Sluggo Koan

At one time Nancy asked Master Sluggo, “Does a cartoonist have Buddha Nature or not?” Master Sluggo answered: “No.”

The Continuing Saga of K. Thew Forrester

The episcopal battle royale re zen and the Nicene creed apparently rages on. It is said that Bishop Forrester is likely to be the first episcopal bishop vetoed by the church since the 1930s.

"I don't really see what there is left to say - the unique incarnation, saving death, bodily resurrection and universal lordship of Jesus are basic to Christian faith and to question that means you are disqualified from being an upholder of that faith in any official capacity in the church. That such a man should be considered even a possibility for a bishop is quite simply extraordinary." - The right Rev. N.T. Wright, lord bishop of Durham, England

"I think [Thew Forrester is] solidly a Christian believer, a disciple of Jesus Christ and will be a faithful bishop. ... I don't think he's outside the tent of acceptable theological thinking and understanding." - The right Rev. Tom Ely, bishop of Vermont

"This gentleman, apparently, doesn't believe the creeds. ... The doctrine of redemption through the incarnation and atoning work and resurrection and heavenly reign at present and future return of the second person of the Godhead: That is Christianity. Take that away and you have destroyed the Christian religion. Period. That's what Christianity is about." - Regent College Professor of Theology J.I. Packer

"The creed is a statement of faith and of love of God. ... The question is 'Is Kevin's interpretation of it within the ballpark?' For me it is. I think it stretches us but not to the point of breaking." - The right Rev. Bruce Caldwell, bishop of Wyoming

"The facts of the Christian faith are that Jesus is God's Son, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is coming again. A Christian will agree with these facts. If a denomination or church is Christian, it will agree with these facts. If a so-called bishop does not agree with the central elements of the Christian faith, then he should not call himself a Christian, let alone a bishop - nor should a church ordain him. He is an apostate from the Faith; and a church that ordains such a one is also apostate." - The Rev. George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God

Oh, George O. Wood, why are you speaking out on an Episcopal bishop election? When was the last time the Episcopals took the Assemblies of God to task? I'm guessing...not.

Furthermore, are there not as many gradations of the "central elements of the Christian faith" as there are variations on the Christian faith from Catholic Rome to Luther to LDS to the Branch Davidians and everyone in between and to the right and left. Bishop elect Thew Forrester does not deny the creeds in any way shape or form - point me to his "heresy" because I can't find it. And I'm pretty sure I've looked harder than you...

He may not be eligible to be an episcopal bishop - that's far outside my expertise - but where to you get off deciding if he is a good enough Christian? Calling him an apostate? Have you met the man? Have you discussed his beliefs with him? Have you talked to those who elected him in the first place. I'm guessing... not.

"We cannot emphasize enough how this exceptional man has quietly and consistently expanded our spiritual lives as a Christian community," said a letter posted on the church's Web site. "So it is especially painful for us to watch while others malign him during this consent process. He is one of us, and every unfair personal attack on our beloved bishop-elect inflicts a deep wound on each of us, who we are, what we have worked to achieve, and how we wish to fulfill God's promise and love in our diocese."

Bishop Thew Forrester may challenge his parishioners to THINK but that is not apostasy.

Or is it?

Namaste.

Pointing At The Moon

J. Workingman left a comment on my post of a few days ago with questions interspersed with Bishop-elect Kevin Thew-Forrester’s (hereafter “KTF” or “Fr. KTF”) explanations regarding his involvement in Zen whilst being an Episcopalian priest. In reality I suppose that J. Workingman is wondering if Fr. KTF is guilty of syncretism and thus unfit for the office of Bishop for the Episcopalian Diocese of Northern Michigan. I do not believe this to be the case, and I try in my answers to JW’s questions to explain why.

So the structure here is KTF's quote, JW's question, and my answer.

KTF: The ceremony I participated in was quite simple. I provide below the one vow I took and the precepts I affirmed. I believe you will find they have nothing whatsoever to do with me joining Buddhism.

Question: Elsewhere KTF writes that he received Lay Ordination. Is Lay Ordination a lesser thing than "being a Buddhist"? Can one have Lay Ordination and not be Buddhist?

