"I'm rockin the stupa, just like Quiet Riot did."

"I'm rocking the stupa, except they were talented." A big shout out to one of Nashville's own Ben Folds...man, I miss Lightning 100. I actually watched a band shoot a music video on the Boudha stupa today. It was another haunting spectacle of west meets east. On a different note I also witnessed a 5'0'' Nepali guy half-bike a ball from 20m out along the sideline w/ 2 defenders on him. The shot just carried the outstretched hands of the goalie before diving under the crossbar...simply stunning. I'm getting ready to head into retreat for 2 weeks so this will be my last post until August. I plan on hand writing the rest of the practices of the bodhisattvas so look for a deluge of posts when I get back. As I've been sick for a couple of days, and this being my last post, be prepared for a mailbag-like ride.

First and foremost, Happy Birthday to Kelley and Dad! I miss you both immensely and I can't wait to celebrate with you all when I get back. If you look closely at the picture it looks like I have a big party hat on w/all kinds of streamers. The two ladies in the picture were good sports too, as they were guests on the rooftop cafe :)

What has happened to golf since I left? The US Open I wrote off as a fluke, but the British Open is turning into a googlefest as well. I half expect to see Roy McAvoy's name on the leaderboard!

A big shout out to all the delegates and Bishops at the Episcopal Church's General Convention. Following the action has been tough, but I look forward to hearing all about it when I get back.

Good luck to Dan and Russ on the century ride from Casa de Lewis to Chateau Wilson. My butt hurts just thinking about it.

I finished the classroom part of my stay on Friday. A huge thank you to our instructors Lopon Lodro Rabsel and Khenpo Jampa Dhonden. An appreciative nod to our translator James Gentry too. It was a wonderful experience learning from you all, and something I'll not soon forget. Our test is next week so I'll reserve any further comments until after experiencing that piece of Tibetan pedagogy :)

So now I turn to the part of this trip that I find most exhilarating and frightening. 2 weeks in a relatively secluded retreat meditating and reflecting. Lama Gerry has prepared us well over the last month. I feel like I can sit for an hour at a time if need be, but I am still a bit worried about how my legs will take four such sessions a day.

I am also looking forward to a lot of reading time. It is my goal to finish the Brother's Karamazov, The Clash of Civilizations and at least one other book. Additionally, I am looking forward to memorizing a few more prayers and possibly a few poems. The Prayer of St Francis has been a real boon to my memory, and there are a few Keats verses that I have my eye on. Wish me luck!

However, the major focus of this part of the trip is stripping away distractions, and getting in touch with deeper forms of existence. I find that the Buddhist traditions have done a better job of developing introspection and meditation than my own particular Christian background. I believe this inward science can be a real benefit to any tradition, and so it is with a hopeful heart that I embark on this retreat. Perhaps by the end of this fortnight I might have a little better understanding of the mystical aspects of my own faith. If this idea of Christian introspection piques your interest, may I recommend that over the next couple of weeks you peruse works of one of the following authors; St John the Cross, St Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila or Julian of Norwich.

All right folks, I'm off for possibly one more bout with chili momos. Have a great 2 weeks and I look forward to catching up with you all when I get back.

Compassion and Wisdom - Truth and Love,

Christian

Sermon on the Mount...Everest Style

I saw Mount Everest this morning and it was awe inspiring (it's the peak on the left). There is something sacred about mountains. All of creation is breathtaking, but mountains and oceans have a special capability to convey peace and majesty.

Perhaps that's why I like Matthew's idea of the Sermon on the Mount. No offense to Luke, but delivery from a mount seems way cooler than delivery from a plain. So it is from Matthew that I will pull from today, Chapter 5 verses 38-48 (I'm a KJV guy, pardon the English). But I get ahead of myself.

Tibetan Buddhists value pithiness (the ability to express truths with the fewest amount of words). American Christians really like fully developed explanations to truths. So I chuckle when I think to myself that the words of Jesus fill a pamphle,t while the words Sakyamuni fill a library. It almost seems like our cultures got our sacred persons confused. While I read many Buddhist text I recognize many of Jesus' words. It has happened a number of times that the Buddhist text help me understand a little more of what JC had to say. As an example, I give a little Buddhist expansion on a part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Matt 5:38-39: Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Bodhisattva Practice #13: Even if someone were to cut off one's head, though one is free from the slightest fault, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to take all wrongdoing upon oneself through the force of compassion.

Matt 5:40-42: And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away. (note: twain is two)

Bodhisattva Practice #12: If someone, swayed by great desire, steals all one's wealth or incites others to do so, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to dedicate to that person one's own physical body, enjoyments and virtues of the three times.

