dharmatalks

Student: "Is it possible to achieve enlightenment without becoming mad?"

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: "We are mad anyway, in different degrees. We may not become completely mad unless we are maniacs- religious maniacs or political maniacs, whatever- unless we lost control of the situation. We have a sort of medium madness going on all the time, with the possibility of absolute madness. You see – that is samsara – madness. And that which is not madness is called enlightenment. Because such an idea as madness exists, therefore automatically there is that which is not madness, which is enlightenment. So once you begin to talk about enlightenment, or freedom, that means you are speaking in terms of madness."

Those of us on the feral wisdom path of the Dharma of Compassion are akin to the Bauls, to Francis d’Assisi and Neem Karoli Baba… to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati and Krsnamurti. We dance with the Great Buddha Avalokitesvara, and with Siva… we sing songs of love and devotion to Kali, Tara and the Christokos. We journey alongside Milarepa, Ramprasad and Mary Magdalen, and call our Beloved Teachers Krsna, Christ and Tsongkhapa. And our dance calls forth the Protectors and Removers of Obstacles, Ganesa, Dorje Setrap Chen, Dorje Shugden and Hanumanji.

We are beloved and reviled. Respected and held with disdain. None of it is ours… and so none of it matters.

Feral Wisdom is indeed considered "crazy" by some, for it sees things through an entirely different lens. It views the teachings of the Buddha and the Christ as being one and the same. It doesn’t concern itself with whether the stories, legends and narratives told in various so-called scriptures are accurate, historical or even true. It uses every experience, every breath and the space between the breaths to integrate the two forms of wisdom (jnana — the type of primordial wakefulness we call "yeshe" in Tibetan) and prajna – the more intellectual wisdom we acquire through constant examination of each experience.

In the words of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, "Jnana is your inheritance. Prajna is a sympathetic inheritance which you work toward." So both are inherently ours — that is part of our nature. But one is discovered through the process of examination and mindfulness, while the feral wisdom itself is simply realised or awakened by our daily practice… by emptying the mind, and sitting in the Primordial Silence of Sunyatananda (the bliss of Emptiness).

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 Prince 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 ©2010, 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.