If you determine your course with force or speed
You miss the way of the Law.
Quietly consider what is right and what is wrong.
Receiving all opinions equally.
Without haste, wisely observe the law.5
FOUR
Boundless Compassion
The telephone rang once, twice, and then thrice. When I answered, I heard an unfamiliar voice at the other end. He spoke in Sinhalese, but didn’t sound fluent in the language. Then I realized he was a Sri Lankan Tamil gentleman.
Muthuswami had won a work permit when the United States government had made a certain number of “green cards” available through a lottery system. But when he arrived in Los Angeles, United States Immigration refused him entry to the country because he did not have a sponsor or money to support himself. He refused to go back to Sri Lanka, as he had arrived legally, so the only alternative was to send him to a detention camp.
Muthuswami was in a quandary. He had called a man named Joseph, whose telephone number had been given to him by one of his friends in Sri Lanka. Joseph was not in a position to help him, so Joseph gave him my telephone number, thinking that I might be able to do something for him.
I collected the necessary information and then called two Tamil gentlemen who are well known as social workers in their community in Southern California. They listened to Muthuswami’s story and promised to call me back. After waiting one day and not hearing from them, I decided to give them a call. Unfortunately, they expressed no interest whatsoever in Muthuswami’s case.
I decided to contact a close Tamil friend of mine to get his opinion. He encouraged me to help Muthuswami, whom he did not know personally, and he even said that he would pay legal fees if necessary.
I contacted a lawyer I knew who worked with immigration cases and handed the case over to her. She asked if I would be willing to sponsor Muthuswami and, if so, to give her an appropriate letter. Even though I didn’t know Muthuswami, all I saw was a man in need of my help, so I obliged.
Two days later the attorney called me and said that I had to appear in court to vouch for Muthuswami and tell the judge that I was willing to be responsible for him. When the appointed day came, I met the attorney and Muthuswami in the courtroom. This was the first time I had actually seen him in person, even though I couldn’t yet speak to him. The authorities escorted him to the defense table; he was being treated like a prisoner. When I looked at Muthuswami, I could see at once that my instincts about him had been correct. His face told me that he was an honest man with a good heart and that he would, in fact, be someone who could fit into United States society and make a positive contribution.
During the cross-examination the immigration lawyer asked me whether I was a Sinhalese or a Tamil. I replied that I was a Buddhist monk. He wanted me to answer his question, but I gave him the same answer again.
This annoyed the man, so he complained to the judge that the witness was not answering the question.
The judge addressed me directly and said, “You will please answer the question directly, sir.”
I replied, “I am a Sinhalese. But since I am a Buddhist monk, I am not tied to any race.”
“Explain that statement,” demanded the judge.
“The Lord Buddha, who is the founder of Buddhism, told his disciples to remove all social labels once they join the order. Many rivers with different names flow into the ocean as one body of water. Furthermore, he taught us that wisdom and compassion must be the driving forces behind all our actions. He instructed us to treat all living beings with fairness and to destroy the barriers of class, creed, and race among all the peoples of the world.”
The judge listened carefully and asked whether I was able to financially support Muthuswami.
“Yes, Your Honor, I am able and willing to support him,” I replied.
The judge considered the matter for a few moments, and then ordered Muthuswami to be handed over to me. After the judge concluded the case, he asked me if I would stay behind for a few minutes so he could talk to me personally.
The judge approached me and said, “I was very impressed by your answers on the witness stand today. Day after day people stand before me who are victims of ideologies involving race or religion. They find themselves separated from others because of strong cultural beliefs that sometimes even lead to violence. What you spoke about today was all about inclusion and unity. This is a very important message for the world.”
I replied, “In the Metta Sutta, or Sutta of Loving Kindness, the Buddha talks about a mother protecting her only child. He instructs us to protect every other being in a similar way. It is the way of Buddhism to demonstrate compassion and loving kindness for everyone, regardless of who or what they are or have been.”
“You have made me very curious to learn more about the Buddhist religion. Where can I get more information?” asked the judge eagerly.
The lady attorney who had represented Muthuswami spoke up and said that she would be happy to collect some literature from my temple and deliver it to the judge herself. He thanked me and said he looked forward to receiving it.
I returned to the temple with Muthuswami. I decided that I must make him feel comfortable at my temple, so I named him Raja, warning him to keep his identity as a Tamil a secret. Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of tension between the various ethnic factions in Sri Lanka.
In a few weeks I was able to find him a job. He eventually moved into his own place and saved enough money to bring his family over from Sri Lanka. He is now leading a comfortable life in Los Angeles.
Later I learned that Muthuswami was the descendant of an Indian tea picker. I reflected that perhaps it was his ancestry that was looked down upon by the Tamil social workers who showed no signs of compassion. In truth, Muthuswami is a gem of a person who is ever grateful to me for helping him out when no one else would. He is a Hindu and his wife is a Catholic, but both of them want their children to follow the compassionate path of the Buddha.
