Text
On the Occasion of the 2017 Hilo Interfaith Thanksgiving Gathering
Representing a variety of religions and beliefs, we gather on this occasion of the Inter-Faith Thanksgiving service to express our gratitude to all living beings while celebrating our commonalities and respecting our differences.
Take this occasion to remember that you are here due to the creativity of others. Know that one who lives a creative life does not see as its product a novel or a work of art, but a life lived in interdependence, increasingly penetrated by Infinite Wisdom and Compassion.
Realizing this while living in a society characterized by division and opposition, let us also strive to put ourselves in the shoes of the other such that though we may never agree, we may be able to say words, “I understand.”
Let us move forward from this day and work to make ourselves real and authentic in what we do, in what we believe, and in all aspects of our human relationships for we are embraced by Infinite Compassion just as we are.
In doing so may we cease making demands on others that reflect our own inadequacies and may we instead be patient and considerate and regard all people as reflecting that which you deliberately affirm as being of unrestricted value to you.
Namu Amida Butsu
Rev. Bryan Masashi Siebuhr
0 notes
Photo
Drove to the summit of Mauna Kea yesterday, 13,800 feet level with the cloud formations.
0 notes
Text
Suicide Intervention
During my lifetime, I have come into contact with two people who later took their own life. The first was a colleague with whom I worked with at the Cape and the second was the husband of a member of the temple to which I was assigned. To this day I grieve for them wishing there was something I could have done to prevent them from taking their own life. Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, not all suicides are preventable.
Suicide affects people from all age groups. In 2015, suicide was the leading cause of death in people 15 to 34 years of age, and the third leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14. Just today I read an article by the Associated Press (AP) that 50% of college students have contemplated suicide during their undergraduate program. If you have a child in college, it is particularly important to listen for signs of despair, anxiety, or depression.
I have read different interpretations by as many ministers of the Buddhist teachings on the topic of suicide with wide interpretations including one who said that to take one's life is to take revenge on one's negative karma. Buddhism teaches that life is invaluable, our life being one of limited time and occurrence. Buddhism uses the parable of the tortoise swimming in the ocean whom every thousand years comes up for air. During that time, there is a wreath floating in the water, traveling with the ebb and flow of the tides and currents. The chance of the turtle which comes up for air only once every thousand years happens to come up for air in the middle of the wreath is the same as the likelihood of being born into human life. I have taken certain liberties with this story without changing its original meaning. Though the probability of being born into human life is immeasurable and living this truth has profound life changing implications, I am not certain that relating this story to one who is contemplating suicide would have much effect.
Many people have differing opinions on suicide to include labeling people who take their own life “cowards” or worse. Even some Emergency Room nurses who receive people who have injured themselves through attempted suicide become irate saying “we spend our entire career trying to keep people alive and you want to die.” The fact of the matter is that to commit suicide takes a lot of courage and the majority of people who attempt suicide suffer from some form of mental illness, particularly major depressive disorder. The brain is like any other organ – if someone has a heart attack or stroke, we do not blame or shame them. So why should those who have mental illness leading one to contemplate suicide be stigmatized or rejected?
Let's take the example of one who has a major depressive disorder. If we have a computer and the Central Processing Unit (CPU) to mean the chip that does all the calculations is not working correctly, regardless of the data you try to push through the computer, it is incapable of registering or being processed correctly. And so, even if we use parables or talk about the immeasurable value of human life, I don't believe it can be understood by those who are close to taking their own life.
However, if we look at this from a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist perspective, the fact that we are embraced by the active workings of infinite compassion and infinite wisdom is to mean that because of the actions we have taken, all of the thoughts we have thought, and everything we have said, it is precisely for this reason that we are unconditionally embraced by the Buddha of Infinite Compassion, Infinite Wisdom, and Eternal Life without exception. If in the moments of deep despair, or when we experience the effect of our negative karma, and it seems like we are in hell, where is Amida Buddha? Amida Buddha is within us sitting in hell and out of compassion shedding many tears seeing us in suffering.
What brought this to mind is that I recently had an opportunity to attend a seminar on suicide here in Hilo where they taught how to recognize and approach those who are contemplating taking their own life. This doesn't mean that we were trained to stop suicide, but to help those who are suicidal to get qualified help.
Some of the warning signs of someone who is contemplating suicide are:
Feelings of hopelessness or desperation
Insomnia
Panic attacks
Social isolation
Feeling overwhelmed
Irritability
Rage
Feelings of being a burden
Also included in the list is changes in dress or cleanliness, i.e. someone who is normally clean and wears fresh clothing wearing rumpled unclean clothing or they appear to not have been taking care of themselves, i.e. personal hygiene.
