Over the past four weeks I have been writing a series on Hesychastic Prayer of the Greek Orthodox tradition. Hesychastic is a strange sounding word, but it is essentially the Greek Orthodox word for silent, contemplative prayer. If you have a moment, please see at least the last 2 posts for the introductory remarks on this subject.

For those with strong antipathy towards Christianity or any other form of organized religion please do not misconstrue my comments in this series. I am not writing these comments to suggest that you should agree with me or change your views. I am writing about this subject because I have found some of the practices of Greek Orthodox meditation to be a very useful counterpoint to some of the teachings I have studied in Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim practices of meditation. Learning those practices of other cultures that may be more efficacious than those one is used to is a primary benefit of inter-monastic studies.

I am also glad to stimulate interest among readers who may not realize the full power and glory of the Greek and Russian monastic traditions. In general, most of us in the west have very little awareness of the richness of these cultures. This comment is even more true of the other national Christian churches of Eastern Europe such as the Serbian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian churches.

Please also be aware that I am in no way seeking to whitewash the serious dysfunction and errors that are also interlaced into the Orthodox traditions. There are just as many serious issues in the Orthodox cultures as there are in Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu traditions. But do not let this dysfunction and error keep you from the priceless and immaculate truths that are also a very real attribute of these faith practices.

With these caveats and preludes, this week I want to offer a prayer I have written over the early days of this Lenten season. I offer this prayer because it helps me with the first part of the Hesychastic practice. For me that first part is to call to mind an image or vision or sense of God that is so attractive that I am freely willing to offer my love and praise to this divine other. That is, now that I have found a way to clear away the multiple distortions arising from my own clouded mind as well as the ones I feel have been superimposed upon the image of God by organized religion.

The goal is to perceive the divine energies simply, clearly and directly.

For those inclined to practices of adoration this prayer is to be recited inwardly in silence as a prelude to the repetition of whatever mantra you feel called to use. Please feel free to discard or adapt this prayer in whatever way you feel is consistent with the spiritual path you feel called to follow.

The Chaplet of Divine Grace

For the sacred beauty of your divine grace that leads us to seek you-alleluia                   For your holy love and mercy-alleluia                                                                            For your wisdom and peace-alleluia                                                                              For your righteousness and truth-alleluia                                                                        For your laughter and joy-alleluia                                                                                    For your way of holiness and charity-alleluia                                                                  For the simple glow of abiding in trust and faith in your eternal love–alleluia                For the clear waters of baptism-alleluia                                                                           For the instructions on penance and reconciliation-alleluia                                            For the blessings of communion-alleluia                                                                         For your handbook on gentleness-alleluia                                                                      For the impulse to praise and adore-alleluia                                                                  For your struggles and suffering-alleluia                                                                         For your courage and sacrifice-alleluia                                                                            For the perfect light of your transfiguration-alleluia                                                         For the healing infusion of your revelation-alleluia                                                          For the insights into the hidden structure of being from which your life and name    emanate-alleluia                                                                                                             For your radiant triumph in all the realms of existence-alleluia                                       For the intimate sense of your divine glory-alleluia

Amen-

Please let me know what you think or send me those prayers you have written yourself. All constructive comments will be responded to.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

Over the past three weeks I have been writing a series on Hesychastic Prayer as taught in the Greek Orthodox tradition. Hesychastic is a strange sounding word, but it is essentially the Greek Orthodox word for contemplative prayer. If you have a moment, please see the last three posts for the introductory remarks on this subject.

For those people who have a lot of antipathy to organized religion or the image of God presented in 12 step programs I offer these suggestions:

Take the time to write out a description of the attributes of God you were taught, especially those aspects you find to be most troubling or confusing.

Then take the time to write out a description of the attributes of God you feel would be so attractive and inspiring that you would naturally feel comfortable offering your praise and love in silence from the center of your heart to this divine being.

For example, I have heard from many people who are members of 12-step programs something like this: “I grew up with the image of a punishing God and I thought God would not want to have anything to do with me. In recovery I have found a ‘higher power’ that is unconditionally loving. I have found this vision of God to be very helpful and consoling in my recovering from addiction.”