Answer: We should not confuse the Christian concept of ordination and the Zen Buddhist concept of lay ordination. While I do not know the exact ceremony that Fr. KTF used for lay ordination, it is normally about a commitment to practice zazen (meditation) and to strive to heal the suffering in the world. Lay ordination does not create a priest, minister or other leader. You are simply formally recognized as a student, and you are declaring your intent to be a student. Merely learning Hebrew and then trying to learn, understand and utilize Judaism does not make me a Jew; i.e., using Zen traditions and practices to deepen my understanding of the Triune God just makes me more Christian; not less. Zen as a word is simply Japanese for “meditation.”

KTF: Within the ceremony I took one vow: “We vow to save all beings.”

Question: Is this not the Bodhisattva Vow to help save all sentient beings, before going into full Nirvana or enlightenment. Does this not require the prayer, "May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings"?

Answer: The Christian concept of prayer is non-existent without God. The Buddha is not God nor is he “a” god. He was teacher. Zen practioners do not pray to Buddha or anyone else. This is not to say that there are not Buddhist sects that pray to Buddha as a deity. There are. But Zen is not one of them and views these other sects as having a mistaken understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. The statement of “May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all beings” is a vow, a goal or expression of intent. “I vow to lose ten pounds” is not a prayer. Neither is seeking to “attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all beings.” Zen rejects “book-learning”, religious rites, good works to earn merit, or devotional practices in favor of meditation as a path to greater insight and awareness. In Fr. KTF case he has said that he uses Zen techniques to further deepen his experience of God. It is a mystical practice for Fr. KTF – this is how it appears to me at least.

KTF: For me, as a Christian, this meant a recommitment of my baptismal covenant: to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons [creatures],

Question: “Creatures” seems a curious insertion here. Don't Buddhists believe that all living things have the Buddha spirit in them?

Answer: I cannot answer why Fr. KTF has inserted the word “creatures” at this point. But as to Buddha-nature, a Buddhist will talk your ear off about Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature is not a soul or spirit in any sense of the word. Zen Buddhism focuses on attaining enlightenment through meditation as Siddhartha Gautama (the historical Buddha) did. It teaches that all human beings have the Buddha-nature, or the potential to attain enlightenment, within them. As to all living creatures having Buddha-nature or the capacity to achieve enlightenment, I can only quote a rather famous Zen koan:

"Does a dog possess Buddha-nature or not?" Chao-chou replied with the one-word answer “Wu” (pronounced "mu" in Japanese) meaning literally "no" but in this context can be understood to indicate that the very question itself was in error.

KTF: There were also “The Three Collective Pure Precepts,” which I affirmed:

Striving to avoid the unwholesome, striving to do the wholesome, striving to benefit all living beings.

Finally, there was an affirmation of “The Ten Grave Prohibitory Precepts”:

Not taking life, not stealing, not indulging in sexual greed, not speaking falsehood, not indulging in intoxicants, not discussing the faults of others, not praising self or slandering others, not begrudging the bestowal of dharma [wisdom] on anyone

Question: The Dharma is not just generic wisdom; is it not the sacred doctrine of the Buddha and of Buddhism? Isn't Dharma transmission one function of a Roshi?

Answer: Dharma is not a “sacred” doctrine. The word Dharma has several meanings “truth” or “wisdom” and the teachings of the Buddha. The teachings of the Buddha are not sacred. He told his followers to be “a lamp unto themselves.” In other words to find their own way with their own lamps; i.e., minds! To test his words for themselves and not accept anything he said simply because he said it.

“Dharma transmission” is not some spiritual or mystical event it is simply the recognition by a teacher (“Roshi”) that his student has reached the point that he is considered to understand the teachings and is now authorized to teach the Dharma as that particular Roshi taught that student.

Having a lay ordination is as far from being a Roshi as attending Sunday school as an 8 year old is from being the Pope – no offense intended to Fr. KTF.

KTF cont.:

Not indulging in anger, not disparaging the Triple Treasure [the Buddha as a teacher, the wisdom, the community]

Question: Is this not a vow to refrain from critique of the way of the Buddha?

Answer: “Critique” and “disparage” are quite different terms. Disparage would be to “regard or represent as being of little worth.” If you are planning on committing to study and understand something to further your understanding of self and God, “disparaging” that which you plan to study won’t get you far. But “critique” is almost required to explore and understand Zen.

