KARMA AND DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

KARMA AND DEPENDENT ORIGINATION: THE CHAINS OF SUFFERING

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture of the SANDOKAI one reads the following:

Here born we clutch at things

And then compound delusion, later on,

By following ideals;

Each sense gate and its object all together

Enter thus in mutual relations

And yet stand apart in a uniqueness of their own,

Depending and yet non-depending both.

In form and feel component things are seen to differ deeply;

Thus are voices, in inherent isolation, soft or harsh.

Such words as high and middle darkness match;

Light separates the murky from the pure.

“Here born we clutch at things…” is what we have learned to do ever since our childhood.  When we are children, we have an intuitive connection to the Infinite.  At about 7 years of age, we lose this awareness, learning instead from society, our parents, and our school teachers that we are rational, intelligent, individuals, focusing us on the mundane world of the senses.   The price we pay, however, for this conditioning is to experience ourselves as separate from the Eternal, creating a strong desire and longing to return home, with its security, stability, and peace.   We tend to substitute the true return home, that of connecting to the Infinite, with distractions such as hyper-activity, entertainment, idealism, material comforts and possessions.  

When at last we have tired of the illusion of control, that we can dominate the world with our reason, our science, and our intellect, when finally we are no longer satisfied with new acquisitions, the new relationship, or the new job, when eventually comfort, entertainment, ideas and philosophies no longer bring us happiness, is when we realize we can’t go on this way, and we surrender to the Infinite, asking for help to heal the empty hole we carry inside our hearts.  In that same moment of asking for help, we reconnect ourselves to the Eternal.  We sit in meditation to re-establish this connection to the Divine.  Our daily practice is the opportunity to see our relationship with the world of forms and how those forms, and ourselves, are related to the unity of oneness.  We can neither attach ourselves to the multiplicity of form nor to the unity with the Absolute in order to understand the Truth of who we are.  For this reason, the scripture says, “Each sense gate and its object all together enter thus in mutual relations

and yet stand apart in a uniqueness of their own, depending and yet non-depending both.” There is a relationship between the individual things as well as transcendence of apparent duality, united with the Infinite.    

            The senses give us an illusion of an individual person, separate and contained within a body, who is operating on that body as if a ghost within a machine, which is connected to the outside world through the senses.  Our eyes see something, which gives us the impression that the subject seeing is separate from the object seen.  In reality, there is only one event arising in the present which involves the entire process of seeing: that which sees, that which is seen, and the act of seeing.    The ego separates these aspects, creating the impression of a subject isolated and independent, with its likes and dislikes, preferring the pleasant and rejecting the unpleasant.  Our karma is based on mental intentions, resulting in consequences experienced as pleasant and unpleasant within our little self mind.   But these preferences lead to cravings, attachment, and discontent which results in suffering.  Due to ignorance, we cannot see the connection between our intentions, our actions, and the consequences they create around us. Our sensations, emotions and feelings are the inheritors of the karma of our intentions.  In turn, these sensations create patterns of behavior that maintain the same chain of stimulus with positive and negative reactions.   Nevertheless, there is always the possibility of awakening ourselves to the reality that we are responsible for our experience of the world, whether it be pleasant or unpleasant.   It is exactly due to this tension of opposites in duality that we are able to discover that which is constant in the Eternal.   One can transcend this duality, seeing it for what it is, momentary and impermanent.  We can find a satisfaction that is constant and permanent within the love and the peace that are only perceived when they are not obscured by the agitations of thoughts related to desires and aversions. 

