I wrote up some fliers for 481 today. I'm going to put them up at work and some other places around town where I think interested people may take notice. It was kind of a struggle to find the right words for this flier. When I first started this group, someone said that because I identified it with "Buddhist" meditation I might, in fact, scare some folks away. He pointed out that while some people may be interested in "meditation" in a generic sort of way, a lot of them have no interest whatsoever in actual Buddhism.
That's fine, and I understand that. But I practice Buddhist meditation, which is different from Hindu or Christian meditation. No one has to give up their beliefs or form new ones in order to participate. The Buddha didn't create a system of ethics and concentration, he DISCOVERED one. He found the most practical path to personal liberation. It has nothing to do with gods and goddesses or holy and unholy. It has to do with one thing and one thing only: suffering and the way to end it.
I get that there are people that would like to learn about and practice meditation without having to become Buddhist. I would never encourage anyone to convert. The fact that this meditation is technically "Buddhist" doesn't mean that you become one when you start doing it. That's like saying you stop being a Christian when you begin studying physics.
"Dharma" is an ancient word that's often translated as "the teachings of the Buddha" but it originated long before Siddhartha Gotama came along. A better translation would be "ultimate truth" or "the way things are." It is not partisan. It does not relate to the Buddha's teachings; rather, his teachings relate to it.
When antiseptics were discovered, no one believed they would have to convert to a different religion to enjoy the benefits. Antiseptics kill germs that could cause infection, suffering and even death in humans. They are impersonal. They work because it is their nature to work. They are effective for Muslims, Mormons, Catholics, Protestants and everyone else. They aren't rendered ineffective because someone happens to be Jewish.
The Dharma is the same way. If you practice it, it will work. It doesn't matter what your so-called "spiritual" beliefs are. Buddhist meditation is a tool. It is meant to be used as a means to unlock salvation the same way a hammer and chisel will unlock a sculpture from a lump of stone. It has much to do with faith but little to do with belief. I have read many accounts of rabbis, priests and imams involved with Buddhist meditation. Almost all of them state that they are not Buddhists but the techniques are salubrious beyond a shadow of a doubt. These forward-thinkers urge others to give it try, regardless of their religion. They scoff at the notion of strict, sectarian boundaries. They realize that meditation can make them better rabbis, priests and imams, despite what the benighted masses may believe.
In the flier I printed, I ended up using the word "nondenominational" to describe the group. Normally, that's a word I avoid as being too terminally wishy-washy for usage. But in this case it seems to fit. I practice Vipassana meditation as taught mainly in the Theravada lineage of Buddhism. But the other guy I practice with, the only person that consistently shows up, is more into Zen. So while I'm sitting there doing my Vipassana shit, he's sitting next to me doing zazen. Eventually, if more people start coming, there may be several of us doing Vipassana while others practice Tantra techniques while still more are doing zazen. It doesn't matter. These are all facets of the same diamond. We all have the same goal in mind, which is to ease our suffering and live better, more compassionate and happier lives. You don't have to believe everything the Buddha said to do this. You don't even have to believe that the Buddha was a real person. You only have to be willing to take the first step and sit down on the cushion. You must have faith that the practice will give you the courage to face yourself. If it doesn't, try something else. If it does, keep doing it, and, I guarantee you'll become a better Christian, or Muslim, or Jew, or Zoroastrian, or, heaven forbid, Buddhist. You will become a better PERSON, and that's all that really matters.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dirty Buddhism
I read something in this month's Shambhala Sun that I really liked. There was an interview with Joan Halifax, a Zen teacher. I mostly skimmed the article but one line really caught my eye. It pretty much sums up everything I feel about 481Dharma and Buddhism in America. She said, "I am not a nice' Buddhist. I'm more interested in plain rice, 'get down in the street and get dirty' Buddhism."
Hell. Yes.
