04.11.2019 - By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot
In acknowledgment of global warming, Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell briefly describe a “world on fire.” Genzan uses this description to relate a different story, the Parable of the Burning House, to our current lives. The story has to do with children, unaware that they are playing in a burning house of suffering. The Buddha sees the suffering and uses expedient, skillful means to save the children. Sensei Genzan discusses ways that you can escape from such a burning house, “remind yourself that you’re a Buddha, and see others as Buddha, and see your situation as a Buddha-land.” Sensei Joshin discusses three criteria for skillful means: 1. Appropriate actions, which allow others to flourish; 2. Attuning to the situation at hand; and, 3. Effectiveness, or, a commitment to accountability.