For me it was simple. The violence, cruelty, oppression, chronic poverty, injustice, famine, and natural disasters in the world proved there was no loving God. All the answers I heard from organized religion to explain such important issues tended to go like this.  “The troubles in the world are not God’s fault, they are the fault of sinful humanity.”  Another was that, “God has a plan for each of our lives although often we cannot see what that plan is.”

Believe it or not these answers are still given over and over again throughout the Christian world and in 12 step groups and many Yoga and New Age circles.

For me these kinds of answers were so frustrating and just plain stupid I could not possibly believe a loving God could be the power that created and sustained this life. After all if a three year old child is raped and then beaten to death, is this part of God’s plan for their life? Also, the suffering and death in the animal kingdom where most creatures need to kill and devour other creatures to live, does their suffering arise from Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God’s commandment?

My point is this: contemplative prayer in the Catholic and Orthodox tradition is initiated and fueled by the simple practice of making a conscious choice to love God and then following through on that choice every day. For those who have been exposed to  teachings in God centered religions they feel are disturbing or dysfunctional this presents a major obstacle. The same is true for those who are simply confused by the cognitive dissonance of the image of a loving God and a world riddled with violence and suffering however otherwise beautiful this world may be at times.

For those who fit this description there are good alternatives. You can study the atheist traditions of Theravada or Zen Buddhism or some form of secular humanism or philosophy or science etc.

But if you feel that God does exist, or may exist, and you wish to find out one way or the other, and see if you can awaken a healing experience of communion with God that diminishes the suffering of your life you can try this:

Imagine an image or sense of God as perfect love, grace, and peace which is so beautiful that you are simple in awe of the splendor of the beauty of this immortal life.

Take the risk of setting aside, at least for half an hour here and there, all the good and rational reasons why you feel God does not exist.

Then see if by calling to mind a sense of God as perfect love, grace, beauty and peace you become freely willing to offer your love from the center of your heart to the divine, mysterious, reality people call God.

See if you are able to step back from the troubles and suffering of your life and the suffering of the world. Try to imagine that the perfect transformation of your heart and the attainment of liberation has happened and that indeed you will live forever in this state.

Do you find these practices begin to open up the heart chakra and/or the chakras of the abdomen, throat, and head? Do you find yourself at least in the early stages of a shift of your interior experience to increasingly more beautiful, deeply trusting, and peaceful states of communion and grace?

For those of us for whom faith in a loving God does not come naturally all this may seem quite foreign or even ridiculous. If I had not found deeply healing experiences of love, grace, beauty, and peace from these efforts. I would not recommend them to you.

What I did not know for many years, what I was not able to conceive of, is this: to awaken the experience of God I needed to get the ball rolling by praising and loving God in silent adoration in the secret chambers of my deepest heart. I could have learned this insight from Catholic meditation teachers but for different reasons I did not. Where I did learn it from was the ancient and modern Greek Orthodox teachers but this does not mean I will join their church.

Please let me know your thoughts and experiences. All constructive comments will be responded to and posted if you feel comfortable having them posted.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

Over the past two weeks I have been writing a series on Hesychastic Prayer as taught in the Greek Orthodox tradition. If you have a moment please see the last two posts for the introductory remarks on this subject.

Those who are not Christians, and those who are atheists, please bear with me. There is no reason at least some aspects of this powerful contemplative practice cannot be adapted to your chosen path.

A central feature of Hesychastic Prayer is to find ways to move beyond mere vocal prayer said by rote, and mere intellectual concepts of God, and to proceed to access the depths of your heart and thereby attain a state known as, “The prayer of the heart.”

What I can say is that writers such as Bishop Kallistos Ware strongly encourage beginners to not seek to access the depths of their emotional and spiritual heart without the guidance of an experienced teacher. I have seen the same admonitions from certain Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist writers. More on this at another time.

But for now in regions such as North America or Western Europe this creates a problem as there are very few people who are masters of Hesychastic Prayer. But I assume there are a few somewhere that would have insights that are both profound and practical.

Possibly someone reading this blog may know of someone they can recommend. Please let me know if that is the case.

But Bishop Kallistos Ware does offer very useful general insights on this topic in his essay, “The Power of the Name.”

First, by heart he means we are more than just our intellect and our reason. You would be surprised how many people forget this most basic point.

