Apocryphal texts remind me of an old campfire game that we used to play in the boy scouts, called “Operator.” The game was quite simple. It began with a simple statement that would be whispered into the ear of the first scout, and the next, and so on, until the last of, say, forty kids to hear it would stand up and repeat what they had heard. If we got it right there would be a treat, so we were motivated to get it right. Here’s an example of how this worked:
The scoutmaster whispered to the first scout:
“J.B. got in his boat, rowed to the middle of the lake and caught a fish.”
The next scout repeated this almost perfectly, the scout after him changed it a little saying, “Johnny was boating and caught a…bass.”
Then the next scout whispered, “John was boating and wanted to catch a bass.” Then, the next; “John rowed his bass boat and caught a big fish.” Then, “John rode to the lake to catch a prize fish.” Then, “Jan rolled his boat into the lake to fish.” Then, “January fish are caught like a finch.” Then, “Last winter we put the flinch in the fridge.” Then, finally the last scout stood and said, “The winter is frigid.”
All it took was forty kids passing around a simple statement that morphed into something completely different from what was first said. This was an endless source of amusement for us scouts, but no real mystery to the scoutmaster who then stressed how important it was to accurately communicate information, because it could save someone’s life.
If you take this simple game where it’s human nature to alter, space out, mishear, or embellish a simple message, then multiply it by thousands of people, and give it hundreds of years to mature, you have something that is completely different than what was originally said or intended. Try it sometime.
I bring back this child’s game to illustrate how dubious the accuracy of religious texts can be, even our treasured Lotus Sutra. It is a well know historical fact that the Lotus Sutra is an apocryphal text that was complied hundreds of years after the fact. Some may counter that rote memorization was a much more reliable and strict method of preserving the sutras than it is now, and those were not kids. There may be some truth to that assertion, but the probability of major alteration of the actual words of The Buddha are about 100%.
Now that it’s obvious that the dilution of the original words and message of The Buddha, passed on by hundreds if not thousands of individuals is certain, we add to that muddied pond, the passage of hundreds of years and monastic clarifications of what was actually preached, or rather, passed down to that point in time. Once we blend in the special interests of priests to make matters more clear or to make His words fit an evolving agenda, we have a sutra that may be based on a real series of sermons, but 99% fabricated, both unintentionally and quite intentionally. Oh, and lets not forget about the formidable changes that come from translating from one laguage to another or the skills of the translators.
It is that one percent that we can cautiously embrace. But what is that one percent? My assumption is that Myoho-renge-kyo is the only part that we can truly rely on - the rest is probably created legend, myth, and pure fiction. True, it is well crafted. True, it is most inspiring. Verbatim? Not likely - probably not even close. We can be somewhat certain of Myoho-renge-kyo, because it works so well when we embrace it and chant it. The rest of the sutra, from the theoretical to the essential, is most likely the product and inventon of highly educated, if not skilled story tellers, who gave us words to live by and believe. They did this to preserve the golden worlds of The Buddha knowing full well that virtually most every literal thing He said had been lost except the message. And maybe that's what's important (I think). Such logical, deductive evidence should alert any truly objective person from the wholesale acceptance of the Zen premise that the Buddha’s enlightenment is passed on from mind-to-mind (Ha!); or the absurdity that any kind of high priest to high priest transmission of the Law has merit (double, maybe triple Ha!). It would seem reasonable that the ultimate reality must be discovered from the same source that The Buddha experienced it – between His life (and ours) and the universe itself.
The next person who asserts the perfection or inerrancy of any religious text like the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Gita, the Upanishads, and yes, our esteemed Lotus Sutra, challenge them to assemble a group of any age, any education, of any religion or gender, and play Operator. To rely on the sutras or any religious text is like walking on quicksand. The truth is not in a religious text, it's in you.
In July 2008, I announced the formation of three new movements to perpetuate and grow the Lotus Sutra in this troubled age. These announcements were met with a mixture of enthusiasm and criticism.
The Order of Jakkodo
Originally, I wanted to designate my healing movement as Jakkodo or land of eternally tranquil light. Jakkodo signifies the Buddha’s land of tranquil light where living beings embrace the dharma of the Lotus Sutra and exist in a peaceful state of mind where altruism is the way of life, and the benefits of higher consciousness would benefit the planet at large.
