Roshi opened his talk this week by sharing his reaction to the video the sangha watched last week titled “Ma: Space/Time in the Garden of Ryoan-Ji”   

 

Being an abbot in Japan for over twenty years, Roshi visited Ryoan-Ji temple many times.  He wondered out loud why watching the video would produce a stronger impact than actually being there in person.  Roshi described a memory the video triggered in him of a dream long ago where he is asking his teacher about the nature of life.  Ban Roshi responds in the dream by saying that all life is a dream.  

 

This venerable teacher was trying to convey that our whole life is nothing but imagination!  This is why Roshi could have such a strong reaction to a video.  It all comes down to how the mind reacts at any given moment.  In that moment last week, Roshi’s imagination produced a stronger experience than his senses gave him years ago when he was at Ryoan-Ji temple.

 

We think that the imagination is only for artists – but is this really true?  In a very real way, we are all the artists of our own life.  Everything we experience is filtered through our imagination.  This is why Buddhism does not talk about our senses, but rather our sense consciousnesses.   Everything we experience is filtered through our conditioning.  As such, each individual has a constructed identity and reality.  This is a great insight of Buddhism and why we spend so much time practicing.  Once we have mastered our mind and ego, we can start imagining a life free from suffering.  We write the story of our life, and in a major way, we can pick how that story progresses!      

 

Roshi cautioned us, however, that the ego tends to comes in and assert that its imagined reality is the “absolute truth.”  As each individual constructs their own reality based on prior karma and conditioning, there will be disagreements between people.  Disagreement seems to be the nature of our species.  These disagreements are a major source of suffering both between individuals and between nations.  Again, our practice is learning to see this clearly and not get trapped by it.  

 

Roshi then asked the group that if everything is in the imagination is there any absolute reality.  As we practice, we realize that the answer is YES to both.  Yes, there is our relative constructions and yes, there is absolute existence.  How we reconcile these is what we discover through diligent practice.  Roshi stopped here and emphasized that we have to have the imagination to hold these conflicting ideas in our head at the same time.  

 

Roshi next mentioned that ultimately the job of our imagination is connection to ideas and people.  This is why compassion and empathy play such a large role in our tradition.  When someone tells you about their life, how can you really understand?  You see the world through your own constructions.  The cultivation of empathy allows you to imagine what the other person must be experiencing and feeling.  Developing the skill of imagination allows you to open your heart and mind to others and make these very necessary connections.  It also reminds you that your “truth” is not absolute reality.  

 

Roshi wrapped up by saying that artists have imaginations which allow them to create great works.  However, these works would be impotent if others did not have the necessary imagination to appreciate and connect to the artist’s reality.  Imagination is the great power of our existence.  When fully developed it can liberate us from the suffering of our delusions.