Buddhist - Reflection 01

The lotus flower is a traditional Buddhist symbol of purity. A lotus is born from the mud at a bottom of a lake but blossoms above the water as a stainless flower that brings pleasure to all that see it. In a similar fashion, all beings are born in the ocean of suffering with impure bodies and minds, but if they train in mediation they can attain a completely pure body and mind, and bring peace an happiness to all who meet them.

The quality of life depends not on external development or material progress but on the inner development of peace and happiness. Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. If we first establish peace within our minds by training in spiritual paths, outer peace will come naturally; but if we do not, world peace will never be achieved, no matter how many people campaign for it.

Visualize the ocean with a multitude of waves. Imagine that the self is one wave on the ocean, and surrounding us are many, many other waves. If the wave looks deeply within one's self, there will be a realization that ones being there depends upon the presence of all the other waves. Raising up and going down, being big or small depends entirely on how the other waves are. Looking into one's self, you touch the whole, you touch everything - you are conditioned by what there is around you. A wave is made of many other waves yet there is to be the realization that the wave is also made up of water. It is also important to touch the water, the foundation of one's being; and to realize that all the other waves are also made up of water. One thing contains everything. With the energy of mindfulness, one can see deeply.

Computer Crashed !!!!!

Early last Saturday, in accordance with my morning routine, I turned on my computer. To my dismal, after a couple of minutes, I received a message that the system could not be initialized due to a corrupt operating systems file. A joke right - never had any indication of a problem - computer only four years old (okay, I know in dog/computer years that is really 28) - so let's turn it off and on again. Same problem. Again. Same problem. Again! Again!! Again!!!. What to do? Of course, I have not done a backup since the beginning of time. Was going to order/buy another computer but had not got around to it. Seminary studies start up again in two weeks and a computer is an absolute must. Stomach now churning, beads of sweat dripping off forehead, dry mouth, feeling faint - what to do, what to do? Since when did we become so dependent on this piece of hardware. Thankfully, I just purchased an iPhone so at least I could still get my emails and connect to the Internet.

So, I call Dell for support. Ha, ha, ha. After an hour of trying to connect, got someone in India. I could not understand the representative and had to wait another fifteen minutes to connect to another rep. He laughed when I told him how old my computer was and said (what did I expect). What happened to product reliability? Then he said that I would properly have to wipe my memory and disk storage completely clean and reinstall the operating system; of course losing all my existing programs and data in the process. Yeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not willing to throw out the baby with the bath water, I starting calling around to the various computer "fix-it" doctors and geeks. Typical pricing ran $100 an hour, would take four to six hours, and it would be two to three days before they could work on it. All that time without a computer and for that pricing could buy a new one! Finally, found someone who agreed to come right out and look at it. Nice young man (college type) showed up and after an hour of trying this and that concluded that he had to take m computer to the shop to save the contents and reinstall the operating system.

Finally, got the system back on Tuesday evening and was so pleased to get my "baby" back (please forgive the personalization). Total charge was $200 but I got a break as he spent more than two hours on the restoration. What is the morale/lesson to be learned from this experience. I guess is not to become so dependent on a machine, backup your data and programs on a regular basis, do not put all your eggs in one basket (if affordable, have a second computer available).

Smell the Roses

Recently, I read an editorial written by Mike Wood of Instinct magazine that struck me as very pertinent and something we need to reminded during these days. An excerpt:

Do you ever get the feeling that with each passing minute, month, year, it seems like life is getting away from you? Well if you don't, you are one of the lucky ones.

It happens to me more often than I'd care to admit, but that's why every so often I've got to dig my heels in and say, "Whoa! Let's just slow down for a minute, please!"

Stop and smell the roses? Gotcha. Will do. As soon as there are some roses at my disposal for the sniffing. I'm all for it. Perhaps it was best stated by Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it". As the cliches barrel at me, I acknowledge that these hackneyed phases couldn't be more trite. Or more true.

