The Zen of Trauma

what. Whether we are feeling good that day or bad, we still engage in the "meaningful" act, thus making it even more meaningful since we have invested in it.

   Storytelling: spinning silk from cobwebs. Because words are precious and potent, the act of storytelling is an integral part of recovery. It accomplishes many things, but two are relevant to our discussion. First, storytelling is a way of organizing the things we have learned from our experience. The reflection that is part of the storytelling process enables us to discover our wisdom. Second, storytelling enables the naming of things.
    When we name things, acts, thoughts, feelings...we begin to take dominion over them. It is rather like the story of God telling Adam to go out in the world and name all the creatures. In this way, God is telling Adam that names have power, a concept repeated throughout biblical history. After all, the original Hebrew tribesmen were not allowed to speak God's name, and in fact, the name itself was considered "ineffable." God was jealous, indeed, and did not want His power tampered with. You see, as we name things, they become more defined, more accessible, and more commonplace. Therefore, what this comes to is that storytelling, the weaving of words reflecting a terrifying past and repeating them to others, keeps the memory alive, relevant, and in control. We speak for all survivors, all people, when we tell our stories.

   Walking and Talking. One area that is very important is our re-awaking to the beauty that surrounds us. Many survivors can appreciate the concept of "beauty" as a core symbol of the value of life. Being out of balance is often understood as numbness to the natural beauty that surrounds us. Walks, with special effort to create an awareness of the simple, but beautiful, things that surround us, are useful in this regard. Often this activity allows us an opportunity to explore and discuss our numbness as well as our awareness of the violence we have endured.
     
     
    Simplicity, Patience, and Compassion.
    Lao-tsu, the author of the Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way), said he had "just three things to teach: Simplicity, Patience, and Compassion". He refers to them as treasures, and indeed, they are. When we create simplicity in our lives, we live deliberately, we lose the sense that we must rush to our next thought or appoin tment, and as we do, we are better able to see the world and our place in it. To live with patience we come into accord with the way things are. When we possess compassion, we are able to reconcile all beings in the world .

   If there were three aspects of life that I would like to model within myself, it is these three. Our lives have become so filled with complexity, speed, and intolerance, that we are no longer able, let alone willing, to stop and reflect on what it is we are doing, why we are doing it, and how it is affecting those around us. This is no way to run a civilization...or maybe it is...if we wish to self-destruct.

   Our future and our past are with us now through the choices we have made and the goals we have envisioned. Time is not linear in this view; rather, time folds in on itself so that we become our grandfathers and our children simultaneously in the moment of our birth and every moment thereafter. It is within us to live well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
About the author:
     
    Rev. Dr. Harvey Daiho Hilbert-roshi, as a 19 year old combat infantry solder in Vietnam was shot in the head.  He survived to complete an MSSA and PhD in S ocial W ork at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. Daiho spent nearly thirty years in clinical practice with survivors of trauma. He began the formal study of Zen in 1998, became a disciple of his teacher in 1999, and was ordained as a Zen priest in 2000.  In 2005 he was given Dharma transmission and founded the Order of Clear Mind Zen.

Readers may contact him through his Order’s website at www.clearmindzen.org
Suggested Readings
    Pastoral Care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder , Dalene Fuller Rogers
    The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh
    Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki-roshi
    At Hell’s Gate, Claude Anshin Thomas
    Opening the Hand of Thought, Uchiyama-roshi
    How to Cook Your Life , Uchiyama-roshi
    Instructions to the Cook , Glassman & Fields
    Bearing Witness , Bernie Glassman
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