Incarnation, One Grand Miracle

"The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space & time, what is uncreated, eternal came into nature, decended into its own universe...  bringing nature up with him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away, there is nothing specifically Christian left."  --The Grand Miracle by C.S. Lewis

God became human. Seldom do we stop to consider the meaning of this notion, that the infinite Creator came down. C.S. Lewis held the Incarnation in such high esteem that he called it and his book by the same title, The Grand Incarnation. Lewis' tale, is a devotion directed to the Christ, the anointed one, who is God become man. He, the God, Immanuel, God is with us, gives eternal life; we are energized through this contact with the One, the Creator, who makes in us a new creation, a central theme for Lewis.

C.S. Lewis, it is said, loved the story of the birth of the Christ. He argues in his (fictional) account, The Grand Miracle, that the miracle is not the crucifixion, nor the resurrection, while dramatic and awe-inspiring as they are, Lewis instead regards the simple, humble birth of the One Lord, the Christ child, to be the first event in the preparation for the coming Incarnation. Christians believe that the Christ is near, that through God, his father, he is with us; the Holy Spirit pours out over the fruits of Creation. Yet God remains hidden in these miracles.

The Christian is reminded often that the Gospel stories tell of an arc in the life of Jesus; that his story begins with incarnation and ends with a physical death. This is a powerful message to believers who grow in devotion to the One, who through the Spirit, the news of salvation, and God's grace presents to one and all. His love, the gospel teaches, is greater than any other thing; it is greater than death itself. Thus, from the earliest maturity, Christians are called into relationship with the Beloved, their Lord. Through spiritual practices, devotions, rituals, signs, Christians are evermore taken up into embrace, into union with the Beloved, the One who calls them home.

Karma Kagyu and the Golden Rosary

"After I pass away And my pure doctrine is absent, You will appear as an ordinary being, Performing the deeds of a Buddha And establishing the Joyful Land, the great Protector, In the Land of the Snows." -- from the Root Tantra of Manjushri

The term Golden Rosary refers, surprisingly to some, not to any western notion, but to a Buddhist tradition emphasizing the transmission of dharma instruction primarily by oral, non written means. Thus the forefathers of the Karma Kagyu sect are referred to as the Golden Rosary. The sect is thought to have been founded first in about the 12th century C.E. in the Eastern regions of Tibet, or Mongolia. Later the sect established monasteries both in India, Japan and in the central regions of Tibet. Briefly describing the practice, it is founded in Mahayana practices and is both tantric and vajrayanic; it is monastic and its members include llamas, nuns, monks, and the laity. Its teachings are firmly rooted in the teachings of the Shakymuni Buddha; the practice of "Mahamudra" is a strong feature of Karma Kagyu practice.

Mahamudra can be briefly described as a symbol which points to that which cannot be undone or broken, it is reality in the absolute dimension, in the now experience. There is, within the practice, an extensive use of symbols, visual elements as part of worship, a distinctive feature of what is commonly referred to in the West as Tibetan Buddhism, Kagyu being one of the sects encompassing this traditional use of symbols. Kagyu however, perhaps uniquely, employs both Sutra and Tantra mahamudras. As a heavily oral tradition, an association with a teacher or a monastery is thoroughly stressed for both instruction and practice.

The Tibetan Llama today best known for this practice is Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Llama from within the closely related school known as Gelug, a form most nearly associated with Mongol history. In fact the term "dalai llama" is Mongolian in origin, having no meaning in the language most spoken by the Tibetans. These Llamas have, in history, traditionally functioned as spiritual guides for those in the Western regions of geographic China, Mongolia and other Himalayan kingdoms. The history of the Gyatso forms a fascinating element of world history, in general and Mongolian history in particular, with respect to the development of the inter-relationship of various Khans and Llamas from the 13th century C.E. into the modern period.

Here in the United States, the recent introduction of a Mongolian-Tibetan Buddhist cultural center in Bloomington, Indiana in the tradition of the Kumbum Champtse Ling monastery, Tibet, has recently come into being with the support of the 14th Dalai Llama.Its establishment is with a mind to the perpetuation of the lineage, traditions and culture of Mongolian-Tibetan Buddhism; to foster understanding, harmony and interfaith exchange between those of the Buddhist and other faith traditions.

Playing Triangles: Victim, Persecutor, Savior

The Simple Mind is away from the computer. This article ran here previously on March 26, 2009.

"Religious practice is about atonement." -- Nothing Special, Living Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck

Joko Beck writes in her book, Nothing Special, Living Zen, "I listen to many people talk about their lives, I am struck that the first layer we encounter in sitting practice is our feeling of being a victim--our feeling that we have been sacrificed to others' greed, anger, and ignorance, to their lack of knowledge of who they are. ' "Often this victimization comes from our parents.

Nobody has two Buddhas for parents. Instead of Buddhas, we have parents for parents: flawed, confused, angry, self-centered--like all of us..." If, in practice, we grow more in awareness of having been sacrificed, we become angry, upset, confused. We feel hurt that we have been used, mistreated, like this by our loved ones... Firstly to simply become aware of the feeling, the sensations in our body arising in this instance; secondly, we can grow into working with those feelings that have come to the forefront of our awareness, our anger, desire to get even, our feeling of hurting those who have hurt us in like fashion... We can fight back, but there are other avenues we may choose instead, reflecting back a growing awareness of victimization.

Practicing with this perception, we may experience powerful desires, anger, retribution, confusion, withdrawal or coldness. If we continue to ask, "what is this?" something, however painful it first seems, begins to arise into our consciousness. "We begin to see not only how we have been sacrificed, but also how we have sacrificed others. This can be even more painful than our first realization." It may occur to us that what we have been doing to others, sacrifice, was done to us--especially when we act upon our angry thoughts and try to get even. We then sacrifice others."

