Rev. Morris Doshin SullivanSensei, Volusia Buddhist Fellowship
I have been in a position of spiritual leadership for about 20 years now, in one capacity or another. During those decades, I have seen periods when there was a lot of fear, anger, uncertainty and confusion—we have gone through wars, hurricanes, pandemics and political upheavals. This election season is one of those emotionally charged times. I’ve been asked to speak to several groups (and countless individuals) seeking some balance and peace of mind amid the turbulence surrounding election day.
Meanwhile, I have been studying The Book of Joy with a couple of different groups, the Buddhist studies group that meets with me online and a practice group at the UU church I attend here in Massachusetts.
The book recounts a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu and their discussion of the pillars of deep spiritual joy. The Dalai Lama, as you probably know, is the political and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people; he is prominent worldwide because of his nonviolent opposition to China’s occupation of Tibet. Archbishop Tutu (1931-2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian; he was probably best known for his anti-apartheid and human rights activism.
While preparing for one of these meetings, I noticed a passage I had underlined. It’s a quote from Archbishop Tutu talking about a time in the past when the Dalai Lama wanted to visit South Africa. The country’s government had denied the Dalai Lama a visa, because the country’s leadership worried that it might threaten their economic relationship with China.
“I asked (the Dalai Lama) ‘How many divisions do you have in your army?” Tutu said. “Why is China scared of you?'” Of course, the Dalai Lama has no army. Bishop Tutu continues: “…maybe they are right–a spiritual leader is something that should be taken very seriously. We hope that God’s world will become a better place, more hospitable to goodness, more hospitable to compassion, more hospitable to generosity, more hospitable to living together so we don’t have what is happening between Russia and the Ukraine, or what is happening with ISIS…(etc.) They make God weep.” (The Book of Joy, p. 22)
Both the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu have endured and led many others through times of great suffering. And while they represent different religious traditions, each recognizes the power of the most universal spiritual values, and each acknowledges that Oneness that transcends labels like “Buddhist” and “Christian.”
Rev. Tutu uses the phrase “spiritual leader” in that statement. If you’re not ordained or don’t hold a title or official position in a religious organization, you may not think of yourself as a spiritual leader. However, the minister at the UU church I mentioned introduced me to a concept that I find more and more profound: the idea of shared ministry. It’s great when a community has a good leader. But a sangha is even stronger when its members all share responsibility for its mission. A healthy spiritual community is our best protection from the things we fear. If we base our communities on those formidable defenses against oppression—on goodness, on compassion, on generosity, on Oneness—we will be okay. As we navigate election day and whatever follows, I hope we will remind ourselves to return to that.