dharmatalks

There is a discussion beginning… a discussion that has occurred on the “fringes” of Buddhism for more than seventeen years now. Something seems to be different about the evolution of the discussion these days, however. Serious Buddhist practitioners in the West are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the sectarianism, supremacy, attempts to discredit other teachers or traditions and fundamentalism that is diluting the essence and practice of the Dharma.

Rooted in the commitment made to my own Refuge Guru, who was among the pioneers in the field of monastic interreligious dialogue and non-sectarian contemplative Dharma, the Emergent Spirituality Movement has been something I’ve been deeply involved in for just over thirty years. And now, there is a groundswell of Buddhist practitioners, monastics, and former monastics, largely in the West, who are coming together to support one another in a desire to transcend a path that has been well-worn, but can be less accessible, less relevant and culturally-removed from our own culture and ethos, so that the Dharma can thrive and its fruits ripen on future generations, alleviating suffering everywhere it goes.

The approach of Integral Buddhism integrates all aspects of postmodern life, and helps the sincere practitioner maintain a body poised and at ease, a mind clear and compassionate, and a life compassionate and purposeful.

The Centre for Integral Buddhism™ combines various methods of contemplative spiritual practice, Buddhist traditions and the timeless essence of the Dharma taught by Buddha Sakyamuni, Rav Yeshua be Yusef (Jesus the Nazarene), Je Tsongkhapa, Swami Abishiktananda, Neem Karoli Baba, Tenzin Yangchen and our own Refuge Lama, the Dharm’acharya and abbot of the Contemplative Monks of the Eightfold Path, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda.

The Centre for Integral Buddhism™ recognises that life is a process, and that as we develop, and as our stories unfold, we are able to uniquely transcend our previous journeys from a more personal, culturally-oriented, or traditionalist path toward a more integrated, universally-relevant and radically inclusive awareness that emerges from our individual experiences, and becomes truly amazing.

We readily recognise and encourage all responsible, compassionate and well-travelled practices and paths as potential means of achieving this transcendental awareness and understanding of the Dharma. We affirm that each person’s journey is unique and due equal respect, and by integrating our understanding of the essential truths of the Buddhist philosophy, with a postmodern, Western recognition of the psychological, sociological and anthropomorphic needs of the human psyche, personality and need for cultural expression/identification, we are able to foster a safe environment for people to discover their own transcendent path, so that the ego-mind dissolves into awareness and compassion, without the hindrances of hatemongering, intolerance, fundamentalism and sectarian drama queens.

In order to better facilitate dialogue with other progressive, postmodern and Integral Buddhists, as well as contemplatives from other traditions and paths, we’ve established an online social networking site, much like what Facebook has done in a secular society. We hope to use this community as a launch pad for unlimited small networks, core communities, discussion groups and fellowships worldwide. Each person will have a blog, their own media storage, and the ability to interact with the larger community. The community will also be a place where discussion can take place for listeners and guests on the Talking Dharma radio program, co-hosted by Zen practitioner, John Pappas and Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, spiritual paths and Buddhist traditions to share in a more inclusive, postmodern and truly integrated approach to alleviating suffering, and creating peace. Intolerance, sectarianism, attempts to attack or discredit anyone’s path or teacher(s), and disrespect for any other member of the community will not be accepted here, and will result in immediate removal.

This is a safe-haven for those who want a more relevant, more accessible, more inclusive and more radically authentic Dharma… a Dharma of Compassion.

It is OUR HOME, and we welcome you, and ask you treat it with the respect with which you would treat and sacred space.

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

The Community Moderators for Talking Dharma™ – The Centre for Integral Buddhism™
http://talkingdharma.ning.com

Copyright ©2008, The Centre for Integral Buddhism™. 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 was something that drove Ani Prema Jaya crazy! All the arguing about how qualified this teacher is because of their “lineage”, while that teacher is questionable, because their “lineage is uncertain”.  At best, it is a passive-aggressive form of condescension… “my pedigree is above reproach, how about yours?” At its worst, it degraded into an all out pissing contest.

