Thomas Merton: Union and Division

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord."

If you read these posts, and think perhaps, that the blog is misnamed, think carefully, look deeply, because the raft is not the shore. The way to enlightenment may be fast as Suzuki, or it may be slow; the simple mind sees in possibility. Revelation is ongoing in Buddhist commentary, as indeed it is in the oral Torah of Judaism, or in the Christ revealed. Thomas Merton, an important 20th century theologian, a member of the Catholic Christian sect, or order, the Cistercians, whose roots date back nearly a thousand years.

Thomas Merton was French, born in Prades, France. His parents, artists, Ruth and Owen Merton died when he was young. His early years were spent in the south of France; later, he went to private school in England and then to Cambridge University. By the time Merton was a young teen, he moved to his grandparents' home in the United States to finish his education at Columbia University in New York City.

Merton's active social and political conscience was also informed by his conversion to Catholic Christianity in his early twenties. In December 1941, he resigned his teaching post at Bonaventure College, Olean, NY, and journeyed to the Trappist (Cistercian) monastery, Abbey of Gethsemani, near Louisville, Kentucky.
There, Merton undertook the life of a scholar and man of letters, in addition to his formation as a Cistercian monk.

The thoroughly secular man was about to undertake a lifelong spiritual journey into faith and monasticism, and the pursuit of his own spirituality. His importance as a writer in the American literary tradition is becoming clear. His influence as a religious thinker and social critic is taking its place. His explorations of the religions of the east initiated Merton's entrance into inter-religious dialogue, placing him in worldwide ecumenical movements, in the spirit of Saint Peter (I Peter 3:15), "to give an explanation for the reason of our hope [that we may be as one]."
Excerpt from the website, Thomas Merton Society of Canada:

Union and Division

"In order to become myself, [my original face] I must cease to be what I always thought I wanted to be, and in order to find myself, I must go out of myself, and in order to live, I have to die [to myself].
The reason for this is that I am born in selfishness and therefore my natural efforts to make myself more real and more myself, make me less real and less myself, because they revolve around a lie."--Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

Merton writes in his book, New Seeds of Contemplation, that "people who know nothing of God, and whose lives are centered on themselves, imagine that they can find themselves by asserting their own desires and ambitions and appetites in a struggle with the rest of the world. They try to become real by imposing themselves on other people, by appropriating... and thus emphasizing the difference between themselves and the other men who have less than they, or nothing at all... they conceive of only one way of becoming real: cutting themselves off... and building a barrier of contrast and distinction... they do not know that reality is to be sought not in division, but in unity, for we are members of one another.'

"The man who lives in division is not a person but only an individual. I have what you have not; I am what you are not... thus I spend my life admiring the distance between you and me... The man who lives in division, lives in death.
He cannot find himself because he is lost; he ceases to be a reality...
Once he has started on this path, there is no limit to the evil his self satisfaction may drive him to..."

Finally Merton notes, the start of the Way for this man begins in emptiness; "I must look for my identity, somehow, not only in God, but in other men. I will not ever be able to find myself if I isolate myself." Co-union in support, in Sangha, is the beginning of the Way.

Dogen and the Teacher

"Perfectionists are never satisfied with who they are, or others but are always reaching for a goal and never enjoying the imperfect moment they're in." Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore writes in his book, The Soul's Religion, that one of the goals of the 'educated' is to become perfected, more complete, more whole in themselves. He writes that we must not forget for all the importance of spirit, that bodies are needed; spirits inhabit bodies and an everyday life is lived from them, but what will we, the spirit-body learn, and how will we learn so as to realize the "perfected self"?
In the everyday, complex world of science and technology, the role of pain, of trial and ordeal are seen as experiences to be eliminated, controlled, suppressed; yet Moore argues that these experiences, these moments are vital to a human education. It is experience, simple experience, finally and not intellectual achievement that will bring around a perfected soul, the one which is completed, whole and peaceful.

Zen master, Suzuki in quoting another, Dogen, goes on to say "you will be even the teacher of Shakyamuni Buddha." As bodies are souls whole and complete, we learn in the Dharmakaya that as Suzuki also repeats, 'when you realize Buddha nature, you are the teacher,' so then the best teacher is the one who does not teach, yet who leads, guides, experiences the lessons of his students, and his students experience the lessons of the teacher. In this way teaching is profound with benefit. It is a far and away from the experience, in which some have believed, that the teacher is the expert who pours knowledge into otherwise empty heads.

