GOING ON BEYOND 7: A SPOT OF DIY

 

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, for the seventh session in the course, "Going On Beyond: Meditation and Mysticism in the World Faiths". This nine-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware, as part of its Faith Awareness programme. It is presented in association with Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

This evening we're expecting to receive a presentation on "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism" but our speaker fails to appear. So Kevin Commons and Ian Grayling (from the Serene Meditation Group) and I speedily organise a DIY session in place of the one advertised.

We set up three groups of five to discuss three related terms that impact on theory and practice: "meditation", "contemplation" and "concentration". Lively discussion ensues over the next half hour or so, during which we raise such points as those listed below:

• Is there a hierarchy of these terms?
• Do commentators or practitioners consider any of them superior or inferior to the others?
• Does one have to go through different levels before experiencing each one?
• Once you reach one of these stages (e.g. “concentration”) are you done with the others that come before it?
• How do they relate to other terms used to describe similar experiences (e.g. "absorption", "reflection")?
• What is there relation to states of mind where there is an absence of mental processes?
• These terms are defined and redefined in complementary or contradictory ways according to the disciplines, paraphernalia and style of practice.
• We should beware of falling into the trap of believing that we can use these (or any other) terms to describe or express experiences which are beyond words – especially as they are themselves translations.
• We end with a short spell of meditation practice after the zazen (“just sitting”) form that we experienced last week.

I think we did alright this evening, for a spot of DIY.

GOING ON BEYOND 6: DOGEN, MYSTICAL REALIST (A SOTO ZEN PERSPECTIVE)

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, for the sixth session in the course, "Going On Beyond: Meditation and Mysticism in the World Faiths". This nine-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware, as part of its Faith Awareness programme. It is presented in association with Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

This evening our topic is "Dogen: Mystical Realist". Kevin Commons and Ian Grayling, from the Serene Meditation Group, present a Soto Zen perspective on our theme. Kevin distributes a handout, reproduced below:

Origins of Zen Buddhism

After years of trying various practices Shakyamuni finally just sat under the Bodhi tree, experiencing all manner of thoughts and images, until the morning star appeared, at which point all thought dropped away, and he experienced Enlightenment, and became the Buddha.  He was prevailed upon to teach and, over time, gathered a large following of disciples, to whom he regularly unfolded aspects of his teaching.  One day, on Vulture Peak Mountain, instead of talking, he just held up a flower and Mahakashyapa, one of his main disciples, smiled, indicating his understanding of the essence of the teaching.  This incident is regarded as the foundation of the Zen form of Buddhism, which involves the transmission of the teaching “outside the scriptures”.  The point is that, although there are lots of Buddhist scriptures, in the Zen tradition scripture study does not, in itself, result in realising the heart of the teaching.  Direct experience, beyond words is necessary for this.  This form of Buddhism was taken to China by the Bodhidharma, and maintained by a succession of Chinese patriarchs, including Hui-Neng, who had held the lowly position of kitchen assistant at his monastery and was believed to have been illiterate.

Dogen’s early childhood (1200-1212)

At the time of Dogen’s birth the Japanese nobility had become steeped in aesthetic refinement.  This inspired a sense of the transience of beauty, and so focused on the aesthetic, rather than ethical, aspects of religion.  Consequently, they were indifferent to the lot of the masses.  His birth was also preceded by the establishment of feudalism in Japan and the rise of the Samurai class.  In a time of political chaos, many Buddhist monasteries’ concern about their wealth, prestige and power was to the detriment of their moral, intellectual and religious activities.

Though Dogen’s father died when he was two, the death of his mother when he was seven had a bigger impact, as she had requested, on her deathbed, that he should become a monk in order to seek the truth of Buddhism and strive to relieve the sufferings of humanity.  This imperative prevailed against his uncle Moroie’s wish to name him as his heir and to establish him in a career as an aristocrat.

