The Gift of Silence

When I attended Mass this morning, I thought of my last Blog, 'The Time for Words is Over'.

Before Mass, we usually sit in silence, waiting for the service to begin. I find the silence almost tangible as it wraps itself around me, providing a helpful space as I prepare for the liturgy that is about to gather us into its timeless action. However, some people seem unable to cope with the stillness. They have a compulsive need to talk! Recently, a person, irritated by the intrusion of chatter, dared to say in a loud voice, “Silence Please!”. The building almost sighed with relief.

There are no doubt many reasons why people feel uncomfortable with silence. We live in a noisy world. The sound of TV, radio, music app, or phone, and even the neighbour's lawnmower, continually surround us. We have forgotten or perhaps have never learnt, to appreciate the gift of silence.

An old Quaker saying is "Do not speak unless you can improve upon the silence."  Quakers are a group of people who have learnt the power of silence. One Quaker, Brent Bill, describes his awakening to the gift of silence in his book 'Holy Silence'. The moment occurred during one of their Sunday meetings. There was the usual chatter as people arrived and settled down as the meeting began. Slowly, as the exterior sounds dropped away, Brent was left with his internal chatter. All the random images and words that so readily fill our minds when the events of everyday life no longer demand our attention. Gradually, this too settled, and he was dropped into a well of holy silence that guided him into the deep waters of his soul. That was when he became aware of the Divine presence deep inside him. This awareness changed his hour of silence. (2)

The Catholic Priest and Franciscan, Richard Rohr, once said:

We cannot attain the Divine Presence

because we are already totally in the Divine Presence.

What's absent is awareness. (3)

When this happens, the American priest, Barbara Brown Taylor suggests, we will feel 'grasped by beauty, gratitude, awe, wonder, love, hope, joy and a sense of peace'.(4) Isn't that something we all long to experience?

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga 

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey

Phil

1. https://www.elitedaily.com/p/why-silence-is-so-uncomfortable-heres-how-to-get-more-comfortable-with-quiet-moments-8762651

2. Brent Bill, J, Holy Silence – The Gift of Quaker Spirituality, Paraclete, 2005.

3. Rohr, R, Loving the Presence in the Present, https://cac.org/loving-the-presence-in-the-present-2015-12-29/

4. Taylor, Barbara Brown, An Altar of the World., A Geography of Faith, Harper One, 2010.

The Time for Words is Over.

Recently, I had three opportunities to explore Pope Francis latest Encyclical, Fratelli tutti. The Latin literally means 'All men' although the encyclical is more inclusive and refers to “all brothers and sisters”. The phrase comes from the writings of Saint Francis of Assisi who sowed seeds of peace and walked alongside the poor, the abandoned, the infirm and the outcast; the least of his brothers and sisters.

Each meeting I attended, used a different study guide to help us weave our way through the Pope's discussion, on the social and economic problems facing our world. In essence, Pope Francis applies Jesus statement: 'Treat others the same way you would like to be treated ' (Luke 6:31) to all of these situations in his 43,000-word document.

While in principle, I support Pope Francis' Encyclical, yet I felt swamped by the volume of words – which reflects my struggle with other areas of the Church. Ever since the Church's formal beginnings on the Day of Pentecost, Christianity has become obsessed with words! I know this from first-hand experience.

I grew up up in a Christian home. I learnt to read the Bible at an early age and was rewarded from memorizing Bible verses. During my life, I have done 6 years of formal theological study. I've read countless books on God, Jesus and Christianity. I have heard (and given as an Anglican Priest) more sermons to last me a lifetime – and few were memorable. Why are we as Church so fixated on words?

As a counsellor, I soon learnt when a person talks non stop, they are often covering up something. It might be their nervousness or anxiety, their fears or pain. They may have Asperger's-type disorders, or even trying to please the person they are talking to. Sometimes they may be struggling with other mental-emotional disorders. Narcissists, for example, think that what they have to say is very important and entertaining – even if no one else thinks so. I am not sure whether any of these conditions apply to the Christian Church? Yet what I long for– what my soul-centre hungers for– is to be awakened and nurtured by the eternal love and mystery of God. In that eternal embrace, words are no longer needed.

My one-time Buddhist teacher, Tarchin Hearn once said:

A great breakthrough in meditation practice comes
when the practitioner finally discovers that there is nothing to do,
except be present. In this state, there is a calm serenity.
This is the quality of detached abiding. (1)

This is true for our us in our contemplative practice as well. peace and serenity will naturally arise in us when we finally understand there is nothing for us to do, nothing for us to say, except learn to rest in the Divine mystery and presence of God.

