Nontraditional way of viewing the world: An American's feedback

More than a week after Master’s talk at University of Houston, an interesting email showed up in my inbox today. While this person preferred to remain anonymous, she did approach me immediately after the talk and expressed her gratitude toward an interesting talk by the Master. She was very impressed by the way Master addressed freedom and awakening, especially how he was able to give a talk so closely related to readings they have been reading this semester. In the email, she shared her reflection after attending Master’s talk. Here is her reflection:

Research or practice. Freedom or discipline. Individual or community. There appears to be a fundamental disconnect in our lives, a duality if you will, between what we perceive within ourselves and what is observed from without. These dualities often create “either/or” categories which determine unequal distribution of authority and result in depersonalization at the most basic level. Dualities also legitimize certain ideologies and exclude others, by representing “Norms” and casting nonconformists as “Others”.

Buddhism seeks to address dualities by offering what to my Western eyes is a very nontraditional way of viewing the world. Instead of waiting for guidance from without, be it a Bible or a God or a sermon, we are urged to set our moral compasses from within. This, in turn, compels us to scrutinize our own prejudices and belief systems. The notion of taking care of ourselves and examining our own lives before we can begin to examine another’s makes sense to me and speaks to our discussion of Maxine Greene and her concept of wide-awakeness.

Another concept of Buddhism that is difficult to understand from a Western perspective is realizing the impermanence of the things we want to hold close to us. In much the same way Ayn Rand in her Objectivist philosophy urges us to achieve true freedom by not living for another and never expecting another to live for us. Buddhism, to me, addresses much of this idea of freedom in letting go.

How many times have we, as Social Educators, searched for a stepping stone to begin our explorations of something greater within ourselves or within our world? When Maxine Greene asks so candidly in Landscapes of Learning “What shall we teach them? How can we guide them? What hope can we offer them? How can we tell them what to do?” she echoes the doubts of thoughtful educators everywhere while at the same time presenting us a framework of compassion and a route to freedom and wide-awakeness. Social Education through Critical Pedagogy seeks to overcome this “is/ought” duality and the split between theory and actual practice by embracing the idea of paradoxical thinking, which requires we accept the world as more complex and multifaceted.

The Awakening Mind: Path to true freedom

From Doctoral Semi...

Yesterday, Master Jian Dan gave a talk at a social study seminar at University of Houston. This semester, this group of about 15 doctoral students has been discussing ‘wide-awakeness’, morality and the concept of individual freedom, as based upon the writing of educational philosopher Maxine Greene. Students were interested in knowing how other culture or philosophy approaches these concepts. As a result, Master Jian Dan was invited to present his take from Chinese Buddhism’s point of view.

Master shared a story about a little river. The story goes like this:

A little river travels from far away mountain, passing through villages and forests. One day it arrives at a desert. It thought to itself, “I have overcome many obstacles, so I should be able to pass through the desert!” The little river decides to pass through the desert. However, little river soon realizes that its water is disappearing into the desert. It tries and tries for several times but every time the water disappears. Little river is disappointed and wants to give up, "maybe this is my fate; I will never be able to see the big ocean I have heard so much about!”

At this time, the little river heard this deep voice, ‘If the wind can pass across the desert, river can too.” It is the voice of the desert. However, little river argues angrily, “that is because the wind can fly across the desert but I cannot fly.”

The desert replies,’ That is because you insist on maintaining your current form (water). Therefore you will never be able to pass through the desert. You need to allow the wind to carry you over the desert to the ocean. You need to be willing to give up your current form (water), allowing yourself to be evaporated into the wind.”

Little river has never heard of such a thing. “Give up my current form, disappearing into the wind? No, No” Little river has never heard this concept and has never experienced it before. Asking the river to give up its current form seems like a road to death. “How do I know it will actually work?” little river asks.

The wind encompasses water. It can then fly across the desert. Once reaching the destination, the wind can release the water in the form of rain. Rains become the form of a river and then the river can continue the journey,” the desert replies.

Will I still be the original river?”

Yes and No. Whether you are a visible river or invisible steam, your original quality/true nature has never changed. You insist to be a river but you never really understand what your true nature is.”

So little river brings out all its courage, let go of its current form, and disappears into the wind. Little river allows the wind to carry it into its next destination.