As I mentioned above, the Buddha encouraged his followers to not take anything as true just because he said it. And it is quite something in Buddhist monasteries all over the world to witness a “dharma combat” in which two people will argue, critique and debate the micro and macro points of Buddhist philosophy. So, Fr. KTF has simply stated that he will not disparage Zen, not that he won’t bring his critical powers of analysis to bear on it.

In Conclusion

Do not mistake the finger pointing at the moon, for the moon itself. –Zen Saying

Namaste.

Zen Christian

Kevin Thew Forrester was recently elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan on February 21, but is also a Buddhist practitioner in the Soto School of Zen Buddhism and practices at the Lake Superior Zendo. Some claim that this is somehow at odds with being Christian or Episcopal. I can't speak for Episcopal folk but as someone who is intimately familiar with Zen and Soto Zen in particular I don't see Christianity and Zen as being at odds with each other. But they can complement each other.

We're not talking Tibetan Buddhism here. That most Catholic of all Buddhist sects. In Zen, Buddha is not revered as a god nor is he asked to intercede with god. He's a teacher. Revered and honored. But nothing more.

Anthony de Mello (Jesuit), Meister Eckhart (Dominican) (surely not knowing it as zen but just as surely it was) and Thomas Merton (Trappist) and many other devoted Christians have explored the Zen path. It is a contemplative path that takes its practitioner to a place where one confronts two mysteries: the Self and the unnameable and ultimately unknowable essence of the universe; a/k/a the Trinity.

Is there a bigger, unnameable, unknowable or more mysterious thing than the Triune God? If Zen practice helps one to experience the Triune God, then what's the problem? Zen is not the problem. In fact there is no problem. Christ made sure of that. Zen is not the worship of Buddha but the search for self.

As Thomas Merton said:

"What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous."

As Meister Eckhart said:

"He who would be serene and pure needs but one thing, detachment."

"To be full of things is to be empty of God. To be empty of things is to be full of God."

"There exists only the present instant... a Now which always and without end is itself new. There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only now."

As Anthony de Mello said:

"Obedience keeps the rules. Loves knows when to break them."

Truly, a Soto Zen Master could not have said it better.

Namaste.

the koan of calvary

In the koan practice of zen, the student is confronted with a question for which there is literally no intellectual or rational , let alone correct, answer.

In fact, intellectual approaches fail in trying to get to the heart of the teaching presented by koans and zen and presuppose the same difficulty with coming to grips with life. our questions presuppose that there is an answer. but zen begs to differ. one method of "solving" a koan is to take the stance of "don't know mind." "don't know mind" is not literally "don't know" but rather a clearing of the mind to be open to seeing what is right there in front of you. One practice of this is to ask yourself a koan, such as "What is the color of wind?" If you ask sincerely, you may only find peace, after much struggle, with the answer: "don't know."

Imagine the waters of a lake rustled by wind. These are thoughts that keep you from seeing through the water to the rocks and sand on the bottom. you cannot gain clarity about a koan by thinking and reasoning through it any more than you can calm the waters by getting more wind to come.

Two examples:

Elder Ting asked Lin-chi,

"Master, what is the great meaning of Buddha's teachings?"

Lin-chi came down from his seat, slapped Ting and pushed him away.

Ting was stunned and stood motionless.

A monk nearby said, "Ting, why do you not bow?"

At that moment Ting attained great enlightenment.

and

Wakuan complained when he saw a picture of bearded Bodhidarma,

"Why hasn't that fellow a beard?"

In a sense, Christ's death at Calvary is a koan for which there is no rational answer. I cannot reason my way to understanding why Christ had to die. Why the Triune God has taken this path rather than one that would fit far more neatly into my human rationality? My key doesn't open this lock. What is the color of the wind? Why did he know at the top of the mountain with Elijah and Moses that he had to leave that mountaintop and travel to Calvary and endure all the humiliation and pain along the way? And why choose/accept this path?

"don't know"

The koan of Christ death and resurrection is one that I will work with all my life. Some koans are never solved except in the contemplation,

the acceptance of paradox, and,

the discovery of faith.

