From the writer Michele Serra, in the pages of the Italian daily La Reppublica , in translation: "Any head of state who, in the year of our Lord 2003, continues to hold up God as the sponsor of his political choices, and particularly of a war , and continues to define his military objective as the 'Camp of Satan' or the 'Empire of Evil', cannot represent in any way the motives and sentiments of a civilized people. Fanaticism is fanaticism, and 'democratic fanaticism' is not a variant that mitigates the noun, but one that makes meaningless the adjective."

It is the 19th of March, 2003, and some time in the next 48 hours we are evidently going to war. In the midst of geo-political chaos, and in the face of impending death and destruction, the quality of my practice seems a tiny thing, but putting the method down when the vexation is really big would seem not to be the way. So the fact that I am angry concerns me, and as I observe this anger arising I note, among other things, that it potentiates certainties in me, certainties that are equal and opposite to the certainties of those that lead us into war. In my anger, I know that this war is wrong as certainly as George Bush knows that his God supports it, and that equivalence of certainty is, and should be I think, alarming.

Fanaticism is indeed fanaticism, and what nourishes and characterizes it is precisely certainty, which, whether it proceeds directly from the human ego or from some idea of the divine, shuts tight the gates of perception, blinds the light of reason, smothers any possibility of compassion.

Certainly it is certainty that drives this drive to war - the fanatics on both sides are absolutely certain of their righteousness, openly disinterested in the views of the other, callous to the point of acknowledging that the inevitable loss of innocent lives is an acceptable price (for others to pay).

So what am I to make of my own certainties?  

We practice in a world in which the spectre of Osama bin Laden, Koran in one hand and rifle in the other, has now been joined by the equally frightening image of George Bush wrapped in the flag and brandishing the cross. As we work for peace, let us not make the mistake of certainty of cloaking ourselves in the indubitable Dharma, and wielding some poor imitation of the sword of wisdom.

The Editor

In our first talk on the Four Proper Exertions, we discussed their importance in developing the diligence to practice contemplation, cultivate samadhi, and give rise to wisdom. Today, we will talk about the role of meditation in practicing the Four Exertions. Let's first recall what the Four Proper Exertions are. They are: First, to prevent unwholesome states that have not arisen from arising; second, to stop unwholesome states that have already arisen; third, to give rise to wholesome states that have not yet arisen; and fourth, to maintain and increase wholesome states that have already arisen. Remember that by states we mean actions as well as speech and thoughts.

How do we distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome states? We take the point of view of wholesomeness as the ten virtues, and of unwholesomeness as their opposites, the ten non-virtues. We can also look at wholesomeness and unwholesomeness from the points of view of daily life, and of meditation. One simple idea is that if you do wholesome things you won't go to jail, but if you do unwholesome things you can end up in jail. Based on this simple distinction, it is not always clear what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. We know that some people do good things and end up in jail, and some people do evil things and remain free. Someone might steal $1,000 and go to prison, and another may steal an election and become the president. Someone commits murder and is executed, while another massacres ten thousand and is a hero. So how useful is to say that unwholesome people go to jail, and wholesome people do not?

Because it is not always clear what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, Buddhism prescribes the ten virtues and their opposites, the ten non-virtues. We described these in the previous lecture. The ten virtues give us a clear idea of what wholesome and unwholesome really mean, and are in three groups: virtues that pertain to actions, virtues that pertain to speech, and virtues that pertain to thoughts. Of these, Buddhism gives greatest emphasis to virtues of the mind, because the impulses to act or speak come from the mind. You can usually tell whether someone's actions and speech are wholesome, but it is not as easy to tell if their thoughts are. In daily life we can usually recognize unwholesome states, but it's another matter when we meditate.

Unwholesome States in Meditation

Without proper training and practice, it is hard to recognize the unwholesome states that may come up when we meditate. They are restlessness, drowsiness, no confidence, laziness, no self-control, scattered mind, erroneous views. Just about every meditator experiences them, making it very difficult to attain samadhi. For the first few days on retreat, you may experience these problems, but with diligence your mind will gradually become more stable and relaxed; you will become less restless and less prone to drowsiness. When you are no longer restless and drowsy, your interest and enthusiasm will give you the confidence to overcome laziness. You will then find meditating very rewarding.

