1. Can you tell us about your journey in becoming a Buddhist and how you found your way to Buddha Gate?

It has been a long journey of discovering the mind that led me to Buddha Gate.  It began in the early 70s when I left home. The mind has always interested me. I started asking questions at school and read about all kinds of religions but they did not answer my questions.  .

I was born in Palestine in 1947, left home at the age of sixteen, and studied in Lebanon before coming to the U.S in 1973. I finished my graduate studies here and received two master degrees, one in Labor Law and Labor Relations and another in Economics. I have taught for many years.

I have read several books about Buddhism, but you cannot learn it from a textbook because Buddhism is about practice and not about reading the concepts. When we came to California, I told my wife I really needed to find a meditation center. One day, in the Contra Costa Times, I saw a large picture of Master Jian Hu, who was then the Abbot at Buddha Gate. We read the ad and decided to come here in September 2003. We signed up immediately for the classes.  When the Abbot started to talk about the mind, I knew I was in the right place. 

2.  In what ways has Buddhism impacted the way you live your life?

I think Buddhism is about being conscious every moment you live. The mind shouldn’t run ahead of you.  You don’t want to be in the past or in the future. Buddhism allows me to be more reflective, conscious, compassionate, and patient. You try not to be afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of. These things are in the mind. The three poisons: fear, anger, and greed are what poison the mind. I often think about these things. You always want more, but for what? Why do you want more? Be grateful for what you have and share with others. Buddhism puts a great emphasis on sharing and teaches you generosity.

Buddhism also made me more humble. The self does things for the ego, and now in my life, I work to temper that ego. Buddha practiced this and in the end became egoless. I am practicing to be focused on the moment, to be compassionate and to look at the world as one, instead of “I” as separate from the world. No one is separate from the world.

I’ve been a vegetarian since 1993.  No lamb, no pork, no poultry, none of that. When I was a little kid, my mother always cooked wonderful food consisting mainly of meats such as lamb. I recall I was yelled at many times, Eat your food, people are starving and you should eat. But I would look at this lamb and could feel its suffering, and even as a youth I felt it wasn’t right to enjoy its suffering.

I try to meditate about twenty minutes daily. Buddhism has confirmed many things that are really important for me. I think of Buddha Gate as a good example of how to practice Buddhism.  It’s a very accepting, loving and generous place. I see the smiles, the acceptance, the love, and the respect they offer you.

3.  What particular lessons in Buddhism stand out as significant for you?

The Six Paramitas, charity, morality, tolerance, diligence, contemplation, wisdom, are important because they are practiced by the Bodhisattvas. Someone once suggested looking at one aspect of the Paramitas separately and practicing each one for a week. At the end of a week you can test yourself.  So let’s say, for one week, it’s charity, and next week, it’s tolerance. At the end of any given week, we might ask ourselves where can I correct myself or improve, was it enough or not enough. We shouldn’t get attached to what we think are good deeds either.  For instance, if you practice charity to feel good you are attached to feeling good and you don’t want that attachment. Although Buddhist philosophy and theory are great for talking about emptiness or physics or science, in the end, Buddhism is really about practice.

While in Taipei, I had the occasion to ask Master Jian Ping (the current Abbess of Pu De Meditation Center in Taiwan) this question: What is more important, to study Buddhism as a philosophy or Buddhism as practice? Master Jian Ping answered, Practice, practice, practice!  In our schools, Buddhism is taught as a philosophy and it really doesn’t mean anything because you really need to practice it. It’s about living it and practicing it.

4. What can one expect to experience from attending meditation retreats at Buddha Gate or attending the pilgrimage to Chung Tai?

Meditation allows you to journey inward. Our mind is like boiling water and the retreats calm the water down, allow the sediments to settle at the bottom so you get a chance to see what is at the bottom and to reflect. Oh, that’s my anger, my ego, my feeling of guilt, my fear. It gives us the opportunity to go inward when the mind is settled. You can really see that absolutely beautiful mind if you are really restful. The whole idea is to journey back to and rediscover that mind which has been covered with cobwebs and dust because of delusions and wrong beliefs. Oh, I’m greedy, I want to take stuff away from others, I feel more important than others. Meditation is self-reflection, strictly a personal experience, a journey to your inner mind.