If your child or anyone you know exhibits such symptoms, take them seriously. Do not make light of their suffering. They are calling out for help.
The vast majority of those contemplating suicide do not want to die. What they do want is a relief to their problems and for them they believe that suicide is a viable option. If it is possible to intervene, then you may have saved someone's life.
Imagine if we were all able to recognize those in distress and be catalysts for connecting those contemplating suicide to qualified help. Together we can make a difference.
I am not a Mental Health Professional, What Can I Do?
Again, unless we are trained mental health professionals, we are limited in our ability to help another. However, we are not powerless. We can intervene and in so doing possibly save a person's life by following steps outlines below:
The key to remembering these steps is the acronym “TALK.”
T – Tell – Approach the person and tell them that you have noticed certain changes in their behavior, dress, attitude, or mood and that people who exhibit such symptoms are often contemplating suicide. Do not be afraid to be blunt, do not use the words “seeking to harm themselves” as this takes on a different connotation from the word Suicide.
A – Ask – Ask if they themselves are contemplating suicide. Just asking can help bring them back from the edge.
L – Listen – Just listen. The majority of people who are contemplating suicide want someone who will listen to them. Do not be judgmental or critical and don't offer your own advice. Just listen attentively and don't look at your watch or greet passer-byes. It could be 30 minutes, an hour or two hours, just sit and listen.
K – Keep Safe – Tell them that you know of someone who can help “us” and make sure that they are safe from danger. Ask them if it is okay to contact your resource and wait with them until that resource arrives. Then bring the resource person up to date in the presence of the one who was contemplating suicide and ask them if there is anything you might have missed. Tell them that they are in good hands and you will check in on them later. It is also important for you to keep safe. If they say they have a weapon within reach then while speaking to them back away from the weapon. You do not want to endanger your own life.
Don't limit your help to just people in the temple community or your circle of friends. If you see someone crying or looking despondent on a park bench for example, come up to that person and use the TALK methodology described above. They may not have been contemplating suicide, and if this is the case then great! If on the other hand they were, you might just have saved a life.
To help them Keep Safe, Call 911 and wait with them for help to arrive or drive them to the Hilo Medical Center emergency room for psychiatric evaluation.
Though we may possess limited compassion and limited capabilities, this does not mean that we not try to express compassion and concern no matter how limited they may be. Together we can make a difference in our community.
0 notes
Text
Buddhism on Contemporary Issues
Should Prostitution be Legalized?
The Zonta Club conducted a forum at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo on the legalization of prostitution on April 1, 2017. If you are not aware of what the Zonta club is, it is an women's organization that seeks to empower women and helps to ensure that women's rights are equated to human rights throughout the world. I along with the State District Attorney, a minister from the UCC Church of Christ, social advocates, and a prostitution activist who spoke out for the rights of prostitutes served on the panel
This was a bit of a “head scratcher” and I must admit it took some time for me to formulate a response. However, I wrote what I believe is a Buddhist perspective on the topic which I will share with you in this article.
The basis of Buddhism's position on prostitution is rooted in the fundamental point of Buddhism: Awakening, known as the attainment of enlightenment, which in turn is known as becoming a Buddha oneself. Although early Buddhist texts were rather ambivalent about women in general, the Buddha had no problem with women engaged in prostitution nor did he look down on prostitutes as they had an equal possibility to become an enlightened being, a Buddha.
Rather than commandments that state “thou shalt not...,”Sakyamuni Buddha set forth rules that state “One should refrain from....” as committing these acts would make the path to enlightenment more difficult. In the case of prostitution, Buddhism does not condemn prostitution directly; rather, Buddhism acknowledges the harm, deceit, and disease while engaging in such an occupation would result in increasing one's suffering to the extent that it would interfere with the concentration and effort required to conduct religious practice toward enlightenment.
That being said, it also may be true that those who work as prostitutes have a clearer path toward enlightenment through directly experiencing the insatiable desires of human beings and therefore seeing the futility of fulfilling one's desires as a goal in one's life. It is only when one comes to abhor this world and see it for what it is, can one have the desire to abandon this world and seek one's own liberation.
Buddhism would advocate compassion for those who work in the sex industry. Though it may be difficult to comprehend, we are not subject to the same work not because we are somehow “good” people, but because we have never met the causes and conditions that would force us to do so. Particularly in Thailand where there is widespread poverty and lack of education, prostitution is the only possible means for survival of not only themselves but also their family. Those who emigrate from Thailand for example, often work to send money back to their parents out of filial piety and to family members to ensure their survival.