Instead, I decided to form the Order of Jakkodo as an esoteric training ground that advanced higher consciousness through cultivating discipline, based on Eastern and Western mystery school traditions. I know that Nichiren frowned on this, but Jakkodo was not meant to be a religious order, just a trainning school, period. Although this idea was appealing to many, it met with intense (and valid) criticism by many people who I knew and admired. It became abundantly clear that those people who had interest in Jakkodo were filled with trepidation at what was expected of them to pass through the ten grades. Another wholly valid criticism was that I did not share enough detail of the various grades and what would be required of the apsirants. This could not be done for two important reasons. One reason was that the various challenges were proprietary, and secondly, that if I did in fact publish the details, it might scare off any people that were on the fence. Just one description of how I intended aspirants to harness the forces of the Will, as taught (in part) by Aleister Crowley, but subdued by several degrees by me, would have sent people running. Let me clarify - I would recommend a program that would enable people to gain control of the body, speech, and thought process, attaining the same tangible result as eight-limbed yoga in less than a year. How would I do this? By using negative reinforcement of a hard rubber band snap against the wrist for every infraction in one's learning to control a habitual body movement, like crossing your legs (over a seven day period); eliminating a word commonly used such as "I" or "and" or "me;" then after seven consecutive days of perfect execution,, eliminating a common (but never harmful) thought; like the thought of an aggravating family member, maybe a habitual habit like having a smoke, or any other commonly accessed thought. Each movement, word, and thought would need to be banished for 48 hours, three days, then seven days. Every infraction would get a hard snap of the rubber band around the wrist and that segment would begin anew. This modified program is child's play compared to what myself and other aspirants endured under the original program. In that original test of Will, we went through three consecutive series of excersise of 48 hours, three days, and seven days. Each infraction resulted in a cut on the forearm with a razor or sharp knife and that segment of 48 hours, three days, or then seven days would need to be repeated from scratch. The end result? Let me just say, you quickly found out what an unconscious, undisciplined weakling you really were, and when you finally finished the whole austerity, you had levels of awareness and control you never thought possible...but I digress.
The mandatory training exercises and curriculum that formed the Order of Jakkodo were clearly unpalatable for potential aspirants for a wide variety of reasons, least of all, this new fangled mystery school was being conducted by me, an untonsured, former SGI laymen, with an over abundance of testosterone and anger issues. It seemed however, that based on considerable feedback, that my experience and demonstrated knowledge and expertise were not an issue and was sufficient for people to seek entry in the Order of Jakkodo, it was the fact that I wanted them to begin with the first of the ten worlds, Hell. Who would be willing to contemplate and immerse themselves in the world of Hell to eventaully gain awakening? No one it seemed.
The killer of this training school was the road I had mapped out to get folk to the opposite side of the mountain. They didn't want to climb over the mountain, they wanted to saunter around it. The idea of "no pain, no gain," was for someone else, not for them. I had grossly underestimated the contemporary aspirant’s aversion to sacrafice, pain, discomfort, and negative reinforcement. The fear of privation was greater than brass ring. There were no Navy Seal's or Army Rangers in my auidence, just good friends and decent people. I grew up in a macho environment where the ritual of physical pain was the measure of manhood. By no means am I criticizing people for their refusal to take on a hellish austerity to achieve a meaningful goal. In my mind, this experience was similiar to the pain of physical therapy after an injury. But I was very wrong it seems. I am merely stating what seemed to me to be an obvious change in the willingness of people to endure a self-imposed difficulty to attain a meaningful goal. In retrospect, it seems as if our culture has ingrained the easy way to realization as the best way, and has turned its back on the boot camp approach. At first, I thought that our culture had become soft. Now I see that what I had proposed did not accord with the time. It is not inconceivable that I will one day ammend the program to not be so frightful, but I wonder if deconstructing and pacifying Jakkodo would be the same as neutering a tiger to make him more cuddley.
In consideration that the times and attitudes of people may flip-flop as they occasionally do, I went a ahead and formalized the elements of all ten levels and put them away for prosperity or perhaps, the dust bin of outdated ideas. For now, this movement was a failure.
