Practicing in the Raging Fire

“Things are heating up all over the world. . .we as Buddhas practice in the raging fire.” In this dharma talk, Upaya visiting teacher Sensei Cynthia Kear navigates practice in the midst of the fires raging around the world caused by greed, hatred, and delusion. How do we practice in these circumstances? In the words of Dogen, “Buddhas don’t wait for enlightenment.” In our everyday lives, we simply act upright and embody “the awesome presence of active Buddhas”. Cynthia asks “Can these ordinary, mundane lives be the embodiment of practice-realization?” Cynthia responds with a resounding “yes” and highlights the importance of vow as a guiding force in our lives. “Vow is my zip code. It’s just where I live, wherever I am.” To Cynthia, vow is an energy we can harness to live as active Buddhas. We simply continue inquiring how our vows would have us respond to the raging fires around us. Though we don’t know what impact we will have, we simply practice authentically, joyfully, and we do what we can. As we return to our vows again and again, we are able to offer stability and uprightness in the midst of raging fire.