            All circumstances, all events, and all forms arise owing to prior conditions, that which is called Dependent Origination.  Our mental intentions produce such profound effects, that all the characteristics of our body, our small self mind, and the circumstances of the world, are all consequences of them.  In order to return to our true home, to the Infinite, we must begin by focusing our attention on the present moment to whatever is arising in us, that which is referred to as mindfulness.  We focus on the sensations, emotional reactions, and feelings that arise, particularly when they are strong, such as when we feel any kind of repulsion, aversion, anger, fear or hate.  Also feelings of desire, craving, and greed are to be noted when they appear.  In the act of observing these sensations, we begin dis-identifying ourselves from them, and we have the possibility of purifying our karma.  We choose in that moment not to react unthinkingly with habituated patterns of anger and grasping.  Instead, we abstain from reacting at all for the split second to consider other options.  In that split second, we open our hearts and minds to the Infinite, and consciously ask, “What is it good to do now?”  This simple act allows us to put our faith in the wisdom and the understanding that is far beyond our little ego self, giving us the opportunity to appreciate the pleasure that is beyond momentary pleasure.  We understand the difference between the multiplicity of forms which is forever changing and moving, with that which is real and constant, the Infinite.  “Thus are voices, in inherent isolation, soft or harsh.  Such words as high and middle darkness match…” Regardless of the relative differences in qualities, abilities, and capacities in each of us and in each form, when the many things are all in the dark, they appear all the same.  This is a symbol of darkness to illustrate the oneness of all.  Yet, at the same time, the passage indicates how we distinguish what is true and real from that which an illusion, “Light separates the murky from the pure.” The image of light represents the wisdom emanating from the Infinite that we open our hearts and lives to, allowing us to see that which is unchanging within the changing, the Eternal that is right here in each one of us as individuals.  In truth, there is no separation.  We have only misperceived our true self for a time, mistaking the shadows on the wall for the reality that Is.  Understanding karma and Dependent Origination, we begin to know our Buddha Nature, our true identity here and now.  In that knowing, we have truly arrived home at last.

Bibliography

Morgan, Daishin.  Buddha Recognizes Buddha. Throssel Hole Press: Northumberland, United Kingdom, 2010.

Shasta Abbey.  Zen Training.  A Special Issue of The Journal of Shasta Abbey. Vol. XIII, May-         August 1982.  Mt. Shasta, CA., 1983.

ALL IS ONE AND ALL IS DIFFERENT

ALL IS ONE AND ALL IS DIFFERENT

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture Sandokai it is written:

From West to East, unseen,

Flowed out the Mind of India’s greatest sage and,

To the source kept true as an unsullied stream is clear. 

Although by wit and dullness the True Way is varied,

Yet it has no Patriarch of South or North.

The Sandokai is a poem describing how individual beings are connected to the universe.  It is a poem of affirmation which inspires our faith.  This poem is as respected as the actual sutra teachings directly from the Buddha himself, since the teaching it contains is of such importance.  It was written in the 9th century of our common era by Sekito Kisenn, the eighth Chinese ancestor after Bodhidharma.  It makes reference to the Truth that revealed itself when Shakyamuni first saw the morning star shining brightly in the sky.  It is the moment of the Great Awakening, that which continues to awaken from the Buddha’s time to the present day in each one of us.   It is the awakening to the direct Truth as the source of wisdom that is found in the Infinite, or the Cosmic Buddha.  The Buddha awakened to the fact that he is a direct channel to this source of pure spiritual water of the universe.  He felt the flowing of this water throughout his being.  We too are awakening to this source, to this pure water of wisdom.  In fact, it is our only authentic purpose in this life.  Each time that we sit down to meditate, we are directly experiencing this source, and beginning to channel this pure water to the world in our own lives.  We begin to realize that each moment is perfect in itself.  It is not necessary to look elsewhere beyond that which presents itself right here in front of us.  It isn’t important whether we experience it quickly or slowly, or if we consider ourselves or others as intelligent, witty, or dull.  We shouldn’t judge others or compare ourselves to their progress, whether it be better or worse, faster or slower.  It neither is important if one is a member of one school Buddhism or spirituality as opposed to another. There really is no single right school or approach, neither is there any one Ancestor from the north or the south.  The only real authority is the most Supreme, the Infinite, that which one finds in the Immaculacy of Emptiness and which manifests itself in all forms.  This source is absolutely pure always, therefore, there is no way it can be stained or debased.  Nevertheless, one must still practice spiritually using the scriptures and the religious traditions, which guide us in the direction to an encounter with the Infinite, otherwise known as Enlightenment.  We awaken to the fact that we are flowing in this divine water in every moment, channeling it through our bodies, our minds, and later to the entire world.  All schools and forms are revealing this.  Instead of rejecting one or another form, one should appreciate that all are complementary teachings aiming at revealing the Truth.   In this way, one can celebrate differences, as much in the appreciation of the various paths of spiritual practice, as well as those differences that arise within each individual.    The Sandokai is showing us how to be a part of this divine Oneness while at the same time learning to be a unique individual.  It is the same idea that is found in the last precept of the Kyojukaimon where it explains the meaning of “Do not defame the three treasures”, saying that: “To produce something by ourselves, without copying others, is to become an example to the world, and the merit of doing such a thing is to become the origin of all wisdom.  Do not criticize, accept everything.”   We are encouraged to keep ourselves open accepting to the experience of the most intimate of all things, the Source itself, the Infinite, the Buddha Nature in all.  All is part and expression of this Infinite.  At the same time each thing is individual, expressing the Infinite in its own particular and unique way.  Each one of us is channeling this pure water to others.  To be authentic to ones true identity, to be unique in all the universe, and at the same time One with all, is the great discovery we can make.  The Cosmic Buddha is our guide and inspiration.  All is part of this One of the Infinite.  There is nothing to reject, because all of us are expressions of That.  Nor do we have to reject the ego, because the ego is also a part of the Infinite.  We must only awaken to our true identity, thus allowing the ego to become an instrument of the Divine for channeling wisdom, peace, and harmony to us, through us, and to all the world.

