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Dear Ones,
We write this letter to you on the morning after the presidential election here in the United States. Feelings on both sides of this election have been and continue to be quite strong. Many of us woke up this morning feeling a great grief, while some, we are sure, woke up with feelings of relief and vindication. We write this letter for those of us struggling to come to terms with the result we didn’t want and with a country that seems to be heading in dangerous and unpredictable directions. But we trust that what we say applies equally to us all, no matter our political persuasion.
What does our Zen path have to offer us in turbulent times?
Long ago, a Zen teacher was asked “What is the heart of Zen?” He replied by drawing the character “attention” in the dirt with a stick. The student then asked, “Aside from this, what else is important?” The teacher wrote again in the dirt with his stick: “attention, attention”. The student asked a third time and the teacher wrote: “attention, attention, attention”. We concur with the ancient worthy; paying attention is the practice that transforms us and the worlds we inhabit.
So, today, in the midst of emotions of grief, anger, disappointment, despair, confusion, numbness—or in the midst of joy, relief, elation—we invite us all to be present to whatever mind-state is here. Whatever you are feeling is exactly what you are feeling. No need to change or even name what exactly it is. Just notice how it appears in your body. Notice what thoughts accompany it. What emotions are here? Our moment-to-moment experience is our life itself, and from the perspective of practice, doesn’t need to be fixed or figured out. Emotions and thoughts, even the most painful ones, are integral parts of life. They are our experience of the moment and, when we pay close attention, we can see that, they too, are subject to the constant coming and going of the universe.
At times like these, we can be carried away by our fearful thoughts and fantasies. We fear the worst and project a dark and terrible future. As much as we may be right in our fearful predictions, it is important to keep coming back to this moment itself. Look up, look around. Feel your feet on the ground or your butt on the chair. Breathe in and out. There may be action required of you at some point, but, right now, here you are.
At times when we feel most powerless (and we are all indeed powerless to control the universe) it is good to bring our attention and energy back to the mundane tasks that are required of us in the moment. Make your bed. Wash the dishes. Rake the leaves. There is much that still needs to be cared for right in your immediate world and that is possible to do.
It can also be important to remember that we are not alone. Though the results of the presidential election are clear, the country is still divided nearly 50-50. We encourage you, if you are suffering, to reach out to family, friends, and community members. Being able to talk about our disappointments and fears – to share our despair can help us not feel so alone and can help us find our way through the intensity of the moment.
We are also called to continue our work in the world as followers of the Bodhisattva path – to work for justice and opportunity for all and to heal the world through our thoughts, our voices, and our actions. How do we protect the most vulnerable? How do we stand with those who are at most in danger? These are ongoing questions for the days, weeks, and months ahead.
And we invite us all to continue our practice of Zen alone and in community. On Zoom and in person, the wordless work of liberation for all beings continues. We come together beyond politics and opinions to practice and to realize the great way.
We (Melissa and David) are committed to supporting everyone in the sangha through this profound moment in our country’s history. And we have vowed to continue our own Bodhisattva work of finding and promoting justice and healing in this suffering world.
With much love and many bows,
Melissa Myōzen Blacker, Rōshi
David Dae An Rynick, Rōshi
Guiding Teachers
Boundless Way Zen Temple
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