He also cites Boris Vysheslavtsev’s comment that the heart is the “…center not only of consciousness, but of unconsciousness, not only of the soul but of the spirit, not only of the spirit but of the body, not only of the comprehensible but of the incomprehensible; in one word it (the heart) is the absolute center.

Merton and Hesychasm “The Prayer of the Heart” edited by Bernadette Dieker and Jonathan Montaldo  Fons Vitae Louisville KY 2003 page 59

Bishop Ware goes on to say, “For the heart has a special significance in the spiritual life: it is both the center of the human being, and the point of meeting between human life God.”  This last point is important and it closely echoes the Hindu teaching of the overlap between the Atman and Brahman.

Ibid Page 59

But how one is to find this heart when there is little specific guidance, at least in public writings.

Here are a few suggestions:

Replace the chatter of the mind with a repeated word or mantra such as the Jesus Prayer or some variation on it. Remember that the spiritual heart is not to be confused with the physical heart. For example many find the spiritual heart to be located pretty much in the chest just above the solar plexus. In short in the place where Hindu’s say the Heart Chakra is located. Still your experience may be much different from that described in any of the writings.

The important thing is to call forth your best degree of sincerity and earnest longing to find the depths of your spiritual heart as you repeat your sacred word or mantra.

Another tip is to find the place in your inner life where you feel the experience of loving, and observe your love as it streams up from this tender place within you. Seek to feel the love you have to give to those you love and then silently in prayer offer this love to them. For those who believe in God, you can also choose to offer this gift of your silent tender love to God and open your heart to receive the gift of God’s love for you.

I believe Bishop Ware is right. The center of the heart is the meeting place between our finite life and the infinite life of God. Cultivating your most tender and sincere skills with love will help you find this meeting place in the secret chambers of your deepest heart.

Whether this is just poetry or actual truth I cannot say. What I can say is the times I have been able to dwell in this silent loving embrace have been the deepest experiences of peace and grace I have known in my life.

Of course I then return to my usual cranky, frustrated, and insecure self and head off to work. But hey, a guy has to start somewhere right?

Please let me know your thoughts and experiences. All constructive comments will be responded to and posted if you feel comfortable having them posted.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

Last week I started a series on Hesychastic Prayer. This form of contemplative prayer originated in the Greek Orthodox monastic tradition but is also widely practiced in the Russian Orthodox as well as in other Christian traditions.

Those who are not Christians, and those who are atheists, please bear with me. There is no reason at least some aspects of this powerful contemplative practice cannot be adapted to your cultural idioms. Also, knowing about the practices of traditions other than your own is a core effort of Interfaith study.

Indeed it is interesting, for example, to see how close the parallels are between the Greek Orthodox and the atheist Buddhist Jhana practices. As different as these cultures are, both Hesychastic and Buddhist Jhana practice lead to very deep experiences of wordless peace and liberation. There are also close parallels between Hesychastic prayer and the other God centered practices of Hindu, Catholic, and Sufi cultures.  Learning more about these parallels will help people discern how they may adapt some of the core practices of Hesychastic prayer to their chosen tradition. It will also lead to a greater sense of respect and appreciation for another ancient tradition of world culture. Certainly greater knowledge, respect, and appreciation for other traditions is one of the things most needed to offset the deeply destructive aspects of religious fanaticism that are among the most destructive features of 21st century world culture.

There is also the very real possibility that some aspects of the Greek Orthodox tradition may be more attractive to you than some aspects of the contemplative tradition you are involved with now. Learning and borrowing from other traditions to help supplant some of the dysfunctional or unskillful elements of your core tradition is another benefit of the Interfaith movement.

The most traditional form of Hesychastic practice is the Jesus Prayer.

This is the constant repetition of the phrase during meditation, “Jesus Son of God have mercy on me.” Another variation is “Jesus Son of God have mercy on me a sinner.”

But as Bishop Kallistos Ware, a prominent contemporary exponent of Orthodox culture, has pointed out there is no rigid formula to this prayer. You are free to use the traditional wording or to develop your own phrase. In the Orthodox tradition one would be exhorted to include the name of Jesus in the phrase. But those engaged in non-Christian or progressive Christian practice could just as well develop a phrase focused on God the father, or the Holy Spirit, or some other more general name for God.

