This time…
Every so often, opportunities to put your spiritual principles into practice come up. How many times have you let those opportunities pass by unnoticed? I think of this slogan as the mañana slogan. It is the idea that there will always be time to practice later, but right now there are just too many other things to do.
To divide your week up into a day when you pay attention to your spiritual path and days when you do not, goes against the grain of the Zen approach. The Zen teachings look at every situation as an opportunity for spiritual realization. In Zen practice, there are no excuses for not meditating daily, for not following Buddhism’s ethical guidelines. There is no right or wrong time. The truth is that “this time” is the only time we have, so why not infuse it with spiritual training. Why not make every time an opportunity to practice the main points of Zen.
But what are the main points?
The first point is to take the attitude that benefiting others is more important than benefiting self. Obviously, this is a pretty major attitude shift so this practice begins at the level of thought. Begin simply, by noticing what you think about, how much your thoughts revolve around you and your wants and needs; and how often do those thoughts consider the wants and needs of others? How often do you have thoughts about what you could do right now, to actually benefit others?
The second point is that meditation practice and ethical behavior are more important than studying words written in the past. The relationship between meditation and study is often described as being like two wings of an airplane. Both are essential and complementary. But this slogan tips the plane a tad, tilting it towards developing and sustaining daily meditation sessions and ethical awareness. Book study of historical and theoretical knowledge only goes so far. Practice is what infuses the spiritual teachings with vitality and empowers them to transform situations and people that you encounter as you navigate each day.
The third main point is that, of all possible activities, the most important is to remember that spiritual development is the primary purpose of human life – more important than jobs, relationships, and the acquisition of knowledge or material goods. Expressing spiritual development through loving-kindness is not just a warm fuzzy add-on, but it is the very core of a deeply spiritual life. We live in the culture of psychotherapy and self improvement, but too much focus on self can make us even more self-centered. In Buddhism, self-centeredness is the root of all suffering. This slogan encourages us to cultivate greater love, compassion, and sympathy for all sentient beings every day.
Suggested practice: Loving-kindness begins simply, with connection. Notice your interactions. Notice the ways in which you continually connect with and disconnect from others. What draws you out of yourself? What causes you to pull back?
This column is a long series of short essays exploring the meaning of the Lojong Slogans. It is inspired by the work of Judy Lief.
Kuya Minogue is the resident teacher at Creston’s ZenWords Zen Centre. For more information, she can be reached at 250-428-3390.
