Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
Twice a week we have a meditation service, on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings before our family service. In Shin Buddhism, we don't look at meditation as a practice in which we are trying to attain enlightenment. We sit simply to empty our hearts and minds so that we might better listen to the Dharma. When our minds are filled with thoughts about work, family, or the countless things that we have to do, then we cannot focus and truly listen to the Dharma. Modern man finds it hard to concentrate or listen to a sermon or message. We are so used to the "sports highlights" on Sports Center, or the short news clips on CNN, that we can't focus on a sermon or message more than a few minutes. If the message is not really stimulating, we mentally, "change the channel" in our mind and we start thinking about something else. Meditation can help nurture the heart and mind that listens to the Dharma. By sitting quietly, we can better listen to a message and receive the teachings.
Meditation has the power to assist us in our daily listening as well. A person who meditates, even a little, will find that not only can they listen to a message with more focus and attention, but they can also listen to others in the world around them. If we don't have the ability to listen, we bring upon ourselves great problems of life and to the world around us.
Take this as an example. Let's say you are married, and one day out of the blue, your wife says to you at dinner, "Honey, we need to talk."
You are engrossed in the delicious pot roast, and you lightly respond to your wife, "Yeah, sure honey. Let's talk sometime." Then you go off to the sofa to watch Monday Night football, after all, the Raiders and Broncos are playing.
A few days later, your wife says to you again, "Honey, we need to talk." You respond, "Sure honey, but I have to make this big presentation at work tomorrow. I have to get this done tonight. Let's talk tomorrow."
A few days later, your wife says to you again, "Honey, we need to talk." But you respond, "Sure honey, anytime. Why don't you come and watch the movie. Oceans Eleven is on. It's one of my favorite movies."
About two weeks later, with tears in her eyes, your wife says to you again, "I can't take it anymore. I am filing for divorce," and she walks out the door.
You shout back at her, "What?! Why didn't you talk to me about this sooner?" Your wife replies, "I have, but you didn't hear me."
Sometimes we hear words, but we don't hear the message. This example could be anyone, and it is not limited to a married couple. It could be something between a parent and a child, between a boss and employee, between two friends. If we don't have the ears and heart to listen, we might miss out on some messages that are crucial to our life. We might hear too late, the cry for help from a husband or wife. We might hear too late, the cry of depression of a son or daughter. We might hear too late, the anger of an employee.
Meditation can help to open up our hearts and ears, such that we can listen to the world around us.
The Chinese character for a sagely, saintly person consists of three parts. One part is the character for ear, （耳）the second part is the character for mouth (口), and the third character is the one for a king (王). The meaning is that a person who is a real sage, or master, is someone who can first listen to others, then speak truthfully, eloquently, and who is noble like a King. This is the character that is used to write the honorific word shonin as in Shinran Shonin. A real sage or master is a person who can really listen.
When I studied under Rev. Kubose in Chicago, various people would come to see him with personal problems and troubles, Sensei saw many people with marital problems, family problems, work problems, or health problems. Sensei would patiently listen to them, saying very little, but would just listen to them. How many of us can really and truly listen to someone? As the other person is talking and going on about their problem, we find ourselves thinking about a million other things.
I think that in this modern era that we live in, we need meditation to help us to listen, not only to the Dharma that we hear in a service, but to the Dharma in our life around us. We must hear the tone of the voice of our husband or wife. Is the tone saying something that I should be hearing? Is there sadness, depression, fear, anger, or other emotion being expressed in their words?
Shouldn't the most important quality of a politician be the abilty to listen to others, more than to eloquently speak? Isn't the secret to a harmonious marriage the ability to listen? Listening or hearing is becoming a lost art in this modern day and age. Listening and hearing is the first and last step in the Shin Buddhist path. It is a crucial aspect of our everyday lives as well. Meditation can be a real asset in nurturing our heart and mind, to open our ears such that we can truly hear the truth of the Dharma that is resonating in the world around us in our everyday life.
Namuamidabutsu,
Rev. Marvin Harada
October 2007