Bibliography

Morgan, Daishin.  Buddha Recognizes Buddha. Throssel Hole Press: Northumberland, United Kingdom, 2010.

Shasta Abbey.  Zen Training.  A Special Issue of The Journal of Shasta Abbey. Vol. XIII, May-August 1982.  Mt. Shasta, CA., 1983.

THE FINAL STAGE SERVICE

THE FINAL STAGE: SERVICE

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture “The Most Excellent Mirror – Samadhi” one reads the following:

The retainer serves his lord the emperor,

His father does the child obey,

Without obedience there is no filial piety,

And if there is no service, no advice.

Such action and most unpretentious work

All foolish seem and dull,

But those who practice thus this law continually

Shall in all worlds,

Be called Lord of Lords unto eternity. 

            To live as if our lives were our own, is to make a big mistake that causes much suffering in the world.  Our lives should be an offering to the Infinite, beginning when we are children serving our parents, then later to our school teachers.  We then enter the stage of service to our spouses, partners and our families.  At the same time we serve our bosses, our employees, all those we share our lives with.  Finally, a very sacred kind of service may emerge, that between a spiritual teacher and a student.  This service is of great importance, and can transform the lives of each in the process of its development. 

            Spiritual practice is the process of learning how to obey the signs and signals from the Infinite, which requires a certain good judgment, humility, and the ability to listen to the wise counsel given in a multitude of ways, whether in the form of the teacher, one’s partner, a friend, and even through our feelings and intuitions of the body and the mind.  When we are able to listen to this advice from the Infinite, we are more effective in helping others in the world.   In fact, this attitude of giving and helping is the fifth and highest stage of spiritual development.  This stage begins after one has directly experienced the Reality and Truth of the Infinite in every aspect of our lives.  Then begins the work, represented by the Bodhisattva, an individual awakened to his or her mission in life of service, symbolized by a return to the market place in the center of town.  To others, this being appears just like any other person.  However, his commitment to serve and guide others to find the Infinite is of paramount importance.

            In order to carry out this commitment, the teacher serves the Cosmic Buddha, listening to His advice of how to best help the student.  In turn, the student begins his or her learning by serving the teacher, dedicating his and her time, attention, questions, and economic support.  Unless the two are ready to serve the Infinite, the teacher to the Cosmic Buddha, and the student to the Infinite in the form of the teacher, neither of the two will be able to access the ultimate treasure.

            The student needs to trust the teacher in order to eliminate the obstructions and obstacles to progress, including self deception and delusion.  Therefore, the student ought to follow the advice and teachings of the teacher, who has more experience on the path of spiritual practice.  The teacher, likewise, should eliminate his own egoism in order to be able to her and serve the Infinite, and so that the teachings may flow through him.  Of course, the student should not force him or herself to accept any teaching which he or she is not ready to believe.  Nevertheless, the student should not be closed minded to the possibility of considering new concepts and recommendations.   

            The challenges that arise in each moment of our lives may seem insignificant and without any special value.  If one thinks, “Even though I know the precepts, for example, ‘Don’t be angry’ or ‘Do not talk badly about others’, I am still going to continue with my old habits, since no one will know or notice these unimportant events.”  But this is sad, since one loses the opportunity to break the chains of suffering which are based on our own self created patterns of delusion and the accompanying poisons of desire and frustration.  No only that, but one loses the opportunity to discover the Buddha Nature inherent in each one of us, which expresses itself in compassion and benevolence, represented by the symbol of the Bodhisattva working in the market place helping others to find the road to Nirvana and the liberation from suffering.  The result, the light of the Infinite shines a little less, and the world is a little poorer.    

