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It happens that there are many, many lakes which are polluted. Many are poisoned, making them either unsuitable or impossible for life to continue to exist in them. Many inhabitants of the lakes are sick and struggling because the waters are polluted or poisoned.
The task of providing a healthy environment for the life of these lakes seems nearly impossible. We cannot seem to remedy the situation quickly enough. These polluted waters further flow into the one great ocean and it, too, becomes polluted.
The way we, at the Zen Center, approach the hardships and suffering of the lakes—and ultimately the one great ocean—is by making sure the sources of water are pure. We address pollution by addressing the source.
The source waters of the problems facing the LGBTQ+ community, social justice, women’s rights, racism, etc. are confused minds. When the source waters flow from greed, anger, and ignorance, all of the bodies of water they flow into will subsequently be poisoned.
Mind is the spring. With our minds, we create the world. If more minds are restored to their innate state of wisdom, if they are filtered by compassion, their pure waters will nourish every living thing they come in contact with. This way, addressing social issues is addressing individual issues—and addressing individual issues is addressing social issues.
This may seem like a longer path. But it is, I feel, a path of real transformation. There are those people and organizations which are perhaps better suited for remedying pollution lakeside. Collectively, we can address the issue from both ends.
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The other perspective which governs how we view social issues is the philosophy of “same yet individual, individual yet same”. We are all, at the core of our being, fundamentally the same.
This half of the equation reminds us that human pain, suffering and hurt are experienced by us all. We all have our struggles. And if we don’t like ours, it must mean that others don’t like theirs either. It means that we are not unique in hurting when pain comes. It means that we all cry salty tears.
It also means that we are all, at the core of our being, this fantastic power called human. We are all innately Buddhas. We are all the same in this sense. And yet we are individual. We are all innately Buddhas, yet we are working towards our awakening in very individual ways.
This part of this “same yet individual” philosophy allows for our uniqueness to exist side-by-side with our sameness. It allows those around us to have their own individuality. It doesn’t attempt
to strip people of their identity in the name of conformity. You can have your own life. You have a right to be you, as you are. Keep, if you want, your scars.
Too often, in perhaps well-intended yet not thoroughly thought out attempts to unify and close a gap between people, there is the cruel stripping of one’s identity: "All will be well if you can just forget all the transgressions and suffering visited on you and your people. If you can just forget who you are, we can all just get along".
To deny a person who they are is not the road to peace or unification. And so, I believe that using the “same yet individual, individual yet same” philosophy, allows us to remember that we are all feeling, living, breathing beings, that we are all journeying through life with embers of the same light glowing in our hearts. Simultaneously, we are allowed to be our own self as we allow others to be their own self. We each have our own way—and a right to our own way—of tending to our ember.
Remembering our “sameness” we support the other flame-keepers, not abuse them for their individuality. We can be allowed and allow. We can be individual without losing our sense of sameness. We can be the same without tearing down individuality.
So, how does the Zen Center approach social issues? By restoring the minds of individuals, respecting each other's uniqueness, and recognizing the Buddha at the core of every heart. In so doing, transformation happens at the source, and "the fragrance of our mutual compassion permeates the world".