Apprenticeship in Buddhism (1212-1227)

Dogen was ordained in 1213 and began a systematic study of the Buddhist scriptures.  This led him to this seemingly insoluble spiritual question:

“As I study both the exoteric and esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth.  If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages – undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment – find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?”  (Quoted in Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 22)

Whilst Dogen accepted the truth of original enlightenment he did question the significance of activities that constitute human existence, which amounted to asking “What is the meaning of existence?”  To seek an answer he studied with various Buddhist teachers, most notably Myozen, who had brought Rinzai Zen from China to Japan .  Yet he still felt dissatisfied with much of the Buddhist teaching in contemporary Japan as his original question remained unanswered so he travelled to China to continue his search in 1223.  He stayed at various monasteries but overall was rather disappointed with the state of Buddhism in China and had decided to return to Japan , when an old monk suggested he should visit Ju-ching, the abbot of Mount T’ien-tung monastery.  Ju-ching was a rigorous practitioner of Ts’ao-tung (Soto Zen) sitting in the shikan-taza (just sitting) form of za-zen (formal sitting meditation) every day, often for long periods.  Unlike his contemporaries he eschewed politics, prestige and financial reward but rather focused on helping his students to see the truth for themselves.  One day Ju-ching admonished a monk who had fallen asleep during meditation with the following words:

“In za-zen it is imperative to cast off body and mind.  How could you indulge in sleeping?” (Quoted in Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 36)

The remark shook Dogen to his core and he experienced an inexpressible ecstatic joy that engulfed his heart and Ju-ching acknowledged the authenticity of Dogen’s enlightenment experience.

“To cast off body and mind did not nullify historical and social existence so much as to put it into action so that it could be the self-creative and self-expressive embodiment of Buddha-nature. In being “cast off”, however, concrete human experience was fashioned in the mode of radical freedom – purposeless, goalless, objectless, and meaningless.  Buddha-nature was not to be enfolded in, but was to unfold through, human activities and expressions.  The meaning of existence was finally freed from and authenticated by its all-too-human conditions only if, and when, it lived co-eternally with ultimate meaninglessness.

What was taking place in Dogen’s mind was a radical demythologising and in return remythologising of the whole Buddhist symbol-complex of original enlightenment, Buddha-nature, emptiness, and other related ideas and practices.  The crux of his vision lay in a realistic affirmation and transformation of what was relative, finite, and temporal in a nondualistic vision of the self and the world.  To understand duality lucidly and to penetrate it thoroughly within a nondualistic mode of existence was Dogen’s final solution.  His remaining life consisted of his intellectual, moral, and cultic efforts to enact and elucidate this vision in the specific historical and social conditions of his time.” (Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 37)

Return to Japan (1227 to 1253)

This experience answered Dogen’s question about the meaning of existence.  In 1227 he returned to Japan to transmit the ancestral line of his teacher to his own countrymen.  In the same year he composed Fukan zazengi “Rules for Meditation”, (Appendix) which can be regarded as a manifesto for the teaching he proclaimed.  He stayed at Kenninji temple until 1230, when he moved to an abandoned temple called An’yoin, where he composed the Bendowa chapter of the Shobogenzo, which expanded his teaching in the Fukan zazengi.  In 1233 he moved into Kannon-doriin temple, which was expanded over the next ten years, and wrote 44 more chapters of the Shobogenzo and took on Ejo as a disciple, who helped with the administration of the temple and its development.  He opened the monastic community of the re-named, expanded, Kannon-horinji temple to everyone regardless of intelligence, social status, sex or profession and abolished the separation between monks and lay people, writing:

“It (enlightenment) depends solely upon whether you have a sincere desire to seek it, not upon whether you live in a monastery or in the secular world.” (Quoted in Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 42)

However, he did put the bulk of his effort into developing monastic training and his lay disciples built the Daibutsuji temple in a secluded mountain area.  He moved there in 1244 and., two years later, changed its name to Eiheiji (temple of eternal peace) under which name it survives today.  He spent much of his later years establishing the detail of daily life and practice for his monastic community.  In 1253 he appointed Ejo as his successor and finally succumbed to illness that he had experienced for about 3 years.  He died sitting in the zazen posture.

