In these unprecedented times I shall remember these days as my Udāna period here at Unborn Mind Zen. With this new rendition of the suttas written in Light of the Unborn and accompanied with exegesis the ever-present and dominant backdrop has been the lingering presence of Covid 19. I live in upstate NY, pretty close to ground zero in NYC. The death tallies just keep adding up and up, hopefully there will be a peak shortly. But returning to anything resembling normalcy just isn’t in the cards any time soon. The economy has been destroyed, and millions are out of work—quickly to surpass Depression-Era statistics. Social distancing has become the new norm. I used to write many blogs encouraging solitude and aloneness but this present period out-trumps them all. It all started in early March when the Zennist informed us on his blog that he has suffered a debilitating stroke—we wish him well and recovery soon—but it was just a black omen of what has been befalling us since. I pray for the safety and well-being of everyone—we’re all in the same boat together on this one. Despite the doom and gloom we still need to take heart. This horror-show will one day subside, the enemy will be defeated, and it will all become a tragic memory indelibly etched in our collective-consciousness.
May the Dharma-protectors keep you safe from all harm
V
Dear Vajragoni,
I see you haven’t posted in a while. I hope you’re alright and spiritually thriving during these dark times? The ‘virus’ hasn’t got you?
Stay strong in the Dharma, Friend.
Thanks for the note, my friend.
The summer months are usually a down-time for me. Will post again in late August.
Stay well and safe!
Vajragoni
Adversity can be our greatest teachers. We are learning that in order to have compassion for others we must also extend compassion to our own circumstances. By doing our best to be protecting ourselves we are able to also protect others and likewise vise versa.
Multitudes across the globe are understandably bewildered, frightened and at their wits end. Multitudes have perished. Multitudes will face life long debilitating infirmities. Multitudes have been devastated by the cascading chain reactions of misery this pestilence has bequeathed upon humanity. Families, friends, communities and nations have been rent asunder by the competing cacophonic din of the venal masses.
The root of this dark period is the same as all evils since time immemorial: That age old and seemingly endless wheel driven by greed and hatred with a healthy dose of ignorance.
This horrific pandemic has taught us the absolute necessity in seeing the interconnectedness and the interdependence of all sentient beings. This has been a unprecedented tragedy as well as a fortuitous opportunity to really practice the Dharma with deepest bodhicitta, genuine compassion for all suffering beings and to focus all our energies on the things that really matter. Namely the urgent necessity to primarily attain authentic enlightenment in our very lifetimes for the benefit of numberless sentient beings as limitless as space.
Om Pema Shavari Phat Nen Par Shik Nan Ga Nen Teyatha Sarwa Wiri Ta
Hana Hana Bend ze Na Rakcha Rakcha Soha !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82dCkQjwtFU