What Can the Buddha Teach Us? By Rev. Lane Williams
Taoist Prayer for Peace
If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities.
If there is to peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.
We are honoring The Season for Nonviolence, January 30 - April 4, a 64-day campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. It is inspired by the lives and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The dates mark the anniversaries of their assignations. As the Taoist prayer suggests, for us to continue their work to create a more compassionate and loving world, we first need to become more loving and compassionate ourselves.
I notice that followers of the Buddha are generally non-violent, practice loving kindness and compassion and yet take a stand for what they feel needs to be changed to make the world a safer place for its people. In Buddhism the focus is on the practice that will bring us to a place of peace. The Buddha understood as Jesus did, that this peace is found within through contemplation and prayer. In the practice of Buddhism there is little emphasis on the faith’s creed or core beliefs. There is no discussion of theology, the nature of God, and such. The conversation, so to speak, is on how to live life at peace, with love and compassion toward oneself and others. The teachings of the Buddha arose to ease the suffering of people and assist them in moving from the endless cycle of rebirth. Our suffering arises when we resist what is. We expect the world to be organized to bring us a sense of well-being, instead of bringing forth our sense of well-being from what is. It is about allowing what is to be and releasing our resistance to it. When we think that it should be different than it is, make IT wrong and our idea of how it should be right, when we fight it, when we avoid it, and effort to change it, we struggle. Life is hard. We do not experience the deep abiding peace of God. There is DIS-harmony, pain and DIS-ease in our lives. That is all we see.
The Buddha compares our spiritual path to a river that flows swiftly to the sea. The river is not hindered by the rocks, even boulders that stand in its path. It flows undeterred over them. In addition, if one were to dam up the river’s flow so the land was flooded, the current would be interrupted, diverted and dispersed. If the dam was removed, the river would flow strongly again. So it is with the barriers we erect in our path to enlightenment. As we disciple our mind through Right and Skillful Thinking, Effort and Action we open ourselves once again to the flow of God’s wisdom leading us along the path.
There are three tools we can use when relating to difficult circumstances and to strengthen and discipline our monkey mind. The first tool is no more struggle. Instead of avoiding what is painful, move toward it, look at it, feel it and breathe into it. Instead of trying to change what we are feeling or thinking, allow it. The second tool is use poison as medicine. We can use difficult situations as fuel for our awakening. Breathe in all the pain, the ugliness, all the chaos in ourselves and extend this breathing in to all the world. This is part of our human condition - shame, guilt, fear, and ignorance. We embrace it and feel it for all humanity and our hearts are opened. Instead of avoiding what is present in the moment, we allow and experience it. Then we breathe out waves of love and compassion. We hold it that everyone is now without suffering and experiencing well-being. The third tool is all is awakened energy. We are to regard everything that happens, every chaotic event as the manifestation of awakened energy. Everything around us is a demonstration of our awakened being-ness. Instead of trying to avoid, change, pretty-up and get our stuff into shape, see all of our foibles and faults as perfect. See them as evidence of God’s magnificence showing up through you, as you!
I remember a walk in the woods last year. I went past a huge pile of broken concrete, old sidewalks, walls, broken ragged ugly pieces of discarded civilization. Ugh! Why don’t they do something about this eyesore, I thought indignantly? These are MY beautiful woods! I was mentally writing letters and making angry phone calls! I envisioned a lawsuit and township investigation. Who did this? They need to be punished, fined, and forced to clean it up! Then behold in the crevice between the cement pieces there was Vinca in bloom! There were tiny blue flowers peeking through the concrete. Then I saw iris emerging from between them also. Nature was bringing beauty to HER woods. She was taking the woods back peacefully, non-violently. I was immediately uplifted and filled with joy! Good old Mother Nature could not be stopped from bringing forth beauty in the midst of chaos. And we too can find beauty, order, value in the midst of seeming chaos. We can bring it forth as She did. This is our gift when we choose to allow what is to be, when we work with all that there is, instead of resisting it. Then we can release the suffering and be at peace. And so it is. And so it is. Amen.