There is a difference between laziness and lack of self-control. When you are lazy you are passively idling and scattered, but with no self-control you are actively engaging in incorrect views, and even become liable to to lose control over body and mind. But if you make an effort to become more stable and more relaxed, you will be able to overcome scattering, control your body and mind, and give rise to correct views, The right approach is simply to know that the point of practice is to stabilize body and mind, and to diminish vexations, By becoming stable you will more clearly perceive the subtle vexations in your mind. Recognizing them, you can also stop and avoid unwholesome states. When you do that you will be able to arouse and maintain the more wholesome states. At that point you are actually practicing the Four Proper Exertions.

Are You Wholesome?

Though most people would assert that they are good, they are not always clear about what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Once a Chinese man told me that he had no religious affiliation. He said, "Religions teach people to become good, to become wholesome. I know that." I asked him why he has no religion then. He said, "I do not need religion; I never do bad things; I never have bad thoughts. Only people who have bad thoughts and do bad things need religion." I asked him, "So you are really a good person, you really have a good heart?" He said, "Of course I have a good heart." When I questioned him further, he said, "How dare you question me? What evidence do you have that I am not a good person, that I have unwholesome thoughts?" I told him, "Well, right now, you are angry. Isn't that unwholesome?" Despite being a good person, this man could not recognize his own unwholesome thoughts.

Some people thing anger is not such a bad thing, especially when they can blame others for making them angry. They will say, "You made me angry." They live in suffering and vexation without even knowing it. Some people become angry when they don't get what they want, blaming others, or saying that life is unfair. But if they do get what they want, they want more. Some are envious if others are better off, but if they find themselves better off than others, they become proud. Are these wholesome states of mind? You will probably think, "That's just normal!" [Laughter]

From the Buddhist perspective this is vexation and suffering. The purpose of Buddhadharma is to turn suffering into true happiness, vexation into wisdom, anger into compassion, and greed into a heart of giving. We use wholesome states to correct what is unwholesome and to cultivate a genuinely pure and stable mind.

Without meditation it is difficult to see clearly one's own wholesome and unwholesome states, and to know when the mind is pure or impure. But with meditation practice, your mind becomes stable, clear and able to see its own subtleties. You will recognize and correct unwholesome states  as they arise. for these reasons meditation is basic to practicing the Four Proper Exertions. The Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra says that practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness will eventually give rise to wisdom.

The Five Obstructions

Laxity in practice will give rise to the five obstructions of desire, anger, sloth, restlessness, and doubt, which we described in the previous talk. When this happens, you won't be able to gain the Five Mental Faculties of faith, diligence, mindfulness, samadhi, and wisdom, which are also part of the Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment. The five obstructions are in fact unwholesome states that hinder the arising of the Five Mental Faculties.

In daily life, people desire money, fame, food, love, and living comforts. What do we desire when we meditate? Surely, they should not be the same things. (Answers from the audience: "Enlightenment, bliss, good feeling.")

Is this what we are seeking the whole time we are meditating? "When am I going to get enlightened?" Or, "I want supernatural powers." Or, "I want to be at one with the universe." These are desires for experiences, or for just feeling very comfortable and blissful while sitting for hours. These attitudes will not get you samadhi, much less wisdom , because they are still desires, Not getting what you want to experience can lead to anger, or disgust.

The mind will become restless, the body will get hot and bothered, and the cushion will feel like a volcano. Instead of getting up from the cushion people like this will keeping struggling, looking for something they can't get, or had and lost, and creating more and more vexations for themselves.

After struggling like this for a period of time, you will have lost a lot of energy, and will be tired. This obstruction is sloth, or torpor, characterized by severe drowsiness. So after sleeping on the cushion for a while, like drifting in a rowboat, you recover from tiredness and begin meditating again. But then desire and anger come up again, the mind becomes restless, and the internal struggle begins all over. This is the fourth obstruction, restlessness, or being scattered.

