Source of the Stream

Mind shining bright.

Vairocana, the primordial Buddha of light, sits atop the most regal and ornate of thrones, surrounded by wheels of flames, radiating beams to illumine all worlds.

We find in the contemplative work of African-American writer W. E. B. Du Bois themes which run parallel with the teachings of the Buddha. Included among them is the painstaking reality of suffering and cyclic existence - the microcosm of tragedy and comedy which enacts itself in human relationships and nature, forming a macrocosm encompassing all. These multidimensional dynamics, although cloaked in shadows, were valuable guides on both of their contemplative paths.

Continued: https://unityinplurality.blogspot.com/2020/07/dark-water.html

“Long tongues of dark and golden land lick far out into the tossing waters... It is a mighty coast—ground out and pounded, scarred, crushed, and carven in massive, frightful lineaments... Near us lie isles of flesh and blood, white cottages, tiled and meadowed.”

The story of the blind men and the elephant traces itself across Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu sources, painting a portrait of the various interpretations of reality that emerge from missing the forest for its trees.

Sages have long cultivated the fields of awareness, employing imagery from their former careers as farmers in order to best convey the ecological qualities of meditation, tending the mind's fields with the utmost care and concern.

Art by Irene Chou

Painting a portrait eerily reminiscent of the current state of our world, the Aggañña Sutta records an early Buddhist origin story, replete with Garden of Eden-like themes and imagery. The Buddha’s message enters the realm of social justice and engaged Buddhism, with implications for the climate crisis, civil rights, and civilization's collapse.

In light of current events, what would the Buddha do?

Maya Angelou's classic 1978 poem "Still I Rise" provides a snapshot into her personal contemplations on injustice. We thus join her in reflection in the midst of protests sweeping the globe, primarily letting her speak for herself in her own voice.

"Because all living beings are subject to illness, I am ill as well. When all living beings are no longer ill, my illness will come to an end." 

Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra

Imagine a sick man confined to a tiny room, visited by countless beings who somehow manage to squeeze inside. While obviously not practicing social distancing, the Buddhist story of Vimalakīrti's sick room is particularly relevant to our present pandemic.

The world of dew is the world of dew. And yet, and yet — 露の世は露の世ながらさりながら

Kobayashi Issa

The most prolific of poets in Edo period Japan, Matsuo Bashō set aside his aristocratic literary career in favor of a shaven head and rag robes during contemplative pilgrimage, his dreams wandering withered fields while sick and dying.

A poet-painter of Edo period Japan, Buson was aesthetically-inclined in ways that bridged the ecological and the contemplative. His life and creations mirror the mix of challenges and privileges faced by many of us during the current pandemic.

A core text of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the Lotus Sūtra introduces the single vehicle upon which all beings ride to awakening. No one is excluded or left behind.

Its parable of the herbs depicts a majestic range of plants receiving the same medicinal rain, according to their diverse needs. 

Such a story offers insights into how to craft an inclusive path of regenerative remedies for social and ecological ills. May all receive the reprieve offered by rain.  

“At the dawn of time, it was the Ancestral Beings – part human, part beast – who brought what was previously barren land to life. At the end of the Dreaming journeys, the Ancestral Being left aspects of themselves behind, transformed into part of the landscape.”  — The Gunditjmara People and G. Wettenhall

What can Australia’s Budj Bim volcano, which inspired the world’s oldest story and earliest form of aquaculture, teach us about contemplative science, environmental sustainability, and spirituality?