dharmatalks

David from Baltimore writes: “I really respect the work that you do and your courageous vision to move beyond religious boundaries, but I don’t understand how you cope with the difficulties that you face. I mean, I have been a practicing Buddhist for seven years and am preparing for ordination in the Tibetan lineage of a respected teacher, but all of my needs will be taken care of because I am taking a traditional approach, and devoting myself to one teacher and one path. Wouldn’t it be easier for you to take a similar path?”

Thank you for that sincere question, David, and I think it’s one that has crossed the minds of several folks, including some of our own contemplatives within the Order. In fact, it’s crossed my own mind a few times as well.

Let me first clarify that while I consider myself as following one path… the path of the Dharma. It’s simply non-sectarian, in the tradition and lineage of the great sages, Sri Neem Karoli Baba, Swami Abishiktananda, OSB and Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, who saw beyond the dualistic notions and labels we place on “this tradition” or “that religion”.

I am a disciple of Rav Yeshua ben Yusef (Jesus the Nazarene) and Buddha Sakyamuni. There will always be Fundie McNuggets™, who are scandalised by the fact that my spirituality is not preoccupied with superstitious reliance on any given collection of books as an imaginary “historical record” of any sage’s life or teachings. They will disagree with my disinterest in such concepts as their personal gods, saviours, angels and demons. And there will be just as many Buddhist fascists, who insist that I adopt Buddhism as a religion.

I have NO RELIGION other than compassion. I belief in NO GOD other than love. I respect everyone’s right to interpret their religious mythos as they wish, and to rely on religion, if that is what gets them through the day. I just personally have NO USE FOR RELIGION.

My spiritual path is just that – a spiritual path and philosophy. Neither Jesus nor Buddha ever taught superstitious nonsense about needing religion or saviours. They taught compassion, service to others, and pointed out that what we superstitiously referred to as “god” (Yahweh or Brahman) is Love – the Eternal Principle.

So I have no need to renounce my role as an Eastern Catholic contemplative and archbishop (retired), or my 30 years of service as a Buddhist monk.

Buddha Sakyamuni once described the work we do as dealing with a knife, stuck in our sides. We know that if we are going to live, we must pull the knife out. We also know that removing it will be painful and difficult. But there is no other way… if we leave that knife (our egos) embedded, we will suffer and die (samsara). So we bite the bullet and do what we have to do.

My responsibility as a teacher is to alleviate suffering wherever I find it, as well as to be unafraid of confronting injustices, errors, delusions, for the sake of those persecuted against, marginalised, oppressed and hurting (including the oppressors, persecutors, and their apparent “victims”).

Sure, it would be easier for us to simply renounce one of the traditions from which our community draws, and become more “traditionalist”. But that wouldn’t be our path… it would be someone else’s path.

Yes, if I played by those rules, I would no longer have the extreme financial difficulty we now face. Perhaps I would receive better medical treatment. Perhaps I would sleep in a more comfortable bed, have better meals, and live in a healthier place. But none of that would mean anything, if the work I were doing ceased to be possible.

At any given moment, we must become aware of whether we are living in the reality of a Bodhisattva or in the reality created by egocentricity. The egocentric perception is delusional, and promises all the answers. But it manifests as anxiety, anger, frustration, hostility, separatism and pride. By contrast, when we identify with the Buddha-mind (or Christ Consciousness) we begin to see all things, all people, all phenomena as interdependent and recognise that conditioned existence is subject to the shortcomings of our perceptions, opinions and notions. We can then tap into the Ground of Compassion, and move through the difficulties, the challenges, the trials and frustrations without grasping at this or that… simply allowing those experiences to come and go naturally.

That knife manifests in each of our lives differently. For some, it is financial difficulty, for others it is an addiction to food, drugs or alcohol. Still others suffer from the knife of unhealthy relationships, sexual or behavioural compulsions. And then there are the more subtle knives we experience, such as playing the role of victim.

Regardless of the manifestation of your particular knife, the fact remains that it is a knife and must be removed. NOW! Your life depends on it.

Spiritual practice, contemplation, and cultivating compassion are the tools you can use to remove that knife, and begin healing.

Namasté

khenpo 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, 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.