Rev. Danny Fisher

Just a Buddhist Minister Trying to Benefit Beings
December 14, 2009

A Gift of Dharma for 12.14.09

Today’s quote is from the Venerable Narada Maha Thera (1898-1983), the immensely popular Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, author, and translator.

Born to a middle-class family in Colombo, he attended St. Benedict’s College and Ceylon University College.  He was ordained under Vajiranana Maha Nayaka Thera, who instructed him in the art of giving pithy dharma talks in common language. 

A visit to Sarnath, India, to represent Sri Lanka at the opening ceremony for the Mulagandhakuti Vihara was the beginning of a great deal of international travel that took him to (among other places) the United States, China, Taiwain, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Nepal, and Indonesia.

In a biographical sketch about the Venerable Narada Maha Thera for the Buddhist Publication Society, Gunaseela Vihanage writes:

He has left a legacy of the Buddhadhamma for the world and its future generations. His contributions to various journals, both in English and in Sinhala are prolific. He brought the teachings of the Buddha to many points in the world through his Dhamma  books, and many articles. He has also left a useful tool for newcomers to the Dhamma, or those seeking to more deeply understand the Pali Canon – his book “An Elementary Pali Course” – which is a staple for training new monks, as well as for study by lay-people.

In addition to An Elementary Pali Course (which you can find online here), he authored such popular titles as A Manual of Buddhism, Buddhism in a Nutshell, The Buddha and His Teachings, Everyman’s Ethics, and A Manual of Abhidhamma.

Here’s the quote, from The Buddha and His Teaching:

According to Buddhism there are three types of Bodhisattas — namely, Intellectual Bodhisattas (Pannā-dhika). Devotional Bodhisattas (Saddhādhika) and Energetic Bodhisattas (Viriyādhika).

[...]

Intellectual Bodhisattas concentrate more on the development of wisdom and on the practice of meditation than on the observance of external forms of homage. They are always guided by reason and accept nothing on blind belief. They make no self-surrender, and are not slaves either to a book or to an individual. They prefer lonely meditation. With their silent but powerful thoughts of peace radiating from their solitary retreats they render moral help to suffering humanity.

The element of piety — Saddhā or Trustful Confidence– is predominant in the Devotional Bodhisattas. With Saddhā as their companion they achieve their goal.

These Bodhisattas take a keen interest in all forms of homage. The image of the Buddha is a great inspiration to them.

It should be understood that Buddhists do not worship an image. They pay homage to what it represents and reflect on the virtues of the Buddha. The more they think of the Buddha the more they love Him. This is the reason why Buddhism does not denounce these external forms of homage (āmisa pūjā) though undoubtedly practice (patipatti pūjā) is more commendable and indisputably superior. But dry intellect has to be flavoured with Saddhā (faith) to obtain satisfactory results. As excessive Saddhā might also sometimes be detrimental, it has to be restrained by wisdom.

The energetic ones always seek opportunities to be of service to others. Nothing gives them greater delight than active service. “For them work is happiness, and happiness is work.” They are not happy unless they are active. As King Sanghabodhi of Sri Lanka said they “bear this body of flesh and blood for the good and happiness of the world.” They live not only for themselves but for others as well.

This spirit of selfless service is one of the chief characteristics of all Bodhisattas.

With relentless energy they work not as slaves but as masters. They crave for neither fame nor name. They are interested only in service. It is immaterial to them whether others recognize their selfless service or not. They are utterly indifferent to praise or blame.

They forget themselves in their disinterested service to others. They would sacrifice even life itself could such action save another fellow-being.

A Bodhisatta who forgets himself in the service of others should practise Karunā and Mettā (compassion and loving-kindness) to an exceptionally high degree.

A Bodhisatta desires the good and welfare of the world. He loves all beings as a mother loves her only child. He identifies himself with all. To him nothing gives more delight than to think that all are his brothers and sisters. He is like a mother, a father, a friend, a teacher, to all beings.

“The compassion of a Bodhisatta consists in realizing the equality of oneself with others (para ātma-samatā) and also the substitution of others for oneself (para-ātma-parivartana).” When he does so he loses his I-notion and finds no difference between himself and others. He returns good for evil, and helps even unasked the very persons who have wronged him, for he knows that “the strength of a religious teacher is his patience.”

“Being reviled, he reviles not; being beaten, he beats not; being annoyed, he annoys not. His forgiveness is unfailing even as the mother earth suffers in silence all that may be done to her.”

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December 14, 2009

“Zen and the Art of Hospital Care”

Over at the New York Times, there’s a good article about our friends and past interviewees Robert Chodo Campbell and Koshin Paley Ellison of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care’s Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program.  The article is ostensibly about Buddhist contributions to professional chaplaincy, but it has more to say about the field generally.  Here’s a snippet:

As Congress debates extensive changes to many facets of the health care system, it has pretty much ignored the institution of hospital chaplains. And yet, some hospitals are finding that chaplains of all faiths are playing an increasingly vital role, one made all the more important as workloads increase and budgets constrict.

The chaplains’ job has traditionally been to provide spiritual care. But the job description has blurred as the role of chaplains has expanded. These days, they join medical rounds and discuss crucial end-of-life issues with patients and families.

“They are a critical part of the team,” said Dr. Wayne Ury, an attending physician in the department of pain medicine and palliative care at Beth Israel. “They help the doctors and nurses see issues that we may not have been aware of, or minimized, or turned a blind eye to, or just been too rushed to hear.”

Wendy Cadge, a sociologist at Brandeis University who is writing a book about hospital chaplaincy called “Paging God,” said data on the value of chaplains was slim.

“But people think chaplains are really helpful around end-of-life issues and increasingly complex ethical decisions,” she said, including organ donations, living wills and do-not-resuscitate orders.

“Chaplains do a lot to help reduce anxieties,” she added. “One study says patients and families who see a chaplain are more satisfied with their care.”

Nationally, the demand for chaplaincy services from hospitals and other providers is growing substantially, according to the Association of Professional Chaplains.

“Administrators, doctors and nurses are seeing the value that chaplains bring to the table,” said the Rev. Sue Wintz, president of the association, whose membership has more than doubled, to 3,259, over the last 20 years.

Hospitals generally pay for chaplain services themselves, since taxpayer money cannot be used for religious activities, and insurance companies do not reimburse for them. But the costs are tiny in an overall hospital budget.

At Beth Israel, the hospital pays for a director of the pastoral care department, who is Catholic, and a full-time rabbi, and it shares costs with the Archdiocese of New York for two Catholic priests. [Chodo and Koshin], who are not part of the department, are financed through a grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, a private philanthropic group rooted in Jewish tradition.

The hospital is also training 21 chaplain interns, 14 of whom, like Ms. Reigeluth, are practicing Buddhists; they are not paid.

While the priests tend primarily to Catholic patients and the rabbi to Jewish patients, hospital officials say the Buddhists and trainees care for patients of all faiths — and those with no religious affiliation. (Some patients decline such services.)

Read the rest here.