In this manner the Jesus prayer is not that different from any other Mantra such as those from Hindu or Tibetan Buddhist practice even if Bishop Kallistos Ware would (and did) take exception to this comparison. The goal, as with any mantra is to give the scattered mind a positive focus to center on as a means to unify and thereby calm the “monkey chatter” of the mind.

But the Jesus Prayer is also more than a mantra. The essential features are not some mechanical repetition of a certain phrase as though it was some magical formula guaranteed to induce mystical experience. To begin with one calls to mind God’s grace, mercy, love, and light. This sense of divine life should not be confused with any religious images or doctrines you may find troubling or bewildering. The goal is to gain an intuition of the nature of the transforming power of grace and the great beauty and tenderness of perfect love and being. In short, an image of divine life free from any of the corruptions of organized or dis-organized religion. Endeavor through imagination and/or intuition to gain a sense of universal being so beautiful and kind that one’s natural and free response is to praise and adore. Opening the mind and heart to the presence of this perfect love and grace is the first step. Second is to make the conscious choice to offer a free gift of love and adoration from the most tender centers of your hear to this living presence of God. All of this is a highly evocative and creative process.

All of this will help you make the journey to the deepest center of your heart. In this deepest center you will find the living presence of divine life and can dwell in holy communion with the God of heaven and earth.  Buddhists and others may call this living presence something else such as “the deathless”, or the “unconditioned”, or “Buddha Nature.”  Who cares what words are used? In the deepest experiences all words and analysis are dispersed any way.

The mantra and related practices of cultivating virtue are all supports to the awakening of this intimate and profoundly beautiful encounter and embrace with perfect and eternal love.

If you are angry at God or hate religion in general that is fine too. You will never hear comments from me designed to invalidate your most serious doubts or pain or questions. But just as your doubts and pain and questions are important it is equally important to know there really is another side to this whole “spiritual thing.” For me I have found a way to honor and cultivate both and would be glad to talk with you about how I balance and sometimes clumsily juggle both.

More Next week.

Please let me know your thoughts and experiences. All constructive comments will be responded to and posted if you feel comfortable having them posted.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

When I refer to Orthodox practice, I am not using the term in a general way to describe someone who has a very traditional view of Christian or Jewish practice. Rather I am referring primarily to the Greek Orthodox Church and monastic traditions. But this usage is also too narrow. It is also necessary to include the national churches of other Orthodox nations such as the Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Ukrainian traditions. These national Orthodox churches and monastic cultures were inspired by the Christianity of the eastern Mediterranean which became centered in Constantinople.

Most of us who were educated in an American or Eurocentric world view, when we think of Christianity we think of either the Roman Catholic or Protestant traditions. This certainly was true of me. This is largely because after the year 1054 the Roman Catholic and the Greek Orthodox Church had a big falling out, a nasty centuries old feud with plenty of blame on both sides to be sure. When Constantinople was conquered by the Muslims in 1453, the Greek Orthodox Church receded further from the awareness of many Europeans. Moscow in particular and the Russian Orthodox tradition in general inherited, at least in the minds of many Russians, the leadership of the ancient traditions of the eastern Mediterranean. But Moscow was still a back water, at least in the minds of many Europeans, compared to the centers of western European culture.

Even today, it simply is not known by most Roman Catholics and Protestants, whether conservative or progressive, that The Greek Orthodox tradition was a major center of the Christian faith, at least as important as Rome if not more so, in the first six to seven centuries of the Christian era.

This was due to several facts. First, Jerusalem and the largest early centers of Christianity such as Antioch in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt were all in the eastern Mediterranean. Second, the New Testament was written in Greek not Latin. Third, Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Greece in the early 4th century and so the new seat of the Empire was in Greece not Rome. Fourth, and most importantly, all eight of the ecumenical councils of the Christian church up until the year 869 were all held in Greece or Turkey in cities such as Nicea, Ephesus, Chalcedon and Constantinople. These councils are where the definitions of the Trinity and the dogmas and controversies of the human and divine nature of Jesus were hammered out. It was not until after the split with the Orthodox churches in 1064, in the year 1123, that an ecumenical council was held in Rome. Fifth, the origins of Christian monasticism were in Syria and Egypt. Christian Monasticism only spread to Italy, France, Germany, England and the rest of Western Europe later in the fifth to seventh centuries of the Common Era.