Periodically, it all comes rushing at me, and it sort of takes me by surprise. We are all getting older every day and getting on with with our lives, but have I really ever taken a moment to take it all in? Let it register? Well it is of utmost importance that I (we) do.

Time passes and lives change as we work and play and aspire and dream. We succeed. We fail. We thrive. Sometimes we disappoint. But as we continue on life's journey, hopefully we're trying to live our lives to the fullest without regret. Perhaps to leave behind an honorable legacy.

Pace yourself, live your life, love your life - - don't just blast through it. And if you get the opportunity, don't mock the cliche, smell the roses!

Wrestling with Consumerism

Lately, I have find myself in a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, we as the public are being told that we should spend and consume as that is beneficial to the economy. It has the underlying effect of creating jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign interests, and raising our standard of living. On the other hand, have been told to save for a rainy day, consume less to save our resources, and to minimize one’s debt.

Personally, I have considered myself a moderate with respect to consumer spending. Most of my spending is usually concentrated on the “necessities” such as housing, food, clothing, medical/dental, education, etc. Also, as a believer in “going green”, consciously attempt to limit my footprint on this earth by recycling, avoiding chemically infused products, occupying less than a thousand square feet of living space, using public transportation whenever possible, etc., etc.

That being said, I just ordered/bought the new iPhone and am feeling a tad guilty while being excited about having one of these new toys. I have justified the purchase with the arguments that it is a multi-functional device thus replacing three other devices, it will be an assist tool in my academic studies and ministry activities, its ease of operation will be a time saver, and will be an enhancement in my communication exchanges. The counter arguments are that in reality it is a “want” not a real “need”, it is made in China, monthly expense will be more than I am paying now, requires disposal of a perfectly good phone, will probably have to be replaced in a couple of years, and woefully I have succumbed to enticements of the advertising media.

Why am I lamenting over this issue? Well, they say confession is good for the soul; but also to point out the life is full of choices and maintaining a balance that works for oneself. Yes, I have bought an iPhone but that does not mean that I am going to abandon my moderate approach to spending and over indulge by buying a fancy car, a giant screen television, huge apartment, etc. But I have to say and believe some indulgence every once in awhile is good for my psychic (soul). Now where is that piece of double chocolate cake?

Having a Heart - The Zen of OZ

This past Sunday, Aug 03, 2008, I had the privilege of arranging the services and to give the sermon at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. This was a great honor and I would like to thank the settled minister, Rev. Nate Walker and the congregation for giving me that opportunity. Herein, is my sermon.

“Having a Heart”
The Zen of OZ
Mark DeCourval, Aug 03, 2008
First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

As an OZphile (a lover of the OZ books), I frequently find myself drawing spiritual inspiration from the fourteen OZ books written by L. Frank Baum. I suspect most everyone here is familiar with the first book in the series entitled, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, and the 1939 MGM movie of the same name starring Judy Garland. The movie has probably been seen by more people than any other film in motion picture history. What is it about this movie that captures our hearts? Maybe it is because, it has an inspiring philosophy all of its own. As the movie’s opening dedication very precisely states, “Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion.” I submit to you that this kindness philosophy effectively touches a spiritual cord in each one of us because it has a certain Zen to it.

Let us consider briefly, the meaning of Zen and how it serves to enrich our spiritual being. Zen practice is Buddhist in origin; it is a form of meditation that seeks to attain an intuitive illumination of mind and spirit. One, hopefully, realizes an “awakening” and spiritual enrichment through the direct individual assessment of one’s own experiences rather than through theory and the study of religious texts.

It seems to me that upon examination, the books and movie overflow with Zen wisdom. At the risk of letting one’s imagination run amok. I see the land of OZ actually being governed by a spontaneous creative Force that can do everything by doing nothing. Glinda, the good witch is clearly a Zen Master setting Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road to enlightenment. Ultimately, Dorothy attains an experience of “awakening”. She finds her true self, her higher consciousness, her ultimate oneness with the cosmos, her home.

