April 10, 2005
Queen Lolo's Personal Disclaimer
I don’t profess to be a teacher, an expert, or an authority on anything. Certainly not on Buddhism.
I don’t claim to have any answers, and I don’t want anyone to think I know what I’m talking about. I’m more inclined to ask questions and explore possibilities than I am to proclaim the truth. Any beliefs or realizations I share here are subject to change. In fact, they are guaranteed to change. Because the only thing I know for certain is this:
Things change.
Well, at least a lot of things do. Other things don’t change that much. Human beings are not much different than they were centuries ago. A list of the five greatest human fears, compiled over 2,000 years ago, is no different than anything you’d read in a current issue of “Psychology Today.” Fear of death, fear of public speaking, fear of losing loved ones…they are all the same. Then again, dinosaurs probably weren’t petrified by the idea of giving a speech. And if we blow up our planet and a new life form emerges in ten million years, maybe this new species will fight over who gets to be on the podium first. So let me rephrase that one thing I know for certain:
Things change but not always quickly.
Other than that, I have no idea what’s really going on. Life, the universe, form, emptiness, the workings of fax machines, and everything inbetween ... it’s all a huge mystery to me. And I like it that way. It keeps me awake and on my spiritual toes. As Stephen Batchelor wrote in "Buddhism Without Beliefs," “an agnostic stance is not based on disinterest. It is founded on a passionate recognition that I do not know. It confronts the enormity of having been born instead of reaching for the consolation of a belief. It strips away, layer by layer, the views that conceal the mystery of being…”
At the same time, I have spent the whole of my adult life, and a good part of my teenage years, examining this “mystery of being.” That’s why I’ve long been attracted to Buddhism. Where other religions tell us what to believe and how to live, Buddhism asks us to directly experience the truth for ourselves. Where other religions have us worship another being or person, Buddhism encourages us to examine the nature of our own minds and reality. At least that’s how I understand it today.
Of course, there are many different flavors and brands of Buddhism, each with a slightly or totally different set of practices, interpretations, rituals, teachers, and paraphernalia. There is a even a multitude of variations within each tradition.
I consider myself “eclectic” because I find value it in all. And I like it that way.
For me, the assorted branches of Buddhism are just different parts of the same elephant. With your eyes closed, you may think you’re touching the whole animal. But open your eyes, and you may see that what you’re grasping isn’t the entire story afterall.
From Zen Buddhism I have learned the practice of meditation and had experiences I cannot put into words. From Tibetan Buddhism I have learned about compassion and opened my heart to myself and others. From Nichiren Buddhism I have explored cause and effect, and learned the life-changing power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I am not attached to any certain tradition or teacher. I openly listen and accept the wisdom of each for what it is. I have practiced and studied and integrated all the various types of Buddhism and will probably continue to do so all my life. Each has it's place in the totality of who I am – a part of the whole elephant, so to speak. And each helps me with the one great lesson that each Buddhist tradition has taught me:
Treasure the present moment.
And that's one piece of advice I don't expect to change.
Posted by at August 12, 2007 04:52 AM