A taste for simple things

In our societies, we devote a lot of energy to the pursuit of pleasure, to satisfying our desires, to constantly improving our well-being, our comfort. But as Einstein said: “It is only good for cattle.” The slightest disagreement, the slightest conflict is resolved with axes or bombs.

Our greed has no limit, our aversion has no limit. Barbarism distances us from nature –more precisely, it distances us from our Buddha nature.

We have lost the taste for simple things, the natural taste, as it is. The simple, quiet life.

The challenge for mankind is to open our consciousness.

To live by relying on one’s Buddha nature, on a mind without limits, without defilement, on the mind of nature, as it is, limpid… the true mind that clings to nothing. Civilisation must bring human beings to their adult form, free of greed and aversion, free of ignorance – that is to say, awakened to reality.

This is the reason we are gathered here. This is the reason Buddha taught: to get out of barbarism. Kodo Sawaki used to say: “Those who possess the atom bomb and can destroy mankind are barbarians.”

It is important to open one’s mind, to open one’s heart to nature as it is, to what we are profoundly, we who are Buddha.

If we don’t understand that the vocation of the human being is to become a true human being – that is to say, a Buddha – we are not ready to go through the slightest difficulty.

It is only with faith in our true vocation that we can go beyond everything, that we can face all the problems of existence.

This is why Master Deshimaru kept saying to us: “You, who practice the Way of Buddha, you are spiritual leaders.” To constantly go beyond, to constantly return to our Buddha nature, to an open consciousness, undefiled and limitless.

Never forget that barbarism distances us from nature.
Barbarism distances us from our Buddha nature.

Taiun JP Faure, June 2024