. And yet every label to which we become attached puts us in harms way of disharmony with everything around us. Think of any of the big crimes against humanity and you’ll find that the crime began with a single thought: I am [fill in the blank] and they are [fill in the blank]. Perhaps no war would ever begin if world leaders focused on how we’re all the same and how we all have the same wants and needs for wellness, happiness, love, and peace. It’s not that labels don’t exist. It’s just that when we become too attached to them, harmony suffers. The world of “we vs. them” is fraught with conflict. The world of “we’re all in this together” has none of this conflict. It’s interesting to note that when the Dalai Lama gives a presentation to a large crowd, he will often begin by introducing himself as a simple monk, who, though he hasn’t met most of the people in the audience, still feels a connection; a sameness with everyone in the audience. This humility and this focus on the sameness leads to harmony and peace in the world.

Metta, or Loving Kindness

May you be well;
May you be happy;
May you know love;
May you know peace.

This is called the Metta Mantra. Metta is a Pali word that means loving kindness. And a mantra is a word or phrase that is repeated to help us concentrate on the message of the mantra. This mantra is one of the Metta practices that are an important part of our path. We repeat this mantra five times. In the first repetition, we dedicate the mantra to ourselves; in the second, we dedicate it to someone easy to love; in the third we dedicate it to someone we don’t know; in the fourth, to someone difficult to love; and lastly, we dedicate the mantra to ourselves again. Including ourselves in our Metta practice speaks to the idea that we shy away from focusing on differences between ourselves and others. As Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche said, we strive “to practice a friendliness towards ourselves that is so strong it radiates out to all people.” In other words, we work on our own stuff so we can be in a better position to help other people with their stuff.

Many gather at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple in Trout Lake, WA.

Relationships

As the song by The J. Geils Band goes, “Love Stinks.” Romantic love often leads to heartbreak. The same can be said for the love between family members, or any strong attachment. The idea that love leads to pain is as controversial now as it was at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, our historical teacher. This is not to say that Buddhists avoid relationships. Far from it. Rather, as Thích Nhất Hạnh, the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher, tells us that true love comes from understanding. And when a relationship does lead to heartbreak, we don’t avoid it. We embrace the pain and look at it closely. And in observing the pain, the pain loses its strength. We can’t necessarily eliminate it, but we can soften the pain by contemplating the impermanent nature of everything. As our fourth precept says, “I resolve not to engage in improper sexuality, - but to lead a life of purity and self-restraint.” (The precepts are guidelines that, for the most part, deal with relationships with other people.)

The Ten Cardinal Precepts

I resolve not to kill

- but to cherish all life.

I resolve not to take what is not given

- but to respect the things of others.

I resolve not to engage in improper sexuality

- but to lead a life of purity and self-restraint.

I resolve not to lie

- but to speak the truth.

I resolve not to cause others to take substances that impair the mind, nor to do so myself

- but to keep the mind clear.

I resolve not to speak of the faults of others

- but to be understanding and sympathetic.

I resolve not to praise myself and disparage others

- but to overcome my own shortcomings.

I resolve not to withhold spiritual or material aid

- but to give them freely where needed.

I resolve not to indulge in anger

- but to exercise restraint.

I resolve not to revile the three treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha)

- but to cherish and uphold them.

Interbeing

Thích Nhất Hạnh teaches about interbeing, a word he coined to mean the interdependence of all people and all things. When you think of it, we’re all here due to an infinite number of factors. There are all the people involved with the mere fact of your existence. Your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. There are all the environmental factors. The sun, the rain, the earth itself, all were necessary for you to be. In fact, our simple existence and what we’ve become are inextricably linked to other people, places, and things. We can live in harmony with the world if we acknowledge that we depend on a multitude of things for our very existence. It’s when we think of ourselves as separate or independent, that we begin to feel special and entitled. This entitlement leads to attachment which often leads to suffering.

Sangha

The Sangha, or Buddhist community, is one of the Three Refuges of Buddhism. Early on in our Buddhist practice, one has the opportunity to take a vow of the Three Refuges or 1. Taking refuge in the Buddha (the historical teacher), 2. The Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), and 3, The Sangha (Buddhist community.) So from the very beginning of one’s experience with Buddhism, you will be immersed in a community of members who are well practiced in Metta and equanimity. This makes for a very loving and non-judgmental community.

Equanimity

As briefly mentioned before, when we do Metta practice, we include those who are challenging to love. It’s common to offer well wishing prayers to those who cause suffering. That does not mean Buddhist condone behavior that causes suffering, but rather we acknowledge that all people want to be well, to be happy, to know love, and to know peace. It is in this spirit of well wishing for all that promotes harmony.

