dharmatalks

The great bodhisattva Ksitigarbha vowed that as long as there was still one suffering soul alive, he would not attain buddhahood. In addition to suffering souls, the bodhisattva also helps living beings in other realms: humans, celestial beings, asuras, hungry ghosts, and animals and insects. He hopes that by teaching all these creatures, he will be able to stop them from committing more crimes, and thus help them to end their constant suffering. While it is technically impossible for one to put off attaining Enlightenment, Tsongkhapa noted that the desires and motivations of such beloved bodhisattvas is still sublime.

I was recently asked to speak about the qualities and attainments of a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva (Tibetan: byang chub sems dpa) is one who, motivated by great compassion, has generated the spontaneous desire to attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. This desire to awaken for the sake of all sentient beings is called bodhicitta.

The Bodhisattva progresses through ten paths, or “bhumis”, which take them from the grounds of insight, into the grounds of meditation, and which culminate in the paths or grounds of “no more learning” (realisation).

While each tradition has certain texts and cultural expresssions that may be used to illustrate the qualities of a Bodhisattva, we can move beyond the sectarian differences to recognise that a Bodhisattva first lives according to and manifests the Six Paramitas (Perfections): generosity, ethics, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom.

To become a Bodhisattva is to be fearless. There is no aversion for those who are hostile and there is no obsessive clinging to those who are closest to us. There is no possessiveness, only love, compassion and discernment into the nature of reality.

In the Buddha Sakyamuni’s ‘Perfection of Wisdom Sutra’ it states: “I will become a saviour to all those beings, I will release them from all their sufferings.” Some of the examples of true bodhisattvas would include such individuals as Rev Yeshua ben Yusef (Jesus the Christed One), Je Tsongkhapa, Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Maximillian Kolbe.

Rather than focus on the qualities, marks or signs of a bodhisattva, I believe it would be more useful to focus on the qualities we should cultivate, so that we might become bodhisattvas ourselves, for the sake of all sentient beings:

Generosity – The generous heart gives without expectation of anything in return. Volunteering your time to a worthwhile charity, taking time to financially support your teachers or spiritual community, looking out for those who are marginalised, hurting, depressed… these are all examples of generosity. A generous heart never gives with anger, resentment or with the expectation of repayment. It simply has the desire to help someone in need.

Ethics – Cultivating the right view – knowing the difference between what is right and what is not right – is imperative to cultivating the Six Paramitas, and becoming a Bodhisattva. One who has cultivated a clear set of ethics lives in accordance with the Five Precepts of Mindfulness, choosing to do no harm to oneself or to others. From the Buddhist perspective, all harmful actions are caused by an imbalanced mind that harbours or creates them, therefore, by learning the foundational techniques of mindfulness and practicing Lojong is an important means of cultivating a stronger ethical quality of mind.

Patience – The lack of patience that marks today’s “on-demand” world is unhealthy. In Candrakirti’s book, Supplement to the Middle Way, impatience is described perfectly: “It makes us ugly, leads to the profane, and robs us of discernment to know right from wrong.” The practice of patience is the antidote to anger and frustrations. It creates calm and allows us to enjoy stillness.

Concentration – When we cultivate concentration, through the proper practice of meditation and contemplation, we develop a keen ability to focus with laser intensity, with a non-waivering mind. This brings about a quality we call “calm abiding”, which intensifies the higher senses, allows us to gain supernatural insight and increases our healing capacity. Je Tsongkhapa teaches, “Concentration is a Sovereign, with dominion over the mind, once placed, immovable, like the Ruler of the Mountains.” Concentration, mindfulness, and insight give rise to the final paramita – Wisdom.

Wisdom – Arising out of the calm abiding mind, wisdom reveals itself to be the root of all the other paramitas. From the Buddhist perspective, we call Wisdom the sum total of the other five perfections. In order to generate true bodhicitta, wisdom merges with compassion, and the pure desire to benefit all sentient beings organically manifests.

An example of a the Bodhisattva vows are found in Santideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, the Bodhisattva vow is taken with the following famous two verses from the end of the Avatamsaka Sutra:

“Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddhas/Generated the mind of enlightenment, and accomplished all the stages of the Bodhisattva training, so will I too, for the sake of all beings, generate the mind of enlightenment and accomplish all the stages of the Bodhisattva training.”

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa –
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Spiritual practice is hard work. It requires discipline, a commitment and genuine compassion. The story of the Buddha Sakyamuni is an illustration of the kind of perfected realisation (Enlightenment) that is possible, when one applies consistent effort, unwaivering dedication, and when one is willing to endure the impermanent obstacles and hardships that may arise in the process.

Those who have followed the work of the Contemplative Monks of the Eightfold Path, or who have know me for any length of time, will readily admit that there have been some obstacles – even some extreme hardships – we’ve had to endure over the past 30 years.

I presently live well below the federal poverty level guidelines. At times, there are weeks that go by, during which we have to sustain ourselves on $30-$40 for groceries. At other times, we are faced with impending eviction, due to not being able to afford the rents in our area – even for the inadequate, tiny and unhealthy tenement in which we now live.

Recently, I met with a young ministerial student, who asked why I didn’t just choose the “easier road” and remain affiliated with a more strictly “traditional” church or spiritual organisation, so that we could count on the parent organisation for funding, support and perhaps even shelter.

I explained that the pursuit of an authentic spiritual practice is only possible, when we keep our hearts open and are determined to sustain our effort through whatever apparent obstacles, challenges and hardships may arise. When I made the decision to make the Dharma of the Buddha and the Dharma of the Christ more accessible to Westerners, without the sectarian politics, drama and exclusionary tactics, I knew I was bound to encounter some difficulties.

It would be easy to become bitter or despondent. The family in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, who asked us for help to keep them from losing their home in November and December – and who offered to allow us to add onto their home and make it into the Karuna House project, so that affordable housing could be provided for up to five or seven other disabled persons, while offering a sanctuary for homeless animals on the property as well – will be losing their home in less than a week. Of the 2700 people who read this blog each month, FOUR PEOPLE opened their hearts and gave what they could to help, which bought the family a little more time, but in the end, we just couldn’t help them save the house. It would be easy to be disgusted, when I know how many people, who don’t think twice about dropping $50-$100 per night at the bar on happy hour or some such nonsense. But that anger would still not motivate them to have done the right thing.

