Pema Chodron, "On Groundlessness"

Summary by Frank Strong

“No Right, No Wrong” is an article that could easily be
considered controversial. Pema Chodron attempts to display the
meaning of “don’t know mind,” a Zen Buddhism tradition. Chodron
claims that the bodhisattva vow involves not claiming to know what is
“right” and what is “wrong.”

Chodron uses her spiritual teacher, Trunpa Ripoche, as an example of
not creating ideas of right and wrong. She describes Ripoche as a
teacher who, in the midst of comfort, created chaos. He was a teacher
who would insult his students, Chodron included. She rationalizes
this behavior with the claim that it pointed out what her buttons
were. Since the bodhisattva aims to do away with anger, hatred and
repulsion, Chodron finds it necessary to be able to withstand
experiences like insults and abuse without judging whether it is right
or wrong. She even tells a story about a fellow practitioner whose
teacher made sexual advances upon the student. Chodron tried to tell
the woman that her anger and complaints were tied up in the idea of
revenge and aggression. She did not, however, explain what the
appropriate response should have been.

I do like Chodron’s idea that Buddhist practitioners should not
expect their spiritual journey to be soft and comfortable. The world
is full of suffering, which is the Buddha’s first Noble Truth.
Therefore, the practitioner needs to learn how to calm the anger and
aggression within. Buddhists need to realize their weak points and
work on them through meditation. In this way, Chodron’s expression
of “No Right, No Wrong” is very illuminating.