That is what I'm talking about. Buddhism, despite it's image as a most holy religion that takes place in lavishly appointed temples, is not that at all. The practice of Buddhism occurs internally. It's an inner revolution, and it's not nice, or pretty or easy. Ms. Halifax says that she originally was very interested in Thich Nhat Hanh, but found his style to be too clean and precise. To his credit, Thich Nhat Hanh is, in fact, a genius. His particular breed of Zen is amazingly soft-spoken and compassionate, as well as being non-judgmental and just generally full of the warm, woolly goodness of a well-used blanket.
Damn, he makes it look easy, though. That's his skill. He radiates this sense of calm accomplishment that makes people feel good about trusting him. That's not what draws me to Buddhism, however. I'm interested in the sweat and the blood. When Joan Halifax talks about Buddhism being "down in the street" and "dirty" she's speaking my language. This practice needs to be brought to folks that have always regarded it as goofy, hippie shit. The image of Buddhism in America is generally one of guys in funny clothes chanting in some unintelligible tongue while they light incense and bow to statues with more arms than is truly necessary. This makes many Americans ambivalent. They're attracted to the exotic nature of it all yet simultaneously put off by the obvious whimsy and ritual. There are lots of people that are interested in a practical approach to freedom. That approach is often obviated by the overt Asian characteristics of the white guys that teach it.
Look, I know Buddhism comes from the East. I know it's way old and other cultures have been steeped in its influence long before we upstarts in the New World ever heard of it. But when I look for someone to teach me its pertinent aspects, I'm looking for someone that will admit we're living in a totally different milieu. The robes are not necessary for me to understand that what's going on here is totally revolutionary. I don't need a crash course in Japanese or Tibetan customs to undertake this path. I would like to be taught by someone who has understood the Buddha's path with an American psyche. Because, like it or not, we ARE different from our Asian cousins.
Despite the fact that Ms. Halifax bears the dubious and much-misunderstood title of "Roshi" in Zen Buddhism, her comments in this interview point to an incredibly deep understanding of what it means to be an American Buddhist. This is a nation that was built from the mud up. Our ancestors were European pioneers looking for a fresh start in a totally new land. And so it is with our Dharma. We can't just expect the Buddha's teachings to be transplanted here and grow with the perfect Asian flavors that were cultivated in the East. We don't have thousands of years of tradition to nurture and shape these ideas. What we have, after 233 years of existence, is a nation of outcasts, rebels and skeptics.
America is not a land of hermits and crazy-wise sages living in the wilderness. The Dharma has not taken root here and spread across the countryside like kudzu. We don't have mountaintops that house gurus at their cloudy peaks, ready to entertain the questions of those hardy enough to make the climb. That shit is not us and it never will be. In America, the Dharma is spread in urban canyons. It springs across the digital landscape and is burned into DVDs. It's taught in mid-town Manhattan, Hollywood, CA and the flesh-obsessed alleys of Miami Beach. It's spray painted across concrete and steel and represented by tattooed preachers and multi-pierced disciples from Santa Cruz to Boston, MA.
In short, the Buddha's revolution continues. The dirty, street-level Dharma that Joan Halifax so enjoys is pulsing in our counterculture. Why is it COUNTERculture, you might ask? Because it goes against the stream of the avarice, materialism, ignorance, violence and selfishness that pervade so much of our society.
Buddhism teaches the way to freedom. And that freedom is sometimes counterintuitive to the world we live in. There's no doubt that it's a radical path, one that often asks us to question the very things that we identify with as Americans. And yet, the opportunities we have here are unique. We shouldn't waste them.
America is the PLACE to get down and dirty. Our practice should reflect that. We haven't been exposed to this philosophy long enough to be perfectly graceful and totally sympathetic with it. It's not a part of our DNA yet. But it will be. And it's going to take a lot of struggling with filthy demons to get there. America is the last, great place where this path can flourish. And we need to live up to our image as iconoclasts by embracing this revolution.
Hell. Yes.
