Being Peace - 5 – Changing the World by Changing You

(For Podcast, click here.  For ITunes version, click here.) 

Today we continue our book series on Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh.  In the chapter entitled, “the Order of Interbeing”, TNH describes in more detail what he thinks engaged Buddhism might look like for our contemporary times.  Whenever Buddhism moves to a new time and new culture, it is transformed by the people and their perspectives.  The foundational practices and principles don’t change, but the flavor changes, like putting different spices in the same cake recipe.  TNH challenges us to investigate, to explore, to be a part of this exciting time when Buddhism becomes integrated into Western culture.

What I’m excited today is much more specific.  How can we all help create an American Buddhism that supports and encourage this time and this society?  TNH is an amazing man, and he has an amazing organization, and has been willing to try many different things to mold Buddhism for Westerners.  I think that is fantastic.  AND, we are Westerners; we are Americans.  Each of you has a tremendously opportunity to be part of the molding and shaping Buddhism to fit in the modern American world.  AND even more exciting and most importantly, each of you has an opportunity to help determine how Buddhist practices and principles will transform our experiences, transform our culture and transform the experience of future generations, to raise the level of awareness to a more loving, more compassionate, more wise planet.

AND, it all starts with us, right here, right now.  We don’t have to wait until somebody tells us how to do it.  We have already begun by coming together each week as part of this grand experiment.  You being here right now, you are helping create this great leap ahead.   It doesn’t start at the global level, it doesn’t even start at the country level, it doesn’t even start at the city level.  It starts with what is happening within you, right now in this moment.  What you are learning and practicing and exploring changes the way you experience yourself and others, and the impact of that is transforming your immediate surroundings.  Buddha was adamant that these practices and principles were not to be proselytized without request, that only those who come in search of the teachings can find them.  It’s not about coercing or frightening people into becoming Buddhist.  It’s about what are you doing to transform the way you show up for yourself in your life, as well as how you show up for each and every person that you come in contact with.

The Buddha's message was radical because it was a message of equality and inclusion, of putting loving-kindness, compassion and cooperation first, and acknowledging the importance of personal responsibility for spiritual transformation.  This was very radical stuff in the fifth century BCE when the Indian caste system was being formed, and women were still considered no more than chattel.  Buddha did as Jesus did.  He taught to whoever wanted to listen to the message.  Your actions are the greatest teacher.  It is like the Fifth and final Truth Principle in Unity—it is not enough to just say new words, but to truly be transformed, we must change the way we interact with ourselves and with the world every single day.

Both the Buddha and Jesus had this radical idea that we can change the way we think, which can change the way we speak and act, which ultimately can transform the world.  They also both had this other radical idea--that all beings are inseparably interconnected to each other.  TNH uses this term “Interbeing” which he defines as “mutual being”.  We humans have a tendency to create separation between ourselves and others.  You might even be thinking in this moment, “thank goodness I’m here with others who practice Buddhism; whoa, I’d hate to be with all those other folks who aren’t Buddhists!...”  We must always be vigilant about creating any sense of “them versus us”.  This is NOT about who believes the same or different than us, but rather how we ourselves make a difference by our thoughts, words and actions.  There is no them versus us!  Even if we don’t like what the other person or persons are saying or doing, we are still inseparably interconnected to them.  We can work with this fact instead of against it.

So, how do we change the way we think, the way we speak and the way we act to transform our experience of the world, and as always, most importantly, to relieve suffering?  There are three key tools for transformation:  Mindfulness, Meditation, and Visualization.                                                

Let’s start with Mindfulness—it’s become a cultural catchphrase that may have lost some of each original meaning.  In fact, Pema Chodron encourages us to think of it as compassionate awareness, not some dictate to be followed but an opening of our heart and minds to the truth to be found in each moment.  With mindfulness, we are practicing showing up in each moment in life as fully and completely as we can.  In one of the original Buddhist writings, the Satipatthana Sutta, mindfulness is clearly described as The Three Awarenesses.   First, being aware of what is happening internally—your thoughts, your emotions, your sensations.  So often we are lost in thoughts or emotions or temporary sensations, that we are NOT fully present to what is happening.  The practice of mindfulness helps us create mental muscle memory to experience exactly what is happening inside us.  Second, we can be aware of what is happening outside of ourselves.  What is happening in the situation and with others around us?  We can practice observing directly their words and actions, beyond our own projections.  Third, we can practice being aware of all things, both internally and externally, to form a wholistic awareness of each moment.  I often say that one of the objectives of mindfulness is to help us create a gap between stimulus and response, and if we were to practice these three awarenesses, that takes some time.  Slowing down your responses gives you an opportunity to respond in a more appropriate and skillful way.

Meditation, as we have been practicing this morning, is like mindfulness with training wheels.  We are creating a simpler environment so that we can raise our awareness of what is happening in each moment.  Sitting in a calm environment helps us become more mindful. Some might believe that you have to have a daily meditation practice before anything starts to change, but what I have seen, while that is certainly a great thing to do, it often starts with little mindful moments that are grabbed throughout the day.  Meditate for a moment at a stop light, or being mindful as you brush your teeth.  Then, we can work our way into a daily meditation practice of sitting still, and first concentrating on our breath, then simply sitting in natural awareness.  Richard Hanson, who wrote The Buddha’s Brain encourages us to begin each morning in meditation before we get out of bed, by leaning our mind in a positive direction.

Leaning our mind in a positive direction.  That is the purpose of the third common Buddhist practice of Visualization.  They are finding in sports coaching that visualizing the athletic activity before it happens, without moving a muscle, creates an increased likelihood of success when the whole body becomes involved.  So too, in Buddhism, we are encouraged to practice creating an experience of loving-kindness and compassion, of sympathetic joy and equanimity.  As part of our meditation, we can include a visualization of these positive qualities.  In Buddhism, they are called boundless qualities because of their ability to expand our experience of ourselves and others beyond the struggles and suffering that often happens day-to-day, moment-by-moment. 

So, this week, feel free to change the world by practicing changing your own thoughts, your words and your actions.  Each of us can make a powerful difference--just take it one moment at a time.