Volume 47. January 10, 2024
Rock ’n roll heralds of calendrical beginnings U2 proclaimed immortal words of annual genesis, singing,
All is quiet on New Year’s Day.
A world in white gets underway.
The new calendar year offers us a pristine state of clarity. Quiet. White. Tranquil. Serene. Fresh. Unspoiled.
New Year’s Day is a precious moment. Untouched by agendas, unsullied by appointments, unspoiled by assignments, the New Year offers us a moment of rest before the chaos ensues.
Buddhism offers us the same thing. Buddhism restores us to mint condition. Though torn in two by fear and desire, we can be one.
From hibernating frogs to hyperactive homebodies, we all need annual renewal. Buddhism offers us daily renewal. Nay, hourly renewal. Nay, nay, momentary renewal.
A fresh state of clarity awaits us every minute while we meditate.
The basis of Buddhism is meditation. Being a Buddha is not about seeking fame, accumulating wealth or grasping for power.
Being a Buddha is not even about doing good works, however excellent they may be in themselves.
Rather, Buddhism is about waking up. It’s about renouncing the error of conceptual thought. Being a Buddha boils down to experiencing thus-ness and constantly returning to it.
As ninth century Chinese Zen Master Huang Po once said,
“Let there be a silent understanding and no more.”
Huang Po embodied the dragon wisdom of Buddhism. Long ago, the future empire of China personally felt the claws and fangs of this Zen master at work.
Once upon a time, the future Son of Heaven visited Huang Po and saw the Zen master bowing before a Buddha statue.
Puzzled, he asked, “If you don’t seek anything from the Buddha, then why are you bowing?”
Huang Po replied, “I’m just paying my respects.”
The young man said, “What’s the use of paying respect?”
Immediately, Huang Po slapped him.
The young man yelled, “Oh! That’s too coarse.”
Huang Po said, “This is a Zen monastery! Imagine making distinctions between coarse and fine!” and slapped him again.
The mind in meditation is one. It does not make distinctions.
Return to a state of pristine clarity.
Let there be a silent understanding and no more.
The best time to empty the mind is right now.
All is quiet on New Year’s Day.
A world in white gets underway.
The Buddha Times 