Want to see a miracle?

I was some time ago talking to my Master in the grounds of the Temple. It was a sunny Spring day. The Camphor Laurel trees exuded a beautiful perfume and the leaves rustled like soft whispers of a mantra. Our conversation turned to miracles. I mentioned that many people would like to see miracles occur in their life (trying hard to hide the fact I was also referring to myself!!). "There is one happening right in front of you at this very moment if you look carefully" he stated. Thinking that he was making some reference to our dialogue I nodded that I understood. Then he laughed. Oops!!! Had I misunderstood due to my inferior Chinese? He pointed "这里!Zheli! zheli!. . .here! here!" He pointed to the ground near my feet. In his sharp vision and wit he had seen something and transformed it to a lesson for me. There I spotted a single ant carrying the carcass of a large grasshopper. "Could you do that? Could you carry something by yourself nearly eight times larger than you?" came the Venerable. "We just need to open our eyes." . . .and perhaps the eyes of our mind, I thought.

Talking Heart, Walking in Sunshine

Talking Heart, Walking in Sunshine - that is what is meant by the Chinese characters 总是(Zong Shi)meaning “always/continually”. It is a beautiful picture. This is what occurs when we live out a life of Pure Land Buddhism. It is not something that one practices when one is in the mood or when things go wrong. Sadly this happens with so many people. Pure Land Buddhism is a path to walk every day, every moment of the day. Pure Land Buddhism encompasses all areas of our life because all of our life is interrelated. It is holistic. Our spiritual life cannot be separated from our relational life. Our physical life cannot be separated from our mental (thinking) life. Yet our Western thinking is so dominated by the desire to place things into categories. This is fragmentation thinking!

Pure Land Buddhism and in deed all of Buddhism understands life to be interconnected and interdependent. If we try to maintain a spiritually whole life and at the same time emotionally bully another, tell “little white lies” or live up to less than our calling then this will have consequences not only in our spiritual life but also in other areas of our life. I like to speak of Five Foundations. Each pillar of the Five Foundations is interdependent upon the others.

The Five Foundations

Right Spirit:

• Refers to our spiritual being, our sense of Truth and ethics and Bodhi Mind.
• Common spirituality of all humans.
• Daily ritual - mantra, meditation, prayer, silence
• Connectedness to a whole greater than ourselves
• Sense of awe and wonder, beauty
• Our sense of awe and wonder can be interrupted by injustices to others or ourselves. These MUST be corrected before spiritual balance is gained.

Right Thinking:

• Thoughts need to be positive and empowering.
• Can be injured by harbouring resentment and anger.
• Emotions and logic need to be balanced
• Education and continued learning is important



Right Relationship:

• Must not be exploitive, emotionally violent or abusive, nor sexually illicit.
• Needs to evolve from compassion
• Refers to communal as well as interpersonal
• Needs commitment

Right Consumption:

• Consumption of alcohol - consumption of meat - junk food - all damaging.
• Include vegetables - fruits - herbal foods
• Proper and just distribution of food throughout the world.

Right Movement:

• Refers to the movement of body, blood, and breath.
• We are designed to move
• Exercise needs to be regular, rhythmic and moderate
• Include breathing exercises as part of daily maintenance.





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Right Spirit

It is important to have daily practice in our spiritual life. Jing Tu (Pure Land) Buddhism is perfectly situated for this. Take time each morning to practice the morning devotions and meditation. Be diligent in reading Dharma materials and sincere and compassionate in our dealings with those about us.

Right Thinking

One of the biggest myths of life which abounds is that it is the things that happen to us which make us what we are and what we feel. THIS IS A MYTH! It is no more than our thinking ABOUT what happens to us that make us feel or react the way we do. Once we understand this we are well on the way to a happier life. We may not be able to change events but we are able to change our thoughts and thinking patterns. Unfortunately rigid patterns of thinking have often developed over years. In our meditation we have the opportunity to re-examine these thought processes.
All our actions and behaviors evolve from our thoughts. If our thoughts are pure and focused then our actions and results will be successful, harmonious and growthful.

We also need to check the balance of Emotions and Logic. Sometime we are completely overruled by our emotions rather than looking at facts and rational thoughts. Other times we can ignore the colour of our emotions and the signals they give us upon which we can make rational decisions.
Anger and resentment can tear our life apart and are the causes of much hostility and violence. We must check our anger. Peace can only be attained in our world when it is first attained in our hearts and minds.

Right Relationship

Whole books have been written on right relationships. By relationships we are not just referring to male/female relationships but our relationship to the entire creation. Consumer living can erode our ties with the natural order as we forget our relationship with the cosmos, with our environment and all living creatures.
Many relationships can be exploitive getting what we can from them. Many relationships are one-sided with one partner giving more than the other. This can harm our mental and spiritual wellbeing. Relationships need quality time and the space to mutually give and receive in a totality of commitment.
We see in modern times families are so busy in making money that they have forgotten their parents placing them in nursing homes to be cared for by others. Buddhism places great emphasis on care of our parents and family.
Human beings are not isolated islands. We exist, learn, grow and become whole people in relationship with others.

Right Consumption

There is clear evidence of the relationship between diet and physical as well as mental well-being. Depression can, for example, often have its roots in poor or sugar loaded diets. To live a balanced life we must be considerate as to what we place into our bodies. Right Consumption also means the just distribution of food throughout the world. It is immoral that over 60% of the western world’s population is obese when millions go hungry.
As people of the Way we must sincerely avoid the consumption of alcohol meat and other intoxicants (cigarettes and illegal drugs).

Right Movement

Human beings were designed to move. Proper moderate exercise is vital to our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Walking, swimming, yoga, T’ai Chi, Qi Gong, tennis, badminton or many other sports are good for one’s health. Many sports like tennis and badminton or volley ball also enhance social relationships. In China in the early morning hours in town squares you can see many people gathered together to practise their favorite movement and enjoy social interaction at the beginning of the day.
When we take these Five Foundations into serious consideration we can begin to live a much healthier and happier life.
When our practice spans across all areas of our life on a continual basis sunshine comes into our heart. . . “zong shi”.

On the Other Side

One day a young monk on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young monk yells over to the teacher, "Master, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river"?

The Master ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, "My son, you are on the other side!".

Often in our life journey we long to get over to the "other side", whatever that may mean to us individually. "The other side" may mean that other city where life could be better or those "if onlys": If only I could have enough money for this or that; If only I could meet that magical person in my life. The problem is that the "here" will always be "there" and the "there" "here".

Where we are at this moment is the only place and time of our journey. In Pureland Buddhism we focus on our mind and the Buddha Mind becoming one through the practice of "nianfo" or Buddha Name Remembrance - the constant repeating of the name of Amitabha Buddha. The Chinese character for "nian" 念 means placing the mind (heart) in the present moment. The Buddha moment is now.

At a recent workshop in Mindfulness a participant presented his problem as trying to live the spiritual life while having to live in a worldly world. He went on to describe his struggles. While this is a very common struggle with those truly seeking to live the spiritual life the very struggle is where we need to be. It provides the necessary food for the journey. The small seed struggles against the very thing in which it is rooted - the soil - as it pushes against the clay to reach the light of day as a small green shoot. The butterfly pushes its wings against its cocoon in its attempt to free itself from its confines and in the process its wings are primed and strengthened. I am sure the seed and the butterfly yearn for the "other side"!

When we focus our mind in the now moment breathing in and out the name of Amitabha Buddha the name becomes like a vessel rescuing us as we bob about in the worldly ocean.

Searching for "the other side" is an necessary struggle. Our journey is most often on the side where we are at now.