I could become bitter to know that the very same people who have done nothing to assist us in re-building the dharma centre, or supporting the ladrang are running around on Twitter and in their so-called “dharma blogs”, attacking me for using the skills I have to land whatever small consulting gigs I can get with various marketing companies, web design firms, etc. so that I can continue to keep the doors open and roof over our heads.

In the 80’s and 90’s, I successfully taught several direct marketing firms how their sales reps could use dharma-based principles to grow their business, without doing harm to their customers. As a result, I helped one company grow from eight or nine reps to 358,000+ reps in 18 months. And it was the $24K/month that contract generated, that allowed me to maintain the costs of six monastic residences, health insurance for our monks and nuns, food, utilities and operating expenses for more than 15 years. Am I ashamed of that? Not in the least. Does that contradict the supposed prescriptions against a monk making money in the vinaya? Perhaps it does, but I also recognise that the vinaya is culturally irrelevant in the West. And therefore, our Order has moved beyond the “letter of the law” (what Buddha refers to as “a small law”) in favour of doing what is right and what is best to adapt to the cultural ethos of the West.

Surely there will be some who criticise this approach as syncretic – and they’re right. But then, the Buddha’s teachings are likewise syncretic. Buddhism has been a syncretic teaching for more than 3000 years.

Some have criticised us unfairly, claiming that we “dress up in various religious costumes”, when in fact, we simply honour the four traditions from which we come — the lineage of Zen (which comes to us through Onisaburu Deguchi-san Sensei (through Morehei Ueshiba-san, Robert Danza Sensei and Marianne Donoghue Sensei); the lineage of non-sectarian Tibetan Buddhism (as part of the lineage transmitted through our Root Guru, Tenzin Yangchen Ma); the Advaita tradition transmitted by my Refuge Guru, Swami Abishiktananda, OSB; and of course, the apostolic lineage, transmitted through the Church of Antioch, the Syrian-Malankara Church, the Johannite Church, the Orthodox Churches and the Old Catholic and Mariavite Churches.

We don’t choose to get into the pissing-matches that thrive on the Internet, in which people from one sect have attacked someone, who was declared to be a Tulku by a respected Nyingmapa Throne Holder; or the counter attacks, when members of that sect defend their teacher’s decision to allow them to be ordained without what many consider appropriate formation and training. Entering into such debates only adds to the suffering in the world.

Do I find it troublesome, when I hear that someone was ordained with nothing more than a few weeks of summer retreat as their “training”? Yes. I find it deeply disturbing. But rather than get into a battle over it, I would rather simply serve and keep an open heart to allow any of those folks who would like to deepen their training to learn from us, without bringing scandal to their teacher, or their tradition. Besides that, I have no way of knowing how much additional training those folks may or may not have received since their ordination. So it’s none of my business!

I will say this…

Having seen the obstacles thrown in their way, I am more impressed by that group’s continued commitment to do whatever they can do in their practice… to conscientiously call for the protection of animals, the relief efforts in Haiti, and making simple sadhanas available to the public as a means of introducing a meditation practice, than I could ever be by those whose efforts are simply an on-going attack against anyone who is not part of their particular cult, club, circle-jerk, sect.

So yes, there will be hardships… headaches… obstacles… and maybe a little drama. Stop trying to prevent it. Simply learn to sit with it. Gently and compassionately observe such things as they arise, and acknowledge them as passing phenomena… they are ultimately friends, because each of those difficulties bears the seeds for potential transformation and learning.

So rather than allow the troublesome and temporary inconvenience of being in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where it’s been nearly impossible to find any support for a Dharma Centre, and where we’ve only been forced to live in substandard, uncomfortable and unhealthy conditions; I choose to see the past two years as a chance I have taken to learn to become more mindful of the opportunities hidden in adversity.

And we never know what tomorrow may bring. We maintain the hope that we will one day again be able to afford to build a small ladrang and dharma centre in South Florida. Right now, we don’t know how that will happen, and we don’t invest too much time obsessing over it. There is work to be done right here… right now.

I am personally more concerned at the moment to ensure that Sharon and Otto find a home, when the sheriff’s sale is done and they are dispossessed of their home and belongings. Sometimes, we just have to get our priorities straight, and focus on those who need help more than we do.

Consider adopting a softer, more gentle and more open-hearted approach in your spiritual practice, and watch what unfolds for you as well!

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

It’s rather easy to recognise fundamentalism, whether Christian, Islamic, or a fundamentalism based on any other spiritual tradition as being unhealthy, detrimental and illegitimate. We may not be as readily aware of the subtle forms of fundamentalism and intolerant supremacist mentalities that arise in our every day dealings with others, however. These are equally unhealthy, and like all baseless spiritual criticism, arise from arrogance and ignorance.

When someone criticises your spiritual practice or path, it’s best to gently remind them that you are following your interior path, and are disinterested in their approval or disapproval. Admit that your path is a humble and lowly path, and that your path is simply love and compassion.

I would suggest that you seek only three things from your spiritual practice:

First, seek authenticity. Be sure that the path you follow is the one that resonates deeply with you, and which withstands examination and reasoning. For this reason, most practices that are based on superstition, doctrine, dogma and hierarchical authority may prove troublesome. Believe only that which your reasoning and heart have found to be true.

Second seek a path rooted in compassion. Your principal, if not sole motivation for spiritual practice ought to be the desire to alleviate suffering, and end self-cherishing, fears and those things which cause attachments. That means your path should be one free of judgment, and filled with forgiveness – for yourself and others.

Third, ensure that your spiritual practice is relevant. It’s fine to subscribe to the ancient and honoured traditions of our spiritual heritage. But we must work to keep those traditions relevant, dynamic and accessible. If you find yourself drawing from various traditions, don’t let anyone intimidate or ridicule your decision to do so, simply because they are too ignorant to appreciate the limitless possibility for authentic spirituality that exists for those mature enough to do so.

