Not What You Think

Yesterday I was talking with someone who practices Buddhism with a group that I was previously unaware of in Salisbury. Talking about Buddhism and their "format," they said they sit for about 15 minutes and then read from a selected text and discuss it, etc, etc...

Later in the discuss they asked what "kind' of Buddhism that I practiced. I jokingly replied, "The kind that hurts." I didn't actually bother to explain about the 45 minute sits and the lack of talking. I didn't think there was a point in doing this, however it did get me thinking a little.

They asked me why I practice and the "school" of Buddhism that I follow. My response was "Rinzai Zen Buddhism" and "to cease being deluded, not only for myself but all sentient being." They asked me what I meant by that and was it possible. I told them that "all beings are enlightened without fail, but most of us are stuck in a fog bank. Though practice, the fog lifts and we finally experience, embody and see who we genuinely are." The translation is, Yes it's possible.

The response I got back was, "How you describe it is not how I've thought or heard about it." My response was, "Experience is often, not what we think."

Gassho,

Jaye Morris, Curator
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