One of my favorite chapters and/or scenes is when the Wizard bestows on the Tin Man, who was seeking a heart, a huge heart-shaped watch and chain. He then urges his sentimental friend to remember that “a heart is not judged by how much you love, but how much you are loved by others.” For many years, I misread this statement as most do - - simply as “You will be judged by how much you love others.” No, the statement truly reads “a heart is not judged by how much you love, but how much you are loved by others.” So what exactly does the Wizard mean? The Wizard’s seemingly simple statement is actually a koan. In Zen, a koan is a riddle with no apparent meaning. A Zen Master often puts such a riddle before a student to train the mind to obtain an experience of awakening. The riddle is: Is a heart judged by how deeply you are loved by others? Or is the depth of your love the true measure of a heart?

How deeply you are loved by others, does reveal the sincerity of your love for others. No one loves the Wicked Witch, for instance, because she does not have a smidgen of love for anyone. She does not mourn the death of her sister and wants to eliminate Dorothy so as to seize control over OZ. Her motives are selfish and egocentric. She has no heart. She loves no one and no one loves her in return. The Wizard, on the other hand, is loved by the citizens of OZ as long as he protects them. But the Wizard’s love for the citizens is not genuine for he protects them only to remain in power.

How much you are loved by others is equal to how deeply you love. If your love for others is unconditional, you will be much more loved than a person whose love is selfish and motivated by greed. Love expands. Selfishness contracts. The more you expand and feel for others, the more you purify your own heart, aligning yourself with the Oneness of all things. In other words the love, sympathy, appreciation, compassion, and affection you receive are in direct proportion to what you give. The Wizard is essentially telling the Tin Man the same thing that Zen Masters and poets have been telling the world for centuries: “What goes around comes around.”

Hopefully, I have illustrated a little of the Zen philosophy that is contained in the stories of OZ. May your journey down the Yellow Brick Road make your life glorious and joyful in every way.


At this point, I would have concluded my talk to you today. However, the tragic event that occurred last Sunday at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church has struck our church family so profoundly as to evoke the “Why Response” in me. I believe this response is fairly typical. We want to know – Why did this happen? Why didn’t anyone see this coming? Why does an all-loving deity allow this to happen? Why can there not be a realization that we need not think alike to love alike. Why, Why. Why? I have yet to hear an explanation from a Zen Master, a Theologian or the Wizard of OZ, himself, that satisfies me. Instead of focusing on the Why, for which we may find never find a satisfactory answer and to be beset with melancholy, it might be better to focus on the Zen Five Steps of Healing:

1) Acceptance – it has happened and may happen again. Just this past week, a couple more tragic events took place in Wisconsin and Canada.
2) Presence – being aware of the time in which we are living. It is a very troublesome time of wars, global warming concerns, economic problems, political disputes, etc. More than ever we must be vigilant while still nourishing our emotional well being.
3) Action – overcoming the emotional numbness & initiating an action plan. Considering what we can do to protect ourselves and what changes can be instrumental in effecting a mitigation of these tragedies.
4) Forgiveness- taking care not to be overcome with hate, resentment, bitterness. Herein, I often reflect on how our brothers and sisters in a nearby Amish community were so forgiving when they were brutally assaulted.
5) Integration – allow the crisis to generate a sense of new meanings, to rebuild confidence, and develop acceptance and resilience.

Negotiating these five steps is very difficult and personally I am stuck on step 3 Action and step 4 Forgiveness.

Here I am reminded of some words of wisdom from Randy Pausch, a very inspiring Professor of Computer Sciences, who just recently died. When faced with a brick wall that has you stuck, don’t try crashing it down “head on” where you will never succeed – but seek out ways around the wall. It may be challenging but therein lays success.

May all that is Holy guide us through these difficult times and challenges.