There have been those who continue to attack and ridicule members of our community, because we adapted our spirituality, our rule of life, our monastic (or lay) vows, and our traditions to reflect more authentically the message of the Buddha and the Christ, as it speaks to us.

For the petty, small minded and vitriolic imbeciles of the world, it’s unfathomable for someone to faithfully uphold their vows as a Catholic contemplative, and Successor to the Apostles, while faithfully living the vows of a postmodern Buddhist monastic. Even more impossible, in their minds, is the idea that one could freely celebrate the spiritual traditions of the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers… the rich heritage of Eastern (esoteric) Catholic spirituality and Vajrayana Buddhism – from an entirely non-theistic approach.

Central to the spiritual of the Contemplative Monks of the Eightfold Path is a text that my Refuge Guru, Swami Abishiktananda (Fr. Henri Le Saux, OSB) shared with me when I was seven years old – a teaching that was given to both arhats and bodhisattvas by the layman, Vimalakirti, which particularly focuses on non-duality.

In the eighth stanza of the sutra, there is a passage which spoke deeply to me as a seven year-old child, and both inspired and informed my future spiritual path ever since. It describes the path I would take… the path which would be confirmed later, as my Root Guru, Tenzin Yangchen Ma, would receive from her Guru Neem Karoli Baba… the path which Swami Bede Griffiths understood, as did Thomas Merton, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Master Thich Nhat Hanh. For some, it was a passage which metaphorically spoke of an inclusiveness and tolerance that should be held by every spiritual practitioner. For me, it was a literally affirmation of the path I would choose:

He becomes a monk in all the different religions of the world so that he might free others from delusion and save them from falling into false views.

Vimalakirti Sutra 8

It has been a liberating path for me, while certainly not a path for most folks, to be sure. It allows me to live the teaching in a way that is more authentic for me.

I don’t believe that Buddha Sakyamuni intended for people to become “Buddhists”, nor do I believe Rabbi Jesus intended for his disciples to convert people to “Christianity” (or Judaism for that matter). Instead, they intended for people to live joyfully and without attachment… without self-cherishing… without fear or the delusional sense of “separateness” we know as the ego.

Let this new week be an opportunity for you to sever those ties with those who bring toxicity to your daily experiences and relationships. When you allow toxic people to continue to interact with you in ways that create further conflict, you become culpable for the conflict itself. Engaging someone, who continues to attack or disparage you, and then getting angry about their sophomoric attacks is about as sensible and becoming angry with fire because it burns.

Sometimes, the best way for forgiveness to transform a relationship that is damaged is to allow space to exist for a period of time, in which the egocentric mechanisms of all parties can lose their focus and power. By gently letting go, and preventing further toxic interactions, we make room for that miracle in which the broken can once again become whole. The “miracle” of reconciliation and understanding.

Thank you to everyone who sent their well wishes, prayers and expressions of support this past week, following my surgery. The pain in my arm and shoulder remains very intense, but I grow stronger each day, and chose, over the weekend, to stop using the pain medications, so that I could function this week, and return to my work teaching, consulting and counseling.

I will be working fewer hours, and taking breaks as needed. But I am happy to be back, and grateful for the wonderful job the orthopaedic surgeon did once again.

May your week be filled with mindfulness and awareness of the breath, and may love light your way.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa –
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Today’s press conference, in which Tiger Woods publicly apologised for the suffering he caused his loved ones, owned up to the mistakes he’s made, and expressed a sincere desire to return to wisdom and teachings of the Buddhist spiritual philosophy that is part of his heritage, was an admirable gesture.

Was it necessary or newsworthy to interrupt whatever was on TV? I don’t know, because I don’t watch TV. But here’s what I think…

I think it was insane and an invasion of privacy to make such an absurd spectacle out of this man’s private life in the first place. I don’t think that when there are hundreds of thousands of people suffering in Haiti, in Darfur, in Mongolia, in Afghanistan and Iraq – people for whom we seldom interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for news updates – that it’s newsworthy or necessary to do what we’ve seen in Tiger Woods’ case.

That said, because such a media circus was made of his affair, and because kids look up to him as a role model, I applaud both what he did today and the idea of a press conference being held. I just question whether it was necessary to interrupt regularly scheduled programming, or if the announcements and apology could have simply been broadcast on the news and subsequent “entertainment” (tabloid) television programming.

Vowing to redouble his commitment to his Buddhist practice, “bringing all obstacles to the path”, as we say, Woods pointed out that the Dharma taught him that “craving for things outside ourselves causes unhappiness and leads to a pointless search for security”. Expressing a desire to “learn restraint” and stop “following every impulse”, he went on to say that he hopes to regain a sense of balance through his spiritual practice.

I read one article questioning whether the apology would “restore people’s faith in Woods”. What? I didn’t realise people were placing their “faith” in Woods, or that who he screwed or didn’t screw really had any impact on anyone but his wife, his family and his sexual partners. I personally find nothing magical, sacred or admirable about monogamy in any way, shape or form. I’m not particularly inclined to recognise any significant importance (let alone imaginary sacramental importance) in the “institution” of marriage. And I don’t know what the situation was in the private lives of Mr. and Mrs. Tiger Woods. So the matter doesn’t concern me.

If the American public showed as much concern for real issues… like the potential loss of lives that will occur unless we do something about the proposed Ugandan death penalty for HIV+ and gay men… like making sure that vitriolic, narrow-minded, hatemongering cults like the Roman Catholic and Mormon “churches” lose their tax-exempt status permanently, for their continued political action involvement (and the extortion-like tactics those hatemongering cults bring to the world)… to putting an end to the healthcare crisis… homelessness… animal cruelty… the oppression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese government… etc., then perhaps this world would become a better place.

