Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Seeing the delusion of negative self-talk clearly, then having tools that support us in returning to and remembering Love, leads to liberation.

Seeing the delusion of othering clearly, then having tools and practices to undo the structures and collective forms that are born out of this distortion, allows us to create new collective forms that are reflections of truth.

Through new forms we more freely return to a collective experience of Love.

This is true of any distorted views that lead to domination. As the writer and activist bell hooks reminds us, “The practice of love is the most powerful antidote to the politics of domination.”

You can only dominate something you see as other than you: domination of the earth, domination over women in the structure of patriarchy, domination of people with disabilities, domination of children. Domination arises out of othering but wears a dirtier outfit. All distortions have the potential to lead to domination. All distortions represent a felt sense of separateness taking form.

We must begin by seeing the distortion. Then we can be creative, forming pathways that return us to Love, to the truth of our shared being. In the same way that at the monastery I learned that I could consciously choose the tools I’d been given rather than feeling completely victimized by the voice in my head, we can collectively turn to the remembrance of the truth of our shared being. As a practice, we can return.

The path to truth is Love.

What truth is found?

Love.’ (The Heart Of Who We Are)