June 2020

There are times in our personal lives, and there are times in the “lives” of whole societies, when we hit a “karmic crunch”–a period when a large tangle of dark, weighty karma comes due all at once. Very rapidly, a whirlwind of confusion and suffering can develop out of, and supplant, a period of relative quiet and seeming security.

One of the gems of advice most often given by Rev. Master Jiyu to her disciples was expressed in the simple words, “When the earth is shaking, sit still.” This is advice that I come back to again and again at the present time.

Here is a little summary of what this teaching means to me—couched in terms of the Three Pure Precepts:

First, refrain from complaining, looking for someone to blame, despairing, rationalizing, and making excuses. This is the First Pure Precept: “Cease from evil.”–Here is another way of expressing this Precept: “Things are tough enough already. Don’t make it worse by feeding the fires of greed, hate, and delusion either in myself or in others.”

Second, meditate. This involves more than doing formal meditation, though formal meditation is enormously helpful. It means working round the clock at staying in alignment with the Buddha Nature. This is the Second Pure Precept: “Do only good.” This is not mere passivity: it is making the effort to stay spiritually grounded instead of allowing oneself to be swept away by greed, hate, and delusion.

Third, have the humility to recognize that I do not have all the answers, that I am not God, and that I need help. When facing any important decision, go first to the Eternal: be willing to bow; to ask; to listen; and to follow the “still, small voice” of the Heart. If I give the Eternal a chance, It will lead me to that choice which, among all the possible choices, is the one that does the best for both self and other. This is the Third Pure Precept: “Do good for others.”

*    *    *

In any area of human life, genuine progress is hard-won and comes slowly; setbacks are inevitable. “When the earth is shaking, sit still” reminds me to be patient and to keep trusting.–Trusting the Good in myself and in others; trusting that, while delusion may seem at times to prevail, in the long run it is always revealed to be self-defeating; trusting that great good can manifest right within, and blossom from, the most dire circumstances; and, above all, trusting that there is a Refuge within my own Heart to which I can turn at all times and in all need.