In Summary

Buddhist practice serves to reduce suffering for ourselves so that we are better equipped to help reduce suffering for all. As the Dalai Lama says, “My religion is kindness.” Many Buddhists take a Bodhisattva vow, the first of which is as follows:

“Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to free them all.”

Free them all from suffering, from attachments that cause suffering and from delusions or ignorance that cause suffering. So in answer to the question, “How does Buddhist practice impact others?” I might be flattering myself if I thought that I am helping all sentient beings, but I can say for sure that this is my intention with every breath I take.

Want to contribute to the Spiritual Roundtable? Read this first.

The Roundtable Mission and Vision

The goal of these roundtable writings is to:

Bring the spiritual community together.
Share ideas that elevate the human spirit.
Elevate the conversation around the spirit.
Embrace what is universal to all, while honoring what is special about each spirituality.
Center inclusivity and equity.
Promote our collective enlightenment.
Nurture civility and friendship between those with diverse belief systems in the Gorge.
Engage readers and spiritual seekers.

The Spiritual Roundtable IS NOT…

This is not a place for arguing about dogma.
This is not a place for ‘hating on’ or putting other belief systems down.
This is not a place for excluding, discriminating, or promoting fear or violence towards other people based on their race, color, ethnicity, beliefs, faith, gender, sexuality, ability.
This is not a place for hatred.
This is not a place for fear.

The Spiritual Roundtable IS..

This IS a place for hope.
This IS a place for joy.
This IS a place for comfort.
This IS a place for big questions.
This IS a place for learning.
This IS a place for sharing.
This IS a place for caring.
This IS a place for sharing what is special about your beliefs.

CCC News reserves the right to not publish any content that breaks with our mission, vision and values.

If you are interested in being included in the roundtable please email cole@columbiacommunityconnection.com

Cole Goodwin 3/6/22 Cole Goodwin 3/6/22

How Do You Practice Your Sprituality? A Buddhist Perspective

In this installment of the Spiritual Roundtable Reverend Scott See shares what his Spirituality means to him.

Introduction by Cole Goodwin

Welcome to The Spiritual Roundtable, an interfaith roundtable featuring a diverse range of spiritual belief systems in the Gorge Community.

Roundtable writings will be published each Saturday and Sunday morning of the month.

Now take a deep breath… Meditate for a moment…And when you’re ready…keep reading to explore one of the many diverse faiths, belief systems, and philosophies that exist in our communities.

This Month's Question: What is your belief systems basic belief structure? What are some of the major celebrations or rites of passage? What are some of the core beliefs and major practices?

Why this question was chosen: This question asks us to examine the basic principles and values that guide our Spirituality and expand our understanding of the many paths one can walk to live a Spiritual life.

A Buddhist Perspective

by Scott See

Siddhārtha Gautama

To explore Buddhism’s basic belief structure, it’s interesting to begin with the quest Siddhārtha Gautama undertook to find a cure for suffering.

Siddhārtha Gautama, otherwise known as Shakyamuni Buddha, or more commonly as The Buddha, grew up in India 2,500 years ago and lived within the confines of his father’s palace. His father was a king and insulated Siddhārtha from the harsh realities of the world outside the palace walls. As life inside the palace was stifling, Siddhārtha managed to travel outside where he was confronted with the realities of sickness, old age, and death. This sparked a quest to discover the cause of suffering and how to alleviate suffering. He began to study various spiritual philosophies of the time. At one point, he practiced asceticism (severe physical deprivation) which almost killed him. The practice that helped Siddhārtha find the nature of and cure for suffering was meditation.

Here’s a passage that illuminates the role of meditation in the Buddhist practice:

“Continuously explore the presence of desire and aversion in the mind, and see living meditation practice (in which the development of insight pervades every aspect of our life and not just the hours devoted to meditation) as a ‘lifelong process of constant observation and continuous investigation.’”

Source: https://oaor.org/about-us/

Meditation is a key part of Buddhist practice.

Eventually, Siddhartha meditated long enough and deeply enough to find the answer to his fundamental question: “how does one alleviate suffering?” His answer is as follows:

Four Noble Truths

The truth and existence of suffering. (the diagnosis)
The causes of suffering. (the cause)
The truth that one can be liberated from suffering. (the prognosis)
The Path that leads to liberation from suffering. (the remedy)

The Truth of Suffering

We all suffer.