Don’t get me wrong, having worked much of my adult life for the preservation of the Tibetan culture, and as a Buddhist contemplative, whose practice draws heavily from the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, I appreciate the place lineage has in our tradition. Lineage, from a Buddhist perspective is supposed to ensure that the Dharma has been transmitted accurately and fully, in unbroken succession, from teacher-to-disciple, all the way back to the Buddha Sakyamuni.

And so, because a particular high lama from one school has recognised so-and-so as a tulku, and ordained them, enthroned them, consecrated them or initiated them into that particular tradition, we can be reasonably sure that the Dharma transmission in that person’s sect is accurate, clear and able to lead a student to realisation.

Similarly, within the Catholic traditions (which include the Roman Catholicism, Greek, Russian, Syrian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopalian and certain Lutheran churches), there is a tradition of lineage known as “apostolic succession”, which claims that its bishops hold, in unbroken succession, the lineage and teaching authority, which traces back to the original apostles and to Rabbi Jesus himself.

This claim is easily traced within the Thomasine (Indian) Catholic lineage, the Johannite Church, and within the Orthodox sects, where clear records have been kept, documenting the succession, from the historic apostles to the present-day lineage holders (patriarchs, bishops and certain abbots). The sect which makes the loudest claim to apostolic succession – the Roman Catholic Church, however, is actually the one sect least able (and least likely) to possess bona fides to that effect. That is because the church bases its claim to succession upon certain questionable mythos, rather than a carefully documented lineage. No lineage of succession exists in the Roman Catholic Church, which can be traced fully back to the alleged first bishop of Rome, Simon Peter (who was likely never in Rome, let alone recognised as its first bishop). Now it is very possible that lineage could have been established from Clement onward, but the Church simply didn’t keep such records for some reason.

I’ve often taught that reliance upon such things as lineage is risky at best, and frankly a fool’s endeavour, since it does not really guarantee anything whatsoever.

To shed some light on the topic, I wanted to share a portion of the transcript of an interreligious dialogue that occurred at the Naropa Institute, in 1985. As many of you know, the Naropa Institute, part of Naropa University, was founded by H.E. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the exiled Tibetan tulku and lineage holder in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. In this particular panel discussion, Eido Roshi, Father Thomas Keating, OSB, and moderator Reggie Ray are discussing lineage.

The moderator asks Father Keating, a Benedictine monk whose work with Monastic Interreligious Dialogue helped create pioneering cooperation between Buddhist, Hindu and Catholic monastics, what role, if any, lineage plays in the Catholic tradition.

Keating’s reply follows:

Well, I think that is a question that really has never been asked, and should be. I think those of us who are Christian are challenged by this concept in Buddhism of the transmission of enlightenment or spiritual experience.

And I think what lineage means for a Christian is the gift of contemplation.

In Buddhism, the teacher is able through his own enlightenment to communicate something of the Buddha nature and to awaken the disciple to his or her own experience of the deep self. Is there something similar in Christianity?

I don’t offer here a final answer to that question. Please recall that Roshi distinguishes two lineages. Well, we have, at least in the Roman Catholic Communion, the concept of apostolic succession. The ordination of bishops is believed to empower or communicate to them the tradition which was begun by Jesus Christ. This tradition, over the centuries, has tended to be largely an administrative one…

But, and this is just a personal reflection, it seems to me that in the Christian Community Christ is always the Master, the Teacher. As he said to his disciples, “Only one is your Master”—you shouldn’t be called Father or Teacher! Not that out of respect you can’t do that once in a while.

He was trying to communicate the fact that a Christian teacher is communicating the experience that Christ had of the “Abba” — his consciousness, in  in other words, of the Ultimate Mystery, whom he called Abba or Father. And that experience is communicated by the Christian liturgy in symbols and hopefully by the leaders of the Church—the priests, bishops and religious superiors.

