Beyond Word and Letters
By MyoOn Susan Hagler
A couple of weeks ago I had the good fortune to attend a dharma talk at MZMC, delivered by Venerable Thuan Bach, a Vietnamese Buddhist nun. I went there with a different purpose in mind that didn’t pan out, but I think the universe wanted me to show up for this talk.
Venerable Thuan Bach’s teachings were quite accessible. A particular phrase she uttered really caught my attention, “Words and Letters are to practice with, Not to Understand." I thought “how perfect.”
Many of us come to Zen practice having read numerous books about Zen. Some for a lengthy amount of time. There can be an intellectual understanding of what Zen is but it doesn’t really penetrate into our whole lives deeply. Some of us might even do zazen by ourselves without the guidance of a teacher or a Sangha, (community of practitioners) to engage with.
But then something pivots and a yearning arises to broaden our practice. To incorporate it into our whole lives. To experience how Buddhist teachings can seep into each moment of our lives. To give us a pathway to face the difficulties that arise with equanimity and less suffering. The words and letters are presented to help us practice in this way. It is important not to discard the intellectual reading of words and letters but to go beyond our minds and experience them seeping into our entire being.
Joyfully offered,
MyoOn
MyoOn (she/her) began Zen practice in 1980 with Katagiri-Roshi and the MZMC sangha. She took time off from formal practice while raising her family in the 1990s, participating in family practice at MZMC and practicing at home. In 1999 she returned to MZMC more formally and was ordained by Tim Burkett in 2003. In 2010 she began practicing with Dokai Georgesen at Hokyoji Zen Practice community. MyoOn received dharma transmission from Dokai in 2018. In 2020, she joined the teacher-ryo at Clouds in Water. MyoOn works with Zen students at all levels from lay to ordained. She can also officiate at marriages and memorial services. She has lived in Minneapolis with her spouse, Duane Peterson since 1986. They have 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren who bring them great joy.