Most importantly, I am disgusted by the intolerant and uncharitable comments being posted on Twitter, Facebook and on blogs, condemning Woods’ apology. Those familiar with the Twelve Step program (of which I am no fan, to be sure, since I believe the so-called “First Step” is patent bullshit and an unhealthy foundation on which to build recovery) know that part of the recovery process includes making amends for the “wreckage of one’s past”.

Today, Tiger Woods too another important step in his recovery, and I wish him nothing but the very best, as he continues along that journey. Today we saw a young man, who was once heralded as one of the greatest professional golfers of the “new generation” prove that when it comes to integrity, humility and maturity, dude’s got game!

Tiger, you owed the public NOTHING. But you’ve used the opportunity to do the right thing, and go a step further. And that, my friend, is leadership.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

At some point in your life, I believe you must make the decision, if you are ever going to really grow (and grow-up) that you will no longer allow the shortcomings of our society become an excuse for your own failure to realise your potential.

We look around us and see a culture that is obsessed with spending money, drinking, partying, and digging themselves into a desperate and bottomless debt. Advertising, entertainment and peer pressure fuel this cycle of negative behaviour. We may begin making unhealthy decisions, and use as an excuse that we cannot help ourselves.

And we know that’s a lie.

Each of us possesses the same capacity for light, for awakening, for manifesting the abundance, calm and ease of the Buddha Mind or Christ Consciousness. We have the authority over our lives, not some imaginary external beings, forces or influences. That is why religion seldom does much to really solve the root of people’s addictions, habituation, overspending, and financial recklessness. Until someone takes responsibility, and affirms that their choice is not to imitate the failures of their society, their parents, their cultures, but rather to become the leaders who can set the example for, and inspire others around them, we will continue to fail.

The potential exists for you, right now, to decide that you’re not going to play the victim anymore.

It’s OK to ask for help. We can often accomplish more by seeking the support, encouragement and assistance of someone who already recognises our potential, or who has made the changes we wish to make. The psychological and emotional positioning of reaching out for help opens us – physiologically, psychologically and spiritually – so that we can become more courageous “warriors” against the effects of habituation.

Chances are, you don’t need someone to point out how out of control your behaviour may be in certain areas. You’ve already seen the impact that behaviour has had on your relationships with others, on your health, on your financial security.

Grow up! Stop the childish excuses! Wake up!

It’s not too late to change your behaviour, before you end up recreating the experiences of your past, which may have led to serious health problems, loss of loved ones, legal issues, or psychological problems.  Just reach out to someone who is willing to help you… and recognise that everything you need to accomplish this powerful transformation already exists within you.

Relax and allow yourself to focus on your breath. There, at the centre of your being is the ultimate capacity to transform every moment into love.

Love manifests as ease, peace, health, and balance. It is the Middle Way.

Practice whatever you can, so that the teachings of our lineage holders and dharma acharyas will not have been in vain, but above all, practice compassion, loving-kindness and mindfulness with every step.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa –
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

I’d be hard-pressed to remember a time when Prema Jaya Ma (Rev. Mother Agnes Mary) was not part of this teaching. Her encouragement and willingness to consider new things gave me strength, at times when things seemed insurmountable. She was one of the first people to learn that the result of my being sexually assaulted and beaten in 1983 would be infection with what was then considered to be a death sentence – the “gay plague”.  And when we made the difficult decision to sever our community’s ties with the Roman Catholic Church, although she felt she was too old to be able to suddenly find a means of supporting herself financially, Mother was one of the first to rejoice and help us find a new episcopal protector for the Order.

In 2005, I ordained her sub-rosa, meaning quietly and discreetly, so that her ordination would not result in her dismissal from the cloistered community in which she had made her home. Each day, she and two other nuns, also my students, would come together for liturgy and sadhana. Their lives were exemplary lives, and so their daily responsibilities and prayerful, contemplative lives were wholly consistent with the Rule of Life they’d secretly professed (based on the Brief Rule of St. Romuald, who like them, was a Benedictine).

Ani-la is a Tibetan word, meaning “beloved nun” or “highly regarded nun”. It is a term I would use around others to discuss her, because she often worried that word would reach her religious superiors, and she would be forced to leave the convent. In reality, if her superiors would have realised that I’d ordained her as a Catholic priest, she would have been excommunicated by Rome, but I never added to her concern, by telling her that. The Roman Catholic Church already did as much to two of our Franciscan sisters, I’d ordained as well, in South Florida.

When one of the two younger nuns, who are part of our teaching, convinced Ani-la to try her hand at using Twitter, she was very apprehensive.  Years earlier, when they taught her to use blogs, she would often change her username, so we never knew it was her responding until I’d get an email, later on, simply saying, “By the way, that was me!” Eventually, she began feeling comfortable enough using an old (and I do mean OLD) photograph of her, taken when I was probably only ten or twelve years old. She actually looked younger now, than she did in that old photo!

So I would tease her and tell her as long as she insisted on using that horrible old picture, I would do the same. I dislike having my picture taken, so I would take the one or two casual photos that were snapped of me each year, and then cut my head out, and “photoshop” the older head onto one of the dozens of earlier photos of me in various contemplative settings, temples, churches, and so forth. It became an inside joke, and few people ever asked about it.

Well… I guess I’ll have to keep my word, and allow photos to be taken of me now… because at 11:11 PM, Mother Prema Jaya (Agnes Mary) left this mortal coil and began her journey toward rebirth in Dewachen. Like Therese Lisieux, Ani-la was a Bodhisattva, whose only desire was to spend “her heaven doing good on earth”… until there was no more suffering.

I shed my share of tears, as I was not even able to make arrangements to go to Philadelphia to be there for those final hours, but our sisters made certain that our traditions were followed, and she was assisted and supported in her beautiful transition.  And so now we mourn our loss… we feel the acute absence of someone we’ve loved for decades, and whom we cherished as wonderful gift, knowing we would one day have to let that gift go.

In the Sutta Nipata, Sakyamuni reminds us:

Not through weeping and grieving do we obtain peace of mind. We increase misery; we harm ourselves. We become thin and pale, destroying ourselves by our own power.