That is what I'm talking about. Buddhism, despite it's image as a most holy religion that takes place in lavishly appointed temples, is not that at all. The practice of Buddhism occurs internally. It's an inner revolution, and it's not nice, or pretty or easy. Ms. Halifax says that she originally was very interested in Thich Nhat Hanh, but found his style to be too clean and precise. To his credit, Thich Nhat Hanh is, in fact, a genius. His particular breed of Zen is amazingly soft-spoken and compassionate, as well as being non-judgmental and just generally full of the warm, woolly goodness of a well-used blanket.
Damn, he makes it look easy, though. That's his skill. He radiates this sense of calm accomplishment that makes people feel good about trusting him. That's not what draws me to Buddhism, however. I'm interested in the sweat and the blood. When Joan Halifax talks about Buddhism being "down in the street" and "dirty" she's speaking my language. This practice needs to be brought to folks that have always regarded it as goofy, hippie shit. The image of Buddhism in America is generally one of guys in funny clothes chanting in some unintelligible tongue while they light incense and bow to statues with more arms than is truly necessary. This makes many Americans ambivalent. They're attracted to the exotic nature of it all yet simultaneously put off by the obvious whimsy and ritual. There are lots of people that are interested in a practical approach to freedom. That approach is often obviated by the overt Asian characteristics of the white guys that teach it.
Look, I know Buddhism comes from the East. I know it's way old and other cultures have been steeped in its influence long before we upstarts in the New World ever heard of it. But when I look for someone to teach me its pertinent aspects, I'm looking for someone that will admit we're living in a totally different milieu. The robes are not necessary for me to understand that what's going on here is totally revolutionary. I don't need a crash course in Japanese or Tibetan customs to undertake this path. I would like to be taught by someone who has understood the Buddha's path with an American psyche. Because, like it or not, we ARE different from our Asian cousins.
Despite the fact that Ms. Halifax bears the dubious and much-misunderstood title of "Roshi" in Zen Buddhism, her comments in this interview point to an incredibly deep understanding of what it means to be an American Buddhist. This is a nation that was built from the mud up. Our ancestors were European pioneers looking for a fresh start in a totally new land. And so it is with our Dharma. We can't just expect the Buddha's teachings to be transplanted here and grow with the perfect Asian flavors that were cultivated in the East. We don't have thousands of years of tradition to nurture and shape these ideas. What we have, after 233 years of existence, is a nation of outcasts, rebels and skeptics.
America is not a land of hermits and crazy-wise sages living in the wilderness. The Dharma has not taken root here and spread across the countryside like kudzu. We don't have mountaintops that house gurus at their cloudy peaks, ready to entertain the questions of those hardy enough to make the climb. That shit is not us and it never will be. In America, the Dharma is spread in urban canyons. It springs across the digital landscape and is burned into DVDs. It's taught in mid-town Manhattan, Hollywood, CA and the flesh-obsessed alleys of Miami Beach. It's spray painted across concrete and steel and represented by tattooed preachers and multi-pierced disciples from Santa Cruz to Boston, MA.
In short, the Buddha's revolution continues. The dirty, street-level Dharma that Joan Halifax so enjoys is pulsing in our counterculture. Why is it COUNTERculture, you might ask? Because it goes against the stream of the avarice, materialism, ignorance, violence and selfishness that pervade so much of our society.
Buddhism teaches the way to freedom. And that freedom is sometimes counterintuitive to the world we live in. There's no doubt that it's a radical path, one that often asks us to question the very things that we identify with as Americans. And yet, the opportunities we have here are unique. We shouldn't waste them.
America is the PLACE to get down and dirty. Our practice should reflect that. We haven't been exposed to this philosophy long enough to be perfectly graceful and totally sympathetic with it. It's not a part of our DNA yet. But it will be. And it's going to take a lot of struggling with filthy demons to get there. America is the last, great place where this path can flourish. And we need to live up to our image as iconoclasts by embracing this revolution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