Rainer Maria Rilke once offered us a glimpse of what it means to live within this Divine embrace and the implication it will have on us and our relationships:

We will sense you like a fragrance from a nearby garden
and watch you move through our days like a shaft of sunlight.
We will not be herded into churches, for you are not made by the crowd,
you who meet us in our solitude.
We are cradled close in your hands –
and lavishly flung forth. (2)

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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1 Dyer, P, Spacious, Clear & Unimpeded... Tawera Press, 2003 p. 23.

2.Rilke, R.M.,'Book of Hours: Love Poems to God' (II, 26).

Jesus and Buddha

In my recent blogs, I mentioned several similarities between the writing of St Teresa of Avila and Buddhism. Now as I prepare to celebrate Christmas once again, I thought it appropriate to list some of the many similarities I have noticed between Jesus of Nazareth and Gautama the Buddha. I find this life-giving because I believe Truth is always larger than the words and stories we use to express our faith.

Both Jesus and Gautama came from a royal lineage. Gautama's father was king Śuddhodana and Jesus belonged to the royal line of King David. While both men gave up any claim to their royal titles, later traditions have remembered them. Early in their lives, around the age of 30, both men experienced a significant awakening. One so profound it permanently changed the direction of their life. For Buddha it occurred under the Bo (or Bodhi) tree; for Jesus, it was while being baptised by his cousin John the Baptist and confirmed for him during his solitude in the wilderness. Both men began their public ministry soon after their 'awakening' which led to separate renewal movements within their religion.

We find a similarity again in both Jesus and Gautama's ethical teachings. For example, both teachers shared similar wisdom on how people could recentre themselves and experience inner liberation. One that provided them with a new way of being, seeing, and living. Both taught a similar subversive wisdom that challenged the conventional ways of thinking and believing. One that invited us to live more compassionately towards all of life; of letting go of one's ego. For example, Jesus saying:"If anyone wants to follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me"relates closely to Buddha's teaching on"Non -clinging awareness". And both understood the evidence of this inner transformation will result in a more compassionate lifestyle, even towards one's enemies.

Both used parallel concepts such as 'dying to self'' and 'new birth' (Jesus), or 'letting go' and 'awakening' (Buddha). Both understood that this new ethic would involve living life open-handedly; dependent upon the generosity of others; and would help them to understand their interconnection with all life, as well as their human vulnerability and dependency on others.

Neither teacher wrote down a single word, but both used a similar method of teaching that included many comparable images and metaphors as they sought to transform society by changing the heart and mind of their followers. For example, in 1894 Paul Carus published over fifty Gospel parallels with the Buddhist stories and sutras.1 More recently Marcus Borg laid out 100 such parallel sayings taken from a wide range of Buddhist texts and the Christian Gospels.2

While neither teacher wished to found a new religion, they both gave rise to a new religion – Buddhism and Christianity. And both religions soon regard their respective founder as a human-divine being, expressed in similar mythic or metaphoric stories, such as the place and nature of their virgin birth; the visitation of royal witnesses; their amazing childhood wisdom; being tempted by a devil at the beginning of their ministries which was accompanied by miracles.

Gautama and Jesus also have their differences that include three pivotal differences between their teachings. While both saw the established religious systems were failing, Jesus worked within his religious tradition; he was born and died a Jew. While Gautama used a similar vocabulary to the Hindus, he chose to work outside the Hindu cast system and also denied its relevance towards reaching salvation. Nor did Gautama ever commented on the existence of God. For him, salvation is gained through right teaching, right understanding and right action as spelt our in the Eight-Fold Path.

I find it easier to summarize Gautama's teaching as found in the Four Noble Truths and Eight Fold Path. Perhaps that is because Gautama taught for almost 50 years compared to Jesus' 1-3 year ministry. However, in many ways, the Jesus of history was a much more radical social prophet than the Buddha. This was the primary reason he was crucified. He challenged the political and religious leaders of his day to the point where he could no longer be ignored. However, little did his opponents realise they had started a fire they could never quench.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

__________________

1. The Gospel of Buddha, Compiled from Ancient Sources. Available at http://www.mountainman.com.au/buddha/.

2. Jesus & Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, CA: Ulysses. 2004

Bliss & Struggle: Is it worth it?