Matt 5:43-44: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you (practice #14), do good to them that hate you (practice #15), and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you (practice #16).

Bodhisattva Practice #14: Even if someone proclaims all kinds of defamation about me throughout the three thousand fold universe, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to praise that person's qualities repeatedly with a loving attitude. (note: Buddhist cosmology includes multiverses, which has some really interesting ties to modern physics)

Bodhisattva Practice #15: Even if someone, amid a crowd of many people reveals one's faults and utters harsh words, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to bow to that one respectfully with the notion that this one is one's spiritual teacher. (The idea here is that we can not see our own faults, and those who point out our faults help us to become better people. So those that hate us and defame us are actually doing us a great favor, and we should regard them as we would spiritual teachers.)

Bodhisattva Practice #16: Even if someone for whom I have cared for as dearly as my own child perceives me as an enemy, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to love this one devotedly, just as a mother loves her child stricken by disease.

Matt 5:45-47: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just an on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans do so?

Bodhisattva Practice #17: Even if a person equal to or inferior to myself defames me due to the force of pride, it is the practice of the bodhisattvas to venerate this one, like the master upon the crown of my head.

Matt 5:48: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Bodhisattva Practice #18: Even if I am deprived of livelihood, constantly belittled by everyone, and stricken by a severe illness or demonic influence, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to take upon oneself all the suffering and evil of all beings without becoming fainthearted.

That last bit sounds really familiar, perhaps we should emulate someone like that...

Tong Len

This practice is easy to understand and tough to execute...should sound familiar.

Practice #11 Cultivating the Exchange of Oneself for Others

All Suffering, without exception, springs from the desire for one's own happiness;

Perfect enlightenment is born from a mind intent on benefiting others.

Therefore, it is the practice of bodhisattvas

To authentically exchange one's own happiness for the suffering of others.

Regard others as more dear than oneself. By means of taking upon oneself all the suffering and evil that may be in the mindstreams of other sentient beings, one exchanges happiness and suffering. Santideva says it best, "However much happiness exists in this world, all of it springs from wishing for the happiness of others; However much suffering exists in this world, all of it springs from desiring one's own happiness. What need is there for lengthy explanations! The childish work for their own benefit, the sages act for the welfare of others. Consider the difference between these two!"

When it comes to a life maxim I usually default to Matt 22:39ff, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self." That's pretty tough stuff, but then I reflect on the 11th practice and I think, "Jesus let us off easy. At least we don't have to love our neighbor more than ourselves." Not so fast my friends (I can't believe I just quoted Corso). I make a rather common mistake by thinking that Jesus summed up the law with one commandment, but that's not true. Going back to verse 37 I find it necessary to give the Christ's full quote, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law of the prophets." I dare say that to love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind entails me loving like Christ. And Christ authentically exchanged his happiness for the suffering of others (something about a cross). This is the great commandment folks, we should strive to love our neighbors more than ourselves. If we fall short and love them only as much as ourselves, well, at least we kept the second commandment.

There is a great meditation called Tong Len that helps us cultivate this Christ-like/bodhisattva-like spirit. You begin by picturing a dear friend or family member. Then you imagine that you are inhaling all this cherished person's pain in the form of black smoke. On the exhale, you imagine returning all of your happiness, strength, virtue and good qualities to this cherished person in the form of white light. Do this for a while holding nothing back. Next attempt to picture someone you feel neutral about, and again exchange their black-smoke-pain for your white-light-goodness. After doing this for a while, picture an enemy in front of you and repeat the process (at first I didn't think I had any real enemies, but the leaders of N Korea and Iran soon filled that void). As you feel able, increase your audience. Think of all the pain throughout the world from Somalia to Iraq, battered women's shelters to nursing homes, orphanages to animal pounds, and inhale that suffering while returning white light. This can get rather emotionally intense, so take on as much as you can, but don't overdo things. The idea is to soften one's heart and engender compassion, not to send one into an emotional meltdown. I have struggled mightily through this meditation every time, and each time, when it ended, I felt better for having done it. I hope you too find it helpful.

Man Capris, Monkeys, Goat Farming and other Ridiculous Things

Friday is a good day for random thoughts and pictures so enjoy this eclectic little mix.

I am a staunch and vehement denouncer of man capris. My ire for this particular fad is only surpassed by tight jeans for men and fanny packs. However, I find myself retracting all my previous slander. Monsoon season in Nepal has made me see the functionality of man capris. It is low class and inappropriate to wear shorts around the monastery, and yet it is impossible to keep full pant legs dry while wandering through flooded streets. After the first two days of meditating on wet pant legs I decided to roll them up and effectively make all my pants, man capris. I even rolled up Carhart's...my hypocrisy knows no end.

