From: Harvey Hilbert With palms together,
Good Evening All, This evening I want to talk a little about the Eighth Grave Precept: I vow not be greedy, especially with the Dharma. This is a precept against covetous behavior. Some translations simply state we are vowing not to be greedy, but Kennet-roshi translates it as, "Do not be mean in giving either Dharma or wealth." Clearly something more is being meant here and it has to do with being a Buddhist. First, as Buddhists, we are beings who are here to be in-service to other beings. To do this service we must practice to a point that things, possessions, including ourselves and our Dharma are seen simply as things, possesssions, Dharma, and have no value to us as possessions. Getting our relationship between ourselves and our world straight is the singular starting point. While possessions, wealth, and the Dharma have value, their value is in their support to the nurturance of others. For us, wealth is just a means to be in-service to suffering beings. Not something we should keep, hold onto, or value highly for itself. When we give, we should just give. No strings. It is the giving that is important, not the receiver or the giver or even, really, the gift. Mutual aid is one way to measure the fitness of a civilazation. Those civilizations who strive to the mutual aid of others are strong, caring, and resiliant. More, we should not look out into the world with envy. "I want this!" "I want that!" These are the cries of immaturity. We hear these cries in children in stores. Mature people value what they have, they value the small things, the simple and elegant things that make life meaningful and, in fact, see the transient nature of material things. They know attaining a possession is a hollow attainment. When someone asks something of us and we are able to do it and the person needs the thing, we should do what we can. With no great fuss. This includes sharing the Dharma, especially sharing the Dharma. Yet, as with all things, we can only assist the horse in getting to the water, we cannot make him drink. Be well. On a personal note, I would like to take a short moment and thank Fern-roshi and Dharma Mountain Zendo for the most wonderful gift they presented me with today at the conclusion of our Zazenkai: a wonderful statue of Jizo Bodhisattva. It is a beautiful gift. Daihoji will treasure it and take good care of it. To those who attended today, thank you for your presence and your practice. The hours passed with you in silence on the cushion in that lovely zendo were truly a treasure. I look forward to seeing you all at next month's Obon/Ohigan sesshin in Las Cruces at the Zen Center. Rev. Harvey Sodaiho Hilbert, Ph.D. On the web at: http://www.daihoji.org Opt out of military recruiter's getting your children's personal information: http://www.militaryfreezone.org/ (This email powered by clean, renewable, solar energy.) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