So when one's mind is restless, it leads to the fifth obstruction, doubt. Doubt can be lack of confidence in your teacher, or doubt in the meditation method that you were taught. Another kind of doubt is in believing that your physical or health problems make your body not suitable for meditation. With doubts like these and others, eventually you will decide to quit, and want to leave [the retreat] thinking, "Well, the others can meditate, but it's not for me."

So these five obstructions block the virtuous wholesome faculties, and prevent us from eliminating our vexations, and from opening the road to wisdom and compassion. Now, to encounter the five obstructions is normal in practice, but if we diligently rely on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, we can prevent obstructions from becoming serious. When obstructions arise, just return to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Better yet, with continuous practice of the Four Foundations, obstructions will not have a chance to come up in the first place. So these are the ways to practice the first two exertions, to stop unwholesome states that have arisen, and to prevent unwholesome states from arising.

So when obstructions arise, just return to your practice method; rely on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Diligent, ceaseless use of the meditation methods and practicing the Four Foundations will help us stop unwholesome states, and not allow the rising of new ones. 

The Five Mental Faculties

We said earlier that with the five obstructions prevent the Five [Wholesome] Faculties from arising. On the other hand, practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness will give rise to the five faculties, which we said consist of faith, diligence, mindfulness, samadhi, and wisdom.

Let's begin with faith. There are several reasons for having faith in something. First is to have blind faith in something because others do, or tells you to. I once asked someone why he was a Buddhist. He said, "My wife wouldn't marry me unless I became a Buddhist, so I became a Buddhist." This is blind faith, but it is not necessarily bad. This man eventually became a good practitioner.

You can also have faith in something you understand. When you learn the principles and the doctrines of a belief and find them suitable, your belief is based on understanding, not just blind faith. Very often Westerners, especially intellectuals, turn to Buddhism because they understand and feel compatible with the ideas.

Another basis for faith is first-hand experience. When you put Buddhism into practice and find that it improves your life, stabilizes your mind, and helps you to help others, this builds confidence and faith in Buddhism. This is the kind of faith that is the first wholesome faculty.

We have said that the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the path to samadhi. But samadhi by itself does not give rise to wisdom. The Five Methods of Stilling the Mind can stabilize the mind, but the Four Foundations emphasize going beyond stilling the mind, and diligently practicing contemplation to arouse the wholesome faculties. Through diligence we can eliminate vexation and attain wisdom; without it, arousing the Five Mental Faculties would be very hard. When faith arises, diligence will naturally arise with it. This is because seeing the useful results of practice, one will become more confident, and one will want to work very hard to keep getting good results. This willingness to work hard is diligence.

The third wholesome mental faculty is mindfulness, which means always keeping the practice foremost in your mind. More than thirty of you took the Three Refuges with me to day, but will it be two years before I see you again? If that happens, you have not given rise to mindfulness, and maybe you will have forgotten the practice. So to be mindful, remind yourself that the Dharma - the practice - is very important and very will become diligent in your practice.

And being diligent, you will be able to enter samadhi, and eventually give rise to wisdom.

I had a student who participated in a seven-day retreat with me, and then didn't show up for another five years. Then another five years later he showed up again, so I asked him, "How come I haven't see you for the last five years?" And he said, "Shifu, at least I came back. Some people never do."

The Past 

Women's Prayer Breakfast for Peace

On January 9, 2003, about 250 attendees gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Women's Prayer Breakfast for Peace, organized by the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders.

The Prayer Breakfast began at 7:30 in the morning. Activities included prayers from each religion and presentations on special topics with the main focus on "Peace and Prayer."

Participants expressed and exchanged thoughts and ideas. Despite the cold drizzling weather in Washington D.C., the attendees, among which were leaders in religion, government, and business, gathered in the ballroom at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel. Also present were five male participants invited to participate at the Prayer Breakfast. Religious representatives present included those of Buddhism (from the Chinese, Tibetan, and Theravadan traditions), Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Sufism, and the Inca tradition. In addition to participants from United States and neighboring Canada, some came from as far as Thailand, India, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Venerable Guo Yuan Fa Shi, attending the Breakfast on behalf of Chan Master Sheng Yen of the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, read a speech by the Master (full text on page 1 of this magazine) and recited the Heart Sutra in his prayer for peace. The Prayer Breakfast adjourned at noon.