The lineage then is the contemplative experience. The contemplation of the Mystery of Christ that is experienced within us through the unfolding of the spiritual journey. This involves the diminishing of the false self and the opening of the true Self, in faith and contemplative experience.

So, the lineage is the communication of the experience of Christ in some way. And it is tremendously varied in each person. But this is obviously the purpose of the liturgy. If you think of the sacraments, baptism is a sacrament of transformation. The Eucharist even more so. And hence, it seems to me, when the Christian community is gathered together celebrating the mystery of Christ and the Risen Christ is believed to be present then, when his presence is perceived, the transmission takes place. And each person receives it or experiences it according to his or her own level of spiritual development.

Hence, the liturgy is not enough by itself. It has to be reinforced by the whole of life and by some discipline. The Christian discipline, especially of fraternal love, enables one to bring to the liturgy the enlightened and purified conscience that can experience the mystery of Christ in oneself. The resurrection is your experience that Christ is risen in you. It’s not just a historical event. That’s the take off point!

The disciples were not awakened by finding an empty tomb. They were awakened by experiencing the Christ rising within them. And that is the Christ nature. And that is lineage as far as I can see, in Christian terms seems to imply that the bishop should be a man of prayer and able to communicate the spiritual life to the people of his diocese (that is, the Christian community for which he is responsible), in a way somewhat similar to that understood in the East.

I was delighted this morning, while I had been working on this post for the past few days, to find that a contemplative brother of mine, whom many of you heard on my radio program, Bishop Craig Bergland quoted the same piece in an article for his ChristEnlight.org program.  It seems to me that the time has arrived for those of us on a spiritual path to realise some common and important distinctions, and clarify some issued than have previously become stumbling blocks for many of us. And this is one fine example.

Now, when I read what Keating said, I was immediately stricken by the universality of his observation. He was, of course, focused on lineage from the Catholic perspective, and framed his response beautifully, in a way that explains the nature and value of the sacraments as points of transmission and transformation.

But for me, what really stood out is the realisation that we too often focus on lineage as something that occurs strictly in a ritual and administrative way. While I am grateful for the lineages of my teachers, I am not really that concerned with it.

Those students, monks and teachers who focus so much of their attention on lineage always make me wonder if there is something missing in their Dharma practice. Shut up about your teacher’s lineage already! If you cannot demonstrate to me that you have mastered the Dharma teachings by the way you live, teach and serve, then your sophomoric claims to supreme lineage are meaningless chatter.

Days before she passed, Mother Prema Jaya and I had some interesting conversations about lineage, throne holders, tulkus and the future of our contemplative Order. She expressed to me some concerns that it might “make things easier on us”, particularly when it came to garnering financial support, by formally affiliating ourselves with a “higher pedigree of lineage”.  And the group Ani-la was recommending happened to be one I hold in high regard, and which occupies a special place in my heart for the work that they do.

But I explained to her that one of the main reasons I have not sought a “higher form” or more prestigious ordination/empowerment/initiation into another Tibetan sect, and the reason the Sangha has repeatedly supported my decision not to do so, is quite simple.

I don’t wish to communicate to anyone that it’s necessary to belong to this group or any other in order to realise enlightenment. I don’t want anyone to believe that they must subscribe to a particular sectarian identity and ideology in order to “get there faster”. Such ideas are not useful at all.

When I teach, I teach in the tradition of my Refuge Guru Abishiktenanda-ji, my Root Guru Tenzin Yanchen Ma, and the three Tibetan teachers on whom I rely for guidance, insight and a direct experience with living Buddhas: His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, and His Eminence the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. And those teachers have always made their teachings accessible to everyone, without exception, and without “hawking” membership in the exclusive lineage club.

I have resisted using my Tibetan name for more than fifteen years now, because I did not wish to create the appearance of division or fuel rumours that were going around, which claimed that I sought the empowerments and ordination from one particular teacher over my own Root Teacher, for this reason or that. Such things were not even remotely a consideration for me. I sought ordination into that tradition because it would more richly, deeply and fully inform my practice, so that I could more effectively help others to alleviate their suffering and the suffering of those around them.