            The work of the teacher and the student can seem very strange and foolish to those that do not understand that happiness is not found in momentary things.  Everything changes, everything is impermanent.  At times we ourselves do not value the opportunity that each moment brings to practice spiritually, applying the precepts in our lives, serving humanity, and what is most important, serving the Infinite.  But those who continue in their practice, day after day, in every insignificant moment, serving the Infinite in whatever form they can, will discover the true treasure of joy and peace everlasting.

Bibliography

Morgan, Daishin.  Buddha Recognizes Buddha. Throssel Hole Press: Northumberland, United Kingdom, 2010.

Shasta Abbey.  Zen Training.  A Special Issue of The Journal of Shasta Abbey. Vol. XIII, May-August 1982.  Mt. Shasta, CA., 1983.

CURRICULUM

EDUCACIÓN

1996                CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES, San Francisco

Ph.D. (Doctorado) East-West (Transpersonal) Psychology

1987                THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH,  New York City

                        M.A. (Maestría) Psychology

1984                THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, New York City

                        B.A.(Licenciatura) Liberal Arts                    

1990                UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE, Madrid, España

                        Diplomado de Estudios Hispanos

EXPERIENCIA LABORAL

*CONSEJERO ESPIRITUAL                                                       Guadalajara, México

            Meditación Budista Zen (MBZ)                                           2007-present

            Director/facilitador: talleres y consultas particulares.            

*CONSEJERO ESPIRITUAL                                                       San Francisco, CA USA

            Meditación y Yoga Integral                                                1996-1999

            Facilitador de talleres en grupo.

* PSICOTERAPEUTA                                                                   San Francisco, CA USA

            Apoyo desamparados, familias, y adolescentes                      1990-1996      

*PSICOTERAPEUTA                                                                    Irvington,  NJ

            Apoyo para familias en crisis                                               1987-1989

*PSICOTERAPEUTA                                                                    New York, NY  USA

            Apoyo a las víctimas de crimen                                             1985-1986

*PROFESOR                                                                                 Gdl/Ag, México

            ITESM, UVM , Educare, American School                            2000-2010

            Filosofía, Religiones Comparadas, Multiculturismo, Psicología, Etica         

PUBLICACIONES

The Journal of Buddhist Contemplatives, “The Gift of Loving Kindness.”  October 2009.

            Lecciones aprendidas durante un retiro de meditación en un monasterio Zen,         
            aplicado a la práctica cotidiana con un papá enfermo con Alzhéimer.

The Journal of Buddhist Contemplatives, “Dancing with the Stars.”  Octubre 2008.

            Principios budistas aplicados al baile y la vida cotidiana.  

White Crane Journal.  “A Hindu God Gives Prasada.”  Spring.  1998.

            Una historia de amistad sagrada en el sur de La India. 

RFD Magazine.  “A Dance of Liberation.”  Summer 1998.  Vol. 24, No. 4; Issue 94.

Un despertar místico por modo de baile, pasando a un descondicionamiento cultural
y libertad particular. 

CONFERENCIAS  PÚBLICAS  

Abril 22, 2011                                                                         Guadalajara, México

            ENTREVISTA: radio programa Terapi-Arte www.radiomorir.com

            Con Berta Alicia Aguirre, casabalam@gmail.com

            “Los Seis Reinos de la Rueda de la Vida del Budismo”

Abril 15, 2011                                                                         Guadalajara, México

            ENTREVISTA: radio programa Terapi-Arte www.radiomorir.com

            Con Berta Alicia Aguirre, casabalam@gmail.com

            “¿Qué es la Meditación Budista Zen?”

Diciembre 13, 2010                                                                 Guadalajara, México

            ENTREVISTA:  radio programa La Miscelánea 58 AM.  2:00 pm

            “Qué es la psicología del Budismo Zen”

Junio 4-12, 2010                                                                     Guadalajara, México

            TALLER: “Rompiendo Las Cadenas del Karma”.

