“Holding History”
On a recent trip to Coney Island, I participated in a Zen Buddhist Ceremony where my teacher, Rev. Daiken Nelson, was being honored as a Zen Roshi. Roshi is roughly translated into English as “Old” or “Venerable Master.” It took place in front of the Nathan’s Hotdog stand on the boardwalk, right before the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. This particular spot was chosen as a way to hold history. Rev. Daiken studied with a teacher who was born in Brighton Beach, and who did this exact ceremony at this exact spot 40 years earlier. The chosen location was a way to hold that history with reverence and appreciation. As the seagulls flew by, and people walked by on the boardwalk: some eating, some speaking in Russian, some talking on the phone, I found myself wondering about all of the histories of these individuals who were passing by this nod to history in Zen practice. Our histories intersect and meet one another.
One of the greatest and most unexpected parts of the ceremony was when I was given a clown nose. And one by one each person who came for this ritual was given a clown nose to put on. This was a nod to Bernie Glassman, the teacher born in Brighton Beach, who learned clowning from a clown who visited children in refugee camps. After that experience, Bernie would keep a red clown nose in his pocket, and when he felt things were getting too serious, he would put it on for everyone to see to lighten the mood. We each put on the red clown nose to evoke his spirit.
A simple gesture can evoke the spirit of those who have come before us. Actually, I think every gesture, every movement is a way that we literally hold history: each movement of ours is only possible by the lives of those who came before us. Our parents, our teachers, our loved ones and friends influence who we are, who we become in ways that are sometimes very subtle, sometimes quite overt, but always powerful.
One of my favorite words is “honor.” I think we live into what is true and worthwhile when we choose to honor our experience, when we choose to honor people, when we choose to honor history. I’m looking forward to the ways that we can choose to honor history at UUYO. You don’t need to be a history buff to do this, but it can help. It’s important to know where we came from, how our institutions came to exist, and what we may do to transmit what was good and worthwhile in their endeavors. We get to live them out. Our living makes values real, it makes aspiration a reality, and it makes love part of flesh and blood existence. There are endless ways we can do that, and here at UUYO, we get the chance to explore our way to transmit the possibility of love on earth, paradise in our own backyard. We get the opportunity to come fully alive to history, and in so doing, become fully alive ourselves. We get the opportunity to honor what has been done, so that we can transit what is good, and what could be better.
Holding history is honoring tradition while seeing ways we can adapt to be more just and whole. As we approach the holiday season, we have a chance to honor what has been done by committing ourselves to just action and wholeness for all peoples. This is possible, and worth living into. At UUYO, we help make that a reality. I’m so grateful for all of you who support this community through your efforts, your finances, and your spirit of courage and steadfastness. As we embark upon the month of November together, let us seek out opportunities to honor history that promotes well being and liberation for all.