I have attached a picture of a monkey because, well, monkeys are funny.

An older Tibetan woman walked by my friend Maggie and then turned around, walked back up to her and, completely unprovoked, smacked her on the arm. She then turned to another friend of mine, Elena, and took a swipe at her (Elena had cat-like reflexes and managed to dodge the octogenarian assault). Upon asking Lama Gerry what might have caused such a response, we found out that older Tibetan folks have reservations about white people because they think they might be ghosts. The only apparent way to prove your corporeality is to stick out your tongue and show that it isn't blue. I have so far resisted the urge to buy any blue raspberry blow pops...

I have attached a picture of goat herding because it brings back fond memories of my old goats. Bo and Luke RIP.

We have been trying a number of different meditations these last few weeks and have just finished with some breath control training. In one particular type of meditation the practitioner is asked to pucker his/her butt, take a deep breath, seal off the breath in the lower lungs and then breathe shallowly from the upper lungs. This is a fascinating method and it really keeps one's attention. Upon having done it for about 20 minutes our class took a break and Lama Gerry asked what we thought. My friend Zain replied, "Is this something we should be doing right after breakfast?" I second Zain's concern as my bowels don't need any help moving things along:)

The sixth Dalai Lama once visited with a family whose son was headless. They fed him through a hole on the top of his neck.

That's all I have for now folks have a fantastic Friday!

I see your 9 hells and raise you 9 more.

There is no denying my fascination with Dante's works. The mixture of imagery, humor and theology is the perfect blend for my palate. Much to my delight, I found many of the same elements of Dante in the descriptions of the Tibetan Buddhist hells. However, instead of Dante's 9 hells, Tibetan Buddhists have 8 hot hells, 8 cold hells, and two ephemeral hells. Additionally, they have the realm of hungry ghosts, the animal realm, the human realm, the demigod realm and the god realm. Each realm brings its own kind of suffering. The hells bring extreme physical suffering, the hungry ghost (preta) realms bring unquenchable thirst and hunger, the animal realm brings savage brutality, the human realm brings death, old age and sickness, the demigod realm brings constant conflict, and the god realm is excruciatingly painful to leave, which is inevitable. Generally speaking, hells are the result of hateful actions, preta realms the result of desire, animal realms the result of ignorance, and the upper three realms the result of good actions done with attachment to samsara. However, all existence within samsara is suffering, even the outwardly blissful realms of the gods. The only way to escape all this suffering is to escape samsara. I bring all this up because it is really fascinating, but also to frame the next three practices of the bodhisattvas.

Practice #8 The Path of Lesser Beings

All the sufferings of the lower realms, so extremely difficult to bear,

Are taught by the Sage to be the fruit of one's evil actions.

Therefore, it is the practice of the bodhisattvas

To constantly refrain from evil actions, even at the cost of one's own life.

Practice #9 The Path of Mediocre Beings

The happiness of the three realms is like a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass;

It perishes by itself from one instant to the next.

Hence, it is the practice of the bodhisattva

To strive for the supreme level of liberation, always unchanging.

Practice #10 The Path of Great Beings

When all our mothers, who have cherished us since beginningless time, are suffering,

Of what use then is our own happiness?

Therefore, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to engender the mind of enlightenment

For the sake of liberating sentient beings beyond limit.

Karma is perfectly just. Good actions return good results and bad actions bring about bad results. However, karma is not bound by one lifetime. A bad human action may not bring about a bad result in the human life. Instead, the unvirtuous action might not ripen until a few rebirths later. What is sure though, is that enough bad actions lead to a rebirth in one of the lower realms (hells, pretas and animals). So the path of the lesser beings is basically to take up Buddhism as a means of escaping a rebirth in the lower realms. The motivating factor is fear and selfishness. Good actions are done simply with the hope of avoiding bad results.

The path of the mediocre beings is slightly more complex, but essentially the same. A clever individual realizes that all levels of existence in samsara are about suffering. Humans suffer (this is evident to all of us), demigods might have physical pleasure, but are tormented by infighting, and gods might have a blissful existence for 500 years, but upon exercising the positive results of positive actions the god will fall back into one of the lower realms, possibly even a hell realm. All the wise are frightened just as much of the higher realms as they are of the lower realms. These mediocre beings take up Buddhism as a means to escape suffering all together - to liberate themselves from samsara completely. In the end though, it is still fear and selfishness that motivate this pursuit of enlightenment.