As the Bible says, the evil is visited upon generation after generation." When regrets and sorrows become great, they're a heavy burden to carry, a realization that what we have done, is what others have done before us, comes a desire to lighten the load, for salvation may arise within us. If we are "committed to healing, we want to atone..." To atone means to be at one, to be in harmony, to make amends. Unable to wipe out the past--we've already committed the deed, we must look to this present moment, to this time now. In atonement, we embark upon a lifelong process.

Out of our self centered spinning, we learn to focus on the now, others around us, reality as it is. We, as humans, will not ever hope to entirely stop sacrificing others or ourselves; we are not too perfect to realize that. But what we do hope to realize is that we can, and do grow in maturity and recognition of those places and situations which inspire our impulses. Thus it becomes much more important that we recognize not what has been done to us, but what we do to others. There is, as theologian Martin Buber wrote, "the I thou relationship." Someone must be the first to break the chain in relationships with our friends and intimates. What does "this have to do with enlightenment and oneness?"

An enlightened person will be the one willing to be the sacrifice, to break the chain. The willingness to become the sacrifice is basic. Practicing through our lives, growing in awareness, in maturity, we get a free choice, or free will, about what we're going to do. Even if it's about people with whom we are no longer in co-union (communion). Anger arises, a sinking feeling in the stomach, perhaps. Do they, or we for that matter, need a sacrifice? Is there some lightness drawing the sense of action forward? What are our intentions? Examine intention carefully, and do not absolutely avoid people who have brought up this anger in you.

Are you measuring yourself? Is there a fantasy playing in your mind the moment the person comes into view? What is necessary in the situation? Be the best you can be in that moment. Focus upon the necessary, and do that. Victims need not apply.

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Precept: On Level Ground, Neither Better Nor Worse*

"Take up the way of meeting others on equal ground." --Buddhist precept as discussed by Diane Rizzetto in her book, Waking Up to What You Do.

In her book, Waking Up to What You Do, Abbess Diane Rizzetto writes on the precept of meeting others on equal ground. She quotes the writer Dag Hammarskjold, Markings: 

"To be humble is not to make comparisons. Secure in

its reality, the self is neither better nor worse, bigger nor smaller, 

than any thing else in the universe. It is nothing; at the same time, 

one with the universe." 

What are the obvious and not so obvious ways that we regard ourselves in light of others? Do we gain self-worth in measuring ourselves against others? Do we consider our own thoughts, our own way? Do we praise ourselves at the expense of others? Or while not praising ourselves, abuse others?

What keeps us from meeting others, from meeting the stranger on equal ground? What about competition--are there winners and losers in the world? How does anger, insecurity, fear, shame and blame block the way of meeting others on equal ground? 

Why must we meet equally? Despite our sometimes fearful and anxious experiences of meeting others with pounding heart and cold hand, adrenaline flowing, making us feel like ice, meeting others on equal ground is important.

Even so, there are many ways we either subtly or overtly avoid our feelings and perceptions of unease with ourselves; we measure, we criticize, blame and shame our way through life.
 Putting others down will pull us up, it seems--maybe. By learning more about the reality of inter-being we come to find that this isn't so.

 Making you dirty, makes me dirty; disrespect to you is disrespect to myself. I am the doing, the making of it all, the dream of self. Considering this perception, we find it isn't limited to speech. Behavior is also a means of competition and measuring ourselves to others.

We may ignore, exclude or avoid others in our activities with the intention to demonstrate a perception of superiority. Sometimes we even think we are more sophisticated, more enlightened than the others. 

In history we learn that the Buddha was enlightened in a simple way, under a tree, no posh hotel or vacation spot for him. The Christ was hung ultimately on a cross, no limousine or finely dressed mourners at his death. 

Gandhi was shot to death, there were no bowing supplicants before him; rather it was the end of a gun. So too for Martin Luther King. 

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta had no exemplary education beyond courage and will. These figures are burned into our consciousness; they were both humble and great, simple and wise.

Do not admire them; be more like them. Diane Rizzetto writes, "When we speak or act in these [other] ways, clarity, discovery and true dialog [understanding] are lost. 

Even if we don't consciously place ourselves above others...if we're in the game of competition by watching our reactions when we make a mistake... Do we blame... find excuses... jump in defense?" Do we say what it is; that is, do we say, "I forgot, I lost it, I didn't understand?" In being humble, speaking truthfully, we are neither better nor worse.

However, when our focus is to maintain ourselves in a perception of better than others, above them, then we close ourselves, we cut ourselves off. And a separation from the world and others occurs. We then choose to live in division. 

There is now just the dream, that dream of self. Working to see more clearly, vispayana, the ways we judge others, and the ways we place so much of our energy in covering up ourselves due to fear, anxiety, shame-- the same energy is always available to help us to see more clearly and compassionately our own, true selves. Neither better nor worse than others. 

"Whether we place ourselves above or below others, we are substituting an idea about who we are, or who others are, or should be for the simple truth that as human beings we are good at some things and not so good at other things. We fail and succeed; we know and we don't know; we accomplish some useful things in our day, and we mess up some other things. This is what it means to be human..." to be humble, to be neither better nor worse, to be oneself." paraphrased

"Take your practiced powers and stretch them out until they span the chasm between contradictions...for the god wants to know himself in you."

-- Poet Maria Rilke

*The Simple Mind is away from the computer. This article ran here previously, on March 23, 2009.