I am not interested in what people call me. When it became an issue for certain traditional Buddhists that our contemplative community was unwilling to draw lines in the sand, and could see no reason that the pantheon of Hindu and Catholic Bodhisattvas, Saints and Holy Ones could not be honoured along side the Tibetan Bodhisattvas and Buddhas… and when many of those same groups began to criticise our community for not following a more fundamentalist and literalist interpretation of the vinaya, I insisted that members of our Sangha stop publicly referring to me as their lama . And I stopped wearing traditional Tibetan robes, returning to the custom of wearing my white Benedictine/Franciscan habit with the burgundy zen (shawl). Now, I reasoned, there would be no reason for discomfort among traditionalist Tibetan Buddhists.  Out of respect for our late and beloved Ani-la, I agreed to allow the community to refer to me as the Dharm’acharya.

My preference has always been for the simple title, khenpo, which is Tibetan for abbot. That is, after all, what I am… no matter which tradition happens to be your perspective. I am the abbot of a group of men and women who live a contemplative life. Lojong Ladrang also serves as the physical starting-point for Lojong Abbey – an abbey which is without walls, and which encompasses the entire world.

Were we to live in Malaysia, there is no question that a more formal relationship with Tsem Rinpoche would exist, just as would be the case with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, if we lived in Dharamsala. But that would not change our lineage… our succession… our relationship to our Root Teacher and primary satsang. This notion of an “either/or” mentality is bullshit and has no place in the Dharma. Period.

There are times when I begin to think that we could find an easier, more inclusive and less bitchy place among the community of Zen practitioners, from which we also draw a good portion of our community’s practice. But then I come back to what Father Keating said, and what others of his peers in the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, including Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and Bede Griffiths, OSB had to say, and I realise our path is uniquely ours.

It is our responsibility to create, as Buddha did, a more authentic, culturally relevant and intact expression of the Dharma practice for the West. In our community, that expression will draw deeply from our Tibetan and Eastern Orthodox roots. It will honour the timeless, changeless and perfect truth of the Dharma, while interpreting with proper perspective, cultural understanding and awareness the traditions (including particular sadhanas, the interpretation of the vinaya, and other aspects of the Vajrayana vehicle), integrating these with Zen and other contemplative liturgical practices.

Why do we do this?

Some may imagine that the reason for a spiritual community or Sangha is to network with one another, learn from each other or benefit from the common identity of a particular group. But these are not the best reasons, or even necessarily appropriate reasons for associating with community. We come together as community because our path is a personal path, and the work to be done is personal work. We realise that when it’s someone else’s turn to light the butter-lamps, and prepare the seat for the khenpo or guru, we might be tempted to stay home or stay in our rooms and rest. But we come out and sit with our Sangha, and show our support and appreciation for the fellow contemplative(s) who took care of arrangements for that night, because doing so helps us establish a new habit. We’re coming down to practice for them – doing out of love and respect for another member of the Sangha, what we are not willing to do for ourselves. But eventually, that habit will give rise to greater awareness, and we will begin to do for ourselves what we should have been doing all along.

The Contemplative Order of Compassion isn’t going anywhere. We’re here to stay. Perhaps we don’t fit into the traditional view of Buddhism. Perhaps there are those who will choose to dispute whether or not we would be better off associating with this guru or that. That’s their business, not ours.

It may be that we cannot garner the kind of financial support we need to survive without conforming to another sect’s path. There are many in the community now who believe that is so. And to those sisters and brothers, I say, “Go, and be happy!” Their departure from our midst won’t change our love for them, nor theirs for us. If that is their path, then we should honour and celebrate it. It is not my path, however.

For those who are saddened that I will not use my Tibetan name, know this… when my Root Guru or any of the three principal teachers on who I rely decide that it is important for me to step into that role and adopt the new Dharma name for the sake of the community, I will do so without reservation. For now, my concern is not to cause division, argument or hostility within the greater Buddhist community, especially among some of the more “territorial” Tibetan communities, who are so proud of their “lineages”, and need to talk incessantly about them. I will not cause them or their teachers distress or anxiety.