Accepting that karma is beginningless, and given a finite number of beings (although innumerable), one can reason that over an infinite timeline every being has been our mother or father at some point in time. So Tibetan Buddhism teaches its practitioners to treat all sentient beings as they were one's mother. What good is one's own liberation if all of one's mothers are left behind in all the suffering realms? There are beings that were their mothers who are suffering in the lowest hell as we speak. So how can one seek his/her own enlightenment and abandon one's mother to hell. The path of the greater beings is about seeking liberation not for one's own sake, but seeking liberation so that one may help liberate others. These greater beings take up Buddhism as a means to relieve the suffering of all beings. It is love and compassion that motivates this pursuit of enlightenment.

I am a big fan of Dante's Inferno/Purgatory/Paradiso because it is multifaceted and capable of dealing with varying situations. Accordingly, I am a big fan of CS Lewis' "Great Divorce" because it not only gives multiple ends, but also movement between ends. And I dig S Mark Heim's, "The Depth of Riches" because his eschatology considers positive ends for other life-promoting traditions. All of these great thinkers propose a myriad of ends depending on how an individual lives one's life. In short, I believe that if free-will exists in any form (conventionally, corrupted, impaired, etc) than there are a lot more endings than just lakes of fire and cities of gold. It is with this mind set that I turn to the 8th, 9th and 10th practices of the bodhisattvas from this Christian's view.

Faith from fear results in partial salvation. Fire and brimstone keeps one out of the depths of hell, but as a primary form of motivation it also keeps one out of the heights of heaven. It is almost directly analogous to the path of lesser beings.

Faith from the love of Christ for one's own benefit also results in partial salvation. One may maximize one's own capability to commune with the Trinity, but is still not experiencing the fullest sense of salvation. Unless your Chritianity is heavily based on Origen, the path of the mediocre beings is not directly analogous here. However, the point remains that good done for one's own sake does not result in the fullest sense of salvation.

Faith from the love of Christ for Christ's own sake results in full salvation. However, to love Christ for Christ's sake means one must love like Christ. Only through complete abandonment of the self can one reach this kind of love. All is done freely, and with the express benefit of other beings. The highest endeavour one can take on is the salvation of every other being, that is the mind of Christ.

If each being communes with Trinity in its own unique way, than no one being can fully experience the Trinity on its own. However, if each being is in communion with the Trinity and every other being, than each individual being is able to experience a more intimate relation to the Trinity through other beings. Salvation is synergistic, and complete salvation is not reached until every being is in communion with the Trinity and every other being. Full salvation is corporate, not individual. In terms of intention, the Way of the Cross is indeed the Path of Great Beings.

Taking Refuge

The last couple of days have been pretty exciting. Two pool parties on the 4th, a fantastic hike in Shivapuri National Park (complete w/ a trip to Nangi Gompa), and a day off for the Dalai Lama's birthday. Due to a little local turmoil I wasn't able to get over to Swayambhu Stupa for the celebration today, but I did make it to a local gompa for the tail end of the birthday festivities. The pictures I've included are all from Nangi Gompa up in the mountains over looking the Kathmandu valley. A very cool little community who even made us some butter salt tea (great for energy but an acquired taste). I also figured today was a good day to talk about "Taking Refuge."

Practice #7

Bound themselves, in the prison of samsara,

Whom are the worldly gods able to protect?

Therefore, it is the practice of the bodhisattvas

To go for refuge in the three unfailing Jewels.

(Note: the three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha (Note inside of note: the Dharma are teachings consistent with the Buddha, and the Sangha is the community of believers))

The Buddha encouraged everyone to test everything, take nothing at word, and seek to directly experience truths. Upon testing the world Sakyamuni found everything wanting and this dissatisfaction eventually produced the 4 Noble Truths and enlightenment. Today, people interested in Buddhism are encouraged to test the world in the same way. If they find the world wanting, then they are encouraged to test the Buddha's teachings. If the Buddha's teachings stand up to scrutiny then they should seek refuge. Refuge is the total trust in the Three Jewels alone that comes from the knowledge that they are the only unfailing refuge, always and in all circumstances, whether we are happy, sad, in pain, ill, living or dead. Just as taking refuge opens the gateway to all teachings and practices, it is faith that opens the gateway to taking refuge. If you have no faith and devotion at all, you will get absolutely nothing. However, absolute truth is only realized through faith.