Thus as Thomas Moore notes from his own life experience, imperfection is a good and valued part of education, of both the student and the teacher. In the best moments of teaching, an alchemy or a deep moment of newness of creation, a mystery transpires between two or more persons engaged in this process of experience and perfection. "When a teacher evokes the deep process of imparting and learning subtle aspects of life's mysteries, the teaching goes on." And like any creative activity, teaching "happens best when a muse is present, initiating something far deeper" in the exchange.

Mahayana Love*

"The Dharmakaya of the Buddha is always present, always alive... Vairochana is made of light, peace, flowers, joy..." -- Cultivating the Mind of Love, by T.N. Hanh

Mahayana teachings as presented by Suzuki in his book, Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism, are complicated and simple; they're essential, and overlooked; it is central to understanding, and experience by practitioners of all stripes. Please study Suzuki a bit for yourself.
These small essays cannot cover this topic. Suzuki declares that we are all Bodhisattvas. As Shakyamuni was a Bodhisattva, so we are all destined to become Bodhisattvas, when, in a certain sense, we understand that we are all one in the Dharmakaya.

The Dharmakaya manifests in us as Bodhi (knowledge-intelligence). As soon as we come to live in this love and intelligence, individual existences are no hindrance to the "turning over" of one's spiritual merits to the service of others. Abandon, says Suzuki, "our selfish thoughts of entering into a Nirvana that is conceived to extinguish the fire of hearts, leaving only cold ashes of intellect... have sympathy for all, turn over your merits, however small, to the benefit and happiness of others."

This spirit of universal love prevails in all Mahayanism. Nagar-juna in his writings on the Bodhichitta gives a view of the Bodhisattva. He says, "the essential nature of all Bodhisattvas is a great, loving heart... therefore do not cling to the blissful taste produced by the varied methods of mental tranquility (dhyana), do not covet fruit of meritorious deeds... the Bhodisattvas, who inspired with great energy, mingle with birth and death; they are like Lotus flowers who rise out of the mire, yet remain uncontaminated.

The Bodhichitta, or intelligence-heart, like the Dharmakaya is essentially love and intelligence (karuna and prajna), Suzuki compares the Christ, seeing him to be a Bodhisattva, a Buddha. He says in the West, Jesus, the Christ is perhaps the best, most accessible example available. He writes, "one who understands the nature of bodhichitta sees everything with a loving heart, for love is the essence of the Bodhichitta. The Bodhichitta is the highest essence. The Bodhichitta abiding in the heart of sameness (samata) creates individual means of salvation (upaya).

The Bodhichitta is naturally present in the hearts of all beings. He is a reflex of the Dharmakaya, he has no compulsions; he is free from beginning to end. He has no impurities nor prejudice. He is present in the heart of all beings, like the moon, shining with silvery light on clear, cloudless nights, reflected then in every drop, every mass of water on the earth, reflected like so many stars descended on earth.

* "And I give my gratitude to my first teacher of all things, my friend, Liang-Hui Mei. From her loving presence in my life, a whole world, way, and language was opened to me. I know she is teaching still.

Mahayana Buddhism

"Mahayana is a living faith. We cannot ignore the significance of Mahayanism." --Suzuki

The Buddhist thinker and teacher, Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, wrote a volume about the Mahayana which is titled, Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism. This book first appeared in English translation in 1907; a later edition was produced from that translation in 1963, and still later, another edition was rendered from the same translation in 1977. In this article, I use the 1963 volume.

It was the desire of master Suzuki to make clear to practitioners of other Buddhist denominations, and other non Buddhist faiths the meaning and significance of Mahayana practice. In the introduction to this volume, Alan Watts writes:

"Mahayana Buddhism is the very basis of both classical and contemporary Buddhism. Unlike Hinayana, in which the accent is on individual salvation, Mahayana stresses social compassion. Intellectually, it is more understandable than its intuitive offshoot, Zen. Mahayana represents one of the great systems of perceptions on the nature of man and his relation to the world. It is concerned with human suffering, and offers a remarkable set of insights on how one ought to live and by what principles."

