I begin by thanking my teachers, those enlightened individuals whose words and examples have provided me a path to better understanding the world as it really is, as well as provided me with practical techniques for living a more grounded and fulfilled life.
Miles Koro Kaisan of the Open Gate Zendo in Olympia Washington has the honor of being my immediate teacher, and I thank him for taking me on as a student and welcoming me into the community of Wayfarers. His ideas on the solitary practice of Zen have awakened my potential in situ without the complications of group dynamics, without the need for a guru, and without the desire for the approving nods of a like-minded group. While I enjoy my associations with others who walk the Dharma path, I avoid impulse to treat it like just another church, and find the sage advice of Sri Ramana Maharshi to be true: Silence is the best teacher.
As I ground myself in the core teachings of Buddhism, I must acknowledge the wisdom of Lao Tsu, and the many truths found in the Tao Te Ching. My Taoist friends are among my most dear.
I thank both D.T. Suzuki, and Shunryu Suzuki, for their efforts in bringing Zen to the United States. This is a perilous enterprise, because the core values of Buddhism and the Zen tradition are at complete odds with modern American culture and thought. Their brave attempt to bridge the language and cultural barriers are worthy of our recognition.
The extensive writings of Dogen Zenji, and his dedication to the forms of Zen meditation as a means to develop enlightenment, were very instructive in developing my own meditation practice.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, through his example and plain statements, has been a tremendous influence on anyone studying Buddhist thought and ethics, even when challenged at the nation-state level. His grace and compassion through a lifetime of exile and diasporic separation from his culture and people is a powerful example of keeping a positive attitude through adversity.
The great Thich Nhat Hanh and his life-long quest for peace in the face of horrendous war and hate reminds us to always turn away from anger, to cultivate love in our hearts no matter our politics, and actively engage in non-violent practices as we cultivate our compassionate hearts.
I thank the example set by Bernie Glassman and his efforts in applying skillful means to bring the compassionate core of Buddhism to America through his "socially engaged Buddhism" programs. Both the Street Retreats and Bearing Witness journeys informed me early in my investigation, and I found the honest and sincere desire to connect with those who suffer, cultivation of compassion through shared experiences, and opening hearts to horrors of times past to better relate to the experience of holocaust survivors deeply touching to me.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the philosopher Alan Watts, whose myriad lectures are both entertaining and informative, and have given access to many different aspects of Eastern thought in ways approachable by a Western mind. His introduction of Zen, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism to Americans has had a profound impact on almost every Dharma brother and sister I encounter. I am grateful that his son, Mark Watts, tolerates the many recordings available on the internet of his fathers' lectures.
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My practice of Zen, or Chan Buddhism, is rooted in just a few basic experiences. I took refuge for myself in the Dharma tradition, seeking the same answers as Siddhartha Gautama, a solution to human suffering. This came as my wife was diagnosed with cancer, and as our struggle to save her life began, my struggle to understand and cope with the seeming unfairness of it also began. My Christian upbringing and traditions failed to answer my needs, and I ultimately discovered that the bedrock of Buddhism, the impermanence of all things, was the truth I had been struggling against. As I cultivated this discovery, I found in the simple teachings of Buddha a peace I had never known before. In order to maintain this peace, only a few things were needed as the essential doctrine I subscribe to:
I being by accepting the Buddha's Four Noble Truths as the most real description of the human condition. Namely, that:
1. Life involves suffering, or Dukkha.
2. Dukkha comes from Trishna, which is craving, or clinging.
3. That Nirvana is the liberation from this clinging, the acceptance of change.
4. Magga, the path to liberation, requires attention to the Noble Eightfold Path as a means of approaching Nirvana.
As a lay-monk, I accepted the vows of the Panca Sila, the Five Precepts:
1. I undertake the vow not to destroy life;
2. I undertake the vow not to take what is not given;
3. I undertake the vow not to abuse my passions;
4. I undertake the vow to avoid musavada (false speech);
5. I undertake the vow to avoid being intoxicated.
These simple guidelines are not commandments, because there is nobody to which they can be promised, but following these precepts disentangles one with many of the problems modern life presents.
I further accept as the Buddha's first discourse, the Noble Eightfold Path, as the framework towards cultivating enlightenment. These guidelines for one's thoughts, ethics, and actions, are common among most Buddhist schools and need no further introduction.
After some study and initial practice, I was struck with a moment of Samadhi, and the truth of the Middle Way became apparent to me. As I worked with my teacher to settle on my vocation within my practice, I found that a cultivation of compassion spoke most deeply to my spirit. Compassion for my loved ones, for my friends, for strangers I meet, and for myself as the undulations of life pass through my experience.
In practical terms, I practice meditation in order to connect with the eternal Now, and to live fully in the present moment. Compassionate service is directed mainly at my wife who continues to suffer from her disease, and my daughters, but is applied elsewhere ad hoc, as time and opportunity allow. I have volunteered with private and public groups serving people in need of mindfulness training, and have discussed Dharma concepts with many people seeking the way .
Thank you for enduring this lengthy introduction. I hope my future discussions are more compact and to the point, but they are predicated on a shared understanding of Zen practice and Buddhist ideas.
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