In the story, the little river is willing to give up its current form and therefore adjust to the conditions appropriately. An awakening mind can observe each situation clearly and act accordingly. Buddha means the “awakened one.” As a cultivator, we first need to have the absolute confidence that each one of us possesses the same Buddha nature; it is God giving. Buddha nature is like the mirror: it reflects what is in front of it as is, without distortion, without addition. However, our mirror is covered by dusts so we cannot see reality as is. In other words, we are still asleep. Once we are awake, our Buddha nature will manifest.

Why our Buddha nature is covered by dusts? It is due to our attachments. We attach to all external phenomena: clinging and grasping to what we desire. Attachment to our Buddha nature is like dust to mirror. Once we are awake, once we have our dusts removed, we can see things clearly. We have to free our vexed mind first. Meditation helps us clean our dust, calm our mind, and manifest our Buddha nature.

No one lives in isolation. We cannot really function like a mirror, which only reflects without interacting with objects in front of it. When we start to interact with people and with the environment, we need to have the awakening mind to act accordingly – according to a particular time, a particular space, and in a particular relationship, such as what the little river did in the story.

As Thich Nhat Hanh once said, “Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves.” An awakening mind is the path to true freedom.

Bodhi Chinese School: New Year Carnival

On February 17th, Master Jian Dan was invited to attend Bodhi Chinese School’s annual New Year carnival. Bodhi Chinese School, established 18 years ago, is an affliction of Texas Buddhist Association. The school offers Chinese language and culture classes from pre-k to 12th grade, in addition to English, math, calligraphy, painting, kung fu, and violin classes. Every year, the school holds a carnival the week after Jade Buddha Temple’s Chinese New Year ceremony. This yearly carnival has become a long tradition for fundraising and community gathering. There were performance by each Chinese class, games, raffle drawings, face painting, and much more. Master spent the morning at this event, watching kids’ performed, drawing prices, giving out gifts, and mingling with them. Master enjoyed his time with kids.

Happy Chinese New Year: Rats bring fortune

Chinese New Year is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Chinese community. On February 10th, Jade Buddha Temple held its annual Chinese New Year ceremony. With over 1,400 people attending, Master Jian Dan had the chance to publicly wish everyone a peaceful year.

According to Chinese zodiac, 2008 is the year of rats. Chinese believe that rats symbolize good wealth and will bring fortune to earth. It turns out this believe originated from Buddhism, a story from Virupaksla. Virupaksla, guardian of the northern direction, is one of the four heavenly kings who are protectors of the dharma. Virupaksla is known for his noble deeds and being the wealthiest among the four heavenly kings. With this great wealth, Virupaksla wished to share them with all beings. Unfortunately, all the precious gems were swallowed by a rat, impersonated by a phoenix. Virupaksla caught the rat and demanded the rat to spill out all the jewels. In the appearance of a warrior god, Virupaksla always has his left hand holding in the lap a rat expelling jewels from the mouth, creating a stream of precious gems spreading on to earth below.

It is from this story that Chinese believe rats bring fortune to earth. During Chinese new year, people always like to wish each other a new year of great fortune and wealth. From Buddhism’s perspective, there are four kinds of wealth.

Of course money is the first kind of wealth. We earn money through rightful means. Then there is wealth of wisdom. We diligently study Buddhism and achieve true understanding, then we obtain the wealth of wisdom. As we know, Buddhism is not just a grand theory but something concrete that can be practiced and applied in daily lives. For example, we can accumulate wealth of good relationship by volunteering at the temple, supporting Buddhism, and be friendly and kind to all beings. If we know how to skillfully utilize our wisdom when volunteering at temple, know how to continuously develop good relationship with dharma brothers and sisters, we will foster helping conditions that will further benefit the development of the temple, the propagation of Buddhism, as well as the spiritual growth of ourselves. This is the fourth and the ultimate wisdom, the wisdom of dharma.

Buddhism is not against money or wealth; buddhism emphasizes how to skillfully utilize the worldly wealth to benefit the dharma wealth. True wealth comes at the realization of dharma wealth.

Many honored guests were present today, including Senator Glenn Hegar and Judge Jim Shoemake with whom Master took a picture.