Suzuki writes to answer some basic, and some more complex questions about Mahayana. Note in a number of instances, Suzuki engages the reader into an understanding of the topic through the use of another, more familiar, western belief in Salvation, the way of the Christ. While some may not have carefully considered it, Buddhism is indeed a salvific practice. It desires to free the self from suffering and to aid others to the same salvation, or liberation in Nirvana.

Mahayana, What is it? This basic question starts the inquiry Suzuki wishes to make. He makes many statements:

* Religion is the innermost voice of the human heart...
* Within Buddhism there exists diverse schools of thought...
* The human heart is not an intellectual crystal...
* Mahayana is the great vehicle of Salvation...
* It is more liberal, more progressive, metaphysical, speculative...
* Mahayana, as Suzuki defines it is, "the highest principle, or being, or knowledge, in which the universal and all beings are manifest, and through which they can attain final salvation...
* Mahayana was first used by the "progressive party"...
* Mahayana originated about the time of Christ...
* Asvaghosa, an Indian philosopher, was the first Mahayana expounder...
* Hinayana was a term given to others by the Mahayana sect...
* Mahayana is a boundless ocean in which all forms of thought and faith can find a congenial and welcoming home...
* Its earliest writings exist in the Pali language...
* Mahayana is a living faith...

NOTE: This article first appeared here in summer 2009

Abandoning the Most Basic Fears

"Some, especially those in spiritual communities, may imagine that the jewel of life never has conflict, argument, or upset--and of how little we know or appreciate it..."
-- Nothing Special, Living Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck

I have a dream," said Martin Luther King;
even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth; we must become the change we wish to see in the world,"
said Mahatma Gandhi;
blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God,"said Saint Matthew 5:9;
"let one see one's own acts, done and undone,"
states the Dhammapada, verse 50.

Becoming the "tomato fighters," as Charlotte Joko Beck calls them in her book, Nothing Special Living Zen, is as important as death itself. How so?
It is the fear of death itself, and of impermanence in general, that is the most basic of all our fears; it is, she writes, the basis of all our fear-based responses. When in fear, we are not free. We cannot respond in the "here-and-now" because fear most often is fueled by the past about something which has not yet occurred, and may not ever.

Oh, what a place to be--neither past nor present; caught in the dream of self, a self which is not present in this moment, living this life. Rather it is fearing, fearful of what has yet to come, fueled by memory, of past; a past which may include argument, competitiveness, conflict, pain and of course, anger. Thinking that life is necessarily free of such experiences is "a great mistake, because if we don't understand how conflict is generated, we can wreck our lives, and the lives of others. First, we need to see that we are all afraid... [there is] the effort to protect our self-image, our ego. Out of that need... comes anger. Out of anger comes conflict," writes Beck.

Yet anger and conflict are part of human existence. However they need not destroy our relations with others. To suppose that a good community, or to imagine that a "good life has no heated arguments, no disagreements; that's silly." Like neighbors she knew as a child, Beck writes that they competed, argued loudly over the produce of their summer gardens. Each proclaimed his tomatoes to be the best. And they argued some more. Yet these neighbors were friends. After the competition was over, there was no bitterness. Their example of a positive exchange, was in the end, when their loud bickering was done, that they were still friends; they still exchanged their ideas and opinions without rancor.

If we find that argument with persons close to us, connected in one way or another, leaves us bitter, angry or sad, a closer view may be in order. Arguing, clearing the air, resolving and respecting differences can be positive to practice. Suzuki wrote that he had never personally experienced "anger, pure as the wind." Perhaps because it is so frequently tinged with fears and disappointments.
Beck writes about our efforts to be honest, "Honesty is the absolute basis of our practice. But what does that mean?... Often our efforts to be honest don't come from real honesty... As long as we have any intention to be right, to show or "teach" the other person something, we should be wary. So long as our words have the slightest ego attachment, they are dishonest."

True words come from deep looking, clear seeing, and understanding. Understanding what is our anger, our fear; knowing that we must sometimes wait. Can you wait, patiently, observing all of yourself and the world around you? Can you wait attentively until the answer presents itself? Will you force an answer with false words or actions?

