The Ground of Spiritual Security
Shin Buddhism may see the self and the world from a unique perspective. The path of Buddhism is to see and experience the world as it is. But the self can only see the world from the tiny view of its senses, not the world as it really is. It is a paradox for the eye to be able to see the back of the eye.
To clarify this concept, let us use the meaning of Obon, which is the Japanese memorial observance for loved ones who have passed. Ullambana, the original Sanskrit word, refers to the suffering experienced by viewing the world from an upside-down position. We might reject the idea that our view of reality is from our position of hanging upside down.
Our view of life is that we have our feet planted firmly on the ground. Most cultures, beliefs, and human history is based on this perspective. Yet, scientists have offered another reality in the last few hundred years. Our rockets to the moon and Mars and satellites that circle the earth reveal a different reality. We are hanging upside down in space and our egocentric view of life causes us to suffer. A view of life, from outer space, is a more accurate view of True Reality. What is really up or down?
Because we feel so confident in our view, we assume that our physical life is primary. We may have doubts that the spiritual, which is beyond our touch, may be real. We know that we live and die, which is the level of truth of all animals and lower life forms. The Buddha described that our human realm is the only one in which one could be liberated. We are liberated when we acknowledge that our life is connected to the infinite spiritual life, and not solely to our limited physical bodies.
A recent author interviewed 350 astronauts who viewed our tiny planet against the backdrop of deep, empty space. Viewing the solid ground of earth from this new perspective shifted their reality. Where is physical security in a solar system among billions of stars in a galaxy? How much does financial security matter in a galaxy among billions of galaxies in this expanding universe? Security and liberation can only be found in the spiritual.
The easy path that Shin Buddhism offers may seem too simple. Yet, it is probably very similar to the results of the decades of study, chanting, and meditation of monks. Upon awakening to Truth, a deep feeling of gratitude fills one’s heart and mind. The Shin path begins with voicing gratitude for the ordinary benefits of human life. In the vastness of space (emptiness), we awaken to our relationship (spiritual connection) with others. There is tangible security in the realm of the Buddhas, the realm of awakening. Acknowledging that the spiritual is really the ground that we seek, places us in an upright position. The physical is firmly grounded in the spiritual. The Shin Dharma wakes us up to this True Reality.
