Friday, October 3, 2008

Why do we need discipline in a dojo or temple?


Somebody who knows that I insist very much on discipline, recently asked me why do we need discipline in a dojo or temple.I think the answer is very simple: Because we are crazy.

Being unenlightened persons, everybody has his or her level of sickness and madness. We have some rules of behavior in the dojo, because we must not allow our madness to enter it and influence the others.
At the dojo we don’t speak about our personal ideas or fantasies, we don’t express our everyday personalities, but concentrate on the single goal of listening the Dharma in order to receive shinjin and be born in the Pure Land. We don’t speak about politics or personal ideas about this or that, we don’t engage in personal debates and fights. We also don’t show interest in the private lives of our fellow practitioners. We don’t enter in their private lives to judge them. It really doesn’t matter what members of a dojo are in their private lives. We just try to leave aside ourselves and concentrate on the Dharma.

It is not good to enter in a temple where people are fighting about their personal lives. That is not a suitable atmosphere in which we can concentrate on the Dharma.

Everybody’s life is difficult and everybody has his/her own problems. We never know what truly happens in somebody’s heart. This is why we should always try not to disturb anybody with our own personality, ideas and judgments. We should all concentrate on the Dharma and help each other to do the same. We should create an atmosphere in which everybody, no matter their difficulties and differences, can easily concentrate on the Dharma.

We should not follow personal goals in coming to the dojo or temple. This means that we come to the dojo not in order to express ourselves, our opinion on such and such worldly matter, to have a chat or who knows what, but to listen to the Dharma.
We also don’t come to the dojo to make friends, find a wife or husband or to eat cookies.

We should come to the dojo or temple like to the hospital where the best medicine is given to all. We should take the medicine to ourselves and help others take it, without interfering or disturbing no one and of course, without changing the medicine.
This is the essence of discipline in the dojo or temple.



2 comentarii:

Vajracharya Zhide said...

Dear Sensei, I forget how I ended up on your site...doing research basically. I appreciate your accomplishments and presence.
Especially had to laugh out loud upon reading your comment that we need discipline in the temple because we are all crazy. I wish I had figured that out earlier in my "career" as an ordained Vajracharya. Once I stopped being the students' friend, because my instructions weren't sinking in, I became strict and tough love. All of my students left me shortly thereafter! Now I am starting over...definitely wiser and better :) Many blessings and peace, Vajracharya Zhide

Josho Adrian Cirlea said...

Thank you for your comments, Vajracharya Zhide :)
Best wishes & Namo Amida Bu

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