In my last blog, I mentioned how both St Teresa and Buddhism stressed the importance of Wisdom and Compassion in a mature and balanced spiritual practice. These two roles remind us that we live in a real-world that includes other people. Wisdom and Compassion offer a way to channel our spiritual energy, released by a mature and focused spiritual practice. They also remind us that while we may enjoy moments of bliss in our meditation or prayer practise, they raise two dangers. The first is to seek these experiences. The second is to regard them as signs of spiritual growth and maturity. Rather than a gift we may (or may not) receive to encourage us to persevere in our spiritual practice.

I remember, for example, as a young university student, of recounting a recent awakening experience to my spiritual director. I felt he might be impressed by my Spiritual growth and maturity! He replied that "It was no more than a little grace God gave to encourage me. Accept it as such, and be thankful for it, then let it go". At the time, I felt a bit shattered by his lack of enthusiasm. In retrospect, I was naively misinterpreting an experience as a sign of spiritual growth and maturity.

Lama Surya Das offered similar wisdom; and so did St Teresa. Surya Das tells us not to get caught up in such experiences. They may be valid, or they may be just a projection of our desires. Let them go and move on because "The genuine lessons we learn, stay with us, but the special effects will quickly disappear." 1

I mention this because if your commitment to growing a spiritual practice (whether it be Buddhist or Christian), is not to be taken lightly. You will have times when you will need all the encouragement these 'pleasant' moments may offer. This is because the next step on our inner journey will inevitably involve a decisive self-surrender. The Dalai Lama referred to it in this Prayer of Dedication:

"May I become at all times, now and forever:
A Protector for those without protection,
A Guide for those who have lost their way,
A Ship for those with oceans to cross,
A Bridge for those who have rivers to cross,
A Sanctuary for those in danger,
A Lamp for those without light,
A Place of Refuge for those who lack shelter,
And a Servant to all in need." 2

While the sentiment of this Prayer of Dedication may sound inspiriting, St Teresa reminds us it will involve a progressive death of our ego - a dying to self – or A' laying down of our life' as Jesus mentioned in the John 5:13. Both Jesus, Buddha and Teresa acknowledged that this will cause us pain. However, they assures us, we will discover the simplicity and inner stillness for which our souls long. I will say more about this in my next blog.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

_________

1 Lama Surya Das, Awakening to the Sacred, Harmony,2007, p 61.

2 Hearn (2007) Daily Puja, "Prayer of Dedication" by His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama, p 40.

St Teresa and the Buddha help us to meditate and pray.

When we sit to meditate or pray, I am sure you too struggle to keep your mind focused on what you are doing. The Buddhist Retreat I attended gave us several ways to help train our minds to deal with what is commonly known as 'Wandering Thoughts'!

One suggestion I found helpful was to first find a comfortable place, free of interruptions. Then to begin by focusing on our breathing body. When distracted, to note the sense organ (or door) through which the distraction entered our being. For example, while I was sitting quietly, breathing, a bird in a nearby tree burst into song. I had a choice. I could stay focused on my breathing, or I could enjoy the bird song. As lovely as that moment would be, our inventive minds need training. Instead of identifying the distraction, we were asked to note the sense organ (or door) through which the distraction came. 'Hearing' would be the one I used in the above example. The other sense doors would be 'looking', 'smelling', 'tasting'.'thinking' or 'feeling''. We were also asked to keep repeating the name of the sense door through which the distraction came until we had re-centred our attention on our breathing. This will make more sense and is easier to do with practise.

The reason we name the activity of our mind is that it will calm our wayward thoughts and at the same time identify the things that distract our attention. It will also help to slowly change our attitude and our perception of the world in which we live – a key reason for engaging in a meditation practice.

What I found interesting, is both St Teresa of Avila and Buddhism encouraged us to become aware of our feelings and experiences and to name them. They also both advised us not to cling to our feelings because they are transient. While the good and pleasurable ones will delight us, and the difficult and unpleasant ones will challenge us, both will pass away. Nothing ever stays the same. We are to enjoy the the pleasurable experiences and learn from the difficult ones - then move on.

The reason both Buddhism and St Teresa encourage us to do this is that we will have times when life is difficult and challenging to the extreme. We may find these situations take everything we have to offer. We may be tempted to give up our spiritual practice because it causes more confusion than it solves. We may even cease to know what to say or how to pray or why we meditate.

