Bearing Witness
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
When something is so odious or annoying that to be in its presence causes immediate and extreme suffering what are we to do? Examples might be a very bad smell, the sight of something decaying, or messages regarding this endless, pointless war. What are we to do?
Most of us try to get away from its source. I suppose if we stick our heads in the sand most of our sense organs will not be exposed to much of anything. Yet, there we are, none-the-less, our bodies fully exposed.
Some of us try to run away, yet wherever we go, there we are. With us comes the smells, sights, sounds, tastes, and thoughts of suffering. Still others attempt to deny these exist or that they are, indeed, noxious. "What smell?" they might say in a a controlled and steady voice. Meanwhile people all around them are fainting from its effect.
What are we to do?
Zen Buddhists bear witness. We neither run, walk, or slink away. Nor do we put our head in the sand. We do not deny there is suffering or a cause of it. We explore its cause, we see its cause, and we bear witness to it.
If you have ever sat Zazen and had an urge to scratch yourself somewhere without relieving it, you have experienced bearing witness. The experience is very powerful. We do not deny there is a itch to be scratched. We do not move away from it. We do not ignore it. We simply witness it. In the process we witness a myriad of things about ourselves and the itchy place. Sooner or later, in the act of bearing witness to the itch, the itch recedes. It essentially melts away. We have borne witness to ourselves and our suffering and are alive to tell the tale.
We practice this bearing witness in silence or with respectful testimony (as in civil disobedience) and with complete, mindful attention. So, in the presence of something odious, we bear witness to it. We do not deny it, ignore it, run away from it. We witness it and bear it within ourselves. We use ourselves to end the suffering caused by it. In the process, we learn much about ourselves and the nature of odiousness. It becomes impotent.
So, the next time you are in the presence of something odious, open yourself to it. Allow it to enter you. Learn to deal with life and in turn, life learns to deal with you.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
When something is so odious or annoying that to be in its presence causes immediate and extreme suffering what are we to do? Examples might be a very bad smell, the sight of something decaying, or messages regarding this endless, pointless war. What are we to do?
Most of us try to get away from its source. I suppose if we stick our heads in the sand most of our sense organs will not be exposed to much of anything. Yet, there we are, none-the-less, our bodies fully exposed.
Some of us try to run away, yet wherever we go, there we are. With us comes the smells, sights, sounds, tastes, and thoughts of suffering. Still others attempt to deny these exist or that they are, indeed, noxious. "What smell?" they might say in a a controlled and steady voice. Meanwhile people all around them are fainting from its effect.
What are we to do?
Zen Buddhists bear witness. We neither run, walk, or slink away. Nor do we put our head in the sand. We do not deny there is suffering or a cause of it. We explore its cause, we see its cause, and we bear witness to it.
If you have ever sat Zazen and had an urge to scratch yourself somewhere without relieving it, you have experienced bearing witness. The experience is very powerful. We do not deny there is a itch to be scratched. We do not move away from it. We do not ignore it. We simply witness it. In the process we witness a myriad of things about ourselves and the itchy place. Sooner or later, in the act of bearing witness to the itch, the itch recedes. It essentially melts away. We have borne witness to ourselves and our suffering and are alive to tell the tale.
We practice this bearing witness in silence or with respectful testimony (as in civil disobedience) and with complete, mindful attention. So, in the presence of something odious, we bear witness to it. We do not deny it, ignore it, run away from it. We witness it and bear it within ourselves. We use ourselves to end the suffering caused by it. In the process, we learn much about ourselves and the nature of odiousness. It becomes impotent.
So, the next time you are in the presence of something odious, open yourself to it. Allow it to enter you. Learn to deal with life and in turn, life learns to deal with you.
Be well.