Namaste.

Acceptance

There are many things in life that I have "put off" - for years. During my long walk yesterday up Whitter Gulch it occurred to me that "putting things off" is not just a lack of inititiatve or a sign of procrastination, though sometimes, of course, it may simply be that. But in the main, in the big picture, it is a lack of acceptance.

Non-acceptance brings all kinds of troubles. For example, not "balancing your check book" could be a sign of laziness, procrastination or whatever. Or it could be a sign of fear, of not wanting to really understand the situation. Because if you understand something then you ususally have to do something about it, or the psychic dissonance will kill you, bankrupt you or at least make you so anxious that you further continue the denial with ativan or paxil or something. The pharmacuetical industry thrives on fostering non-acceptance.

"Balancing your check book" is a good metaphor for many areas of life. "Balancing your check book" makes you deal with life as it is, not as you wish it were. And "life as it is," when denied, is pretty much where all the suffering happens. If you live life (and I'm talking to myself here) "as it is" you may have unhappy moments, days, weeks or even months, but those moments will come and go, and you will have a life.

This blog is called "open windows and unlocked doors" because that openness allows the world to get inside. Yes, you can lock those windows and doors, you can refuse to "balance your checkbook" - but then what?

The act of denying "life as it is" will make you suffer every moment of every day no matter how big or small the denial. You won't have to deal with your "life as it is" but you won't have a life either. And that is hardly a fair trade.

So take out those metaphorical bank statements and get to work. And if you discover you are overdrawn, well, that's not the end of the world.

It's the beginning of your life.

My thanks to Lin Jensen and his book, "Pavement" for inspiring me to think again about "life as it is." You can visit his blog [here].

Namaste.

Tech Tags: zen life+as+it+is buddhism lin+jensen

Zen Is Right Here

A student asked in dokusan*, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?" To which Suzuki Roshi answered, "It doesn't matter."

I am good at taking things that don't matter in the least (britney spears comes to mind here as the latest obsession since there are no children missing at the moment) and trying to make something out of them be they worries, fantasies or important thoughts. This seems to be what Suzuki is saying to me - theories, hypotheticals, things that we cannot know, just don't matter. At all.

"I bet she skipped our appointment on purpose?" "I'll bet if I work hard I can get promoted" "What is heaven like?"

All that thinking. All that wasted effort. Focus on what matters! Suzuki also said that "The most important thing is to find the most important thing." Which sounds trite but isn't - thinking about that apocryphal tree in the apocryphal forest is a waster of valuable time. Life is precious and you shouldn't waste it on things that don't matter. Like Britney. And K-Fed. I bet our addiction to celebrities would be a good blog topic at some point.

In the end, its just stick to the business at hand. This moment. Now.

I am taking Friday off as a mental health day and hope to walk in the woods and sit for a bit. I'll let you know if I achieve satori.

Namaste.

* A private interview between a Zen student and the master. It is an important element in the Zen training, as it provides an opportunity for the student to discuss problems in his or her practice and to demonstrate understanding.

Tech Tags: zen buddhism satori zazen suzuki+roshi shunryu+suzuki dokusan

What The Buddha Said

What the Buddha said by the Alchemist.

Tech Tags: buddha zen

California Treadmill: Just Do It

Thanks to Corilee of Playin' the Edge for stopping by and offering encouragement. She has a great yoga site that's worth a visit!

I am visiting my sister in rainy, sodden, soaked, and drowning Northern California. I have been here since Wednesday night and it just will not stop raining. Sister has a treadmill though but I "forgot" my running shoes. So to keep my streak of three days a week intact I went out and bought some running shoes - Asics. To run on the treadmill. I hate running on the treadmill but its better than nothing. And as Corilee basically said just do it (which by the way Nike co-opted rather than created - see Zen footnote). So I did it. And I feel virtuous. Just like Corilee said I would.

Zen footnote: Shunryu Suzuki put it in his classic "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" many years before the Nike co-opt: Our Soto way puts an emphasis on shikan taza, or 'just sitting.' Actually we do not have any particular name for our practice; when we practice Zen we just practice it. Even though we are sleepy, and we are tired of repeating the same thing day after day; even so we continue our practice. Whether or not someone encourages our practice, we just do it.