Being Truly Human May 1997 Newsletter

From the Editor

By kind invitation of the Buddhist Publishing Group, we shall be holding our Summer School for two days at the University of Leicester whilst they are holding their own Summer School there at the same time. The dates of the Buddhist Publishing Group’s School will be from Monday tea-time 4th August to after lunch on Saturday 9th August, and we have been invited from Thursday tea-time 7th August to after lunch on Saturday 9th. The cost will be £92 for the two days, and should anyone wish to stay for the entire five days of the Buddhist Publishing Group’s School, the cost would be £230. A non-returnable deposit of £30 should be paid before 1st June.

Accommodation will be in a Hall of Residence within the University. The buildings are set in beautiful botanical gardens, and the food is excellent. It should prove an ideal location for our Summer School, and we are most grateful to the Buddhist Publishing Group for allowing us to participate.

All readers of the Newsletter are very cordially invited to take part. Will those interested please contact the Trust as soon as possible.

A talk given by Phiroz Mehta at Caxton Hall on 18^th November 1953

Continued from part 1 and part 2

That brahman, the Buddha, was one of the supreme heirs and noblest representatives of the profoundest religious development the world has ever seen. He who was truth-lord was also love-lord. As the young seeker of truth, he saw suffering around him, suffering as we ordinarily understand it. As the all-enlightened, Brahma-become Buddha of his maturity, he saw suffering, dukkha everywhere and in everything, including what we commonly regard as good and worthwhile. But this dukkha, this ill-state meant something infinitely profounder than sickness, old age, infirmity, heartbreak and the entire host of the ephemeral ills of this world. This dukkha meant absence of permanent Nirvana, absence of that upekkha which is the dynamic poise that knows no shaking, absence of that absolute freedom of mind which is won through the perfecting of character and of clear-visioned insight, absence of the power to stop at will the flow of discursive thought and enter Superconsciousness. It was this dukkha from which the Buddha found and taught the Way of Deliverance. This suffering as taught by the Buddha is identical with the Upanishadic anguish of separation from the Tad-va-nam, the goal of love-longing, which is Brahman the Immortal Beloved. And in both cases, the transcending of this anguish, which is the realization of Brahman by a Muni, of Nirvana by a Buddha, is the realization of Superconsciousness.

The Master who experiences the Immortal in Superconsciousness naturally and inevitably teaches his disciples that that is the goal. Equally naturally and inevitably, those who seek the Immortal ask questions and await answers regarding the nature of this goal. But questions and answers, framed in words which express thoughts, all arise and are confined to the sense-mind sphere, which is the sphere of uprising-proceeding-dying, or the sphere of mortality. The terms and criteria of the sphere of mortality and of separate entity or diversity do not properly apply to or correspond to that of immortality and external existence which is the unity. So the inadequacy of the mortal inevitably distorts the as-it-really-is of the Immortal. Human beings, with minds confined to the sphere of mortality, easily conceive of a god in their own image, exalted to a superlative degree. But this god, as an entity, and with man-bestowed qualities, is a strange idol, a grey image of the unimaginable reality — unimaginable but fully realizable, in Superconsciousness. When mortals say that their Teacher is the Son of God, one with God, etc., they are talking devoutly; but in their minds there is a considerable misconception in relation to the truth of what they say. Again, those who spin out theologies which purport, sincerely enough, to make plain the eternal light, do in fact cast fantastic shadows whilst trying to utilize that light. You cannot use the light of truth for your own purposes. You can only become the light, be enlightened. And only he with a pure heart can clearly see that light. If and when he who has attained uses terms like Brahman, God, Eternity, Nirvana, etc., he knows what he is talking about, for the meaning of those terms is a blissful, actual, inward realization by him, whereas for him who has not realized the Silence, the meaning of those terms is an externalized product of his imagination.

