Good Karma Music Stories

Though I know people in society, including some in the Buddhist community, have mixed feelings about homosexuality, mostly I think due to how discussing sexuality makes people more reflective than they are comfortable with, I feel it is important to help make people comfortable so they can accet themselves and others, leading to more loving compassion, I hope. I have worked as a teacher with a group of students for three years now to create a safer place for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students at our school. We’ve sponsored guest speakers, social events, and educational discussions. But the one I feel is an act of kindness that stands out ot me was when I was one of those students instead of being their teacher now. I invited different religious figures to speak on our campus about being gay and having faith, and if that was even possible. I had them talk about God and Jesus and all that. I didn’t ask them because I believe in God or Jesus, or because I need to feel God loves me, as neither are really issues for me, but rather because I see so many students suffering because they feel that their God hates them and their families reject them because God says so. I hope that event and the others we’ve done on campus has helped those who wish to beleive in God find his love, and for those families torn apart over this issue, to find compassion and love and reconnection. To continue this hope, we’ve continued to sponer related discussions and events, and this week, I’m pulling together a group of fellow teachers to talk to them about bringing that love into their classrooms, about creating that acceptance, and about maybe looking at their own religious views, that though they may be hesitant to admit it these views are shapping how they treat their gay, lesbian and bisexual students. So we’ll talk, we’ll discuss, and as a buddhist, I will use their langauge and meaning (one of Christianity) to help them to have compassion and love for those they see as ‘other.’

I was at home with my toddler and his friend, and they spied a spider on our bathroom mirror. My son’s friend shrieked and shouted, “Away, bug. Squash bug!” I gently explained that we don’t squish bugs, we ask them to leave. I took a small box and placed it below the spider, and asked it to go outside with me. The spider walked into the box without any physical coaxing, and the boys and I took it outside. I placed the box gently at the base of a tree so the spider could crawl out when it wanted to. They were fascinated. A few days later, my son grabbed my arm and said, “Show.” He showed me a beetle and said, “Out. Please.” He ran and got a small bowl, crouched silently by the spider, and watched. I hadn’t intended to teach anything with my actions. I just wanted to save the spider from a two-year-old. But in acting thoughtfully, with kindness, I taught my child more than words ever could.

Some of my acts of kindess of late have been directed towards myself. I’m going through a tough time, and have tried to ignore that pain and “put on a happy face” for others. But I’ve started to realize that ignoring my pain is like ignoring the cries of a small child — most cruel. Furthermore, “putting on a happy face” doesn’t help others; it just cuts off real connections with others. So, in trying to be kind and listening to those cries of pain, my hope is that I can heal, which in turn will help me truely connect with and/or help others.

What is acting of Bdhisattva?If you want to know see what Heng Sure sunim doing…

I deeply value being kind and considerate for myself, but I am also a mom, and I know that I’ve got one chance to raise my boys to be good people. Therefore I feel it is doubly important to try to be kind, courteous and considerate in all my actions – I’ve got 3 sets of eyes watching my every move. Some of the things I try to do: always say please and thank you; always greet and ask after anyone I interact with – I always greet the checkout person and bagger at my grocery, for instance; use cloth bags even if it means buying treking out to the car or trying to buy new if I miss them; picking up trash; helping people who drop things; opening and holding doors for people, fostering homeless cats…and so on. Hopefully my little ones are learning to be compassionate and thoughtful…I have high hopes – last weekend they asked me to go for a walk around the block to pick up garbage and recyclables, and they say please and thank you most of the time….^_^

I visited a Chan Meditation Center and picked up a little pamphlet, card, type thing that had 108 quotes from Venerable Master Sheng Yen. One of the quotes on it says, “By just picking up litter and refraining from littering, we are doing meritorious deeds.” I found this quote to be inspiring and empowering, and like all wise sayings or quotes that move me, I write it down on my list of quotes and tape the paper on my wall to see every day. As I was walking on the subway platform to get the 7 train, I noticed a piece of paper on floor. As I walked closer to it staring at the piece of paper, I thought about the quote and wanted to pick it up. I was thinking, “pick it up, now, now, now!” but i ended up walking right past it. In the train, there was a man claiming to be part of a homeless shelter program and to donate. I like everyone else knew it was a lie but I also knew whatever change I could spare would help him. So as he stook his plastic bag out and walked down the isle i though, I want to give him some change, and i was saying “give him the change…” but again I didn’t.Any litter that I have, I usually put in my bag until i get home, and throw out the garbage or recycle the paper bag. I clean up my mess, take care of what I do, and keep to myself. And sometimes not lend a helping hand or extend when i should because i feel the outside world is hostile and i want to keep myself safe. It seems that way with the man asking for change, and i would sit in the train seat with the bag in front of my as a barrier from the rest of the people in the train.I was being responsible for myself, but i wasn’t helping the world around me, even if its picking up a piece of litter. And i felt guilty every time i saw a piece of trash i could easily pick up but chose not to or a homeless man i just ignored.This morning while waiting for the bus, I saw a whole pizza box lying on the floor. And right next to me was a trash can. I was waiting for the bus while contemplating the pizza box and why i couldn’t just pick it up and throw it out. I tried to be mindful and tried to understand what i was thinking, “I dont want people look at me. Who dose that? pick up someone elses litter and throws it out” I thought, “if nobody was watching me i would absolutely throw out the pizza box. The trash can is right next to me.” I guess having about 15 minutes or so to wait for the bus and being mindful made me think, this is silly. I visualized picking up the box, and throwing it out, then i picked it up for real and threw it out.This isnt a huge act of kindness I guess, but I guess this brook will lead to a stream and eventually a river.

Maybe it is not priceless, but anyway. I started translating some DRBA-material from English into Dutch. This way I am getting to learn very kind and wise people. Also I’m learning a lot both on the topics I’m translating and on the translation work itself. I hope one day the Dharma will flourish in Europe too. respectfully,