Taking refuge is a worldview shift. Part of taking refuge includes not paying homage to any other deities, not harming others and not getting involved with people who denigrate the faith. Additionally, it means respecting and honoring the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in all their forms. A broken statue of the Buddha should not be regarded as trash, scriptures should not be placed on the ground and even items the color of monks' robes should be handled with care. The Three Jewels are to be the focal point of one's life from refuge until enlightenment. A person should picture the Buddha on his/her shoulder as he/she walks around, every bite of food should be an offering, and one should even train one's mind to seek refuge in the Three Jewels during nightmares. The path to enlightenment might be long and difficult, but unless one seeks refuge he/she is trapped in the cycle of suffering known as samsara.

In the past, I was both bored and disillusioned with Christianity. Baptism was an event I couldn't remember, confirmation was something my parents' made me do, and church was a building. Ritual lost meaning and became mundane. I don't think I was alone in these feelings. I have since come to fall in love with liturgy and ritual all over again, but only after a re-infusion of faith and understanding. One of the things that brought me to this rediscovered love affair was a total lack of faith in the world. Upon finding the world wanting, I turned to the teachings of the Christ and found truth. And so I sought to be reconfirmed in the Episcopal Church at age 28. I "took refuge" in a different kind of Three Jewels; the Trinity, the Bible and the Church. I find the methodology of "taking refuge" brilliant, and I believe Christianity would benefit from similar thinking. I am going to basically recopy my Buddhist explanation of "taking refuge" and insert Christian nouns, sayings and nuances, see if it sounds true to you.

St Paul encouraged everyone to test everything, take nothing at word, and seek to directly experience truths. "Test everything and hold on to that which is good." (1Thes 5:21) Upon testing the world Paul found everything wanting and this dissatisfaction eventually led him to proclaim to the Corinthians, "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." (1Cor 2:19) And in contrast to the world, Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 16:4) Today, people interested in Christianity should be encouraged to test the world in the same way. If they find the world wanting, then they are encouraged to test the Christ's teachings. If the Christ's teachings stand up to scrutiny, then they should seek refuge. Refuge is the total trust in the Three Jewels (Trinity, Bible and Church) alone that comes from the knowledge that they are the only unfailing refuge, always and in all circumstances, whether we are happy, sad, in pain, ill, living or dead. Just as taking refuge opens the gateway to all teachings and practices, it is faith that opens the gateway to taking refuge. If you have no faith and devotion at all, you will get absolutely nothing. However, absolute truth is only realized through faith.
Taking refuge is a worldview shift. Part of taking refuge includes not paying homage to any other deities, not harming others and not getting involved with people who denigrate the faith. Additionally, it means respecting and honoring the Trinity, Bible and Church in all their forms. A broken statue of the Christ should not be regarded as trash, scriptures should not be placed on the ground and even items imprinted with symbols of a church should be handled with care. The Three Jewels are to be the focal point of one's life from refuge until glory. A person should picture the Christ on his/her shoulder as he/she walks around, every bite of food should be an offering, and one should even train one's mind to seek refuge in the Three Jewels during nightmares. Pray without ceasing. (1Thes 5:17) The path to glory might be long and difficult, but unless one seeks refuge he/she is stuck in suffering. The gate is narrow and the way is hard. (Matt 7:14)

While the above paragraph might not suit all those knocking on the Church's door I believe it would save folks like me 3 or 4 years of wandering and wondering. I find the spirit of honesty, the openness of invitation, and lack of sugarcoating refreshing. Kudos to the Buddha for such an honest, straightforward and engaging invitation to a faithful life.

Breakfast Club Reflections this 4th of July

I trek over to the Shechen guesthouse every morning to enjoy breakfast with a group of friends before heading to class. Somewhere along the line one clever member of the group dubbed our little contingent "The Breakfast Club." I don't believe there are any one-to-one correlations with the movie, but if we get to pick our actors than I'm definitely going with Judd Nelson...that dude rocked! In any case our Breakfast Club is a rather international group representing Germany, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Pakistan, the UK (if Zeid isn't sleeping in), and a number of Yanks.

The July 4th catch phrase in the Forward Movement devotional is, "Today's enemies are tomorrow's friends." As I look around the Breakfast Club I realize how true this is. If I had been around during the French and Indian War I definitely wouldn't have been accepting any almonds from Elena or probiotics from Jamie, because they would have been land-thieving Canucks. Had I been around for the first 4th of July I'd probably have gone all Good Will Hunting on my British friend Zeid, "How you like them apples!" If I had been around 60 years ago I would be denouncing my German friend Karen. And admittedly, as a child of the Cold War, I still feel a bit odd talking to Russian folks like my classmate Vit from Moscow. Furthermore, I can scarcely imagine (but have a vague idea) how folks from other countries regard me as I sit drinking my coffee with my American flag proudly displayed on top of my bookbag. I am not really comfortable in defining either myself or my country merely in contrast or at odds with other people or nations. So on this American Independence Day I intend to celebrate what America is on its own and not how it stands in contrast to others.