Fully understanding the difficulty, almost the impossibility, of containing the unconditioned immortal within the strangely fashioned cup of restrictive speech-thought; the great Munis and Teachers, Arahants and Buddhas, refused to be professional theologians. Instead they demonstrated in their own persons the consequence in daily life of their Brahman-becoming. They taught the Way of Life which leads to the realization here-now of Eternal Life, the way which transforms a man into a true brahman.

It is particularly significant that the last canto of the Dhammapada is called the canto of the brahman, and the refrain, “Him I call a brahman”, is used in no less than thirty-two verses to describe him who has trod the steps of the Noble Eightfold Path and has attained the supreme Nirvana.

Some five thousand years and more have passed since the days when Enoch walked with God, days which may perhaps coincide with the days when Yama chose death and abandoned his body, entered the inner world and was granted lordship over the highest of the three heavens. With the passing of the centuries, the great Rishis and Munis of Ancient India handed down their treasured wisdom of the Way of Deliverance, and of the holy experience of Immortality in Superconsciousness, to their disciples, their “sons” of proven worth. That holy experience they termed Brahman-knowing, crossing over sorrow, crossing over sin, liberation from the knots of the heart. In the course of a millennium or so, theologies and strange theories began to appear. Theologies and theories are the sport of the not fully enlightened princes of intellect, sometimes kings of mere verbiage. And when the truth of the Way of Deliverance was in danger of submergence, there came that Sakyamuni, Gotama the Buddha, to wrest immortality from the very jaws of Mara the death dealer. The Buddha gave a fresh emphasis to the practical treading of the Perfect Way; and he and his Bhikkhus did not cloister themselves in one place for their lifetime, but moved from town to town and village to village.

More than twenty-four centuries have gone by since the Buddha uttered his last words: Strive on with diligence. The face of the world has undergone remarkable change. Great deeds and terrible deeds have been done. Knowledge has piled up mountainously. But the heart of fevered man is restless, questing for the end of his anguish, questing for the goal of his love-longing. Man professes disillusionment today, puts on the mask of obstinate incredulity, and plays at being objective and scientific, matter-of-fact and rational. But Life will sweep away all his professions and pretensions in her irresistible tide, for man, ultimately, must come to the Light, even if the only path left to him is through the portals of death.

Do you look, then, far some petty consolation? Do you await some futile message of hope? Let it be clearly realized that in the transcendent awareness of eternal existence there is no room and no meaning for either hope or despair, either pessimism or optimism. Here-now is the Ultimate, the Supreme, for we continually exist in the very midst of the omnipresent, and there is not a secret of the heart which is hid from the gaze of the eyes which never sleep.

So the question is, where do you want to be? At home in the omniscience, bending every energy in harmony with the omnipotence, or buffeted between the extremes of the dualistic temporal, the miserable slave of savage folly?

In this our twentieth century, here, now, it is the springtime of the Spirit once again. And it is also the harvest time of the Spirit. This simultaneity of the spring and the harvest is the sign and miracle for our day. And he who is ready, or will diligently prepare himself, will be an active participator in this miracle, and not a mere blind spectator.

Once again the Portals are open — the Portals through which have constantly passed the great Sons of God — the Prophets of old, Rishis and Munis, Arahants and Buddhas, a wonderful company of Perfected Men, the Brahman-become, among wham shines the overtowering figure of that brahman, the Buddha.

By George Piggott

My introduction and consequent involvement into the wonderful art of Ikebana began in the late 1970’s. It happened whilst attending the general week of the Buddhist Society Summer School at High Leigh, Hoddesdon, Herts. This was an annual event, attracting one hundred people or more, “seekers” with enquiring minds into Buddhism and philosophical questions and answers of a spiritual nature. All the teachings were spread over a period of two weeks during the month of August. The weather was usually ideal with an abundance of warm sunshine. This gave everyone a golden opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings which stretched over several acres. It included lawns, gardens, lakes and a well established area containing many fine species of trees. A perfect place to find shade on the very hot days!