- Sutta Nipata 584

And so we are mindful today that we cannot hold onto our grief. We allow the emotions to arise, and we greet them as we would a friend – gently. And we know that without clinging to them, they will resolve… soften… and pass.

Ani-la would be pleased to know that her passing was used as a lesson in impermanence. She asked that I not make a big deal of it, and even asked that I not announce to the community on Twitter or Facebook when it happened. She wanted me to soften the blow, by offering some more gentle, pastoral words, when I had time to allow my own tears to subside a bit.  And I’ve chosen to honour that request.

In our last, very recent conversation, we shed some tears. We knew that this time was coming close. I would never imagine it would have been this soon, but I was privileged to know the details of her health concerns, as she was with my own. So I knew I wouldn’t see her again in this life.

I miss her terribly… we all do. But tonight I celebrate a life well lived.

Practice whatever you can, so that the teachings of our lineage holders and dharma acharyas will not have been in vain, but above all, practice compassion, loving-kindness and mindfulness with every step.

Namasté

dharmacharya gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

“I don’t need you to tell me what I know, Gurudas,” she hissed, with the venom of a starving python. And that was how one woman recently chose to go her own way, when she decided that the idea of Buddhist lamas, khenpos and teachers engaging in social justice work, confronting homophobia, taking a stand for the marginalised and being unafraid to use “strong words” when necessary, were justifications for nothing more than “vitriolic rants”.

We have to be careful not to criticise or resist the mind, the senses, human sexuality or emotions. It is normal, healthy and necessary to allow ourselves to think, to listen, to feel the sensations and emotions of the phenomenal world. These are all part of our experiences. Even anger is nothing more than an emotion… neither good nor bad. It will arise from time to time. The key is not to become attached to these experiences – not to grasp at or reject thoughts, sounds, sensations, sexuality, hunger or emotions.

Speaking at the Vancouver Peace Summit in Toronto, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama remarked that sometimes the most compassionate response to an unjust or unhealthy situation is to use harsh words. It’s unfortunate that my friend was apparently not paying attention at that moment.

When thoughts or emotions arise… when your appetite or sexual desire makes its presence known… when anger, fear, love, happiness becomes your mood… simply acknowledge that you are experiencing these things in the moment, and gently allow them to come and go… lightly… effortlessly… without care.

Renunciation is not the path of giving up anything. It’s the path of freedom from grasping at or rejecting all things. It’s the Middle Way… and it works.

Practice whatever you can, so that the teachings of our lineage holders and dharma acharyas will not have been in vain, but above all, practice compassion, loving-kindness and mindfulness with every step.

Namasté

dharmacharya gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

David Pearson writes: “Dharmacharya, could you explain where your teaching fits in overall in the Buddhist world? From what lineage and tradition are your monks associated? And have you not been expelled from that lineage, since your approach to the vinaya is ‘non-traditional’ at best? I mean no disrespect, but find it troubling that you are referred to by so many as a lama and Buddhist monk, yet your path seems to break with Buddhist tradition.”

Thank you for your patience, in waiting for a response, David. (David’s question was received in early December, but I asked him if he would kindly wait until January 18th for my response, and he was kind enough to oblige.)

One of my teachers said that I would know when the time was right to freely discuss my path, and told me that I should wait until I had served for thirty years as a Buddhist contemplative, and at least five years as the shepherd of the progressive Catholic contemplatives entrusted to my pastoral care.

Today marks six years since I was consecrated as a successor to the apostles, and is a White Tara Day in the Tibetan tradition. Since I took my vows as a Buddhist monk on a White Tara Day as well, over 30 years ago, I have chosen this auspicious day to answer David’s question, because I believe it is a question many have wanted to know about for some time.

There have been critics, as many know, from various camps, concerning the teaching, the tradition of our intentional community and our way of life. These critics have, from the very start, struggled to understand where we “fit in” in the overall scheme of things. And for thirty years now, there have been those who questioned whether or not I was suited to teach the path I have shared.

I don’t expect any of that to change.

My lineage is derived from as diverse a tapestry of beloved teachers as the tradition itself. My lineage includes transmission of the Advaita Vedanta and Buddha Dharma from Swami Abishiktananda (Father Henri LeSaux, OSB) of Santivinam (Saccidananda Ashram) in Tamil Nadu (Madras), India.  The transmission of Japanese Zen in the Omoto-kyo lineage was given by Robert Danza Sensei, who received transmission directly from Morehei Ueshiba-san and his Master Onisaburu Deguchi-san. While I have been fortunate to receive Kalachakra empowerment from His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, I must consider my Root Guru to be Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (who was named Tenzin Yangchen by the Dalai Lama), whose lineage is derived from our Satguru Sri Neem Karoli Baba, Swami Muktananda, Swami Nityananda and Ramana Maharishi. And my apostolic lineage can be directly traced, in unbroken succession to the original disciples, James, John, Judas-the-Twin (Mar Thoma of India), Thaddeus and Bartholomew.

A Word About Lineages

There are frequent discussions online about lineage, and often, it is suggested that one ensure the pedigree of one’s guru or teacher, based on “approved” lineages, as an alleged means of ensuring that one is receiving the Dharma accurately. This type of approach is particularly espoused by some of the Tibetan traditions, and frequently results in students engaging in somewhat questionable banter about how “qualified” this teacher or that is, based on lineage.

Now I understand that recognising a particular lineage can serve as something of a superficial assurance, when seeking a potential teacher or sectarian affiliation, but it is never anything more than that – a superficial assurance.

The Buddha did not tell students to seek out a pure lineage or superior lineage, but rather to test and question everything they were taught, using reasoning, logic and the internal compass as a guide.

When my Root Guru was unable to teach me certain Tibetan and Bon practices, I sought permission to be released to study with other teachers, qualified and adept in such aspects of the Dharma. And I am grateful for having received the permission to study elsewhere, as much as I am to those teachers who taught (and some who continue to teach) me.

But I would never condescend by arrogantly bandying about that I hold this lineage or that. I hold nothing but a desire to alleviate suffering. If a student is looking to accumulate prestigious lineages, I will tell them that I cannot give that to them, despite the fact that many would consider the lineages of transmission I hold to be admirable or “qualified” by their temporal standards.  I am not in the business of lineage brokerage. I am a Dharma teacher.

