Aware of Suffering

This morning I awoke with the memory from when I was living at Dai Bosatsu Zendo. It was recalling a woman who came up from the town to do zazen. She came in, sat with us and then left again, like a cloud that passed over the Dai Bosatsu Mountain. Later I asked Seigan Ed Glassing about the woman. Something didn't feel "alright," with her. Seigan said, "Most people can look at the surface of someones skin and perhaps see a person but not thee person. With her the part that most don't observe, see or feel is that she has cancer and doing battle with it. She is very brave person. Maybe that's what you noticed."

Over the weekend, I'd been doing a lot of Samu (mindful work practice), attempting to improve on some computer code, taking time to clean the house, garage and work on a computer. A long with this practice, I'd been doing some reading to. I've been studying "Interbeing," by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a way that I've been approaching and studying the Buddhist Precepts, which has proven helpful and useful to me, on several levels.

When I integrate the studies with that of my own teacher, Genjo Marinello Osho, a central expression with my being has emerged as, "Aware of suffering, I will have a policy of caring towards all Beings, making an effort to help and be supportive." The best place to begin "The Policy of Caring," is This very moment and This very place.

The beginning is just noticing and becoming aware of others. It's moving past the polite "How do you do, How was your day," kind of questions without genuine interest in the response. There are times I ask my daughter, "How was your day at school?" She'll often respond, "Okay?" And then I always ask, "What made it okay?" It's in that moment a window will sometimes open and I learn and can feel what it can be like to be a teenager, from her perspective. Having this added insight, I can sometimes harmonize and calibrate my action(s) to be of greater help, had I not sat down with her and had a conversation. As a matter of fact, some of the best discussions I've had with my daughter is just her and I going on trips, driving in the car. Conversation just kinda flows.

Being aware of the suffering of others, is one way that compassion and respect for others can build and expand. It's more than just doing "transactions" with people. A policy of caring is not some philosophy. A policy of caring is a way of carrying forward a practice, that can restore confidence within ourselves and others. A policy of caring can and does dissolve gaps. But the place to start this policy of caring is simply to be "Aware of suffering."

Love All - Serve All - Every Single Day,

Seiho, Curator
digitalZENDO

Comments

[Rheumatologe]

Being aware of suffering also means to ask further. Patients with rheumatic diseases often say they're doing fine, because they do better then before, but something is lacking. So I let the "doing fine" or "doing well" as it, say congrats for doing better, but then ask what still could improve or what is lacking. Lots of information follows the statement "well" if you ask further. I'd say, even while doing well there's still a lot of suffering in people with rheumatic diseases.

[jayeZERO]

Ask Further... Yes... Listening with our entire being.. not just the intellect, waiting to make a rebuttal.

~Seiho