At the core America is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is a confederation of states constantly striving to be a more perfect union. It is the land of the free and home of the brave. It is a nation of the people, by the people, for the people. It is a land where all people are created equal, where all of God's children, black people and white people, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! It is a country where people ask not what their country can do for them, but ask what they can do for their country. It is the leader of the free world, that when faced with global obstacles boldly responds, Yes we can.

Territorial squabbles, imperialism, fascism, communism and terrorism have all come and gone and some of them will probably come again. So as I celebrate this 4th of July from downtown Kathmandu, I pray that no matter what the adversity, the American dream continues to flourish and evolves into a global dream. Where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can be extended to all peoples, and on their own terms. Where justice and compassion can find that perfect balance. Where humanity can live symbiotically with its earthly home. Where all of today's enemies, indeed become tomorrow's friends. Happy 4th of July and God Bless America.

Spirit Guides

I've put off writing this post off for a while now. Practices 1-5 I found relatively easy to write. Practice 7 is a wonderland of insight, practices 8-10 are really eye opening, but I am struggling with practice 6. Some practices translate well and some, like practice 6, might require me/us to reach a little more for commonality. With that rather ominous introduction, practice #6.

When relying on the sacred spiritual friend, our faults become exhausted
And our good qualities increase like the waxing moon.
It is the practice of bodhisattvas to value such a sacred spiritual friend
As more precious than their own body.

There is an agrarian analogy used to describe the path to enlightenment. A human birth is like the fertile field, yet it is not nearly enough to yield the fruit of enlightenment. Many other conditions are necessary for the production of fruit, and one of the more critical conditions is the right spiritual friend. A spiritual friend is a mentor and a teacher. Finding the right teacher is a tough process, and a rarity in human form. However, when one has found the right person, perfect trust, faith, obedience and service is given to that spiritual friend. In return the spiritual friend nurtures and instructs the follower. The three poisons are reduced and the three good qualities (study, meditation and reflection) are fostered. These spiritual friends are great masters themselves, so even being in their presence can help us. Because we cannot attain enlightenment without the guidance of a spiritual friend they are even more valuable than our body.

I'm a bit of a loner. I like to figure things out on my own. I don't like being dependent on other people. Recently, I've worked a lot harder at being more integrated and interdependent with the rest of creation, but I still get uncomfortable at the sound of placing perfect trust, faith or obedience in a person. By and large my military experience was positive, but one of the scars I left with was a distinct lack of faith in any human's ability to make good decisions consistently (me included and perhaps especially). Couple my doubt with a tradition whose canon is closed and real suspicion arises. Early Christians had a rather negative response to the practice of spiritual friends because it was associated with Gnostics. Gnosticism claimed Jesus taught certain topics secretly to certain privileged individuals. These secret teachings could only be transferred via spiritual teachers. Furthermore, these secret teachings were tied up in the Gnostic belief of Docetism, or that Christ was not really incarnate. So when Irenaeus of Lyons succeeded in his hereticizing of Gnosticism, the spiritual teacher was removed from the necessary conditions for salvation. I believe I am on solid ground when I say that most of who call ourselves Christian believe that salvation is not dependent on a spiritual guide. However...
Necessity and efficiency are two very different things. While it may be possible to reach salvation free of a spiritual teacher, it is probably easier to "get by with a little help from our friends." Priests, preachers, deacons, lay leaders and Sunday school teachers are the first folks who come to mind. Any individuals who we recognize as farther down the Way of the Cross than us can benefit us. To ignore such a resource would be a waste. We don't even need to put perfect trust or faith in them, but maybe we should put more faith in them than in ourselves. At least when it comes to issues where we know ourselves to be ignorant. Another avenue is illuminated in the words of the Buddhist master Jayula, "Study all the life examples of the sacred ones; they are my inspirations." Spiritual friends don't have to be alive. Anyone who has a "St." before their name could probably help us down the Way. While I still can't go so far as to place perfect faith in a human, I can recognize that I personally need a little help from those more spiritual advanced than myself. So in the spirit of the 6th Practice let me say thanks to Jesus, St Paul, St James, St Christopher, St Josaphat (more on this one later), Maggie, Bob, Howard, Dad, Troy, Noni, Fr. Hesburgh, Thomas Merton, CS Lewis and everyone else who has in some way pointed the right direction down the Way or helped shoulder my spiritual load.