Augusto 15, 2009                                                                   Guadalajara, México

            TALLER: “Fundamentos de la Filosofía Budista”.

Octubre 20, 1997                                                                    San Francisco, CA

TALLER:  “Explorando las tradiciones espirituales del mundo.” 

Diciembre 21, 1997                                                                 San Francisco, CA

TALLER: “Homenaje a la diversidad religiosa en todo el mundo.”

Marzo-Abril 1998                                                                   San Francisco, CA

TALLER: “Hinduismo y sexualidad sagrada: símbolos del andrógino sagrado.”

Septiembre 4-7, 1998                                                              Camp Swig, Saratoga, CA

TALLER:  “El Lingam Hindú”.  Workshop.

Abril 16-18, 1999                                                                    Russian River, Guerneville, CA

TALLER: “Meditación y espiritualidad hindú”.  

AFILIACIONES 

2006                ORDINACIÓN SEGLAR, Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, Canadá

1980                ORDINACIÓN SEGLAR, Spiritual Science Mother Church, New York City

1998                American Academy of Religion (AAR)

Like Two Arrows That Meet In Mid-Air

LIKE TWO ARROWS THAT MEET IN MID-AIR

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture “The Most Excellent Mirror – Samadhi” one reads the following:

A master archer hits a target at a hundred yards because he skill possesses:

But, to make to meet two arrows in mid-air, head on,

Goes far beyond the skill of ordinary man. 

In this superior activity of no-mind,

See! The wooden figure sings – and the stone maiden dances;

This is far beyond all common consciousness,

Beyond all thinking.

            There is a story in the folklore about a master archer.  This master had a very jealous student.  In an effort to show himself superior to the master, the student tried to kill him by shooting an arrow directly at him.  However, the master was very clever, and anticipating the student´s move, he too shot an arrow at the same time.  The two arrows met in mid-air, and then fell to the ground without hurting anyone.  The student regretted what he had done, and bowed his head in reverence to the teacher.

            This story has two meanings.  The first is how the master should treat the student.  It is the master’s responsibility to guide the student to a direct meeting with the Infinite.  Having accomplished this task, the master must move to one side, so that the student can continue becoming one with the Cosmic Buddha.  It is an extraordinary man that has sufficient humility for this to happen, without getting in the way of the student because of pride or egotism.  On the other hand, there is an enormous joy in seeing the student become one with the Cosmic Buddha, a joy that is not based on a personal possession of the master. 

            The second meaning of the story has to do with the one that is actually bringing about this transformation.  In his efforts to help the student, the master shoots his arrows into the darkness.  The master cannot know everything.  The success of his efforts depends ultimately upon the activity of no-mind, that which is the expression of the Infinite.  The master, just like the master in all of us, shoots his arrow without knowing exactly where is will end up.  We have to completely trust in the unborn, allowing it to guide our arrows right to the target where they should be.  In the same way, the student is prepared to do what is necessary in his spiritual practice, searching with sincerity and trust for the ultimate target of oneness with the Infinite.  The result is an extraordinary event, like two arrows that meet in mid-air. The two, the master and the student, use all their forces, including intelligence, reason, and wisdom.  Nevertheless, they realize that it requires the Infinite so that the two arrows of our aspirations hit the bull’s-eye of realization and oneness with the Cosmic Buddha.  One comes to see the Buddha Nature present in everything, and with that, everything shares in this joy, including the wooden man and the stone maiden. Everything is conscious, alive, and vital, and at the same time, everything is just as it is in its individuality.  The two, oneness and multiplicity, are two aspects of the totality.  When one sees and experiences this Buddha Nature in everything, one appreciates how Life is one continuous miracle manifesting itself in every moment.   

Bibliography

Morgan, Daishin.  Buddha Recognizes Buddha. Throssel Hole Press: Northumberland, United Kingdom, 2010.

Shasta Abbey.  Zen Training.  A Special Issue of The Journal of Shasta Abbey. Vol. XIII, May-August 1982.  Mt. Shasta, CA., 1983.

Discover Yourself!

DISCOVER YOURSELF!

By

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture “The Most Excellent Mirror Samadhi”, one reads the following:

“The sage will tell a trainee,

Who is feeling he is low and all inferior,

That on his head there gleams a jeweled diadem,

And on his body rich robes hang –

And at his feet there is a footrest. 

