The Three Tenets
By Myoshin Diane Benjamin
Dear Friends,
The three tenets of the Zen Peacemakers Order can be a strong support to us as we walk through tumultuous social and political times. Roshi Egyoku Nakao, the Abbott of the LA Zen Center, expresses them as follows:
Not-Knowing: letting go of fixed ideas about yourself, others, and the universe. “How can you know what will happen next? You can’t—because the universe, from its tiniest particles to its largest forms, is continually in flux.”
Bearing Witness: to the joy and suffering of the world. “You cannot live solely in a state of not- knowing, because life also asks that you face the conditions that are coming at you by being present to them. When you bear witness you open to the uniqueness of whatever is arising and meet it just as it is.”
Taking Action: that arises from Not-Knowing and Bearing Witness. “It is impossible to predict what the action in any situation will be, or the timetable for when it will arise or what might result from it. The underlying intention is that the action that arises be a caring action, which serves everyone and everything, including yourself, in the whole situation.”
When I ground the “don’t know mind” of Zen in bearing witness and taking action, I don’t drift off into disconnection and apathy. When my bearing witness is grounded in not-knowing and taking action, I feel less overwhelmed by my perceived lack of capacity to meet the problems of the world. Finally, when I ground my actions in not-knowing and bearing witness, I surprise myself with more energy and creativity about “what to do” in response to the situations that come up in my life. I hope these tenets are helpful to you as we move through the next few months together.
Myoshin Diane Benjamin (she/her) is a lay dharma teacher, a path that reflects her deep interest and engagement in the ways that Buddhist practice both permeates everyday work and family life, and supports engagement in social change. Myoshin began practicing Buddhism in 1996 and received dharma transmission in 2022 from Sosan Flynn. She taught for over a decade in the children’s program at Clouds in Water, and has practiced at Hokyoji and Ryumonji monasteries and attended numerous retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and his community. She has worked for many years in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, and is also a musician. Additionally, she is fully certified to teach the Realization Process.