I did not know much of this until a few years ago I picked up a slender volume, “St. Gregory Palamas and Orthodox Spirituality.” This book, along with Bishop Kallistos Ware’s book “The Inner Kingdom”, gave me a good overview of how rich and varied the long history of the Orthodox traditions are.

In fact it is an incredible treasure trove of personalities, doctrines, and practices.

Other books such as “Russian Mystics”, “Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years”, “Pilgrim’s Progress”, and “The Sayings of the Desert Fathers”, and “The Cave and the Light”, opened my eyes further.

Central to the Greek and Russian monastic cultures, and that of other Orthodox churches is the tradition called Hesychastic Prayer. This is also known as “The Prayer of the Heart” or the “Prayer of Silence.” This is a very specific form of devotional prayer for those practicing in the Christian tradition. I have to check my notes for the specifics, but it emerged as a distinctive practice sometime in the 5th to 7th centuries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Those who are not Christians, please bear with me. There is no reason the essentials of this powerful contemplative practice cannot be adapted to your cultural idioms. Indeed it is interesting how close the parallels are with many Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic and Sufi practices.  Still, those not inclined to embrace Christ centered practice can adapt the core practices of Hesychastic prayer to the words, perspectives, and images of their chosen tradition.

Those who are inclined to Christian practice will find all of this a fascinating enhancement to their practice and faith.

More next week.

Are you involved with Greek or Russian Orthodox monastic culture and practice? Do you know of anyone who has an advanced practice with Hesychastic Prayer?

If so I would be delighted to hear from you. Please feel free to email or call.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

For the past 2 weeks I have been offering constructive critiques of certain aspects of Theravada Buddhism. To recap: Theravada is the oldest form of Buddhism. Tibetan, Chinese, Zen, and Pure Land Buddhism are later reforms that vary quite a bit from the original teachings.

People who read these critical posts may jump to the conclusion that I am saying there is no benefit to be gained by a serious study of the old Buddhist texts.

This is not the case.

What I am saying is that people who study Buddhism, or any other form of meditation, need to do so with an open mind. This will help them see both the truth as well as that which may possibly be significant error in the teachings they are studying.

This week I am writing about the miraculous powers attributed to Buddha in the old Buddhist texts. I believe that reading or talking about these stories as though they were anything other than primitive myths or allegorical stories can be a significant distraction or block to further study.

Here is a classic example from one of the talks attributed to the Buddha. In this passage, supposedly, the Buddha is describing some of the supernormal abilities gained by serious meditation practice.

“And he with mind concentrated,…applies and directs his mind to the various supernormal powers…(for example) he appears and disappears; he passes through fences, walls, and mountains unhindered as if through air…he walks on the water without breaking surface as if on land; he flies cross-legged through the sky like a bird with wings; he even touches and strokes the sun and the moon…and he travels in the body as far as the Brahma world.”

(From Sutta # 2 “Fruits of the Homeless Life” from the Digha Nikaya Wisdom Publications Somerville, MA translated by Maurice Walsh 2012 105 page 350.)

Even in the 21st century these passages are often not described as being mythical accounts. In fact I have heard highly intelligent American Buddhist teachers such as Joseph Goldstein speak about such possibilities as though they were facts.

Here are my general comments:

If highly concentrated states of mind give Buddhist practitioners such abilities then let them demonstrate them in whatever dignified and properly respectful yet scientifically valid forums that are available. After all, if such things are possible it would provide tremendously important insights into the true nature of what we call reality. Discerning how such things could be possible would keep mystics and hard core scientists busy for years.

But if no one is able to demonstrate these powers, then perhaps modern Buddhists could simply say something like this: “Our Suttas are laden with myth and fantasy like many other ancient texts. We will no longer talk about either the Buddha or ancient or modern practitioners as though meditation gives them supernormal powers.”

Would that really be so hard?

But, as you may imagine, the Buddhists who say such supernormal abilities are definitely possible decline to demonstrate them for the rest of us ordinary folks.

Turning the sage Gautama into the miracle working Buddha is the same kind of mistake the Jews made turning Moses into a miracle worker. It is the same mistake the Christians made turning Jesus into the miracle working Cosmic Christ. It is the same mistake Muslims made turning Muhammad into the “perfect man.”

But there is an important nuance to keep in mind as a subtle counterpoint to these critical comments when studying any of the ancient texts.