And more than anything, while my Tibetan name remains something I cherish deeply, even though it is something I keep private for now, I am also deeply grateful for the names given to me by my Refuge and Root Gurus, and so I remain “the servant of the Guru” and mindful of  “the bliss of emptiness” – Gurudas Sunyanatanda.

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

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, Dharm’acharya 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 Dharm’acharya 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.

Image:  Enlightenment by Christopher Clements

The Lam Rim Chen Mo (Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) is considered among the rare Tibetan masterpieces of Dharma instruction, written by Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug School of Buddhism.

When Buddha Sakyamuni taught, some three thousand or so years ago, he adapted his message for the individual audience, taking into consideration that person’s background, understanding and capacity for the teachings in that moment.

In the 11th century, Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana – who was, along with Konchog Gyalpo and Marpa, one of the three major figures responsible for making the Dharma accessible in Tibet, prior to Je Tsongkhapa. Atiśa was devoted to the Bodhisattva/Buddha Tara (Jetsun Dolma), the mother of liberation. Seeing a need for a comprehensive and more carefully organised text, bringing together the body of the Buddha’s teachings, and combining them with wisdom from the oral tradition, Atiśa wrote A Lamp for the Path.

When he was invited to Tibet by Changchup Od to give a comprehensive training on the Dharma, in order to clarify errant views and what seemed to be contradictions found in various Buddhist sutras and their commentaries, Atiśa left Vikramasila monastery for Tibet, where he gave this illuminating path that would become the foundational doctrine of the Kadampa tradition, known today as the Lam Rim.

The Lam Rim contains the essence of the sutras that the Buddha Sakyamuni taught near Ragdir, India, as they were transmitted to Maitreya and Asanga, who later expounded upon the hidden-meanings in the sutras. Atiśa took these hidden meanings, and using the Abhisamaya-alamkara (Ornament of Clear Realisation, compiled by Maitreya and Asanga) created the Lam Rim. Therefore, the Lam Rim contains the essential points of all sutra and tantra teachings, in their logical order for effective practice.

Thus, for a serious student, wishing to deepen his or her spiritual practice, and develop a richer, more complete understanding of the Dharma, there is no better way that to immerse oneself in the comprehensive study of the Lam Rim, coupled with one’s daily practice.

Many Westerners attempt to jump headlong into the practice of meditation, particularly without proper instruction and support, and find their spiritual practice to be less than fulfilling, and often frustrating. Others attempt to take from here and there, and hope to be fortunate enough to “piece together” a path that works for them. This is also not very often the most productive means of realisation.

By studying the Lam Rim Chen Mo, one will develop a foundational understanding of the Dharma, in a way that more readily supports the practice of meditation and contemplation at the appropriate time in formation.

The Contemplative Order of Compassion and its Vajra Sky Institute have previously reserved this instruction for those who had been received into monastic formation only for the past eighteen years. For the first time, this forty-six week training program is now available to practitioners everywhere.

The course will be conducted through several media, including participation in a live, weekly training session and webinar, video sessions, and a special blog, in which students and faculty are able to participate in the discussion.

We must have twenty students enrolled in the program, in order to be able to proceed. The requested donation for the course is $20/week. This will make it possible to cover the costs of media development, web resources, webinars and mentoring.

At the conclusion, students completing the course will receive a diploma in Buddhist Studies from the Vajra Sky Institute, and will be entitled to participate in on-going advanced curriculum.

If you are interested in participating, please contact us at once at: dharmacharya@dharmadudeunplugged.com And feel free to help us reach our goal of 20 paying students by sharing this with those you know. (The class size will be limited to 40 students maximum.)

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

_____________________________________________

“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’ve allowed several days to pass since the mindless Pat Robertson issued his belligerent comments in the immediate wake of the devastation in Haiti.