If the trainee hears this teaching with surprise and doubt,

The sage assures him that of cats there are some kinds,

As also some white cows,

That perfect are just as they are.”

            We all need support, hope, and faith in order to progress along the spiritual path. At times one may feel superior and more advanced than others en this path, as if it were a competition in which only one can win the prize.  But this is only one side of the coin of insecurity, because in the very next moment, the situation may change, and one feels like a failure, inferior, and without self worth.  Nevertheless, the two extremes are examples of duality in the mind of little self, the ego.  It is a delusion base don the belief that one is alone in the universe, isolated, with fixed characteristics that are in themselves permanent.  If one attaches to this mistaken concept, one sets up a constant battle between the dualistic extremes of superiority and inferiority.   

            The good news is that we can liberate ourselves from the suffering caused by this belief.  Everyone is equal in this respect.  Every being has his or her own karmic tendencies, which give one the opportunity to see where one has made mistakes in the past, with intentions and impulses that create patterns that bring about suffering in the present.  If one judges others and oneself, these patterns are maintained continually, one life after another.  However, every being has the birthright to be free and in peace.  A fundamental law of the universe is “anicca”, which means that everything changes, nothing is permanent, not the body, not the ways of thinking, nor the ways of perceiving reality, not even our character.  One can choose in each moment a new way to respond to the difficult situations of life.  Therefore, one’s appearance, one’s former beliefs, one’s sex, gender, race or mistakes of the past are not important in how one lives right now.  Since everything changes, everyone can change his or her attitude and reactions to the world. In this sense, the ego serves as a tool in the discovery of one’s true identity, which is the Buddha Nature, the real self.  The ego can support this transformation, using faith and hope to open oneself to the Dharma as something real. 

            The Dharma can liberate and purify one’s karma.  This is done by choosing the spiritual path, following the examples of the Buddhas, the masters, and the Bodhisattvas of the past, those that show us how to live in flesh and bone the Four Noble Truths and The Precepts.  It just requires taking the first step in a new direction, listening to the still, small voice in one’s heart, which is there to show us in each moment how the path can best be walked.  If the ego listens to this innate wisdom, it discovers a profound joy beyond imagining.  One discovers, “that perfect are just as they are,” because everything is part of the Infinite manifesting itself here and now as Life just as it is.  Karma is showing each one of us exactly what one can do to liberate him/herself, discovering one’s connection to the Infinite.  This is the invitation that every spiritual teacher is encouraging us to make: Discover yourself!   

The Price of Truth

THE PRICE OF TRUTH

Ozmo Piedmont, Ph.D.

What would you do to find the truth?  What price would you pay for wisdom?  Truth is Universal and free, yet at the same time it costs everything we have.  The Buddha told a story which illustrates this point.  One afternoon He was about to teach the Dharma to many people gathered in the forest.  The light of day was beginning to wane, and the night was approaching.  Many people began to offer their oil lamps to light the area, so that the Buddha could continue his teaching.  There was a little old woman that approached the Buddha.  She was very poor, indigent with no possessions except for her begging bowl.  She offered this bowl to the Buddha so it could be filled with oil and used as a lamp.  The Buddha accepted this gift, then turned to the people present saying that the virtue of this woman was the most excellent of all, because she had offered all of her wealth, that which was her only possession, her begging bowl.  The bowl in this story is our own heart.  We have to empty it and offer it to the Infinite so that it can be filled with the Truth.  In the same way as this little old lady, we have to release our attachment to everything so that the Buddha can illumine our lives.  When one offers the heart, without expectation, only because it is that which there is to do, one expresses the most excellent of virtues.  How then do we apply this story to our own daily lives? 

            In the scripture “The Rules for Meditation” by Dogen, of which we read aloud together at the beginning of every meditation meeting we have together, one sees the following: “Why are training and enlightenment differentiated since the Truth is Universal?  Why study the means of attaining it since the supreme teaching is free?”  These first lines of the Rules for Meditation are a koan, a mystery and puzzle that cannot be easily solved by reason only.  It is a meditation on the meaning which only reveals itself little by little over a long period of time.    I have read these lines for many years, thinking that I understood them well.  However, for reasons related to new changes and challenges of our meditation group recently, I am beginning to understand more clearly what they mean.  For this reason koans are so important to our practice.  Life itself provides us with the puzzle to be solved in the form of obstacles and enigmas, which can only be fully resolved through spiritual practice, applying that which we are learning each day in our meditations and studies. 