But What About the Purity of the Tradition?

I am troubled by the sectarianism that I see in Buddhism. While it is natural and beautiful for the Dharma to have developed such diversity throughout the East, in no small part, due to the efforts of Guru Rinpoche and the Great Lama Je Tsongkhapa, Milarepa and Nagarjuna; it saddens me when I find practitioners becoming so attached to the traditions, sadhanas and interpretations of texts that they begin to have disdain for those from other traditions. Such attitudes are the attitudes of religion, and Buddha surely did not come to start a religion.

I draw deeply from the Tibetan tradition, because there is an affinity for Je Tsongkhapa which arose in me at a very early age, for reasons I cannot explain. And therefore, certain sadhanas have become part of my practice and path. But my path is most influenced by the Dzogchen tradition, not because I believe it is superior to any other, but because it organically felt like a continuation of the work I came here to complete.

Similarly, my tradition as a teacher of the Christ Dharma is influenced by Zen and Dzogchen, because these paths express the life the Master led, and can be found in the dharma transmission of Mar Thoma of India (the brother and disciple of Rav Yeshua/Jesus). Again, I feel no compulsion toward a particular religion, because I do not believe Yeshua, like Buddha, wished to start a religion in any way; nor do I subscribe to the legends and errant notions that any of his apostles set out to do so either.

Traditions were not intended to be pure, but rather to be celebrated. And a celebration is dynamic, living, changing. Therefore I dismiss the idea of preserving the “purity” of a tradition, because such things are ego-driven pursuits, which have distracted even the greatest of Dharma masters and throne holders throughout time.

Labels… Labels… Labels…

Labels can be useful for helping us to communicate. But they are no substitution for understanding.

I can speak to you of “fire”, but unless you’ve experienced fire, you only hold a rough conceptual idea of it. I must first define fire for you, and then offer some sort of demonstration to affirm that what I suggest is physically “real”.  Then you can comprehend more fully what fire is.

Our understanding of the Dharma is no different. We must begin with what we call pramana in Sanskrit, or valid cognition. We learn the qualities and function of the Buddha and the Buddha Mind, just as we learn the qualities and functions of fire. And once we’ve attained this valid cognition, we can begin to build upon that so that understanding gives rise to wisdom and integration, and wisdom gives rise to realisation.

So how do I label myself and my community?

Well, the fact is that for the past thirty years, we felt no need to consider ourselves as anything other than monks. Some would call themselves Buddhist-Catholic monks, others would say Catholic-Buddhist monks.

But beginning in 2001, when we formally severed our ties with the Roman Catholic Church, and then again in 2006, when we severed our ties with institutional religion and sectarianism altogether, some significant distinctions arose, which I believe may have unintentionally caused discomfort for members of the Buddhist and Catholic contemplative communities at-large.

Our monks take refuge vows, like any other Buddhist practitioner, upon entering the Order. They commit to living according to our Rule of Life, and according to the precepts of the Order. The Rule of Life our monks live by can be found on the web here: http://www.orderofcompassion.com/rule_of_life.html and the precepts can be found on the Order’s website as well, by first going here and choosing the various links: http://www.orderofcompassion.com/about_the_dharma_of_compassion.html.

What? No celibacy?

That is correct. Notably absent from the lives of our monks is a prescription for or against celibacy. We recognise that attachments can arise due to sexual intimacy, but that they can also arise as a result of vowing to avoid sexual intimacy. Therefore, we chose to work a little harder, and more diligently, to become mindful of attachments, rather than seeking the “quick fix” that had become the custom in both the Buddhist and Catholic monastic environments. We also recognise that primitive attitudes toward sexuality in the ancient times influenced such prescriptions, and that a healthier attitude toward sexuality need not present barriers or obstacles to one’s path.

Now, given that important distinction, along with the fact that in the West, it is less acceptable for monks to beg for their food, shelter and sustenance, we developed an intentional community that operates from a postmodern, culturally relevant perspective, without diluting the essential message of the Dharma – that is, the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Eight Verses of Mind Training, etc.

Which brings us to the question of whether or not we’ve unintentionally caused our sisters and brothers in the Sangha discomfort, anxiety or even anger.

And because it is clear to me that we have, I am asking all members of our Order, from this point forward, to stop referring to themselves as Buddhist monks or Catholic monks and nuns. Instead, we will identify ourselves as “contemplatives, drawing deeply from the Buddhist, Franciscan, Benedictine and Quaker traditions”. It would be acceptable, I think, to still refer to oneself as a Buddhist contemplative, or Buddhist-Catholic contemplative, etc. but to omit the use of the word monk, when prefacing it with Buddhist or Catholic.

I am not saying that we are no longer monks, because like it or not, with or without the approval of any particular sect, we are monks. Period. We are postmodern monks… non-sectarian monks… emergent monks. And no one has a right to take that from us.

What About Liturgy?

Every contemplative is free to express their spirituality in ways that they personally find appropriate, sacred and “right”. This may or may not include drawing from the wealth of Tibetan, Zen, Catholic, Celtic, Hindu or Bon traditions, or any other spiritual path, so long as those practices do not conflict with the essential nature, understanding and pursuit of the Dharma.

When a group gathers for darshan or Dharma instruction, we do not follow a strict “prescribed liturgy”. The type of liturgy we enjoy depends on the group itself, on the focus of that particular teaching, and on being present in the moment.

Isn’t that Syncretism?

Perhaps it can be called syncretism, for all spirituality has been influenced by various degrees of syncretism throughout human history.

Our tradition freely draws on other traditions, because we choose not to see the imaginary lines drawn in the sand separating one from another. We recognise and celebrate the truths of the great Teachers and Holy Ones, the Heroes and Heroines, both from this life and realm, and those from other realms. We recognise that some of these great ones have been perceived as “gods” and “goddesses” by other traditions, and have no qualms with that. Whether such beings are “real” or metaphors makes no difference either, since the ultimate reality of all phenomena is inherent emptiness.

