Three Tenets Practice in the Time of War
Be still
Look and don’t turn away.
Listen to what your heart tells you to do.
We can always embrace the Three Tenets, moment by moment, but certain times are very rich practice fields. With terrorism, war, violence, fear, and uncertainty in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East, and ongoing with Russia in Ukraine, now is one of those times.
The Three Tenets are a core Zen practice. It is about waking up to the reality of the oneness and interconnectedness of all life, and then doing everything we can to relieve suffering in a suffering world.
In the words of Bernie Glassman, from a letter he wrote following the election in the United States in 2016:
“Honoring differences while seeking common ground is the challenge facing us. This is the best time to invoke the Three Tenets and bring forth the mind of Not-Knowing, Bearing Witness…. and to honor the Response that comes forth from this present moment. Please use whatever practice grounds you in this space, be it meditation, mindfulness, ceremony, or prayer. Grounding our perceptions and actions in our experience of the wholeness of life rather than in fear and bias. May we serve this whole with strength, patience, humor and determination."