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When I was living at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, Eido Tai Shimano Roshi mentioned several times a song call "The Quest," from "The Man From La Mancha Yesterday." Through a series of events yesterday, was thrown into a extremely difficult pit. Last night as I sat, processing the events and moments, I traced the words of "The Quest," back through my mind, making an effort to recall how Eido Roshi would say them.

"To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man (or woman), scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star."

As I absorbed these words, I realized this was another version of "Bodhisattva's Vow." It is a personal commitment to cut through and dissolve not only my personal illusions, but also those projected onto me by others. Dissolve and move on, dissolve and combust, dissolve and go straight ahead. Not so easy, perhaps at times feeling lost, but later coming to know it's possible to reconnect with our internal compass, that guides our life.

Someone acts out, okay. Someone is verbally abusive, okay. Someone doesn't know how to communicate other than to strike out, okay. Yes this things are unfair and wrong, but still those people are a part of "The Buddha Field." This can be hard to see and imagine, receiving unfair blows, but It's still true, none the less.

I like very much when Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Sensei quoted his teacher and said, "I'm not okay, Your not okay and that's okay." Whatever the difficulty is, we can cut through what ever seems impossible, if we maintain the Bodhisattva Vow.

Love All - Serve All - Every Single Day,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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