We do not recognise nor affirm the existence of a “creator” or supreme god or goddess, since the purpose of our spiritual practice is to alleviate suffering, and such notions do nothing to alleviate suffering or realise enlightenment. We do not feel compelled to argue for or against the existence of such beings, simply finding such notions to be less than useful for our own personal spiritual journeys. Since everything is created in our minds, it is possible that some being could create an entire universe in their minds, and trapped by ego and delusion, imagine that they are “in charge” of the entire cosmos. Such possibilities are not our concern. (we have our hands full with gaining control over our own delusions and ego-minds!)

We’re Simply Not Evangelical…

Our purpose as an intentional spiritual community is to provide a safe space in which like-minded people can come together to work toward eliminating suffering for all sentient beings. We have no recruitment agendas. Therefore, we don’t go trying to make converts, because we fundamentally have no use for religion itself. Therefore, there is nothing to convert to!

If someone is part of a particular religious tradition, and wishes to be part of our intentional community, they are welcome to do so. We don’t ask that they give up any religious affiliations. We simply require that no one ever try to convert, persuade or influence anyone else to join, leave or otherwise become part of any religion or religious group.

So maybe we’re Buddhist in your opinion. Maybe not. Maybe we’re Catholic in your opinion. Maybe not.

From my perspective, none of it matters. I am a contemplative monk. And my spiritual path is guided by the teachings of the Buddha and the Christ. But I choose no labels… no distinctions… no titles.

When my students were arguing for the right to refer to me as their lama, I cleverly suggested that they simply call me Khenpo (abbot) or Dharmacharya. The reason was that Dharmacharya, when written in Sanskrit can either mean “teacher of the Dharma” (Dharma Acharya) or “one who lives according to the Dharma” (Dharma charya). At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter… because if you do one, you do the other.

Taking my lead from my Spiritual Father, His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and from my Satguru Sri Neem Karoli Baba Santa Maharaj, I profess no religion but compassion… I recognise no god but love… and I follow no path but service to others.

Namasté

dharmacharya gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

On January 18th, 2004, I was consecrated as the bishop-protector of the Franciscan Community (Servitores Franciscan Immacolatae), and became the exarchos (highest ranking patriarch) of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Congregational Church, then operating throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

In accordance with the Maronite Rite, I was consecrated at the hands of Bishop Carlos Harvin and Archbishop Michael J. Carroll, OSP, at the Cathedral Church of the African-American Catholic Congregation (Imani Temple) in Washington, D.C.

The weather was cold, with intermittent rain and sleet, on Capitol Hill, that night. But it was an important night for me, because it represented the confidence that my congregation – the flock entrusted to my pastoral and spiritual care – had in me to lead them and protect them in the years to come.

Six years later, many of you know the rest of the story… (and for those who don’t, a quick visit to: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com will bring them up to speed).

From 1983, when I began my contemplative life as a vowed monastic, until 2006, I was fortunate to be able to financially provide for the vast majority of the Order’s needs, and many of the expenses of the church itself. Until 2001, I personally covered the rent or mortgage on six convents/monastic houses, and our only fundraising outreach was to cover the growing costs of feeding the poor on the streets of the cities in which we were present.

Today, of course, with a much smaller number of contemplatives involved in our work and mission, I am no longer in a position of being able to support even the most modest of our expenses.  I sold off nearly all of the finer ecclesiastical vestments, my episcopal ring, even some of the items I received as ordination gifts, in the past six months, just to keep from being evicted from the cramped, unhealthy and ill-suited space we currently rent in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in which my office has been relegated to space in the corner of our walk-in closet, and my altar space a tiny corner therein.

And so as I contemplated the past six years, I realised that there was part of the story I could and should share with the thousands of students around the world, who come to our blogs for inspiration, information, guidance and support.

Now that the effects of living with full-blown AIDS for 26 years and my recent battle for the past several years with Parkinsonism (neurological problems similar in nature and linked to Parkinson’s Disease, although less serious), it has become very difficult for me to “pull rabbits out of my monastic zucchetto” financially.

I am now faced with a difficult decision. I could walk away from the medical coverage I’ve fought (in and out of court) for the past seven years to get back, and attempt to find work in the non-profit sector, so that we could have a steady and stable income… which would make it possible for us to get out of this terrible living situation and relocate back to the Greater Washington, D.C. area, where contacts and the culture itself lend itself to greater support for our work. Or I can figure out another way to make it.

If I try going back to work, particularly with an arm that remains badly broken due to the neuro problems, which will likely require another reconstructive/reparative surgery this spring, then that surgery will not be done. It will also necessitate going off the HIV treatment and treatment for Parkinsonism, since the co-pays for those meds exceeds $1600/month – something I could never afford with a traditional non-profit job. There is also a slim chance of finding a non-profit position which would be flexible enough to allow for the days when I spend six to eight hours in the morning sick, or too weak to move… or the periods of 4-5 hours of intense pain, when I cannot function, let alone think straight.

So what are my alternatives?

I’d like to think that the service I offer the community at-large is a valuable one. I am aware of the unique qualifications that come from having lived for 30 years within the Buddhist monastic life, while simultaneously functioning in a progressive Western ethos, and ministering to members of a more traditional (but radically inclusive) faith community. And so I am going to turn to you and ask for input…

What can I do for you that would have some sort of value?

The idea is that if I could find just 15 people, who were able to use my help in some way – whether it was writing or editing blog copy, creating graphics, developing a website, or some other function – for which they would offer just $100/month, I would have the additional funds needed to sustain healthier living standards, groceries, and utilities. And I would be able to ensure that Craig, whose challenges with Parkinson’s Disease are far more severe than my own, doesn’t end up further damaging his health by trying to push himself at times when he should not be doing so.

Of course, it would be wonderful if someone were to see value enough in my work to be able to offer half the amount we need as a monthly rental stipend ($850) or even if someone were to be able to afford to underwrite the entire $1500/month. I am sure that given my skillset, there is someone out there who could use the tax write-off, and quality of services we can deliver.