            In begin with, what do these lines mean?  We read the phrase, “Truth is Universal.”   The Truth is the direct experience of the fact that nothing is separate from the Absolute.  All is one and all is different.  Everything, every image, every detail in life has its context and its relevance, based on conditions that are in themselves arising from prior conditions, creating exactly the situation in which we find ourselves in the present.  Each thing has its context and its reality in each moment; everything has its unique value.  How we relate to these things is part of our spiritual practice.  At the same time, everything is part and reflection of the Absolute.  Everything is an expression of the harmony and perfection of the Infinite.  In its core, everything is an expression of this perfection, although of course it may be very difficult to understand this perfection as we face the multiple problems and contradictions every day of our lives.  But this is the point of Zen, to discover in each moment of our lives our connection with the harmony and perfection of the Divine.  This Truth is literally revealing itself and teaching us every day in all our experiences.  

            If the Truth is everywhere, “why are training and enlightenment differentiated? Although the Infinite is in every leave of the tree, and every cell of our body, we are unconscious most of the time of this reality.  We ignore this beauty and harmony that is all around us because we are blinded by our own egotistical delusions, believing that we are isolated and separated from the rest of the universe, trapped in our individual bodies which are made up of already formed permanent ego.  But the Buddha teaches that this belief is false, a delusion, and is the foundation of all our problems.  Our attachment to the idea of a permanent and separate self is that which has caused our fears to preserve it, our desperation when we are threaten, and our desires in our search to substitute this insecurity with distractions of pleasure and sensation.  Every one of us is like a block of Wood containing the Truth of his or her original face.  We have to carve away little by little every day to finally find it.  Spiritual practice is based on the application of the Precepts in our lives.  This effort of practice of the Precepts is that which cuts away the ignorance and reveals the Truth of our connection to the Divine or in other words, we work to purify our karma sufficiently to discover the direct expression in our lives of our Buddha nature, experienced as peace, joy, and love.  This work purifies our karma, allowing us to rediscover our connection to the Infinite.  Dogen tells us that our practice is Illumination itself.  By way of this continual practice, we will find our interior Buddha, our Buddha nature.   

            Later in the scripture we reed that “The Supreme teaching is free.”  This means that to experiment this Truth directly does not depend on any exterior condition.  You cannot buy the Truth.  You cannot force the Infinite to reveal itself to you.  In fact, you cannot do anything to obtain it, since the Truth is fundamentally “empty”, which means it is not conditioned by anything, it depends on nothing.  It is eternal and infinite.  It has no beginning or end. If obtaining it depended on some type of conditioning, it might be possible that it doesn´t exist at some moment in time for us, so therefore, we might not be able to experience it.  However, we are never really separate from the Infinite in any moment.  There is nothing separate from this Reality.   

            However, if the Supreme teaching is free and everywhere, “why study the meaning of attaining it?”  Why do we have to practice spiritually?  Although the Universe is perfect and lacks nothing in its totality, individually we have blocked our perception of this fact.  For some reason in our pasts, we came to distort the Truth due to selfish intentions, which then blocked our perception of the Truth.  These deluded intentions are that which creates negative karma, resulting in our suffering.  Since each one of us has created this situation due to our own beliefs, actions, and behaviors, we alone are responsible to correct it.  Nevertheless, every moment of suffering is an opportunity to awaken to our connection to the Divine.  But only wishing to wake up is not enough.  We have to do the spiritual work in our minds and bodies in order to directly experiment the Reality that is always present.  We have to be conscious of how we created this suffering.  Only if we are ready to pay the price with our effort, our determination, and our commitment, can we then change the unconscious habits and patterns that brought us to feeling desperate and deluded. 