Bad Company till the day I die

I'm hoping some of you all remember the supergroup Bad Company, if not just disregard the latter of half of the title of this post. I'm a little tired today as I have just returned from a hike up to Kapan Monastery. I'll throw a couple of photos your way of this gorgeous little gompa and stupa. Pressing on with the practices.

Practice #5

If, while befriending someone, the three poisons increase,

The activities of study, reflection and meditation degenerate,

And love and compassion disappear,

Then it is the practice of the bodhisattvas to give up this bad company.

(Note: The three poisons are attachment, anger and ignorance) Individuals who increase the three poisons, decrease study, reflection, meditation, love and compassion should be conceived of as dangerous wild animals. If one keeps company with unwholesome friends their faults will rub off, and the virtuous Dharma, which has not yet arisen, will not arise.

Parents tend to see this one coming. I can't remember all the times I heard my folks give the lecture about, "you are who you hang out with." They were mostly giving this talk to Kelley, but I heard it a few times. Wisdom and experience seem to agree that if a person hangs around a degenerate group long enough they will become degenerate. You can even find Biblical backing for this in 2 Cor 14 & 17, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath the righteous with the unrighteous and what communion hath light with darkness. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you." However...

Audience is important here. This Bodhisattva practice is directed to those just beginning the path, my parents were addressing their children, and St. Paul was addressing a young church in the middle of a pagan environment. These admonitions are not meant as hard and fast rules used to justify isolation (for more on this see Anabaptists). As one grows in faith, he\she moves from being influenced to influencing, from receiver of bad habits to instiller of good habits. We should investigate and evaluate our own standing in our faith. Some situations might require us to abandon bad company. Then again, some situations might require us to eat with tax-collectors. (I give a big shout out to my Dad on this topic for his work with the Kairos prison ministries.)

This guy made fun of my Yak Story

Yak Yak Yak

I went to a section of Kathmandu called Thamel. It seems like the section of town that has taken to Western influence the most, for better or for worse. Dance clubs, fine dining and oodles of entrepreneurs selling everything from scarves to Everest flights to Nepali weed (I was propositioned twice. I'm sure it has something to do w/ my lack of a haircut). However our group went because Thamel is also known for its bookstores (dork alert in full effect here). While making our way between bookstores I saw a T-shirt that had a line of Yaks across the chest and underneath this string of animals was a string of words that read "Yak, Yak, Yak, Yak". Upon seeing this I couldn't stop laughing, and then it dawned on me to ask what the Tibetan word for Yak was. One of the folks in our group is a Tibetan language scholar and she informed me that the Tibetan word for Yak is indeed Yak. If you have made it this far in this post I have just rewarded you with an indispensable piece of knowledge. Go forth and let everyone know you speak a little Tibetan. Once I figure out how to upload pictures on these shared computers I'll post a picture of what happens to people who make fun of my Yak story.

See if you can find the Lost reference

Practice #4 of the Bodhisattva

Separated from each and every long-acquainted companion,
Leaving behind hard-earned wealth and possessions,
Guest-like consciousness abandons its guesthouse, the body;
To give up concern for this life is the practice of the bodhisattvas.

At the moment of death, they either abandon us or we abandon them. Live together, die alone. This is just merely fact. There are 3 root truths about death; death is certain, when we will die is uncertain, at the point of death, nothing other than the Dharma is of benefit. Furthermore, friends will be of no benefit, food and wealth will be of no benefit, even one's own body will be of no benefit. Reflection and contemplation of death should be like the riding crop that spurs our precious human life forward. Liberation can be reached from this life so every moment is precious to that end. Knowing our moments are limited we should attempt to capitalize on every second we are afforded. Capitalization means practicing the Dharma. Wealth, health, even friends and family are secondary to this compulsion towards enlightenment. Paradoxically, practicing the Dharma means letting go of concern for this life and this time that spurs us forward. So one should make haste to be compassionate and be quick to relinquish the self.