American Buddhist Confederation Celebrates Chinese New Year

Over a billion Chinese around the world ushered in the Year of the Ram on February 1, 2003. The American Buddhist Confederation celebrated the occasion on February 8 at the Chan Meditation Center/ Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association in Queens. Guo Yuan FaShi, ABC's current president, played host in the absence of Master Sheng Yen to 46 monastics and 15 lay Buddhists from 20 different member organizations from the metropolitan New York area. Guo Yuan Fa Shi expressed regret that Master Sheng Yen was in Taiwan and unable to meet them in person, but the Master sent his blessings and good wishes to all the guests. Each year ABC members take turns hosting the celebration; lt had been more than 10 years since the event last took place at CMC.

The guests nibbled on snacks while viewing a video of Shifu's new year address in which he described the various journeys he had undertaken in 2002, including highlights of the 500-person Chan pilgrimage to China, a separate trip to the mainland to return a stolen Yuan dynasty Buddha's head, and his meetings at the World Council of Religious Leaders. The group then gathered in the main hall to make special offerings to the Buddhas, and to hear a talk by the elder Ven. Master Jen Chun, who spoke about world instability and admonished sangha members and all Buddhists to serve as role models by exemplary behavior of body, speech and mind.

The Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, abbot of the Bodhi Monastery in New Jersey, was the guest of honor. He is an American Bhiksu who recently returned to the U.S. after spending over 30 years abroad, including 10 years in Sri Lanka. He talked about how consumerism has damaged our environment and the dangers of the impending war, and he stressed the need for Buddhist teachings in our society.

The guests, filling six round tables, were treated to a ten-course banquet, catered by Zen Palate, the famed vegetarian restaurant in New York City. They were entertained while the food was being served, by the DDMBA choir and various sangha members. Monastics received traditional red envelopes" as gestures of gratitude.

Many thanks to the CMC/DDMBA volunteers, whose dedicated service contributed greatly to the success of the event.

DDRC Celebrates Chinese New Year

On January 25, 2003, a warm winter Saturday, the Dharma Drum Retreat Center Celebrated the Chinese New Year with more than 60 guests, many of whom were neighbors and town residents. Ms. Maureen Radle, a regular in the Wednesday night meditation group, kicked off the event by explaining the significance and meaning of the New Year, and how Buddhists celebrate the occasion. She also introduced the various activities and programs held at DDRC.

Guo Yuan Fa Shi expressed regrets to the guests that Master Sheng Yen was unable to receive them in person but extended his good wishes and New Year blessings. He related the two important journeys that Master Sheng Yen had made to China last year complete with photos of the events. Town Supervisor John Volk talked about how DDRC had become a familiar organization in the town of Shawangunk, and how DDRC's liaison Monita Choi had frequented the office.

The guests feasted on a sumptuous vegetarian lunch, prepared by volunteers. Entertainment included a children's acrobatic show, DDMBA/ CMC's choir, a "health" dance, David Ngo's taijiquan exhibition; and a flute performance. Guests participated in taiji movements to the sounds of the flute, and in a competitive game of solving Dharma puzzles using Master Sheng Yen's teachings. 

This annual event is an occasion to promote mutual understanding between the residents and staff of the Retreat Center and our neighbors in Shawangunk.

C.W. Post College Campus Lecture

On February 22, 2003, a rainy, blustery winter Saturday, Guo Yuan Fa Shi traveled to Long Island's C.W. Post College campus to give a two-hour lecture on "How to Live a More Meaningful Life" to the 36 students in Professor James Woodcock's psychology class.

The students were unfamiliar with Buddhism and its teachings. Guo Yuan Fa Shi began the lecture with a story related by Master Sheng Yen: Walking with his father one day when he was a child, watching ducks swimming on a pond, his father had told him that each duck, small and big, had to find his own way. Guo Yuan Fa Shi told the class that like the ducks, we too must seek our own path in life. He then introduced Chan, its methods and the different levels one can achieve, and fielded many questions.