He often says to me when he comes to visit, “If it weren’t for you, Bhante, I would never be able to forgive those of my own people who turned their backs on me. The compassion you showed to me is what I must now show to them. Thank you.”
The following are the Buddha’s words on loving kindness:1
Skilled in good, wishing to attain
a state of calm, so should one behave:
able, upright, perfectly upright,
open-minded, gentle, free from pride.
Contented, easily supportable,
with few duties, of right livelihood;
controlled in senses, discreet,
reserved, not greedily attached to family.
One should not commit a slight wrong,
that wise persons might censure,
that there be happiness and security;
may all beings be happy-minded.
Whatever beings there are,
timid, strong, and all other,
long, or huge,
average, short, or large;
Seen or unseen,
living near or far,
born or coming to birth;
may all beings be happy-minded.
Let one not deceive another,
nor despise anyone anywhere;
neither in anger nor ill will
should one wish another harm.
As a mother would risk her own life
to protect her only child,
so should one, to all living beings
cultivate a boundless heart.
Let one’s love pervade the whole
world, without any obstructions,
above, below and across,
free of obstruction, enmity, hostility.
Standing, walking, sitting,
or lying down; whenever awake,
one should develop mindfulness,
as this is the highest abode.
Not falling into error, virtuous,
and end
owed with insight;
giving up attachment to sense desires,
one is not again subject to birth.
FIVE
The Disciple Who Jumped over the Cliff
The summer heat on the particular afternoon I am thinking of in August 1979 reminded me of Sri Lanka. Sauntering becomes one’s speed of motion on such days. Speech slows, and the mind moves thought through gentle streams.
I had been in America a little over three years and was still experiencing occasional difficulties in adjusting to my new environment. Sri Lanka, my home temple, my venerable teachers, and the Vesak celebrations of my native country were images that continually flashed across my mind.
The Buddhist Meditation Center in Los Angeles had become my home base. As the first Theravada monk to live in the L.A. Metro area, special problems related to my uniqueness continued to arise. Sometimes I became involved in situations and encounters that opened the door for discussion, and other times the door was closed. Feeling much like an alien wherever I traveled, I felt at home and comfortable on the grounds of the BMC. There they understood at least the basic fact that I was a Buddhist monk, not a Hari Krishna devotee.
Over time, I developed a reputation for being able to give good advice on sensitive personal matters, and members of the center often sought me out for counseling. I was humbled and gratified by the respect and appreciation they showed me.
I was in my room reading on the hot August day I am thinking of, when I heard a soft but urgent knock at my door. I wondered who was behind the timid, but demanding thumping. I opened the door and there stood another resident of the meditation center, a thirty-something woman called Kamala. She was obviously very upset. I could tell that she had been crying, because her eyes were swollen and red, and her sad face told me there was a big problem.
“Oh, Bhante,” she sniffed, “they told me I have to leave the center! What am I going to do? I don’t have the money to move. I’m in school, but I’ll have to drop out. Please tell me what I can do!”
“Please slow down, Kamala. Sit down and tell me what has happened.” I had no idea why people at the center would ask her to leave.
She quickly scurried into my room as if she hoped no one would see her. “Bhante, please help me. The abbot told me to move out tonight!”
Please tell me, why were you asked to leave?”
She could only manage to speak every other word between sobs. “Bhante, Bhante, I just wanted to follow my teacher. He told me, because I gained weight. My teacher told me . . .”
“Kamala, what did your teacher say?” I asked, trying to understand her emotional mumbling. I knew that she was a follower of a popular Indian guru at the time. He was the one who had given this American girl her name, Kamala.
“Please continue, and slow down so I can understand you,” I implored.
Kamala straightened up in the old sagging chair and used her sleeve to dry her eyes. Doing her best to compose herself, she began by saying, “Bhante, I have gained a little weight lately. I asked my teacher what to do, and he advised me to have sex as often as possible—morning, noon, and night. He said that this was for my own good and that I should not think of this as sexual misconduct, but as a way of exercising to lose my unwanted weight. Since I didn’t have a partner, I decided to advertise for one. I made up a bright yellow poster that said, ‘Anyone who needs sex, please contact me.’ I signed it ‘Kamala.’ I put the poster up on the wall in the dining room, and another one near the door to my room. The abbot was having breakfast the next morning when he saw it. I heard he almost choked on his cereal! There it was, right in front of him. Bhante, I’m telling you, he is really upset! He told me to move out immediately. What am I to do? I have to follow my teacher’s advice, but if I do, I will have to move. I have always followed my teacher’s advice to the letter. Am I to disobey my guru? No matter how difficult it is, I will follow him anywhere he leads me, and I will do whatever he tells me to do!” The rest of her words were drowned out by tears.
I couldn’t believe my ears. “Kamala! Would you jump off a cliff if your teacher told you to? You have to think for yourself!” I warned her. “Do you think that in having a teacher, or in following a teaching, that you should give up your mind? Is a teacher there to lean on and follow blindly, or to teach you to walk by yourself? It is absolute foolishness to follow another’s wisdom without the judgment of his or her own understanding.”