I like the directness of this practice. I tend to romanticize death (thank you John Donne). Or I'll only contemplate it only when the spectre is close. Or I'll regard it in terms of a country song like "Live like you were Dying" (thank you Tim McGraw). In any case, I don't think about death near enough. While it sounds morbid, take a day and preface each decision by reflecting on your own death as imminent. Fear, embarrassment and laziness recede quickly under this kind of reflection. Furthermore, one's ideas of what's important change. And while it might not move you to go skydiving, Rocky mountain climbing or 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu man chu, I'm sure it will motivate you to do more than watch 90210 in syndication. Death has a way of reminding us of what's important. For we Christians that means living a life in ever deepening relation to the Trinity. Of course this relationship brings its own paradox, "For whosoever will save his/her life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his/her life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it (Mark 8:35). Life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So be quick to love and make haste to be kind, and in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Adhering to Solitude and the Rocky Soundtrack

Practice #3 of the Bodhisattva

Abandoning negative places, disturbing emotions gradually subside;
Being free from distraction, the practice of virtue spontaneously increases;
With brightened awareness one feels confidence in the Dharma;
To adhere to solitude is the practice of the bodhisattvas

Abandoning one's homeland is not enough if one is just going to re-establish attachments some where else. The world is full of distractions that constantly pull one away from focus on the Dharma. As one abandons an environment of distraction clarity and awareness grow. Solitude here is not simply referring to physical location. There are 3 kinds of solitude; physical solitude, solitude of speech and solitude of mind. The first kind of solitude means abandoning the sensory inputs that can be distractions (Xbox or Stock Ticker). The second kind of solitude means abandoning both the influx and outpouring of speech, text or distracting communication (turn off Dr. Phil). The third kind of solitude means abandoning all other thoughts not associated with the Buddha, the Dharma or the Sangha (worrying about manscaping for the beach or what to make the family for dinner). Adhering to solitude can take place in Times Square. As one adheres to solitude ethical discipline becomes more robust, meditation becomes more focused, awareness opens and wisdom is grasped.

When I hear, "adhere to solitude" I think of two things; Simon the Stylite and Rocky IV. Simon the Stylite was a 5th century Christian ascetic who lived upwards of 35 years on top of a pillar. Food, water and waste were provided and removed by followers on the ground, and Simon never came down. While Simon was a bit extreme, adhering to solitude has been a foundational influence on Christianity. Truly fascinating and miraculous stories have emerged from folks like Antony of Egypt and the Desert Fathers. These early ascetics chose solitude because it removed them from distractions and allowed them to concentrate on their faith (if this sounds familiar see above).
Drago killed Apollo creed. Rocky knew that in order to beat this "Russian Killer" he needed to step up his training. So in a bold move Rocky left his town, his wife, his Survivor thumping Lamborghini, and all his fancy gyms in favor of a Siberian cabin and desolate wilderness. Rocky knew that when concentration and committment were paramount, solitude was the surest environment.
Solitude is of utmost importance in our lives. We need to disconnect from the world from time to time. Clarity, awareness, wisdom, committment, discipline and being able to whoop Roid-raging Russians are only a few of the benefits of solitude. If we hold our faiths dear, than solitude to reflect on the Dharma or the Gospel is imperative. If we can't do it constantly than we should at least set aside a little time each day. For those of us who call ourselves Christians there's even a whole day dedicated to this purpose...it's called the Sabbath. I am still working on this one, but hopefully with the help of bodhisattvas, Stylites, Rocky and a divine commandment, I can carve out a little more solitude.

Technical Difficulties and the Road to Damascus

I am having a little trouble w/ my laptop so I am writing to you all from a place called cyber connections, which just edged out the cyber dharma cafe as a place to get on line. I am going to attempt to make a series of posts today to catch back up. This post along with the 3rd and 4th practices of the Bodhisattva were actually written on 29 Jun, the 5th and 6th practices on the 30th and the 7th practice on 1 July. So now that I'm back some quick thoughts on how we portray religions.

29 Jun 09
As one of my assigned texts I am reading "The Words of My Perfect Teacher" by Patrul Rinpoche, and it is a great overview of Tibetan Buddhism. This book fills in a number of literary, historical, mythological and cultural pieces that I was unaware of through purely academic exposure. I thought I came to Nepal with a basic understanding of Buddhism. I have taken classes both on the undergraduate and graduate level, read traditional texts and even practiced Mindfulness meditation on a daily basis. I know very, very little. Watching how a tradition takes life in people and practice is simply stunning, and until one has been exposed to that experience one cannot say that he/she has even the vaguest idea of what the tradition is about. (For instance, Tibetan Buddhism comes with its own system of penance complete with confession and a rosary!) Differences really start to break down as the foreign becomes familiar and the other becomes a friend.
So I watched a film called Milarepa last night with folks from the school and monastery. Milarepa is a highly regarded being in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. His story is one of how a black magician, guilty of mass murder, becomes a bodhisattva. Since today is the feast day of St Peter and St Paul I can't help but recall Saul's conversion to Paul. It appears that in at least a couple of traditions people find solace in knowing the vilest of us still have a shot at redemption.