Buddhist Vocabulary

Yesterday I passed a tree on Prospect Avenue that had a hula hoop stuck very high up in it, and it reminded me of reading Black Elk Speaks, of considering the symbolism of the sacred hoop and tree of life, the central motifs of his visions, that gave a sense of the sacredness of things even as his people died around him of disease or left tribal life due to the decimation of the Buffalo. On occasions, this medicine man was able to cure the sick and bring rain, but he could not protect his people from the settler's relentless grasping for land and resources that were the hallmark of the period. In their hopes of driving the Indians out of coveted land, they killed every last Buffalo, erasing a species and a way of life.

What an example of what the Buddhists call "self-grasping," or "self-cherishing." In last night's lecture Matthew Reichers explored the idea that this mental habit of "self-grasping" is the cause of suffering and conflict in society. He read this line from his teacher G.K. Gyatso's book: "Self-cherishing is like an iron chain that keeps us locked in samsara," stuck in the mind the sees our own personal dramas, beliefs, traditions and property as more important than those of anyone else.

Other religions say it differently don't they? I'm amazed by how many paths there are to the top of the mountain, and yet it's still such a challenging and sometimes terrifying climb. Please throw down rope.