There is great benefit in studying the lives of the Avatars like Gautama, Jesus, Moses and Muhammad and other leading figures in world history.

There is also great benefit in studying the mythical stories and miracles attributed to these Avatars. These stories can evoke insights and intuitions that give rise to meditation experiences that help one traverse the spectrum that leads from ordinary to noticeably deeper experiences of peace and insight. These evocative stories can help a person progress to deeper experiences in a way that discursive reasoning cannot for most people.

But until proven otherwise, it is important to not confuse creative stories about the supernormal powers of the Avatars as being literally true.

It is important to realize the stories of supernatural abilities from Buddhism and Christianity, and other religions, have little or nothing to do with the process of attaining enlightenment.

Please let me know your thoughts. All constructive comments will be posted. In fact constructive comments would be helpful. My goal in writing this blog is to meet new people who are dedicated to a serious study of meditation in the context of comparative monastic studies.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

Many who read these posts on the primary errors of Buddhist Meditation will jump to the conclusion that I feel there is no benefit to studying Buddhist Suttas or practicing mindfulness meditation.

This is not the case.

What I am saying is that people who study Buddhism, or any other form of meditation need to do so with an open mind. This will help them see both the truth as well as that which may possibly be significant error in the teachings they are studying.

In general any form of highly organized religion will resemble all other forms of highly organized religion in a number of ways. The teachers of Catholic meditation will share some common features, both positive and negative with the teachers of Buddhist or Sufi, or Hindu, or Greek Orthodox meditation.

A primary negative feature the more orthodox teachers of any tradition will have in common is this: they will act and teach as though their way of truth is perfect and without error.

They will act and teach as though Moses, or Jesus, or Buddha, or Muhammad possessed perfect knowledge in either all things or at least all important things. They will act as though deviation from their view of things will lead one to either not reach the great prize of liberation, or will lead them into the pit of eternal suffering.

To defend this omniscience and authority, orthodox teachers of any tradition will sometimes have to twist themselves into knots trying to cover up obvious problems in their teachings. Here is a good example. Sutta 38 of the Majjhima Nikaya discusses an important problem in Theravada Buddhist teachings. Most Theravada Buddhist teachers assert with vigor the idea there is no permanent self or soul within the individual. But these same teachers go on to say with equal commitments that the karma of one life follows a person from one life to another and that this is an inexorable law of nature.

There is no way to resolve this contradiction. If there is some aspect of karma that survives death and generates merit or pain in a future life then this aspect of karma can be considered a permanent self or soul. If there is no permanent self or soul, when the body dies, everything that is part of a person’s life simply disintegrates and there is no rebirth.

Instead of being open about the problematic nature of this critical problem in Theravada teaching, both the writers of the Suttas and the orthodox teachers simply pretend the problem has been solved. And anyone who questions the official solution is silenced or marginalized and of course will be punished. Sutta 38 notes “But you, misguided man, have misrepresented us by your wrong grasp and injured yourself and stored up much demerit; for this will lead to your harm and suffering for a long time.”  (Majjhima Nikaya Wisdom Publications Somerville, MA translated by Bhikku Nanamoli and Bhikku Bodhi 4th edition 2009 page 350.

The message is clear. Anyone who disagrees with us, even if it is only a sincere disagreement of opinion on difficult matters, will be punished and not for a short time.

Pretending an open question has been solved, shutting down debate on open questions, threatening (actually promising) punishment to those who hold different views on complex questions these are classic errors of organized religion in general and conservative monastic cultures in particular. Be careful not to fall into the trap of being silenced by this orthodox bullying or to simply repress important doubts and questions,

I do not know if karma somehow transfers from one life to another. I do not know if reincarnation is generally a true teaching or a significant error. I do not know if God does or does not exist.

What I am sure of is that no one else knows for sure the answers to these questions either. The tendency of conservative teachers of religious cultures to pretend they know for sure the correct answers are a classic trap to be avoided.

None of this is to imply there is no benefit to studying Catholic or Buddhist, or Jewish, or Muslim or Hindu meditation and the classic texts of these traditions.

What is being said is to not be fooled by the authoritarian tendencies in all these traditions to shut down honest debate, inquiry and differences of opinion. What is also being said is that, within certain boundaries, ongoing study of open questions can be of decisive importance in renewing an ancient culture.

