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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 41

Benny: You first encountered the Dharma in 1979 nature. When I notice them, it helps contextualize how
and later became a Buddhist nun for 26 years. As common this is and helps to find some equilibrium
a lay teacher you continue to teach the Dharma. with them when they are causing stress personally or
What sustains your interest and passion in the with loved ones.
Buddha’s teachings?
Our modern world emphasizes thinking and often we
Amma: My passion was ignited for the Buddha’s teaching don’t feel our body or our connection with others very
because it understood suffering and was able to address deeply. Being in nature invites us to shift our frame
and release suffering. This changed my life. It gave me of reference and see, sense, feel our body and our
tools and frames of reference to see things differently connection with what is around us. In this way, simple
and not to suffer so much. Or as I say these days, to living in close proximity to nature is a very powerful
suffer much more wisely. This continues to be true. way to understand what is important. That is why some
monasteries and retreat centers prefer rural locations
While the Buddha said that he teaches suffering to cities. Reading the suttas is very important. But
and the end of suffering, there were certain kinds of having direct experience of the Buddha’s teaching is
suffering that meditation alone didn’t remedy. This too. When you understand nature, you understand the
was particularly true with various kinds of trauma. Buddha’s teaching.
Being more of a realist than a traditionalist, I looked
for and found practices that are effective for trauma You often talked about deep listening in your
release. Some practices adapted classical body teachings. What is deep listening, and how does one
scanning meditation to the needs of someone dealing practice Dharma with deep listening?
with trauma. I see how widespread trauma is, and
I see how the Buddha’s teachings are being used in With sound, sight and sensations there are layers of
modern applications to release trauma. Both from the what can be perceived. Take sound. We can perceive the
classical ways Buddhist teaching brings freedom and noise, vibrating on our eardrums. But when we listen
from the ways it has been adapted to support modern deeply we can listen underneath the sound. What is the
applications, my interest continues. sound underneath? It depends on the circumstance.
Sometimes silence is underneath sound, sometimes
How can we learn about what the Buddha taught feeling qualities are underneath sound. So when we
from nature, instead of from his teachings found in listen deeply we are willing to pause. Notice what we
the scriptures? hear and move our attention to see if there is more to
discover underneath the surface experience of what we
The Buddha teaches many things. The basic teaching of heard initially.
anicca anatta and dukkha; impermanence, non-self and
no inherent satisfactoriness are present everywhere. Many of us have had experiences of looking at someone
When we look at a forest we can see the signs of and noticing that there are stress lines in their face.
impermanence in the growth from young trees to When looking deeply means relaxing attention at the
mature trees to the trees that have fallen. eyes, and noticing what else is present. Sometimes, it
is apparent that the person is tired, or sad, or anxious.
When I look at a rock, I see a rock. But I also let my They didn’t say anything. Yet when we look deeply we
attention relax and in that relaxation there is no can sometimes perceive what is beneath the surface
identification, no clinging to identity. When I relax with and from listening, feeling and sensing. When we
rocks, it is a way to have a direct insight into anatta. listen deeply we can get a lot more information. This
information allows us to respond in a way that is
The experience of pain, aging, sickness and death appropriate, compassionate and wise.
are evident in trees, birds, animals; everywhere in