The Society for Modern Buddhist Healing
The success of my book of the same name has surprised me, consistently outselling my second book, even years later. This movement has many backers and consistently attracts new supporters. Each week someone who has utilized the methods of Mantra-powered Visualization steps forward to affirm its potency or ask for my help. This has been a most gratifying experience.
Perhaps my most difficult quandary with Modern Buddhist Healing is the request on newcomers to be put in touch with people that they can chant with. In Modern Buddhist Healing, I have the SGI website address for those who seek fellow chanters or perhaps, a sangha. Based on my current feelings about the SGI cult of personality, their doctrine, and its direction, I am reluctant to encourage new people to hook up with the SGI. This is a problem. Where can people go to improve their chanting without having to join a religious organization and be cajoled into all that goes with it? It would be wonderful if people could go to a group that taught them about chanting without all the skewed dogma that comes with it. For this reason, I decided on forming my third entity, Modern Buddhism. All in all, The Society for Modern Buddhism Healing has been a success.
Modern Buddhism
With misplaced bravado and unrealistic expectations, I formed Modern Buddhism with the intention of creating a movement that would welcome all people, and give them a new home, sheltered from the funi-twin wars. I even found an authentic Nichiren mandala to bestow on new members. It was a great idea that has gone nowhere - yet.
My critics were right about this going nowhere. Perhaps if I had the time and money to do what it takes, there would have been a better result. These also take time to develop and a small number of people in various parts of this country and the world are doing what they can to develop Modern Buddhism. It may be that the time is not right as of yet, it’s hard to say. In the mean time, what I am doing is making myself accessible and publishing material on my website in hopes that this new sangha will become home for people in the future. The jury is still out on whether Modern Buddhism is a success or failure. In the meantime, I continue to be a sangha of one and encourage others to do the same.
2008 Retrospective and My View for 2009
2008 has proven to be a healthy and prosperous year for me and my family. The improvement of my life since moving away from the SGI has been extraordinary. Buddhism is fresh and new again, and I feel like an enthusiastic student again. Each new year is a miracle of sorts for me. When my doctors gave me only six months to live in 1987, I renewed my appreciation for life, never taking for granted another year, month, day, hour, or even a new second. It might seem to some that living each moment like it is your last is a doomed way to go about your daily life, but it is not. I know that my existence as Charles Atkins is extremely limited and there is no guarantee that I will see the sunrise. This bone marrow deep realization might be chilling for some, but it has meant a profound sense of appreciation for the extra time I have been fortunate enough to experience, and it adds an urgency to the good works that I aspire to perform from moment-to-moment.
I see 2009 as a year in which creativity is tempered with strict discipline. There is much that I desire to write – not only for myself, but for the enjoyment of others. Fraught with Peril has been a marvelous blessing and a wonderful platform to reach the masses.
Please know that I am ever mindful of all of you and wish you all a joyous holiday season and wonderful new year.
Detective Shoten Zenjin
The year has gone by so quickly. It seems appropriate to comment on the personal and world at large. The loss of Reverend Greg and Byrd was a blow to all of us. But their spirit and work live and flourish. Although there has been a strong head wind, many of us have broken through the obstacles that have tested our faith, but never our resolve.
Last week seemed to summarize what the year has been like for me. As the night manager for a busy restaurant near the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, I had been confronted with a most perplexing problem. Thousands of dollars worth of bulk food were being stolen. As a small business, without deep pockets, we needed to find the thief or it might ruin us. We had our suspicions but could not prove anything. The police, the owner, or any of the other managers had an answer, so I took this problem to the Gohonzon. My prayer was simple: “May the truth emerge.” I put that prayer to the universe without a feverish desire for outcomes, just a resolution where “all righteousness would be proven.”
When I arrived for my shift on Saturday, a nameless caller asked to speak with me and told me a story. He said that my head line cook, a person that I knew and trusted for a year was robbing the place blind, and bragging about it in his neighborhood. He was selling our food products on the black market. The person doing this was the one we had already suspected. The man claimed to have photos of the ill-gotten gains and had notified the owner. What he told me next was the metaphysical catalyst for breaking the case. Let me explain.