It struck me as odd, that the aged fearmonger and leader of the intolerant hatred-brigade, known as the 700 Club, would claim that the earthquake was the result of Haiti’s “deal with the devil”. Given the centuries of superstitious mythology and legend surrounding their imaginary god and his make-believe nemesis, I would have expected Robertson to have thought this one out a little more clearly.

You see, in all other tales of “pacts with the unholy one”, we see evidence of that deal that was frankly missing in Haiti.

I would have, first of all, expected Haiti to be, well, better groomed. You know, stately homes, nicely manicured lawns, something like we see when we look at the headquarters for the 700 Club. The devil would have lavished some measure of wealth, success, and showmanship upon a group that made a pact with him.

At least that’s how the legends of those who waste their precious opportunities for compassionate service on elaborate descriptions of the hierarchies of imaginary angels and demons, gods and devils have always painted the picture.

I would have expected the people to be equally well-groomed, and well-fed, showing evidence of a lifestyle that one (from Robertson’s and Limbaugh’s camps) equates with having made a deal with demons.

You know, polished, tailored, neatly pressed and with an opulent backdrop… sort of like they were always ready for… well… a photo op.

And of course, we would expect that Mephistopheles would have nominated someone charismatic to become the mouthpiece for the Haitian nation, so that others might be attracted to their “lair”. Right…

But of course, none of that has seemed to happen.

In fact, while I am truly pleased that people have largely ignored insipid vipers, like Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh, and generously give to the relief effort in Haiti, I am also compelled to ask where that compassion was two weeks ago, when Haiti was still one of the poorest nations on the planet. Where was the concern… the sympathy… the desire to help before the quake, when these same people were living far below the poverty level, hungry, hurting, sick?

I am sickened by the 700 Club and by all of those who darken its screen, including Robertson and his hatemongering minions.

But I am equally sickened by the hypocrisy that turns a blind eye toward suffering until it reaches catastrophic proportions, and hope that we as a people will begin to become more mindful of opportunities to give of ourselves wherever and whenever we encounter someone in need.

His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama wrote, in Imagine All the People: “Adopting an attitude of universal responsibility is essentially a personal matter. The real test of compassion is not what we say in abstract discussions, but how we conduct ourselves in our daily life.”

Somehow, we must focus on cultivating this greater heart of compassion – bodhicitta. Santidev called bodhicitta “the essential butter that comes from churning the milk of Dharma”. And I believe that best encapsulates the way that we will grow in the Dharma and generate greater compassion.

His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche tells us, “Conceptual dharma and actual dharma is different. One is knowledge and one is results. Both is important.”

And so it begins with our taking refuge. At first, we take refuge in the Dharma living in the minds of others – we call this causal refuge. Causal refuge is a mind, which through its own power, puts all hope in the assistance of any of the the Three Precious Jewels achieved in another’s mind.  For many, this means finding and following a guru or spiritual teacher.

In refuge, we manifest a strong hope that the objects of refuge will help us to attain awakening. And through our practice, particularly through the sadhanas of the Vajrayana path, we come to take what we call result-refuge – when the mind, again through its own power, puts all hope in the assistance of the Three Jewels that he or she is becoming. It’s the refuge of realisation.

We no longer look for an external solution, but recognise that these concepts, our teachers have made real for us also reside deeply within us, as us. And we are compelled… deeply compelled, to move beyond knowledge to the manifestation of results.

What Haiti needs now is continued and massive manifestation of results.  Compassion in action. Applied or engaged Dharma.

We must open our hearts and do whatever we can to help. And in doing so, we must, as Tenzin Yangchen (Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati) reminds us, “drink as we pour.” That is to say that we must be compassionate toward ourselves, and allow the love, the light and the peace of knowing we’re doing all we can to wash over us, so that we are not inflicted with the secondary post-traumatic stressors, which are a trick of the ego-mind, in an attempt to paralyse us.

My heart goes out in thanks to the many who are doing what they can to help those suffering in Haiti (and now in Venezuela as well).  As someone once said, “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”

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.