| AMIDA TRUST | |
Occasional paper ENLIGHTENED SACRAMENT by Terran Campbell |
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Dear Friends, "Do good in infinite particulars." - William Blake After reading the papers [submitted to the recent Amida Trust on-line conference], it is apparent that bodhisattva work is every where. In Br David's introduction he states that sometimes considering the state of the world, he is surprised at times that anyone continues in this work. I would like to extend this conversation for the moment to be more inclusive than the parameters of Buddhism. I think it is very important to remember that we belong to a wonderful lineage larger even than Buddhism, although it is the form we are using. I say these things because it is very hard to carry on if we feel alone in this work. My own sense of this is that the bodhisattva ideal is almost like an archetype- all humans carry it within them. Though sleeping at times, it seems to burst forth in the darkest of times , often when there is dire need. I think that this is the reason Super Heroes are so popular. People can relate to saving others. We as Buddhists are being trained, we have no special powers, except development of the paramitas and compassion and the other tools we are learning. We are ordinary human beings. Yet in certain moments when acting for the good of the many, it as if the whole universe responds to assist our efforts. Many have paved this path we walk, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, Desmond Tutu, Aung Sung Suu Ki, the Dalai Lama, Dorothy Day, with their lives, their bodies. Rosa Parks who refused to move to the back of the bus is another example. She is remembered for this. It is often told as a spontaneous act- like one day she decided she had had enough and that was that. In reality she worked over 10 years for that moment educating, and planning with the NAACP. When it as viewed as an isolated incident it is easy to think of her as a saint, different, not like the rest of us- we could never do that! But we can. We all can. For five years I was part of a community that resisted the Trident Nuclear subs. Every week, we leafletted, stood out side the railroad offices, the naval ship yards. In the rain, we were cursed ,spat upon, ignored. Yet we kept our vigil month after month. Many of my friends did jail time. We laid our bodies down in front of the trains. It was not glamorous. Often it was very hard to keep going. Finally we had a large action, grandmothers, priests, ex-ship yard workers took part. I have always viewed political action as an embodiment of sacrament. Sacred as any ritual in a zendo. During our trial, we questioned international law. There were federal charges of Conspiracy. We loved it. Conspiracy literally means: “to breathe together.” After a two week trial by jury we were acquitted for following a “higher law.” The nuclear train stopped running. When we began we had no idea that this would be the outcome. I tell this story because often when we are carrying on in our daily lives it is sometimes hard to see the good we are creating . After reading each of your papers, I am moved by all your efforts Terran Campbell 2001 |