Sine Cera

Sincere is a word that has some value in all societies. It comes from the Greek-Latin root "Sine cera," which means, "Without wax." According to one popular explanation, dishonest sculptors in Rome or Greece would cover flaws in their work with wax to deceive the viewer; therefore, a sculpture "without wax" would mean honesty in its perfection.

Yesterday, I received an alert on my iPhone that the so-called "Balloon boy," and his family would be charged with fraud. The pretended that he had been trapped in the balloon to gain publicity for some future television show they were hoping to secure.

My first thought was, "How insincere," those people are. My second thought was, about the "Second Noble Truth," that because of our out-of-control desires and attachments, we can easily cause ourselves to suffer. Whenever we pretend to be something we're not and by extension are insincere, we could very well be planting a seed that might later cause us some sort of pain and suffering.

Looking back over my life, I've noticed that I and most of the people I know have been taught to project "strength," over so-called "weakness." But to do that with any consistency we are placed in a position that we cannot admit when we err or are just plain wrong. We deflect, deny, rationalize, intellectualize and minimize the places where we aren't at our best, often choosing to gloss or fill in the cracks with something that isn't true. The most common for of wax that people use is lying or misinformation towards oneself and others. The only problem with that is that just like wax melts under heat, our false projections dissolve under the serious pressure of day-to-day life and the reality is frequently exposed.

One of the oddest places which can expose the greatest insincerity is spiritual practice. It's easy to want to speak and verbalize that we are so-called "better" than what we actually are. More than once people have been surprised when asked about my zazen and I replied, "My mind got stuck in a tar-pit and at least for that sit, I couldn't get out." One person actually responded, "Maybe you're doing the wrong practice, because I never have those type of problems."

Had I been inexperienced, I might have doubted myself and the practice of zazen itself. But as soon as they said it, I knew they were projecting something that was insincere and something they truly are not. To make the point, I asked, "If your practice is so solid, then why do you still continue to practice and have a teacher? Having one exposes you may not have everything wrapped up." They didn't respond. My response to them was, "I'm okay with not-yet being complete. There's a lot to unlearn." The wax melted and the flaw exposed. To build *real* support, honest communication needs to flow both ways.

Though some are fond of saying "Life is a test," it's not. It's real. Gravity works 100% of the time. This moment will somehow influence the next and the next and the next. Do I prefer my life based on sincerity or the insincere?

As I engage in the practice of my life, these days I focus myself on being "Straight ahead." Be honest and don't pretend, though the use Zen practice. When I feel a smile, I smile and when I feel a frown, I frown, melting the psychological and emotional wax to expose my character, for better or worse. In this way, I have the opportunity to work with what's really happening in my mind, rather then pretending I have nothing to address or work on within myself. It's being authentic.

It's in This authenticity, that I find people are truly approachable. It's in the authenticity that I'm not able to feel or sense gaps. There's an equality amongst all Being... No one is outside the circle of Being... Every thing is Sine Cera... without pretense, disguise or filler and a true work of art.

Yours In Zen,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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