One of the most difficult pieces of teaching I ever heard came from Zen master Seung Sahn. He used to teach to big audiences that “a bad situation is a good situation, and a good situation is a bad situation.” At the time I was still trying to survive the loss of a very important person in my life so this teaching was at first shocking and difficult to understand.
Zen Master Seung Sahn
A few months ago, when I was writing from El Salvador requesting disaster relief after the floods had destroyed 85% of the crops in the country, I thought again about that moment and the deeper meaning of that teaching. At the time I felt the urgency of getting the world to pay attention to the struggles of this small country, and I was requesting help to alleviate the suffering I was witnessing in the communities around us.
As time passed I was witnessing not only scenes of destruction and difficulty, but also many moments of great love, courage and compassion. I was inspired by my Salvadoran friends, but also from colleagues like Diane Dreher who alerted her friends about the situation using social media. The Jesuit community at Santa Clara University made a big donation and Mick McCarthy, S.J. personally brought a suitcase filled with medicine to us when we most needed it. My students also reacted strongly. Laura Snowden got her church involved. She wrote: “In an effort of solidarity and support, my fellow Casa students and I reached out to communities back home for funds to assist the communities we have grown to love so much. My church back home in Seattle was extremely supportive and responsive to the call for help. After reaching out to the youth ministers, high school and middle students decided to come together and do a coin drive and sell gift items at the church bazaar to raise a total of $167 in support of those suffering in Bajo Lempa. Their efforts and willingness to stand in solidarity with those half way around the world is truly humbling and inspiring.”
Laura Snowden
Thanks to your courage and generosity, Programa Velasco (www.programavelasco.org) received enough donations to be able to make a difference in one of the most affected areas of the country, the Bajo Lempa.
A bad situation can be devastating and, at times, destroy our humanity and even our lives. At other times, however, it can be a catalyst for action that goes beyond our ego-centered mind. What Zen master Seung Sahn was alerting us to was the possibility of recognizing the seeds of compassion and direct action in the midst of a difficult situation. I saw terrible loss and suffering during the month of October and November, but I also saw what human beings can do when we get together and find common meaning and inspiration. There was a wave of awakening on the part of many people that helped. Little by little, moment by moment, we took care of families, children and businesses. Can you transform a crisis into an opportunity? Can we transform a bad situation, through solidarity and direct action, into a good situation?
A meditation: What is the meaning of a ‘bad situation’? When was the last time you went through a bad situation? Did you transform it through understanding and direct action? Take a few minutes to reflect on that moment. Write a story about a ‘bad situation’ and the struggle to transform that moment of crisis into an opportunity.
Juan