The Middle Path

The Middle Path

While practicing at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor MI, I was part of a group of sangha members who decided to take the Buddhist precepts. The precepts are a deeply personal resolve to follow a path of wisdom and compassion. Taking the precepts is not easy. It involves many steps starting months in advance. One step is that each person must do 3,000 prostrations. Prostrations are a series of 5-point body movements. Buddhists call them "climbing a mountain standing still". To participate in the precept ceremony, we had to travel to the Toronto Temple. We arrived the day before, very excited. We all had finished the 3,000 prostrations, but we couldn't contain our zest. That evening, we gathered as a group to do more prostrations. Our Zen Master, Venerable Samu Sunim entered the room. He asked us what we were doing. We expected approval from our teacher. Instead, he reminded us that the Buddha taught that there is a middle way, free from the extremes of overindulgence and self-denial. We stopped and went to bed.

Today, I’ve found my solace in the middle path. I witness others who take their spirituality, or lack of spirituality to extremes. I’ve seen people who are in so much pain from past trauma, that they attach themselves to a spiritual practice which eventually becomes a way of masking the pain that they feel in their lives. On the other side, I see people who indulge in their egos to the exclusion of anyone, or anything else. To be honest, I’ve been on both sides of it as well.

Today, I try to navigate my path with skill. I’m human, and I enjoy my humanity. Add to that my spiritual awareness, and you’ll find me on The Middle Path.

Love yourself, you’re amazing!

Steven sometimes Wyse