TLDR: Chye shares his recent experience participating in a Dhamma talk in the Zen tradition and draws connections to the teachings of Buddha found in various traditions.

My Dhamma journey began during primary school, shaping my childhood in unique and intriguing ways. While other children flocked to amusement parks and toy stores, I on the other hand (partly due to limited financial means), developed a keen interest in visiting various temples to seek out books and deepen my understanding of Buddhism.

In this journey, I gained an appreciation of the various aspects of Buddhism from different traditions and sources, much like a gatherer foraging for food.

I vividly remember visiting the Tibetan Vajrayana temples, where I was mesmerised by their colourful symbols and intricate rituals. Devotees there patiently explained the significance behind these rituals, which served as skillful means to cultivate specific mental states, such as compassion.

As for my visits to Chinese Mahayana temples, I was deeply moved by their emphasis on compassion. Every action they took was driven by the desire to alleviate others’ suffering.

One ritual that particularly inspired me was the morning offering of food or rice on a pedestal outside the main shrine. This practice was mentioned in the Tirokuḍḍa Kaṇḍa, the seventh passage from the Khuddakapatha.

Thus those who feel sympathy for their dead relatives

give timely donations of proper food & drink — exquisite, clean —

[thinking:] “May this be for our relatives, May our relatives be happy!”

Throughout my formative years, I absorbed the diverse perspectives on the Buddha’s teachings from various traditions and centres. This exposure allowed me to appreciate the different ways Dhamma can be taught.

Ultimately, I gravitated towards Early Buddhist Teachings (EBT) as my foundational reference due to its authenticity and simplicity. I somewhat concluded that, despite the varied presentations, the Dhamma—when taught and learned correctly — leads to the same relief and freedom from dissatisfaction and happiness. As the Buddha said:

“… Just as the ocean has a single taste — that of salt — in the same way, this Dhamma & Vinaya has a single taste: that of release…” ~ Ud 5.5 Uposatha Sutta

(Editor’s Note: The Buddha in the Uposatha Sutta shares eight parallels between the ocean and the astounding qualities of the Dhamma & Vinaya. Check out the Sutta to learn more.)

For this year’s Wesak Day Celebration, I was invited by a Dhamma friend (thanks to Jue Fei) to attend a talk by Zen Master Dae Bong (MDB) organised by the Kwan Yin Chan Lin Zen Meditation Centre. MDB’s talk highlighted a practical framework for living a fruitful life, summarised as “ABCDE”. I wish to draw connections between this framework and the teachings of the Buddha as found in other sources.

A = Attention

MDB emphasised the importance of paying attention to everything we do. This is crucial for observing details we might otherwise miss. Isn’t this Sati (mindfulness) that the Buddha talked about?

The Buddha spoke extensively about mindfulness in the Satipatthana Sutta, where moment-to-moment mindfulness with clarity and understanding will eventually lead to liberation.

B = Breathing

Breathing, MDB said, should be our anchor in our daily life. Breathing forms the basis of our life force and anchoring on our breathing helps to prevent a scattered mind.

The Buddha also highlighted the significance of mindfulness of breathing in the Anapanasati Sutta. It is anchoring our attention on breathing that helps in one mindfulness practice.

C = Centre

MDB recommended placing our attention at our energy centre, the ‘dan tian (’丹田’), located about three fingers below the navel (the lower ‘dan tian’) and breathing slowly to calm ourselves during agitation or unpleasant moments.

This practice is akin to the Buddha’s guidance to restrain our senses in the  Chappāṇakopama Sutta, SN35.247, where the Buddha likened our senses to animals that need to be tied to a pole to prevent them from running wild.

In the same way, we can anchor ourselves on our breathing or the body to achieve a balanced mind that is restrained and clear.

D = Don’t Know

Adopting a “don’t know” mind, MDB suggested, fosters curiosity about ourselves and our minds. I find that this is a powerful teaching or attitude to adopt. In many situations, we are often caught up with our emotions or things that happen to us.

We can start to be curious by examining why these things happen and how the mind feels when such things occur. It also helps to cultivate an attitude of not knowing which frees us from conceptual assumptions.

This approach helps us to detach from the subject/object duality which we get caught up with and examine the situation objectively. Not only will we gain insights into how the mind works or how we react to circumstances, but it also allows us to feel less affected by the event.

E = Enjoy

Contrary to the common belief of Zen practice being strict and regimented, MDB emphasized the importance of finding joy in our practice. Over the years, I’ve learned that cultivating joy in the practice is crucial. When one finds joy in the path, it encourages practitioners to walk the path tirelessly despite any difficulties.

The joy that beams through a practitioner can overflow and inspire other practitioners. After all, who would want to go near someone who constantly appears bitter and unhappy?  The Buddha noted in AN11.1 Kimattha Sutta that joy and happiness in the practice lead to the stillness of the mind and eventually to liberation. The Buddha also shares the differences between the pleasant and painful paths in AN4.163 Asubha Sutta, where the pleasant path, filled with joy and mental stillness, can lead to liberation.

Conclusion

Attending this talk reinforced the importance of maintaining an open mind when listening to Dhamma talks from different traditions. True listening requires attentiveness and setting aside biases. The Buddha cautioned against attachment to views as it is one of the unskilful tendencies or habits as mentioned in the Anusaya Sutta, AN7.11.

This was also beautifully encapsulated in the encounter between Kaṇḍarāyana and Ven. Mahā Kaccāna in the Kaṇḍarāyana Sutta, AN2.37 highlights how such attachments can lead to conflicts among practitioners.

So there you go! Hopefully, we can all live our lives fruitfully by practising the ABCDEs. whichever tradition you feel the most affinity with.

Wise Steps:

• Approach Dhamma talks with an open mind; you might discover unexpected lessons or insights that resonate with your path. 
• Each teaching presents a distinct viewpoint; even familiar ideas can unveil deeper meanings when explored with curiosity and receptiveness.