In August 2005, I was invited to go on the pilgrimage to Chung Tai Monastery in Taiwan. It was wonderful, magical. Everybody was delightful and I wanted to come back for a longer stay. So in July the following year, I returned and stayed for one month, meditated, and volunteered teaching English at the Pu Tai School. In October 2008 I took the Bodhisattva Precepts which encompass twenty-four vows. They are taken every three or four years. Among the 1,400 people who took the Bodhisattva Precepts at Chung Tai, I was joined by fifteen people from Buddha Gate. It takes a lot of preparation. As a way of reminding ourselves of our commitment, those at Buddha Gate who have taken the vows meet the first Sunday of each month at the Zen Hall to recite the Precepts.

5. Has your interest in Buddhism in any way affected your understanding or teaching of economics? Is there something significant for Americans to gain from learning Buddhism at this time?

Absolutely. Buddhism opened another window and allowed me to see the world differently. Buddhism can play a role in economics. Economics is basically about self-interest and greed. At the center of this economic model is the consumer. We’ll make more for the consumer: cut more trees, get more fish, kill more cows, so the consumer can consume more and more while we work, work, work. Basically, think of a hamster on the treadmill. You think you’re moving but actually you’re going nowhere. Western economics deals with hedonism. It says that the body is important, while Buddhism says it’s empty. Our economic system says the ego is important, but Buddhism says there is no ego. Buddhism says share, but Western economics says no, be selfish. There exists a big dichotomy between the two. Buddhism talks about The Middle Way, which means use nature as the source but don’t destroy it, don’t pollute the environment, don’t over-fish, and don’t kill. Share. There’s a huge difference between these models.

Additionally, Buddha said over a couple thousand years ago that the head of the family is supposed to work, provide for the family, save and consume only what he and family needs. Remarkably, this concept still applies today. Don’t be lazy, and when you work, save for your family’s future and retirement. We don’t have that now; instead we have the economy of debt.  It’s okay to spend, spend, spend. We have government debt, housing debt, business debt. Everywhere there is debt. The reason is that there is no Middle Way.

When Buddha talked about the Middle Way, he was saying don’t starve yourself, but don’t go and stuff yourself either. I learn from and use the Middle Way model when talking about equity, efficiency, or renegotiation, so that everyone is happy. It makes sense to my students and it’s very rational. Buddhism can be applied to economics.

6. In what ways does Buddhism enhance aspects of teaching in the classroom?

It enhances it in many ways. In the classroom, teachers feel more patience toward students who are aggressive. Instead of aggressive versus aggressive or aggressive versus passive, you know how to pacify. You don’t actually yell at people, you don’t insult them. You show a lot of respect and it’s mutual. If you love them, they love you back. If you’re compassionate they understand that. Students tell me they were afraid to take economics but they feel comfortable in my class. I know this has to do with my Buddhist beliefs.

Buddhism focuses on education. It emphasizes education because if you have a mind, use it, don’t waste it. Buddha said, what a waste of time for men or women to stand around doing nothing.  That’s why at Chung Tai Monastery everyone is busy. You have a mind and you have a job, cleaning, cooking, teaching, and spreading the Dharma all over the world. At Chung Tai we’ve always been given a schedule, so the mind is always going toward something constructive to help people. Likewise, I tell my students from the beginning they need to be accountable and responsible. I don’t take laziness. If they don’t have this understanding, they won’t be happy in the class. I prep for you and you need to prep for me as well. These values must be part of the educational process.

At Buddha Gate, there is a lot of love in the way the Dharma is taught. It’s not forced upon you. There is no judgment. The Abbess understands. After all, she’s a Master and we are students. She smiles. It’s remarkable.

7. When someone unfamiliar with Buddhism visits Buddha Gate and asks about the statues and prostration, what do you say to them?

I have explained to my relatives who have come to visit Buddha Gate that the statues are just made of rock and are representations. The Buddha statue here is just jade. Buddha is not a god, but a teacher. It is not about bowing to any body but it’s showing our respect to our teacher, the Enlightened One. Prostrations are essentially about humbling one’s ego to be able to go inward.

8.  What is your role in the Dharma Support Society? How does this organization support the work of Buddha Gate Monastery?

I’d like to do more as Vice President of the Dharma Support Society.  This organization takes the message to the public by visiting patients at the hospital/hospice, participating at certain activities in the neighborhood, and attending inner-faith meetings.  We commit to a certain amount in annual donations. I help provide for paper products. I also cook. Last week, I cooked for five days. I want to give the Dharma Masters a chance to try something different.

I want to continue my journey as a Buddhist by being a part of Buddha Gate, attending ceremonies and sutra studies, meditation and dharma sessions. I hope that through my actions as a Buddhist, I can influence people in positive ways. My goal is to be a compassionate person.