Professor Woodcock, a Buddhist and disciple of Master Sheng Yen, arranged this lecture to broaden his students' knowledge and experience.

Long Island Multi-Faith Forum

(LIMFF) is an event that tries to shed light on the diversity of people and their religious faiths. The LIMFF is headed by Arvind Vora, and organized by Barbara Dorfman and Werner Reich. They have provided a safe place and time to share different views and attitudes towards life, and especially spiritual values and experiences. Designed particularly for high-school students, the LIMFF gives the students a chance to interact with people of various religious faiths. At this year's forum, held at Hauppauge High School on Long Island, freshman students spent a few class periods exploring and learning about people of diverse background and beliefs, including Sikhs, Jews, Brahmins, Hindus, Buddhists, Unitarian/Universalists, Jains, Bai'Alias, Muslims, and Native Americans.

Informal presentations were in the gym, which was filled with displays of various physical objects of religious ritual and symbolism: statues, clothing, jewelry, symbols, places of worship, languages, and sacred objects. There was the music and other sounds of faith, and most importantly at each table, people of various faiths talked about their experiences, their beliefs, and their customs.

Sitting in at the Buddhist presentation table, volunteers from nearby Stony Brook University had come to introduce the high school freshmen to their faith and practice. Frank Yao, Fei Ji, and Laura Huang, members of the Stony Brook Buddhism Study and Practice Group, had been invited to attend by Hai-Dee Lee, an active member of the Chan Meditation Center. They presented elementary sitting meditation and basic Buddhist ideas to the curious students.

In addition to the informal displays about each religion, there were panel discussions held throughout the day. Representatives from each faith gave 15-minute presentations that covered the origin, history, beliefs, and practices of their religions. Representing Buddhism was Reverend Madeline Ko-I Bastis of the Peaceful Dwelling Project, and Robert Festa and Hai-Dee Lee of the Stony Brook University Buddhism Study and Practice Group.

The day was beneficial for the presenters as well for the students. During the breaks the volunteers from each faith had the opportunity to meet each other and discuss their beliefs, or just relax and chat. I had some pleasant discussions with others, a Brahmin in particular, which reminded me that the Brahmins had lived alongside the Buddha 2500 years ago, and that Buddhist ideas may have been shaped by such dialogues.

The Long Island Multi-Faith Forum is presented in the hope that by meeting with, talking to, and practicing some of what different religions have to offer, the seed of openness and acceptance of others will be planted among the students who attend. For announcements about next year's forum please check the Stony Brook Buddhism Study and Practice Group website at: www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism.

Buddhist and Catholic Interchange

Guo Yuan Fa Shi was invited to an interchange between Catholics and Buddhists on January 31, 2003, sponsored by the Commission on Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, and held at the Inisfada/St. Ignatius Retreat House on Long Island, New York. A group of about a dozen arrived in the afternoon, had a vegetarian lunch, meditated for half an hour, then started an informal interchange. The participants were no strangers to each other, having met on several prior occasions.

Three Buddhist organizations were represented: There were disciples of Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn, a representative from the Chuang Yan Monastery in Carmel New York, and Guo Yuan Fa Shi of the DDMBA/CCM/DDRC. Each explained his own organization's goals and programs. Most of the Catholic participants have had Zen experience; some are even Zen teachers, but many were also interested in knowing more about Buddhist practices. The group compared various concepts of the two religions, and there was a lively discussion of how to deal with people and situations in daily life in accordance with God's and Buddha's teachings.

Beginner's Dharma Class

Members of the Dharma Lecturer Training Program presented the Beginners' Dharma Class on three Friday evenings in March. The course uses Setting in Motion the Dharma Wheel, Shifu's pamphlet on The Four Noble Truths, to introduce the central ideas of Buddhism. Approximately twenty students attended the course, which will be offered again this fall. The dates of the next offering will be announced as soon as they are determined. Persons interested in taking the course should contact the Center.