Good sees Good, and Evil
Zen Lessons 2026 5 17
My new-ish phone seems incapable of taking photos of what I see… the scene above with the rich new grain and the perky, pink fleabane here and there was quite nice on its own without the tech saturating the greens of the field and the blue of the sky. The world as it is never is good enough for the people that make this stuff. So i tweaked it in a way to make the tweaking obvious.
On an entirely other note, the wars and the coming wars, as well as the battle for political representation and transparency, is one enormous effort. I try to stay focused on democracy here and the war against Ukraine and Europe. Just this, plus work, home, and garden, tops me out. Even so I find myself lost at times.
I saw the other day that Ezra Klein interviewed Pema Chodran. My first reaction was “good lord, no”, as Klein seems to be on an extended project of using his prominence to meet people to make himself feel better. When I write “find myself lost at times” that is just true. I do not know what to do about this world on fire. But my training does not point me towards “inner work” that soothes. Which seems to be what Klein is shopping for.
During the week I keep to my routine: sitting meditation, then sword meditation, then exercise and a run or a bike ride. I work a lot, most of the time I help people, but sometimes I fall short. I keep in touch with my sons and my friends. I garden a little, mostly setting up for the weekend effort. That’s about it. Too much reading, probably. And we hang out at home a lot, which I enjoy.
I do reflect on the evil that besets us, the radicalized ignorance of the truth of how we are all interwoven with each other and ignoring the harm that is scaling up through the environment and throughout society. Ignoring, believing what is false, that is the trouble. I have little to offer here, only this: Each of us has a “deeply secret life” that is ours to be true to. If only this were easier.
We are beset by powerful, almost infinitely rich men who are intent on accelerating change and eroding the institutions and the cultural practices that we created and that sustain us. Faced with such dark flexes of power, some of us pull back into wooly spirituality, others become radicalized, or cynical. Zen is not some sort bliss. It is the practices that help us stay engaged in the world as it is. What I do most days can be seen: it is that “deeply secret life” in the bright transaparency of daytime.
1. “To see good, be good.” But the good sees evil, too. and suffering. Evil suffers and does not see good, and does not see suffering. This is true, but not always, cause nothing is always. 2. A nun named Yuxin asked Zhaozhou “What is the ‘deeply secret mind’?” The formidable master squeezed her hand. She asked, “Do you still have this?” He answered, “You are the one that has this.” One day each of us will see where evil goes for nourishment. War is coming to us, Evil is coming for the good, or so it appears. But evil cannot see the good, only trample it blindly, in panic, and fear.