The tipster told me that the person who I thought was my friend and co-worker was bragging that I was a trusting fool. Every time I would turn my back, he would steal whatever he wanted and it had been going on for months. He called me a chump, a fool, and a few unmentionable racial slurs.
I had stuck up for this man at our manager’s meetings, praised him to the owner, got him the hours he desired, and a pay increase. This hurt me worse than any physical pain could. It was a betrayal of trust and faith between two men. I locked myself in the office and called out to the Shoten Zenjin to come to my aid before I exploded in rage. It was then necessary to go into the expediting window for the dinner rush, working face-to-face with the man who allegedly was robbing our business, bragged of his crimes, and mocked me as a trusting, clueless fool. He tried to joke with me as he usually did, but I was unable to shake off the intensity of my rage. I was unable to feel any peace or separate my fury for the servers and other employees. They didn’t know what was wrong and thought that they might have done something to incur my wrath. I could say nothing.
All the while, I chanted daimoku to myself, trying to remain professional. I wondered how many minutes, days, weeks or months would I need to endure this feeling of confliction before the matter was resolved. The dinner rush ended and the cook hauled out the garbage. I went outside into the bitter cold as well. He tried to engage me in small talk, but all I could do was glare at him. He said, "Man, you look like you need a blunt.” I stared him in the eyes and said, “I need a new job.” He dumped his trash and we went in. I doubled back and pulled out the bag of garbage he had put in there and dug through the slop, finding an entire slab of bacon and a box of shrimp. “Thank you Buddha,” I said with emotion. I quickly segregated the stolen items and hid them, got on my cell phone and called the owner who instructed me to have him arrested. In ten minutes the police arrived, got a confession, and had him in cuffs. The man looked at me with the expression of “Chuck, how could you do this to me. I’m a two-time felon. You’re sending me back to prison!” I just stared him down as they led him away for booking.
This event was a mirror image of my year - obstacles, without apparent resolution, reconciling themselves through the power of prayer and right action. The Lotus Sutra is the supreme source of skillful means. The protective forces mentioned therein are very real and manifest at the appropriate time, and in the proper measure. After the staff learned of what had transpired, and why, they expressed their heartfelt appreciation, respect, and amazement at how the entire matter was resolved without a big scene or violence. One employee asked me if I was afraid of retaliation. My response was that by virtue of my faith, that I am always safe and protected. I explained that I looked this man in the eye like the coward he was, and he would not be back. It was clear to me that my employee did not understand, so I said it another way. “When you don’t fear death, you destroy your enemy’s power.” I think she got it then.
That night, when I returned home, I sat in front of my Kito mandala and expressed the following: “Even though you betrayed me, I forgive you. I respect your Buddha nature even though your words and actions were a slander. I did what was best for all concerned, especially you, so you should not blame me for your capture. If you seek the enemy that has sent you back to prison, look in the mirror.”
Out of appreciation for my efforts, the owner of the restaurant named me The Featured Employee of the Month in our on-line newsletter.
"Chuck Atkins has worked at The Courier Cafe and Silvercreek since 2001. He accepted the Manager position in 2006. Of course you will recognize his imposing presence as the gentle giant who runs the night shift at The Courier.
Originally a native of Chicago, Chuck is married with two kids. He moved to Champaign to help an ailing family member. What he didn't know is that he'd quickly discover what a great place it was to live, and like so many of us he got "stuck" here, and started his new life. Chuck is a practicing Buddhist who has written and published 2 books. He has been a freelance writer for 30 years, and has his own website, spiritwell.net.
Never sick and always early to work, Chuck is a team player who has embraced the Courier Cafe mantra of 'quality first'. Chuck's motto is "The world is a better place when people have compassion." Next time you are settling your bill, perhaps you'll witness it firsthand from the enigmatic, soulful night manager at The Courier.
To me, this seemed like an example of "and all righteousness proven."
More 2008 reflections coming soon.
The past month has been very busy as I close in on completion of a new book. Never forgetting my readers, I offer you here a series of wonderful videos in lieu of new blog writing, which I hope to resume very soon. Thank you for your patience. I hope to have something up soon. Enjoy. Charles