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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 9

actions, while others gain safety. When you’ve trained yourself, But this isn’t a victory you can hope
When you meditate, you give less living in constant self-control, to attain if you’re still harboring
rein to your greed, aversion, and neither a deva nor gandhabba, thoughts of vera. So in a world where
delusion, so that you suffer less nor a Mara banded with Brahmas, we’ve all been harmed in one way
from their depredations, and other could turn that triumph or another, and where we could
people are less victimized by their back into defeat. — Dhp 103–105 always find old scores to avenge
prowling around as well. if we wanted to, the only way to
Other victories can be undone— find a truly safe victory in life is to
Then you further reflect: “settled” scores, in the light of start with thoughts of forgiveness:
Greater in battle karma and rebirth, are never really that you want to pose no danger to
than the man who would conquer settled—but victory over your own anyone at all, regardless of the wrong
a thousand-thousand men, greed, aversion, and delusion is they’ve done. This is why forgiveness
is he who would conquer something that lasts. It’s the only is not only compatible with the
just one— victory that creates no vera, so it’s practice of the Buddha’s teachings.
himself. the only victory that’s really safe It’s a necessary first step. EH
Better to conquer yourself and secure.
than others.

Acceptance “All acceptance is the key to
the Gateless Gate.”

By Rev. Kinrei Bassis ~ Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett

Reverend Kinrei strong emotions, bound by desires that I knew
Bassis is the intellectually were shallow and empty. I was
resident monk confronting the First Noble Truth that suffering
and teacher, and exists – the recognition that something in my life
has been the was seriously wrong. Buddhism clearly offered a
Prior of Berkeley way out of suffering and a way for me to find real
Buddhist Priory peace and happiness…”
since 1997. He
was ordained as a The practice of acceptance is the only way we can
Buddhist monk by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett in 1979. open our hearts and embrace the whole of our life
He received Dharma Transmission in 1982, and was and the world. Acceptance sounds simple but how
named Master in 1987 by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. to have right view of acceptance is not that simple
and straightforward. It is very normal that people
In one of his Dharma Talks “On Suffering”, Rev. misunderstand some of the basic aspects of how to
Kinrei spoke about how he started on this path: practice acceptance.
“I began Buddhist training because all the other
directions my life could go seemed meaningless. I Underlying the practice of acceptance is the Buddhist
was not at peace and I was definitely not content. teaching that we can be a peace with all conditions, both
I felt bound by circumstances, bound by my what is going right and what is going wrong in our lives
and what is going right and wrong in the world. The