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HENG SURE: May 21, 1977. The newspaper announces “Arms Sales Reduction” “Carter to Limit Weapon Sales.” Not that we claim direct credit for this event, but here are the facts:
(1) the bowing trip is dedicated to an ending of disasters, catastrophes, and calamities (including nuclear holocausts). We are out to influence people to stop making and selling destructive weapons. We want people to end their karma of hatred and fighting.
(2) When the trip was well underway through L.A., Jimmy Carter also showed up in town. He was here for three days while we bowed.
(3) There are some powerful spiritual beings on our side. We have witnessed their responses to our work.
(4) The Venerable Abbot has told his disciples that the heavenly dragons and others of the 8-fold division of ghosts and spirits and Dharma protectors are all out protecting us and furthering our mutual aims.
So is Carter’s response merely a coincidence? Or have we already achieved one of our major aims of the trip?
Our instructions on the phone yesterday from Gold Mountain: Don’t get angry, no matter what. If people scold you, swear at you, or hit you, don’t be moved. Don’t get angry. Don’t be happy, don’t be sad and most important, don’t get angry. This feature about Buddhists, that they don’t get angry will have a great deal of significance in the future of Buddhism in this country.
Also, do not false-think! Do not have false thoughts! Do not strike up the tiniest idle thought. If you do a good job and don’t talk, then you can have a response and get some accomplishment. If you don’t have to talk, don’t.
What the sage said was do not relax your vigil on your mind. Do not let it think. What a non-thought that is! Stop all movement of dharmas. Plug up all the doors! Don’t let it out. Wipe the mind clean.
Why is the teaching on anger so important? Because life after life we have killed to eat and been killed to eat until the aggression and resentment have grown into a world-wide war which pits us against ourselves. Therefore, patience, patience, gotta have patience, don’t get angry, swo pwo he is the #1 mantra of our age. Reduce the fire.
Can I apply this to meditation? Can I relax this totally and still be awake? Is sleeping during meditation a function of tension?
Heng Ch’au and I have decided that we don’t have what it takes to receive bows from laypersons, so when they come to visit, if they wish to bow, we say “bow to Shih Fu” or “bow to the Venerable Abbot” and we face away from them and all bow 3 times. This resolves the situation and we get to bow three bows to the Master.