It was during the general week, where for a number of people it was their first experience of High Leigh, that periods were allocated daily for those interested and willing to participate in either Tai Ch’i Chuan or Ikebana, or both providing one had the energy! This was accepted as giving harmony and balance to the more serious side of the various studies on the agenda. All the items were optional, allowing each individual to proceed at a pace suitable to their needs. The study week was considered more appropriate for those already committed to the various Buddhist teachings, and as such, much less free time was available.

Ikebana under the direction of the late Stella Coe (the only recognised Sogetsu Master outside Japan) had been part of the Buddhist Summer School curriculum over many years. We were all privileged, not only for her tuition and guidance, but for the use of her equipment, which she brought along each year. In the late 1920’s, Stella lived in Japan for about twelve years and was attracted by the Ikebana arrangements that were all part of Japanese life. It was during this period that she was able to begin her studies with qualified teachers, eventually becoming a Master in her own right. In later years, in response to a request, she founded the first British Chapter in London. From then on, it went from strength to strength.

Stella Coe was the author of several books on the subject, travelling all over the world to give lectures and demonstrations. Alas, time and space do not allow the writer to give full credit to all this gracious lady accomplished during a period spanning over fifty years.

But most important it must be realized that Stella loved her work and was devoted to sharing all her skills and knowledge with those who were prepared to listen and participate. She was the essence of Ikebana and all it portrays, a selfless teacher, a unique Master, loved by all her pupils and friends.

As enthusiastic students, we all set about collecting our own material from nature’s reserves — the local hedgerows which were in abundance only a short trek into the wide open spaces adjacent to the grounds of High Leigh. Needless to say, there was much laughter and banter going on between us, as we set about our task. I remember there were plenty of scratches and spots of blood, as the thorns took their toll on our vulnerable fingers! We quickly realized that it is all part of the learning process! We were also careful to cut and take away only enough material to complete our arrangements, mindful of the fact that fresh foliage was available every morning if required. With all the good food consumed, we needed the exercise!

Summer School provided an opportunity for a novice like myself to enjoy being part of a group and learn the basic skills of Ikebana. It also proved productive and useful during the week, as the completed arrangements were ideal to be dotted about the various lecture rooms, hallways and dining area, to give everyone tranquil moments of pleasure as they made their way to and fro, many of them in a serious mood with minds deep in contemplation, as thoughts wrestled incessantly for answers to questions that only required observation! ”Then let go!”

Each arrangement was changed on a daily basis, which gave us pupils plenty of scope for practice, variation and imagination, but, most important of all, the chance to concentrate on the practice of Mindfulness — essential as part of this absorbing art.

There are many schools of Ikebana, worldwide now with an international following. The variations and styles are a formidable challenge! Stella in her infinite wisdom taught us the comparatively simple style of moribana, as practised in the Sogetsu School. The term moribana covers all arrangements done in low shallow containers, which for beginners is a fairly easy and ideal introduction.

One can only give a brief account of experience in this article, as Ikebana as a subject requires countless hours of study and practice over a number of years for a student to become fully proficient in the art.

As in life, most forms of art demand a reasonable degree of discipline and order. This also applies to this form. There is a general set of rules to be adhered to, but these are considered to be flexible, not rigid, so that adjustments can be made. This includes the container, which will require at least 8 cms. of water to cover the pinholder securing the plant material, keeping the arrangement alive. The three main placements, usually branches of some description, are referred to as Shin, the longest, Soe, three quarters the length of Shin, and Hikae, three quarters the length of Soe. Bear in mind of course that these are only guidelines. A kenzan, or pinholder as it is sometimes referred to, is small but quite heavy with rows of vertical brass pins, needle sharp. These will hold the material when placed in the required position. So to start with very little is needed, apart from a pair of sharp secateurs, or hasami (Japanese scissors).

Continued in part 2