For sure there is a time to set aside all questions, analysis, and all debating. But there is also a time to honor the serious doubts and questions you do have about any religious teaching.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

The oldest form of Buddhism is called Theravada Buddhism. This form of Buddhist meditation and monastic culture is the one that developed from the relative chaos after the Buddha passed away. Books on Buddhist history relay there were as many as 17 different schools of meditation before the broad tradition coalesced into the Theravada school, which is also known as the Way of the Elders.

Yet the way most Vipassana commentators relay the story, there was a council called after the Buddha’s death. At that council his assistant Ananda, recited from memory the various talks given by the Buddha and produced what is called the Pali Canon. The Pali Canon is the collection of all the important Suttas and regulations of the monks in the Pali language. To say this was a remarkable feat of memory is an understatement. This would mean Ananda had memorized the equivalent of many thousands of pages.

There is no consensus as to the exact dates of the Buddha’s birth and death. He may have lived in the 6th century BCE or the Fifth.

There is also no consensus as to when the council was called were agreement was hammered out as to what constituted the official record and the main features of the Theravada school. The myth is this happened fairly soon after Buddha’s death, but that is unlikely.

There is no consensus as to when the Pail canon was written down but it was at least 2-3 centuries after the Buddha’s death.

The first primary error of the Buddhist tradition is the way Theravada teachers seek to portray the process of preserving Buddha’s teachings as though we have an accurate record of what he taught.

This is a very common error for religious cultures to make. For example, it was long believed that Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament which are called the Torah or Pentateuch. It was only after the Renaissance that scholars began to realize the first five books of the Old Testament were not written by a single author. Also they did not achieve their current form until approximately 800 years after Moses died.

There are similar issues with the New Testament. There is no way for scholars to know what Jesus said personally as compared with those quotes written by the biblical authors that they attributed to Jesus. Nowhere is this more of a problem than in the gospel of John and the book of Revelation.

Regrettably, Buddhist teachers have the same problem. There is no way to discern which parts of the ancient Suttas were said by Gautama and which passages were added or were heavily edited centuries after he died.

Still, even the highest integrity Buddhist scholars still cite the various sayings of the Pali canon as though they are quoting the Buddha, when in truth the passage cited may never have been said by him.

Buddhism is still relatively a new religion or philosophy to the west. While many of the Buddhist texts have been known to western scholars for two hundred years, it is only in the past generation that very high quality translations have been made into English and the other European languages.

The European scholarly tradition of technical analysis of ancient documents to try to discern when they were actually written and if possible to determine by whom, has not yet been applied to the Pali Canon.

This is even more true of the Suttas used as primary texts of Tibetan Buddhism most of which were not written until over twelve hundred years after the Buddha died.

I am not saying that the Pail canon is not worth reading. I am also not saying we cannot get a pretty clear sense of what the Buddha actually taught versus those kinds of teachings that were attributed to him by others. What I am saying is that some real work is needed to sort out the core of what he probably said from some of the very misleading comments less gifted teachers added later.

What I am also saying is that the effort for scholars to begin to examine the historicity of the Pali Canon is overdue. What I am also saying as that there is no need for Buddhists to repeat the kinds of mistakes with their scriptures that Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Fundamentalists are making with theirs.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” host of Meditationpractice.com

will    at   meditation    practice   dot com   (spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

Is 2015 the year you are interested in making a stronger commitment to learn more about how silent meditation can lower stress and help you find more of the peace and fulfillment you are looking for in this life?

If you already have an established daily practice, is this the year you will have fresh willingness to work through the issues and stuck points you have identified as areas to focus on?

Generally, I think what is important is to establish realistic goals given the realities of your present life and obligations. If you have a house and a family and significant financial obligations and challenges, you probably will not have as much time as you would like for meditation and yoga and the like. But, maybe you can find some time.

If you are living with significant challenges such as depression or anxiety or some other form of mental or physical health issue, it is reasonable to expect that the practice of meditation will be more difficult than it is for those with more favorable conditions. But please be open to the possibility that meditation can be an important support to whatever work you are doing with counselling or medication.