Much of the material about Dogen's life comes from: Hee-Jin Kim's Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist Wisdom Publications (2004). You can find a review of the book online in the Journal of Buddhist Ethics.

After an hour or so of the session, we're invited to dry a bit of zazen - "just sitting" - meditation. We can sit on the floor, with various kinds of stools or cushions for support or remain in our chairs (as I do) and face the wall for ten minutes. Eyes open, not struggling against any thoughts which may arise, but not deliberately engaging with them if possible. I don't think I'll be able to last that long without falling asleep, but I find it surprisingly easy - and refreshing.

GOING ON BEYOND 5: A SIKH PERSPECTIVE ON MEDITATION

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, for the fifth session in the course, "Going On Beyond: Meditation and Mysticism in the World Faiths". This nine-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware, as part of its Faith Awareness programme. It is presented in association with Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

Our topic this evening is "A Sikh Perspective on Meditation".  The person we'd engaged to deliver the presentation has called off, so we've prevailed upon our friend Kartar Singh to step into the breech at very short notice. I can't imagine that Kartar would suffer much trepidation at the prospect though - just last week he spoke up on BBC One's Question Time when it was televised from Leicester's Curve. George Galloway was on the panel that edition - so Kartar should have no reason to fear his reception here this evening! By the way, you can watch that edition of Question Time from Leicester on the BBC iPlayer till 13 February 2014.

So as not to give Kartar too onerous a task, I've offered to prepare a handout on the topic, which attendees can read and to which he'll respond. The text of the two-page handout, adapted from an article on SikhiWiki entitled, "Meditation, the doorway to higher consciousness", is reproduced in full below:

Meditation – the door to higher consciousness

Meditation is any practice whose goal is attaining a state of higher consciousness. It is the process of retraining our awareness to operate not from the conscious or subconscious level, but from the level of the super-conscious.…

The Gurmukh attains the fourth state of higher consciousness.“To attain this higher level of consciousness, one has to disengage the mind away from mundane interactions and join it to a much higher level of awareness.”

When considering awareness, it is clear that man is more aware of his surrounding than animals. Man is conscious of his parents, grand-parents and other relatives while animals in general may not be so conscious about some of the complex relations that they may have. Most animals’ behaviour is driven by their immediate sensory needs while most human behaviour is driven by etiquette and social norms rather than sensory demands. The concept of correctness and fairness has crept in - this can be termed “consciousness”.

When a hungry animal sees food, it will not wait for its frail parents or grand-parents to eat first before it starts eating; however, with most humans, we would distribute the food so that the frail receive a fair share of the food. This highlights the better consciousness instilled in humans.

But if one does not pay regards to these “higher” human qualities then the Guru reminds us, "Those who do not serve the Primal Being, and do not reflect upon the Word of the Shabad - do not call them human beings; they are just animals and stupid beasts".

However, consciousness does not stop with material needs; many other things have to taken into consideration - emotional needs, moral support, community welfare, social cohesion, global well-being, etc.

Meditation - a way to better awareness

Meditation is a way to improve one’s awareness of the world and to become better equipped to play a better, more finely tuned and fairer role in life. The essential attitude for correct meditation is one of listening. To listen clearly one must subdue the level of interference that is exerted on ones mind in our daily life; to still the mind and to listen to the "internal vibrations" of the mind.

Without this internal stillness of the mind, listening clearly is impossible. It’s like trying to teach quantum mechanics to someone while there are very loud thunder storms all around - a completely impossible task!

Once a state of tranquillity has been reached and the chaos of everyday turbulence of random thoughts has been subdued from the mind, only then can one listen to the internal vibrations of the mind and soul. In this stillness one can tune into the natural vibration of nature - the need and requirements of the Universe.