Waiting until the right words or actions arise in the present moment is not easy, but it is very important if we want to be peacemakers with ourselves, and others. Then we may speak with honest words, words that do not cut, that do no harm; speaking words that reflect who we are, honestly, in the clearest, best voice we have-- our own.

This article appeared here previously September 24, 2009

The Teacher

"Perfectionists are never satisfied with who they are, or others but are always reaching for a goal, and never enjoying the imperfect moment they're in." --Thomas Moore

Moore writes in his book, The Soul's Religion, that one of the goals of the 'educated' is to become perfected, more complete, more whole in themselves. He writes that we must not forget for all the importance of spirit, that bodies are needed; spirits inhabit bodies and an everyday life is lived from them, but what will we, the spirit-body learn, and how will we learn so as to realize the "perfected self"?
In the everyday, complex world of science and technology, the role of pain, of trial and ordeal are seen as experiences to be eliminated, controlled, suppressed; yet Moore argues that these experiences, these moments are vital to a human education. It is experience, simple experience, finally and not intellectual achievement that will bring around a perfected soul, the one which is completed, whole and peaceful.

Zen master, Suzuki in quoting another, Dogen, goes on to say "you will be even the teacher of Shakyamuni Buddha." As bodies are souls whole and complete, we learn in the Dharmakaya, as Suzuki also repeats, 'when you realize Buddha nature, you are the teacher.'
So then the best teacher is the one who does not teach, yet who leads, guides, experiences the lessons of his students, and his students experience the lessons of the teacher. In this way teaching is profound with benefit. It is a far and away from the experience, in which some have believed, that the teacher is the expert who pours knowledge into otherwise empty heads.

Thus as Thomas Moore notes from his own life experience, imperfection is a good and valued part of education, for both the student and the teacher. In the best moments of teaching, an alchemy, or a deep moment of newness of creation, a mystery transpires between two or more persons engaged in this process of experience and perfection. "When a teacher evokes the deep process of imparting and learning subtle aspects of life's mysteries, then teaching goes on." And like any creative activity, teaching "happens best when a muse is present, initiating something far deeper" in the exchange.

Mahayana Buddhism

"Mahayana is a living faith. We cannot ignore the significance of Mahayanism." --Suzuki

The Buddhist thinker and teacher, Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, wrote a volume about the Mahayana which is titled, Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism. This book first appeared in English translation in 1907; a later edition was produced from that translation in 1963, and still later another edition was rendered from the same translation in 1977. Here, I use the 1963 volume.

It was the desire of master Suzuki to make clear to practitioners of other Buddhist denominations, and other non Buddhist faiths the meaning and significance of Mahayana practice. In the introduction to this volume, Alan Watts writes:

"Mahayana Buddhism is the very basis of both classical and contemporary Buddhism. Unlike Hinayana, in which the accent is on individual salvation, Mahayana stresses social compassion. Intellectually, it is more understandable than its intuitive offshoot, Zen. Mahayana represents one of the great systems of perceptions on the nature of man and his relation to the world. It is concerned with human suffering, and offers a remarkable set of insights on how one ought to live and by what principles."

Suzuki writes to answer some basic, and some more complex questions about Mahayana. Note in a number of instances, Suzuki engages the reader into an understanding of the topic through the use of another, more familiar, western belief in Salvation, the way of the Christ. While some may not have carefully considered it, Buddhism is indeed a salvific practice. It desires to free the self from suffering and to aid others to the same salvation, or liberation in Nirvana.

Mahayana, What is it? This basic question starts the inquiry Suzuki wishes to make. He makes many statements:

* Religion is the innermost voice of the human heart...
* Within Buddhism there exists diverse schools of thought...
* The human heart is not an intellectual crystal...
* Mahayana is the great vehicle of Salvation...
* It is more liberal, more progressive, metaphysical, speculative...
* Mahayana, as Suzuki defines it is, "the highest principle, or being, or knowledge, in which the universal and all beings are manifest, and through which they can attain final salvation...
* Mahayana was first used by the "progressive party"...
* Mahayana originated about the time of Christ...
* Asvaghosa, an Indian philosopher, was the first Mahayana expounder...
* Hinayana was a term given to others by the Mahayana sect...
* Mahayana is a boundless ocean in which all forms of thought and faith can find a congenial and welcoming home...
* Its earliest writings exist in the Pali language...
* Mahayana is a living faith...

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