This seems obvious, but it was not long ago that I misunderstood the word suffering from a Buddhist perspective. To me, suffering was something horrible that happened to other people–extreme poverty and sickness, such as what you see in the TV commercials soliciting donations for starving families in Africa. I thought that my first-world problems don’t warrant classification as, “suffering.” Within Buddhism, “suffering” is an approximate (and perhaps unfortunate) translation of the Sanskrit word duhkha which can also be translated as unsatisfactoriness or unpleasantness. Understanding suffering this new way, I came to realize just how much I do, in fact, suffer. Seeing something for what it is is the first step in dealing with it. Accordingly, the truth of suffering is the first of the four noble truths.

The Cause of Suffering

Suffering is caused by our ignorance which leads us to become attached to things. All things are impermanent, so there’s no way to avoid being separated from “all that is dear to me and everyone I love.”

The Truth of Liberation from Suffering

Since everything is impermanent, suffering too must be impermanent. And suffering has causes; it does not exist independently and in isolation. So there must be a way to alleviate suffering.

The Path of Liberation from Suffering

The way is known as the Noble Eightfold Path which I will address next.

The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right View

2. Right Intention

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

This list begs the question, “What is ‘Right View, Intention, Speech, and so on?’” That question is worthy of a lifetime of study, but here are some thoughts. Before taking action, consider “does this action promote compassion, contentment, and wisdom, or does it promote anger, attachment, and delusion?” Being guided like so avoids thinking in terms of right/wrong or good/bad, and as a result, helps us not become judgemental. By the way, the word, “right” is often replaced with “wise,” “skillful,” or other similar words. Buddhists avoid thinking in terms of right and wrong, so in this context, please understand that the word, “right” means promoting compassion, contentment, and wisdom.

Implicit in The Eightfold Path is the idea of “The Middle Way.” The Middle Way cautions us to avoid extremes. Just enough–not too much; not too little–is a good guideline. And this applies to our thoughts as well as our actions. As Shakyamuni Buddha found in his spiritual quest, asceticism and deprivation do not alleviate suffering, and an extravagant lifestyle also does not alleviate suffering. Living modestly and simply is The Middle Way.

Again, a big part of The Noble Eightfold Path is meditation. It is through meditation (seeing things as they are without our filters, preconceptions, or likes/dislikes) that we are able to use The Noble Eightfold Path as a guide throughout life.

Letting Go

Buddhism is more a spirituality of letting go, rather than acquisition and attainment.

Someone once asked the Buddha: “What have you gained through meditation?”
The Buddha replied, “Nothing at all.”

“Then, Blessed One, what good is it?”

The Buddha said: “Let me tell you what I have lost in meditation: sickness, depression…

This brings us back to the second of the Four Noble Truths.

The cause of suffering is our attachment to things and outcomes. Letting go of our attachment to things and outcomes is easier said than done, but such is the path of Buddhist teachings. The good news is, once you’ve learned how to let go of one thing, you will feel a lightness, a liberation, that makes it easier to continue letting go of attachments. Do not think for a moment that this non-attachment is the same as inaction or apathy. You will find that Buddhist practitioners work hard, but despite great ambition and determination, are not attached to the outcome. Rather, they accept whatever happens and adapt their efforts accordingly. In theory… The Buddhist path is simple, but not easy. It takes persistence. (The comic, though intended to be humorous, illustrates the Buddhist teaching that if we become attached to Buddhism, that can also lead to suffering. We learn to let go of even attachment to letting go.)

Emptiness (Impermanence and Interdependence)

Emptiness is a central theme in Buddhist teachings.

It’s easy to misunderstand the concept of emptiness and interpret it as non-existence.

Good news… you don’t have to stop existing to practice Buddhism.

By emptiness it’s meant that things don’t exist in isolation; they are dependent on other things. Everything is interdependent. By emptiness it’s also meant that things are impermanent and inevitably change. By emptiness it’s meant that all of our “notions” about things are not the same as the things themselves. We tend to view things through our filters. For example, I may look at a bacon-cheeseburger and drool. Another may look at it in disgust. We all bring our pre-conceptions and judgements along when we view things, people, ourselves. And when we view things through our colored glasses, we are not seeing things as they are, and this can make life difficult for us and those around us. When we realize the interdependent nature of things; when we realize the impermanence of things; when we realize that things just are, not necessarily as we perceive them, then we let go of our fears.

Core Daily Practices

Venerable Thich Minh Tinh (Thay Kozen), the Abbot at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple, tells us, “I recommend that your daily practice include three things: 1. Compassion, 2. Devotion, 3. Meditation.” Compassion is not only for others, but equally importantly, for ourselves. Devotion involves an act of appreciation for something outside of ourselves. And meditation is the process by which we learn about calming the mind and seeing things as they are.

Getting Started

The 3 steps of starting a Buddhist Practice

Quit reading and start sitting
Find a teacher
Continue sitting

Want to contribute to the Spiritual Roundtable? Read this first.