In Sikhi, this vibration is referred to as Naam - or even God - Waheguru. So the Sikh masters require the Sikh to recognise this energy of Nature and recognise this within the person's own mind. The Sikh Gurus asks the Sikh to instil the name of the Lord within his/her mind. As Guru Ram Das says, "Listen, O mind: meditate on the Name of the Lord.”

Oneness

Many consider God to be an all-knowing super-conscious Being; others consider God to be indefinable, not a Being at all. One needs to replace the chaos of random uncontrolled thoughts in the mind by only one thought - the remembrance of the Lord's name; the pure love for the Creator. "The minds of those who listen to the Lord's Name are drenched with bliss; I worship their feet continually." (Shri Guru Granth Sahib p. 1135).

Once this pure state of tranquility is present in the mind, the realization of the oneness of the universe becomes known. We must learn to listen to the deep voice within our "inner" mind because as Guru Nanak states in Japji sahib, "Within the mind are gems, jewels and rubies, if you listen to the Guru's Teachings, even once" (Shri Guru Granth Sahib p. 2)

The mind must be kept totally receptive, because we can’t think our way into deep meditation. Nor, indeed, can you think your way to true guidance and inspiration. You can only receive wisdom: you cannot concoct it.

Recognise the truth within

A truth must be perceived in that calm awareness which is super-consciousness.

Meditation, then, is not creating answers: It is perceiving them. And this is the secret of true guidance. The stilled mind will be able to start functioning properly and one become more aware of the reality around us.

Most people seldom listen. They “listen” while thinking, when can I interrupt and what can I say. They’re like an out-of-tune musical instrument. Because they no longer are able to tune into their own essential nature, their inter-actions with life and other people produce only discords. They are deaf to the symphony of sounds in the world around them. They are deaf to other people, for they are more interested in speaking their own minds.

Listening deeply is necessary

They behave as though perpetually campaigning for their own ideas. However, Guru Arjan Dev reminds us that, "Those who listen with their mind and ears to the Lord's meditative remembrance, are blessed with peace at the Lord's Gate, O mortal" (Shri Guru Granth Sahib p. 200). So if you wish to obtain peace in this life and later, then you need to remove the randomness in the mind and replace it with love for God's name …

To understand what meditation is we must learn to listen to what is, and not keep insisting on what we think it ought to be. We must try to tune in to things as they are. Meditation is the opposite of imposing your will on the world. Try to relinquish, even for just a few minutes, the process of concocting plans and projects for the future. Be more, not less, conscious.

Guru Arjan Dev tells us, that we forget the Lord and indulge in our plans and schemes: "They do not know the One who created them; they think up all sorts of schemes and plans.” (Shri Guru Granth Sahib p. 297). For true connection with the Creator, one has to break this constant loop about our personal schemes and plans that are perpetually going round in our minds.

Based on an article by Swami Kriyananda, adapted from SikhiWiki: encyclomedia of the Sikhs

Kartar responds to our questions and comments (about unfamiliar terms and concepts mostly) and extemporises  on themes and topics contained in the handout - and some that are not. He points out (and I acknowledge) that the handout is missing important information about Sikh worship, in particular prayers and hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib. The handout had some of this earlier in the day but it was excised, purely for the sake of the time available to us this evening.

GOING ON BEYOND 4: RAMAKRISHNA - A HINDU VIEWPOINT

 

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, for the fourth session in the course, "Going On Beyond: Meditation and Mysticism in the World Faiths". This nine-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware, as part of its Faith Awareness programme. It is presented in association with Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

We were expecting to receive a presentation this evening on "Ramakrishna, a Hindu Viewpoint". Our speaker, who would have been travelling up from London, cancelled earlier today, so Barbara Butler has stepped into the breach and leads us through the same topic.