Her teary eyes began to clear up, and her face bore a question mark.
I continued forcefully, “You don’t have to surrender your will to anyone, including a teacher. You must listen to your own inner voice and discover your own truth. Even the Buddha urged the monks to question authority. In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, he gives the following examples. One bhikkhu is quoted as saying, ‘I heard and learned it from the Blessed One’s own lips.’ Another bhikkhu said, ‘I heard and learned it from the lips of the Blessed One’s community of closest disciples.’ A third, learned bhikkhu said, ‘I am the master of the Blessed One’s teaching, and I also consulted all of the recognized experts on the Blessed One’s teaching. I heard it from the lips of those experts.’ Finally, a group of bhikkhus said, ‘We are the experts in the Blessed One’s teachings. Ours is the truth, and you must listen to us.’1
“You must realize that each of these monks declared his version to be the law, his discipline to be the correct discipline, his teaching to be the true teaching of the Master, but the statements of each of the monks should not be believed without first comparing them to the Buddha’s original doctrines.”
Her sobs were beginning to subside, and she began to calm down. I continued.
“The Buddha himself, the Enlightened One, attributed all his realization, attainments, and achievements to human intelligence and human endeavor. He said, ‘One is one’s own refuge; who else could be the refuge?’2 He admonished his disciples to be a refuge unto themselves and never to seek shelter in, or help from, anybody else. Kamala, as is true of all people, you have the power to develop yourself, to work for your own freedom, to liberate yourself from all bondage. The Buddha says ‘You should do your own work, for the Tathagatas only teach us the Way.’3 Your emancipation depends on your own discovery of Truth, for you must be the one to see; no one can see for you. If you were blind, could I really describe the color blue to you? I could give you an idea, but you would have to experience it yourself to really know what it looks like.4
“If this were not true, then why wouldn’t the great teachers throughout time have liberated all people simply with their own will? The Buddha taught that in using your own rational mind, if you see that a teaching is wholesome, then accept it wholeheartedly; if it is unwholesome, then discard it immediately.
“There is an old story about the Buddha visiting a town called Kesaputta. The residents of the town were called Kalamas. They welcomed the Buddha as he walked into their midst, and they had a desire to ask him about the various teachers that had visited Kesaputta.
“‘Sir, one teacher comes and explains their doctrine, asking that we scorn and denounce others’ doctrines. Then another teacher comes along and expounds his own doctrine, also asking that we scorn and denounce the others’ doctrines. This goes on and on with various gurus and brahmanas. But we are in doubt and we are perplexed as to who among these teachers spoke the truth and who spoke falsehood.’
“The Buddha responded by saying, ‘Yes, Kalamas, it is proper that you have a doubt, that you have perplexity, for a doubt has arisen in a matter that is doubtful. Do not be led by reports or tradition or hearsay. Do not be led by the authority of religious texts, or by mere logic or inference, or by considering appearances or by delight in speculative opinions, or by seeming possibilities, or by the mere fact that it is your very own teacher who told you. But, O Kalamas, when you know within yourselves that certain things are blameworthy, are condemned by the wise, and are conducive to harm and suffering, then you should abandon them at once. On the other hand, when you kno
w within yourselves that certain things are without blame and are, in fact, good things, then accept and follow them without delay.’5
“Remember,” I continued, “as long as there is doubt and perplexity, no progress is possible. It is also undeniable that there must be doubt as long as you do not understand or see things clearly. But in order to progress it is absolutely necessary to rid yourself of doubt and be able to see things exactly as they are. The Buddha instructed us that after placing our trust in a good person, it is not necessary to accept everything that person says merely on the basis of faith. We all need the guidance of our teachers, but that doesn’t mean that we have to follow them blindly. We must use our rational mind. Also, if we accept something on the basis of good faith, that we do not yet completely understand, while at the same time remaining open to what is yet to unfold, we must examine very carefully the method that was used to determine if it is true or false. The Buddha himself said that eventually we must even discard the dhamma. He reminded us that the dhamma is like a raft. He said that once one has crossed the river, it would be a burden to carry a raft that is no longer needed.6 Your understanding of the meaning of what you do must be deeper than the mere ritual of doing it. This is your lesson, Kamala.”
Her face relaxed a bit and I could tell that she was beginning to grasp what I had explained to her. “Do you know the meaning of your name?”
“Not really, Bhante.” “Your name, ‘Kamala,’ means lotus, which symbolizes purity. Remember that the lotus grows in deep mud. It surfaces through the unclean water of the pond and blossoms forth gloriously, a beautiful sight for everyone to appreciate and enjoy. A human being can be compared to a lotus. He or she may be born in an environment of unfavorable circumstances. The water in the pond can be a metaphor for the society in which the individual grows. Regardless of one’s birth and upbringing, the individual, like the lotus, is able to emerge into society without surrendering to harmful or unwholesome influences.”7
Saffron Days in L.A. Page 4