The other week, I wrote a post called “The Purpose And Responsibility Of Life.” It was based on my daughter Bella’s pronouncement that the purpose of life was to laugh and that the responsibility of life is to ensure other people can laugh, too.
That same week, the Kwan Um School Of Zen, where I practice, sent out an email by my friend and teacher, Bobby Rhodes (Zen Master Soeng Hyang). It was about the purpose and responsibility of life, too. My daughter the Zen Master and my teacher the Zen Master said pretty much the same thing but in different words.
I thought you might enjoy the grown up Zen Master’s words, too:
The world is full of suffering. How can it be stopped? Every human being has a seed of compassion and wisdom that must be very carefully nurtured. It is our responsibility to find this seed and do everything we can to make it grow. First, you must believe that you have this seed. Then you must ask yourself with all the strength you have, ”What is this seed?”
If you truly search for it, you will understand that everyone is just like you. Everyone has it. You will have no more desire for yourself; you will only want to teach everyone how to find their seed. Enlightenment is believing in yourself. Enlightenment is finding your seed. But your job is not over yet. Your mind must become strong enough to be totally wise and compassionate moment to moment in any situation. This is much more difficult than attaining Enlightenment.
By Zen Master Soeng Hyang