Ramakrishna used meditation and mysticism as means of "going on beyond" the separation of religions to realise their underlying unity. He never claimed that all religions are alike - but advocated unity in diversity, a harmony achieved through mediation and contemplation - appreciation of what we might call these days, "the gift of difference". This was the basis of his appeal for a fellowship of religions, an expression of the Hindu philosophy of Advaita  - unity - challenging the philosophical position of Dualism. He offered the Bhagavad Gita as the key text in understanding this unity.

In practical and social terms, Ramakrishna's teaching of unity expressed itself in his conviction that all people are equal - a radical position for a nineteenth century Hindu. His disciple, Swami Vivekananda, taught against idleness, asserting that "work is worship, worship is work" rather than proposing that one is more meritorious than the other, that a person should choose one over the other.

In the second half of the meeting, we form small groups and discuss what we could do to work towards Ramakrishna's goal of a fellowship of religions.

Obstacles

• Ignorance
• Clinging to convictions
• Thinking that your way is the only way
• Lack of healthy doubt
• Following a path for your on aggrandisement (egotism)
• Not taking an interest in how others see life
• Institution of religions: maintaining the institution can be put before what the religion is really about
• Association of religion with government or with power
• Dialogue of religious leaders maintains established power
• Lack of time
• Lack of confidence
• Complications
• Unity – too easy
• Conflicts – real
• Work / commitment within one’s own denomination is so absorbing that there is no time for dialogue
• It is too easy to proclaim human unity and yet not recognise the reality of conflict
• Inter-faith work can become commodified, self-sustaining career path

Ways forward

• If strong in one’s own faith, then one can cope with others
• Openness
• Open mindedness
• Agreeing to disagree, while maintaining your own integrity
• Seeking common ground
• Coming together for a common purpose, irrespective of belief
• Keeping hope alive
• Necessity of democracy, involving ordinary people
• RE in schools: education in humanity
• Gentle first steps, listening
• Food
• Create opportunities to meet
• Showing good will
• Meeting one another
• Fellowship

GOING ON BEYOND 1: INTRODUCTION & PERSONAL REFLECTION

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, this evening for the first session of a new course, "Going On Beyond: Meditation and Mysticism in the World Faiths". This nine-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware, as part of its Faith Awareness programme. It is presented in association with Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

It was originally intended as a ten-week course which should have begun last Monday, but sub-zero temperatures and slippery roads and pavements made it seem wise to postpone the start by a week.

This is the latest in a series of courses that has so far addressed  "Mindfulness" (2010), "Mindfulness and Morality" (2011) and "Mindfulness and Wisdom" (2o12) - each of which is covered extensively on this blog. Ian Grayling and Kevin Commons (photo above) from Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group are facilitating this first session and will have their hands on the tiller throughout the course.

There are 15 people attending this evening (including our facilitators). This programme has been designed as a means of helping those attending to explore the process of looking within as a means of deepening their understanding of their own faith as well as looking at mysticism within a range of different traditions. More specifically, the programme seeks to enable people to:

• Recognise ways of knowing through personal experience that goes beyond rational understanding;
• Deepen (or initiate) their own meditation or contemplative practice;
• Be mindful of similarity and difference in contemplative practice from different faith perspectives;
• Consider the practice of "meditation" as a means of underpinning daily living.

This opening session provides a "faith-neutral" introduction. The remaining sessions will each look at meditation or contemplative prayer and mysticism through the life of a well known practitioner from a sample of different faiths. Each of these sessions will comprise an introduction from a named speaker and explanation of the particular practice  of the chosen practitioner. The presenters will then lead a short period of meditation or contemplative prayer and the session will conclude with questions from the audience.

The programme, which employs a range of delivery techniques, including practical experience of a contemplative technique, aims to promote active and reflective learning in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

This evening, Ian and Kevin renew our acquaintance with authorities and commentators whose names and insights we've come to know through these courses: James W. Fowler and his definitions of stages of faith; Alister Hardy and his research on religious experience; Zohar and Marshall and their work on spiritual intelligence. We do some pairs work discussing how Hardy's findings relate to our own lives - an exercise in active listening.