Picking Olives

 

No, that's not allegorical, it's literally what we did today.

Here in Nanango, we're in early fall. Imagine it as a late summer day in Tuscany. Lots of sunlight and dry, clear air. In the grove on the side of gently rolling hill, there are 400 olive trees and thousands of beautiful olives. (Want to come yet? ;-))

Celine and I were picking the kalamatas (a favorite of mine), and Charles and Dave were up the hill picking a smaller but equally dark variety of olives. We had gotten a later start in the morning than planned because the olive trees owner's son, daughter-in-law, and grandson had been visiting and the latter had apparently been playing wth the phone. (Grandparents and parents will understand what this means, others can use their imaginations.)

When Celine couldn't get through on the phone, we all decided to get in the car and drive to Olive Oasis to see if Malcolm and Beverly were around. They were, and Mal joined us in the picking (after hanging up the phone).

If you’re wondering about a Buddhist nun picking olives; no, it’s not in the job description. But according with conditions and not wasting food are, so I happily joined in. The others were going and the olives needed to be picked. Celine had volunteered to help a friend harvest his crop and Mal had offered to split the profits from the sale of the olives at the monthly market this weekend. So our share would go the Amitabha Buddhist Retreat Centre.

First lesson—friendship. Celine and Charles wanted to help a neighbor who was recovering from an operation. Dave, an old friend of theirs, was visiting the centre to help all of us.

Second lesson—generosity. Not wanting to take advantage, Mal and Beverly offered to share the income from the sale of the olives.

Third lesson—patience! I picked a lot of blueberries when I was growing up and olives are, fortunately, larger than blueberries, but there were a LOT of olives and, hey, I’m not a kid anymore. (Unless you compare me to Charles who’s ninety-three. Fourth lesson—relativity in accordance with perception.) Some olives were over ripe and others still green. Some were high on the trees and others low. Some in the shade and many others in the bright sun.

The olives needed to be picked one at a time, although some were in a group of three or four. And some very cooperatively just fell off the branches and landed in my bucket. (Yes, buckets again…must be destiny or something…)

So today was a good day, a day filled with friendship, generosity, and patience.  

A Heart's Burden

Question: I work in the field.  Most often in bad areas where dogs are abandoned, hurting and abused.  Today I found one who's pelvis had been broken and her little leg.  There is no telling how long she'd been this way, how many people had passed her by.  I had to put her to sleep which has hurt me so much all day.

Please help me to understand why people do this.....why they would let this poor little dog suffer like this, living on the street unable to walk.  I carry each of these homeless and neglected animals with me and they stay in my head burdening my heart and mind with horrible sorrow.  I cannot let them go.

Response:  It is terrible how people can be cruel to animals or simply uncaring when they suffer. What you did for that poor dog was truly compassionate, wanting to alleviate the suffering of others, even though it caused your own suffering.

You asked how this can happen. Obviously there are people whose thinking is so disturbed that they need to hurt others. Then there are those who, unlike you, do not have the courage to become involved. Or perhaps who feel that they do not have the time. I imagine there are many different reasons, but they come down to people being in too much pain themselves to be able to take on the suffering of others. And so they inflict pain or block it out.

You do not block the animals suffering and thus you take on their suffering. But once you have helped, you need to let go or it will haunt you and, as you said, stay with you. May I suggest trying a small ceremony. Light a candle or incense and say something meaningful as a wish for the animals happiness. A Pure Land Buddhist, for example, could chant "Amituofo."

Then speak to the animal, saying it is time to move on to the next birth and that your wishes are for it to have a better next life. Than, knowing that you have helped the animal physically and spiritually, you may be better able to "let go."

The True Cost of Technology

It is estimated that in the twentieth century 160-180 million human beings were killed. The deaths occurred largely through warfare, imprisonment, and human-manufactured starvation.

At the beginning of that century, the killing was done largely on a one-to-one basis; by soldiers fighting on the ground in World War I, for example. But with the passage of time, technology made it possible for people to distance themselves from the physical act of killing. Sailors on board one ship could torpedo another ship—they no longer had to look the other person in the face. The killing became anonymous, and with anonymity the killing became easier.