Teresa used the metaphor of a silkworm to help us understand such times. She reminded us that in its life-cycle, there comes a time when the caterpillar has to spin a cocoon around itself and wait in hidden silence because all effort has become pointless. She suggested when prayer, God and/or meditation no longer make sense, “we are in fact spinning a cocoon around ourselves”. Buddhism uses different words to describe a similar wisdom. It recognises a time will come when we discover our mind and our identity, key human qualities we regarded as essential to our identity, actually have no substance. Our mind is like the open sky in which thoughts are no more than clouds that arise and pass away.

When this happens, both Teresa and Buddhism encouraged us to have patience and wait – in the cocoon of our re-formation – because this time will pass. Nothing ever stays the same. During this time of waiting both traditions encourage us to refocus our attention on doing something for others. Teresa, for example, suggested while we may doubt existence of God, there is still one thing we can be sure of, and that is offering help to another person. The more we do this, Teresa suggested, the more we will re-discover the love of God.

Buddhism uses different words but refers to a similar wisdom and compassion:

However innumerable beings are, I vow to meet them with kindness and interest.
However inexhaustible the states of suffering are, I vow to touch them with patience and love.
However immeasurable the Dharmas are, I vow to explore them deeply.
However incomparable the mystery of interbeing, I vow to surrender to it freely.
From this day forth, with Wisdom and Compassion as my lamp and staff,
I dedicate all my life energies to the welfare of all beings. ⁽¹⁾

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

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(1) Taken from “A Daily Puja”, Wangapeka Books,available at https://greendharmatreasury.org/

Was St Teresa of Avila a Buddhist?

When I began my 3-month Study Leave Retreat, I choose to take St Teresa of Avila's book, The Interior Castle as my retreat companion. This was because others had also discovered both Teresa and the Buddhist traditions appeared to share a similar well of wisdom while guiding us along two parallel spiritual paths. So, while attending the daily classes and focusing on the work of the 3-month retreat, on the one hand, I also slowly read through Teresa's Interior Castle.

Teresa presumably had no knowledge of Buddhist teaching. She also lived and wrote under the shadow of the Inquisition. Yet her book describes a seven-stage reflective progression of discovery that guides us how we can“enter within” and find God, in “the little heaven of our souls”. In this way, both The Interior Castle and the Anapanasati Sutra, begin with a similar goal in mind. Both seek to lead us on a practical path to spiritual awakening. By providing a series of directions that require us to engage in a process if we wish to make much sense of their instructions.

Both teachers begin with simple instruction. Teresa recommends we begin, by learning to enter into ourselves because our Interior Castle is already within us and enter through the door of 'prayer and meditation'. The Buddha recommends we sit under a forest tree, or in an empty hut, and mindfully begin focusing on our breathing. However, both traditions realise it won't be long before we discover we are easily distracted. The India Guru Ramakrishna suggests our mind is like a “tree full of monkeys, all chattering away”. And Teresa suggests, “As we enter the castle, we are liable to bring with us a whole host of other creatures with us” – our self-regarding habits and preoccupations that stop us from any kind of self-awareness. This is because the knowledge and experience we seek is not an intellectual one. It is a practical familiarity that comes with experience. Very similar to the knowledge we gain when we learn how to ride a bicycle or bake a loaf of bread.

The second thing both traditions recognise is that it is usually not long before the novelty of prayer and meditation begins to fade, and we discover first-hand that our enthusiasm to begin to meditate or pray is insufficient to hold us. It takes both discipline and will-power. However, both traditions recognise that if we are willing to put in the effort and time, we will be soon rewarded with many of the following discoveries:

“Increasing calm, clarity of mind and increasing absorption.
We may also notice our breathing will gradually slow down and settle”. (1)

Our inspiration to begin this inner journey and our willingness to persevere, not only results in a sense of increasing calm but also the willingness to learn detachment from the things we regard to be ours. These may be material possessions or the desires of our hearts or minds. This is not an easy lesson, but one that both Teresa and the Buddha recognised. In fact, they say it is a necessary requirement if we wish to advance very far into inner stillness. Part of this mystery of choosing the inner journey is that we need to discover first hand, that simply to have lived with ourselves does not mean we know ourselves. This form of knowing St Teresa suggests often comes through times of hardship, struggle, suffering, or loss. 

  

A corresponding lesson is also taught by the Buddha. All things are transient. Any hope we hold that is based on the transient nature of life will prove ill-founded. Even our physical breathing body, despite its wonder-full nature, will also pass away. Nothing exists in reality outside the present moment. The past and future are illusions. To cling to the past or grasp after what has not yet come can give neither peace nor security. To live in the awareness of this truth is to be able to rest in the “idea of spacious openness where things are rising and passing.”