            The question then arises, “What is the Price that we are ready to pay for the Truth?”   In the West, money represents the hierarchy of our values.  If we pay a high price for something, it must be of great value.  Therefore, one values something more because it requires more effort to get the money to pay for it.  The attitude reflects where we put our focus and what we value most.   A friend called me recently asking for spiritual counsel.  However, for lack of funds, he had little money to offer for this service.  During our conversation, he informed me that he had no money because he had spent it all on beer.  His addiction had overtaken so much of his life, that he could not provide the basic needs of his family.  He was damaging his own health as well as that of the ones he loved. It became clear that his God was beer.  He was ready to sacrifice everything to get more beer: his money, his family, his health, and even death.  Of course, this is a sad disease.  But he is not so different from all of us who carry our addictions in our daily lives.  We say we want peace, happiness, and love.  But in stead of giving that which is required to obtain it, we spend our time, effort, and money on those things that bring us a momentary pleasure: on vacations, hobbies, parties, cloths, expensive dinners, big televisions, movies, stimulants and entertainments.  The teachers and ancestors of the past paid with their lives for the Truth.  They sacrificed everything to be able to pass it down to us through the centuries.  They suffered the climactic elements, poverty, and hunger.  They gave everything they had for this goal, and for this we can study the Dharma today.  This fact has given me pause to reflect on the price I have paid in my own search for the Truth. 

            I have dedicated 39 years of my life in the practice and study of meditation.  It began when I was 15, sitting in a history class in school.  The teacher had invited some representative from the community that taught Transcendental Meditation (TM).  They came to visit us and to speak about meditation.  I was very moved inside when I heard them speak.  Later, I convinced my father to pay for the course at their center in order to learn how to meditate.  My whole family participated.  What I learned there inspired me to continue exploring more and more to learn about meditation and how it works.  I wondered, “Why does meditation work? What are the mechanisms and the structures in the brain that bring about these changes? Are all methods the same or are some better than others in bringing about change in the mind and the body?”  Thus began a lifetime of research, in which I studied more than 50 forms of meditation from many different spiritual traditions of different countries throughout the world, including different forms of Buddhism such as Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen.  I also studied the traditions of Hinduism, Taoism, Mysticism, Shamanism, Sufism, spiritism, New Age, Reiki, yoga, Tantra, Vedanta, and Kashmir Shaivism.  I dedicated myself to the practice of Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga, to Ramana Maharshi´s Self Realization Yoga, to Transpersonal Psychology, analysis, psychotherapy, and even Broadway dance.  My spiritual teachers included Reverend Ellen Resch in New York (a mystic who channeled spiritual teachers and taught Buddhism), Robert Johnson in San Diego (a famous psychoanalyst and disciple of Carl Jung), Gangaji in San Francisco (a spiritual teacher of the Self Realization of Ramana Maharshi and disciple of the Hindu teacher Papaji), and Reverend Master Meiten McGuire in Canada (a Zen monk and disciple of Reverend Master Jiyu-Kennett). 

            I went to India various times, visiting temple and gurus everywhere.  I climbed the Mount Arunachala, a Hindu personification of the God Shiva in the form of a mountain.  There in a cave at the top of the mountain, a strange yogi was living and fasting, sustaining himself on nothing more than meditation and his yoga, which transformed light into nutritive sustenance.  He blessed me and offered me a strange drink, which I took willingly, though possibly risking my life for what seemed like that lack of hygiene.  Nevertheless, I thought at the time, I hadn’t traveled half way around the world just to arrive to this moment and lose this opportunity just because I might be afraid of sickness.  I drank it all.  I was also the only member of my group of 12 that did not get sick. 

            In India, I shaved my head in a temple for the merit and blessing of all my friend and family.  I visited Tibetan monasteries, Hindu ashrams, and temples led by yogi adepts.  I even went into the jungle where I was confronted by a black panther in the middle of a meditation hall as part of a spiritual initiation.  In another temple I meditated in a giant lotus built in honor of Sri Aurobindo, in which a giant crystal ball was housed, measuring three feet across, which reflected the sun’s rays onto the white marble walls, looking like a million stars sparkling down. 

            I have participated in successful dance rituals to bring back the rain after a prolonged drought.  I have studied a BA, an MA, and a Ph.D. in philosophy, psychology, and comparative religion.  I have sat in meditation in deserts, mountains, beaches, jungles, temples and monasteries all over the world.  I have confronted demons, those possessed by their fears, and the mentally ill.   I have overcome disease and have faced even death full in the face.  I did all of this, not because I thought is was fun or daring.  The only reason was because I could not live without knowing the Truth, as if it were the air to breath.  I was ready to pay with my life for that which I yearned.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, could prevent me from my search.  It is that which I had to do, and will continue to do, or I will die trying.