From the standpoint of compassion, prostitution should be legalized to ensure that no person is compelled to work as a prostitute, a condition bordering on slavery. Legalization further helps to ensure their health and safety in addition to providing options and support to secure other work that is empowering and meaningful. Through the decriminalization of prostitution, those who leave this line of work can seek other employment without the added burden of a criminal record.
From a Pure Land Buddhist perspective, Amida Buddha as infinite wisdom and compassion unconditionally embraces all people regardless of their occupation, sex, sexual preference, or lifestyle without regard to secular distinctions of ethics and morality.
0 notes
Text
Thought and Prayers
Thoughts on Las Vegas and Prayer Vigils
Rev. Bryan Masashi Siebuhr
Preface
As Ministers, we often receive requests to make Buddhism relevant to the contemporary world. Although the goal of Buddhism is beyond the secular, I do not believe that it is wrong to use these examples to provide an entry point for one interested in studying what the Buddha taught.
The fact of the matter is that the more one studies the Dharma, one comes to realize that there is nothing in life that is unrelated to the Buddha’s Teachings. The talk that follows is one I presented at a recent Christian Prayer Vigil which was well received by Christian clergy and attendees alike though banned from publication in our newsletter.
I cannot even begin to express the profound sadness I feel each time a new community, this time Las Vegas with 59 killed and 527 wounded, all within a period of just ten minutes, grieves and endures the same pain that brought Orlando, FL to its knees just 4 months ago killing 5 people; on Jan 6,2017 in Fort Lauderdale, FL killing 5 people, injuring 6; on September 23, 2016 in Burlington, Washington killing 5 people; on June 14, 2017 in San Francisco, CA killing 3 people; on June 12, 2016 in Orlando, FL killing 49 people and injuring 58 people; on Dec 2, 2015 in San Bernardino, CA killing 14 people and injuring 22; on Nov 29, 2015 in Colorado Springs killing 3 people and injuring 9; on October 1, 2015 in Roseburg, Oregon killing 9 people and injuring 9 more; on July 16, 2015 in Chattanooga Tennessee killing 5 people and injuring 3; on June 18, 2015 in Charleston, SC killing 9 people; on May 23, 2014 in Isla Vista killing 6 people and injuring 7; on April 2, 2014 in Ft. Hood, Texas killing 3 people and injuring 16; on September 16, 2013 in Washington, D.C killing 12 people and injuring 3; on June 7, 2013 in Santa Monica, CA killing 5 people; on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut killing 27 people (20 first graders and six adults) then the mother of the killer at the home they shared; and finally an additional 307 killed and hundreds injured from the day of the Newtown killings going back to July 18, 1984 by mass shooters alone in the United States.
I also cannot begin to express too the profound sadness I feel for those who live in the South Side of Chicago which has seen 543 people murdered so far this year, an average of approximately 54 people per month; 751 people murdered in 2016, an average of 62 people per month; 495 people murdered in 2015, an average of 42 people per month; and 428 people murdered in 2014, an average of 36 people per month. Where is the outpouring of compassion for the people of the south side every single day? A problem which it seems no one cares to place as a priority since it is happening in the black community and not in our backyard. The fact of the matter is black lives do matter just as much as the lives of people of any race.
The fact of the matter too is that regardless of circumstances, no one deserves to die.
I was recently assigned to attend a Christian prayer vigil for those who had lost their lives in the Las Vegas tragedy. Though we do not have prayer in Buddhism, it would seem that the purpose of any prayer should not be to influence some omnipotent god, but to deepen the self-understanding of the one who prays by reflecting inward. Even if we constantly pray, whether for social or personal issues, and we ourselves cease to change, then you should re-examine the nature of your prayers and the reason for your prayer.
Do we simply hold a prayer vigil after a tragedy then move on with our lives as normal, vowing to hold another prayer vigil after the next tragedy? We must instead finally start the conversation on how to end these tragedies.
This conversation must begin with a discussion we have with our own self, for as human beings we each possess the capacity to inflict cruelty and kill sentient beings on a massive scale. In order for us to live, we are responsible for killing millions of living beings such as plants, animals, and even insects that enable us to continue to receive human life All life is sacred, not just those of human beings. As for other human beings, we do not kill one another not because we are good people, rather we have never met the causes and condition to kill even one person none the less 100 people.
Such that the truth of interdependence is one of the immutable laws of the universe, any change that has a chance of being effective is one that begins with seeing one's own true nature. Anything else is the projection of our egotistical self. Should we not look inward, then we have done nothing to stop the perpetuation of ignorance in our world.
As for thoughts and prayers, your thoughts should be about steps to take to stop this carnage, beginning with yourself. As for prayers, should you believe in the efficacy of prayer, your ‘prayers’ should be for forgiveness if you do nothing — again.
0 notes