As technology continued to advance, increasingly effective weapons were devised along with the planes and missiles to deliver their deadly cargo.

Looking forward to our future in the twenty first century, we see technology continuing to develop. But with that technology, humanity is able to further distance itself from the results of its actions. Men sit safely in command centers far from the fighting and decide to send missiles against a far-removed and faceless enemy.

Lest we shake our heads in wonder at how people can do this, we need to examine our own use of technology. Our increased dependence on electronic gadgetry for work and home is not without serious results.

Consider our computers. Odds are good that we’re the single user of our computer, which took around 1.8 tons of chemicals, fossil fuels, and water to produce. If we use a desktop, it will produce 0.1 tons of CO₂ per year. (If it’s a laptop it will use less energy to run.) Used an average of three years, it will then be put in the trash, still functioning but no longer wanted, and be buried in the local landfill. Others are sent overseas, often to Africa or China to be disassembled and buried.

That’s a lot of chemicals, energy, and water use. And it’s for just one computer.

We love our technology, but we need to realize that there’s a cost—to us, our children and their children, and to our planet. Considering the consequences, we need to start questioning whether the price is too high.

Waiting to be Rescued

Question: If many beings have been reborn in the Pure Land and they have vowed to help us, where are they? Why aren't they helping?

Response: Beings are here helping us, they just don't walk up and say "I'm from the Pure Land, and I'm here to help you." That may sound silly, but seriously, how would people react if someone said they had been born in the Pure Land and had just returned to help others do the same thing? We wouldn't believe them. We'd be asking for proof.

The reality is that we ourselves have to do the hard work to be helped. There's no magic wand. The help we receive isn't obvious and it won't knock us off our feet with its impact. But beings are here teaching us and they are showing us how to act correctly and practice. The problem is, we're not paying attention. We're too pre-occupied in all the daily things we consider so important. If Amitabha Buddha came to us and said "I'm from the Pure Land and I'm here to take you there this moment" how many of us would say "I'm ready!" 
 
Your question reminds me of the story where a man drowned and went to heaven. He asked God why God hadn't saved him from drowning. God asked if the man remembered the farmer who came by in a boat and offered to rescue the man. But the man had said, no thanks he was waiting to be rescued by God. The drowned man said yes, he remembered the farmer and the boat. God looked at him and said "That was me. But you refused my help because you were waiting for 'God.'"
 
This may be a humorous story, but the principle is serious. We're so wrapped up in our pre-conceived expectations of how awakened beings will help us, that we don't recognize true help when it is offered. True help comes from the cook who prepares the meals at the retreat, so we can stay in the cultivation hall and chant. It comes from the master who spends hours trying to find the right words to help his students understand and thus dedicate themselves to their practice. It comes from the man who works patiently and quietly helping to build the center.

Our help is here, we just need to open our hearts and minds to see it. And learn from it.

Non-attachment not Detachment

Question: I was talking to a friend and she told me "she tried" Buddhism but the following was her reason for not pursuing it further: "I don't think that it is a good thing to detach from the body and all emotions.  I believe that passion and emotions are part of the best part of being human.  So... pure detachment leaves me feeling un-human."

Response: I imagine "pure detachment" would leave any reasonable person feeling un-human. But Buddhism does not teach pure detachment.

In Buddhism, the opposite of attachment is not detachment but rather non-attachment. Detachment is unresponsive and removed from emotions. Non-attachment allows us to feel the emotions but not become trapped by them.  When we are non-attached, we still care but we no longer discriminate, feeling love for this person and aversion for another. When we practice non-attachment, we are letting go of worries and expectations. We are fully engaged in what we do, but we realize the act of doing is all we control. As Master Kuang-ch'in said, "Non-attachment does not mean indifference or carelessness, but rather you should do your best and not worry about the results."

Neither do we "detach from the body." We wisely realize it is not permanent and that it is not our true self. It is a temporary dwelling for this lifetime. But we still need to take care of it and treat it with respect as we try to find the balance between hedonism and asceticism. 

Those I know who excel at non-attachment are some of the most engaged, hard-working, and cheerful people I know. Practicing as the Buddha taught, they are a joy to be around. Just thinking of them makes me smile.