The river is the Ocean; the "how" is as important as the "why"

The river is the Ocean;

The “how” is as important as the “why.”

Rev. Mokugen Kublicki, MOBC

— Great Ocean Dharma Refuge, Wales - UK —

The river is the Ocean
Its streaming to the sea
Is water’s perfect essence:
Sparkling, buoyant, free!

The river is the Ocean
The heart’s wish, in its course
Found no more, no less than
At its Sacred Source

The river is the Ocean
To be carried in its stream
Is to rest in Love Eternal
Void, unstained and clean

The Ocean is the river
Its myriad streams extend
Compassion, Love and Wisdom
Through space-time without end.

One calls and one answers. How fortunate that we are all able to hear the calling of the heart, and how fortunate that we are all able to respond. In listening to the still, small voice we are given what we need to take the next step and are given an inkling of the journey ahead, and of Something far greater that embraces all things. We are given a dewdrop of daily life to cherish, and within that dewdrop is the essence of the taste and clarity of the wide Ocean.

The next step is given and is beneath our feet. If we know nothing else, we do know what our responsibility is in the next moment. Sometimes we may have some trouble believing this fact but the heartbeat of Bodhicitta pulses consistently within us, giving the willingness and courage to step forward and trust. This is the grace of faith. It is enough to do our best and put one foot in front of the other. That one simple step holds within it all that we need. One step can express the lessons of lifetimes. To take that step expresses faith, willingness, listening, following, bowing, gratitude, and holds within it endless potential for the Bodhisattvic heart. Endless opportunities for the vows of generosity and patient endurance. The river of our heart listens to and responds to the Ocean of Love of the Eternal. This is the timeless and wondrous dance of Eternal Life.

In answering the call of the Eternal within our heart, how we respond is as important as why. The call itself is ‘why’; the answer is ‘how’. The ‘why’, because it is the intrinsic compassion of the Eternal Buddha to forever turn the Wheel of the Law, the momentum of which draws all things to Itself. The ‘how’, as it finds expression in activity and stillness, in life and in death, in the river and in the Ocean. Why? Because it is our true Nature. How? It can be expressed in our next step.

In its enthusiasm and love of the Ocean the river may at times forget that it needs to trust its own pure nature of water and of flowing. The river is drawn inexorably to the Ocean and its journey winds and turns through the course of life. In what we encounter and in our enthusiasm to follow we may at times forget to be sensitive to the fact that we need to continue to call, to continue to listen. We may at times impede our natural course by either over-zealousness or by holding back. This winding pilgrimage need not represent a path of hesitating reluctance or of barnstorming impatience, but can be the living expression of the course of faith in the Eternal. The twists and turns are the nourishing and sustaining bedrock of the varied opportunities we have for giving and receiving. In the stillness of meditation we reconnect with the natural and intuitive rhythm of the heart. The heart that looks to its Beloved in intrinsic and child-like trust of call and answer. The next step is revealed and a new opportunity opens.

That we lift one foot in front of the other is important, how we lift and put it down is equally relevant. We do not learn the important lessons of life at some distant objective or goal but right here at the step we are taking. Kanzeon is ever present. Because of the compassionate nature of karmic consequence we can discover truth beneath our feet. To be content with the raw material of training within the context of our current situation is to accept the work that comes to us and to be closest to finding our true meaning and purpose. To say a wholehearted ‘yes’ to taking responsibility for our lives here and now is to open ourselves to the fullest opportunity for finding peace and healing of body, speech and mind.

How do we lift and put down a foot? Rev. Master loved to tell the story of the baby bear who asked its mother, “How do I learn to walk?” The compassionate mother replied, “Come here and I’ll show you.” It is in the walking and following that we learn the ‘how’. It is in following that we experience the feel of the earth beneath our feet. It is in following that we acquire the ‘blood and bones’ intuitive knowing of the Path. The Eightfold Path and the Paramitas are our encouraging reminders of ‘how’. Pitfalls and stumbles are inevitable and are an intrinsic part of the process, and teach us how to follow the Middle Path. If we rush too fast or linger too long, we are given the consequences of our impatience or hesitation, and these consequences hold the intrinsic lesson of how to get it right. Nothing is wasted and opportunities arise again and again.

No matter how altruistic our heart’s desire may be, if we rush too fast in expectation without heeding the timing of the Eternal, we may miss precious teaching. We may leave behind a trail of misunderstanding and confusion and may needlessly hurt those around us. We may rush straight past opportunities to ‘get it right’. Similarly we may fail to allow a space within which others may rise to the occasion and make their offering of training. We may miss the precious opportunity for a Meeting of hearts. Rushing exhibits a lack of faith in the Eternal, in our selves and in others. We thereby get in the way of the natural rhythm of the river pulsing to the Ocean. In our rush to reach an objective or our perceived goal we may in fact find ourselves chasing after shadows rather than finding the Eternal in the midst of where we are. The Buddhas and Ancestors will never be anywhere other than in this present moment and this moment exists within the past, present and future, and in all places and in all worlds.

The Buddhas and Ancestors reveal themselves moment to moment eternally. Our walking forward is always an act of faith, whether or not we have a degree of clarity or certainty. “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” The worst that can happen is that despite our good intention we make a mistake, reap the consequences and learn from them. Sometimes the work that comes to us is to courageously heed the call within our heart and to walk forward into a particularly dark and tangible unknowing and to trust the deepest truth. At such a time it is important to hold fast to the Precepts and to walk forth with faith and constancy. Just as a tightrope walker exhibits balance and the holding of nerve, so it is important to trust in the darkness as well as the light. It is easier to trust in the light, but our mettle and resolve are strengthened and tempered in the dimness of unknowing. It is there that we find for sure and with great joy that the life of Buddha is Eternal, and that the Buddhas and Ancestors indeed respond to calls from all quarters. It is when we are spiritually on hands and knees that we learn the deepest meaning of bowing, of true gratitude and of asking for help. When the call of the Eternal is heard clearly, we must not stifle the uprising within in our heart, and “quickly, quietly and obediently say ‘yes’.”

Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
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