 

The human body, at peace with itself, is more precious than the rarest gem.
Cherish your body - it is yours this time only.
The human form is won with difficulty, it is easy to lose.
All worldly things are brief, like lightning in the sky;
This life you must know as the tiny splash of a raindrop;
A thing of beauty that disappears even as it comes into being.
Therefore set your goal; make use of every day and night
To achieve it.”(2) 

 

To return to my opening question, 'Was St Teresa of Ávila a Buddhist?' The answer of course is 'No'. However, as I continue this Blog reflection you will discover there is a similarity of imagery and methodology that gives the impression, to use a Teresian metaphor, of drawing from the same inspirational well.

To be continued.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

________________

1. Tarchin Hearn, Satipatthana, Available at https://greendharmatreasury.org/

2. Tsongkhapa: from: ‘Readings From The Refuge Tree of the Western Buddhist Order', Available from https://aucklandbuddhistcentre.org/event/buddha-day-may-15

Learning to Meditate using our Five Physical Senses

In my last blog, I discussed how using our breath is a simple and natural way to meditate. I found the more I used this simple technique, the easier it became. Furthermore, it is the basis of many forms of meditation.

Why is meditation important? There are many answers, but one reason is based on the Buddhist concept shin'en – translated as “heart/mind-monkey”. It refers to the restless free-flowing uncontrollable thoughts that run through our minds, holding us hostage and leading us down the path of unproductive fear, anxiety, and negativity. I am sure you will know what I mean! Learning to calm and control our mind is the most important step we can take to experience the inner peace a meditation practice can bring us. For this reason, breathing meditation was the foundation of everything we learnt during our three-month retreat.

Having learnt to use our breath, to experience a degree of stillness, our next lesson was to mindfully use our 5 physical senses. Here, we were asked to practice focusing solely on the sensations we experience through each of our five physical senses, focusing on one sense-door at a time.

Buddhism recognises our five senses are entrances into our being. This means that each of our physical senses needs to be mindfully guarded because they continually feed our mind with new information. If you are like me, the monkey-mind loves to name, classify, think, remember, judge, and worry about many things. Usually, in never-ending circles, all relating to the past or to the future; robbing us of the gift of the present moment. The Christian monastic tradition has taught a similar practice called custody of the eyes, ears and thoughts. Both traditions recognise we so easily go astray unless firmly fixed on a goal.

We were encouraged to begin with our sense of sight. I found this the easiest, to begin with, as I re-learnt to look and see what was in front of me without naming what I saw. For example, our retreat day often began before daylight. 4 am found me struggling out of bed and heading for the electric jug for the first hot drink of the day. I then sat on the old couch on the front porch, sipping the tea quietly, as I watched the dawn slowly transform the night sky. Being so far away from civilization, the darkness of the night was absolute and the stars were brilliant. It was awe-inspiring watching night being transformed into daylight! Having spent time with the sense of sight, I moved to the sense of hearing as I listened to the sound of birds or animals breaking into the profound silence of the early morning. Again, without trying to name what I heard but simply enjoy the experience of the moment.

Later in the retreat, we were encouraged to use our other senses, as we explored the fragrances carried in the air; or experienced the rich flavours of the food we ate; or the subtleties of sensation caused by the things we touched or walked on. I found all these explorations could not be rushed if I wanted to delight in the rich sensations our five physical senses have to offer.

Whenever we discovered our mind had wandered off into thinking, or dreaming, or worrying about all the inconsequential things that so readily crowd in upon us, we were asked to return to the sensation of our breathing. Then having re-established our still centre, to continue with our sensory meditation and inquiry.

This simple and engaging exercise can also be used when taking a meditation walk, for example, or as a mindfulness exercise when eating a meal, or while lying in bed, awaiting sleep.

I still work at developing these skills because they contain deep wisdom. The more proficient I become, the greater is my ability to live spaciously and with greater clarity. This, in turn, enables me to view life more objectively, and respond with greater awareness, with more skilful wisdom, and to treat others with more easily non-clinging compassion. It also helps me to enter more freely into the profound mystery of knowing God.

To be continued in my next Blog.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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Adapted from my book, Pathways to the Fountain: A Christian-Buddhist Exploration, Tawera Press, 2015