So I am going to put it out there, and see what happens. I am confident that there will be ideas coming forth from the community-at-large. I’ve put feelers out for those who might have rental properties that could use a live-in property manager; as well as positions for Church groundskeepers, which might include a suitable groundskeepers house in lieu of payment.

I am hoping too that folks will be inspired by the admonition of Og Mandino, who encourages us:

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight.  Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward.  Your life will never be the same again.

I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve as an historic successor to the Apostles John, James, Judas the Twin (Mar Thoma of India), Thaddeus and Bartholomew… in the lineage of Mar Thoma, Carlos Duarte-Costa, Dom Salomon Ferrez.

I am also profoundly grateful for those upon whom I have had the fortune of laying hands, who have taken up the responsibility as successors to the apostles themselves, including: Arcbhishop Michael Seneco (of the North American Old Catholic Church), Most Reverend Mother Jeanne Cortopassi (of the Franciscan Companions of Jesus & Mary), Bishop Hugh Strickland (of an independent sect within the Anglican Church), Bishop James Long and Bishop Stephen Delaney (both of the Universal Catholic Church), Bishop Kevin Crowell (of the Spiritus Project), Bishop Ken Young (of the Order of Servant Franciscans, now a Protestant Methodist/Episcopal sect) and Archbishop Roger LaRade (of the Eucharistic Catholic Church of Canada). Your continued work in the vineyard keeps the message of compassion alive!

Most importantly, as I offer thanks for the past six years of episcopal service and for the entire body of 30 years’ service in monastic life, I am grateful for all of those who have given me the privilege of serving them… for those who listen… those who ask for help… those who hunger for a way to free themselves and others from suffering and attachment.

It is for each of you that getting out of bed, no matter how much pain there is, becomes worth it.

Namasté

dharmacharya gurudas sunyatananda

(archbishop francis-maria of the immaculata, o.c.)

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

When the Roman Vicar of Hatemongering, Benedict XVI, spewed his recent vitriolic diatribe, at the end of 2008, he made a complete and utter fool of himself, and those of like-minded intolerance everywhere, by stating that the existence of gay persons threatens humanity as much as the destruction of the rainforest, adding that “blurring genders” through the acceptance of transgender people would kill-off the human race.

I resisted the temptation to remind him of his earlier life as a Hitler Youth, and how he’s already contributed greatly to the killing-off of the human race.  And we simply shook our heads, wondering when the Roman Catholic institution was going to remember the essential message of the Christ, and return to its roots as a people devoted to that message. In its present state, we expect an intercommunion agreement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – the only other hatemongering institution of its size, representing a warped political action committee, disguised as a church, much like its Roman counterpart.

The Roman Pontiff, however, continues to drive the stakes of hatred and homophobia deep, addressing the Vatican diplomatic corps (from deep in his own closet) in a message that was supposed to be focused on environmental issues.

And in fact, Der Führer Katholische, did just that initially…

According to the AFP, Der Führer spoke superficially about the responsibility of protecting species, and not allowing them to become endangered. This was only a segue for his hate speech to begin, however as he quickly manipulated the subject to become about “protecting or endangering the human species” stating: "One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes."

Citing "certain countries in Europe or North and South America", the Pontiff continued his diatribe and attacks.  The comments were clearly references to Mexico City and Portugal, which legalised gay marriage recently.

This only further underscores the illegitimacy of the Roman Catholic claim to hold the teachings of the Christ. Absent are all signs of compassion, loving-kindness, forgiveness, equanimity and humility. Instead, we find an institution which readily abuses its perceived authority as a means of extortion, as was evidenced in Washington, D.C., where the archbishop attempted to use threats to prevent the D.C. Council from passing equal access to marriage laws.

Now I am not personally inclined to see any value whatsoever in the institution of marriage. But I do believe that those who wish to celebrate and solemnise their relationships in such a way ought to have the same rights and privileges as anyone else.

When will Roman Catholic wake up and realise that every time they donate a dime in their collection baskets, they are funding hatred, intolerance and violence? I don’t care how they justify their actions, claiming to only be supporting “the people” or their “local parish”… the bottom line is that when you continue to support an institution which spreads hatred, intolerance and incites violence toward people based on their gender or sexual orientation, you are equally culpable.

When will Roman Catholics realise that the rhetoric of their church is becoming less and less consistent with intelligence, science and reasoning, and more superstitious, archaic and irrelevant? On a recent trip to Africa, Der Führer Katholische, Benedict XVI, claimed that condoms “aggravate the spread of disease”! This statement was even decried by Lancet, the respected medical journal, which stated in an editorial:

"By saying that condoms exacerbate the problem of HIV/AIDS, the Pope has publicly distorted scientific evidence to promote Catholic doctrine on this issue.

"Whether the Pope’s error was due to ignorance or a deliberate attempt to manipulate science to support Catholic ideology is unclear.

"But the comment still stands, and the Vatican’s attempts to tweak the Pope’s words, further tampering with the truth, is not the way forward…

"When any influential person, be it a religious or political figure, makes a false scientific statement that could be devastating to the health of millions of people, they should retract or correct the public record.

"Anything less from Pope Benedict would be an immense disservice to the public and health advocates, including many thousands of Catholics, who work tirelessly to try and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide."

The Roman Catholic Church represents hatred, homophobia, oppression of women, transgendered persons, and as a result of the language used by its leaders, incites violence toward those who do not fit into its archaic and narrow window of culturally acceptable persons.

My heart aches for the religious sisters, brothers and clergy who represent a more compassionate, loving and inclusive understanding of the apostolic tradition – the real champions of the spiritual tradition – whose voices are stifled by the oppressive Roman Reich.

I believe the time must come when the people take a stand, refuse to support the hatred, the intolerance, the scandals and cover-ups, the duplicity and injustice, and demand that Benedict come out of his closet and do the right thing.

Until then, he’s nothing more than another hateful, bitchy queen in Prada shoes.

Namasté

dharmacharya gurudas sunyatananda

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“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

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Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.