Being frustrated with organized religion, or having serious doubts about what you believe, are other challenges that need to be taken into account. But please know there are others who are working with such issues with honor, skill, and integrity. Sharing experiences with like-minded others can be of real help as you seek to chart the way forward.

In each of these cases, the work remains to be the same. Do what you can and be as consistent as possible with mindfulness practice both in the times of silence and stillness you do have and in the active hours of your life.

Finding a group of other mature people is a good idea, but unless you are in one of the established meditation cultures such as Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Buddhist, Hindu, or Sufi, it will probably be difficult to find a group that is a good match.

What I have tried to do, over the past few years since I wrote “The Simple Path of Holiness,” is to create a group experience that works for both traditional and progressive believers, as well as committed atheists, and those who are just plain confused.

We meet in the Worcester Mass area on the Second Sunday of the month at 3pm during the colder months. We sit for half an hour and then have a discussion about various common challenges that people face their practice. The discussion is followed by tea or coffee and light refreshments.

If you live in the Worcester area, and wish to come please call or email. I can give you the basics of this interfaith approach to meditation to see if it seems like it may work for you.

If you do not live in the Worcester area, please feel free to call or email anyway. I may know of meditation groups in your state as I have some good lists from across the country and one of those groups might be something to look into. I can also give you some good suggestions about how to start a small meditation group where you are.

And, once again I am just as glad to speak with you whether you have a traditional religious practice or a progressive faith affiliation or whether you are a committed atheist or just plain confused as I often am.

If these subjects are of interest to you, do please reach out.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness,” and host of Meditationpractice.com

will   at meditation    practice   dot com  ( Spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

Meditation is not about blocking out the world and the larger troubles of the world.

Yes there are many times one does close the door to their house and then the door to their room and focuses only on the calming meditation practice they have chosen.

But there are other times when one dedicates their meditation session to reflecting on the most difficult problems in the society. In this way you can gain a visceral understanding of the full danger of the burning fires of nationalism, militarism, anger, greed, and raw fear.

The recent revelations of the CIA’s torture of victims offer such an opportunity.

Where was I when the employees of the government I pay taxes to were torturing prisoners in secret jails around the world? Was I watching TV? Was I reading some inspiring book on meditation or laughing with friends? Was I sitting in peace and calm in the quiet sanctuary of my room?

Where were you when the employees of the government you pay taxes to were torturing people in a secret jail in some dark corner of the world?

The men and women who approved or conducted this torture- where did they spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning?

Were they ashamed of themselves? Were they riddled or haunted by guilt for what they had done as they held a candle in their Christmas Eve service or took pictures of their children in the children’s pageant? Oddly enough I assume most of them had the most pleasant of holidays, and this might be the most bizarre aspect of all. The smiling torturer back at home with their happy family on Christmas morning or New Years eve.

Regrettably, tragically, the CIA has been torturing, bribing, maiming and killing people at different times over the past 65+ years. Every once in a while these horrors see the light of day. But what is done about it? Who goes to jail?

Why is no one put on trial for these crimes against humanity?

Who is punished for these crimes against humanity?

Why do Americans shrug their shoulders and go back to work or do some Christmas shopping or watch the big game on TV as though there is nothing they can do about it?  Why do others actually support such crimes as being necessary evils?

Some Republicans in the Congress, many of them backed by conservative Christians, many of them practicing as Christians, actually defended these crimes as being needed to defend our freedom. Certainly Dick Cheney burnished his Prince of Darkness credentials by chiming in to lead the chorus of defense of these crimes.

Do these people not know that more of our soldiers will be tortured because of what our government has done in secret jails?

Do they think that international affairs will be more stable now that it is OK if nations simply ignore the international agreements they signed prohibiting torture and other war crimes?

As serious practitioners of meditation, when we behold the raw cruelty of people and foresee the greater troubles such raw cruelty will generate, it helps us deepen our resolve to become the most compassionate, wise, and skillful people that we can.

It helps us deepen our dedication to see the violence within our own heart and mind and to make greater commitments to virtue on a heroic scale. There is no choice. More of us must become enlightened, or attain Union with God depending on how we state our goals.

Given the violence of terrorists against Americans it is at least understandable to me why some people feel the need to torture prisoners to get information to stop the next 9/11 attack or Boston Marathon bombing. But it is unfortunate almost no one ever asks, what about the torture and violence and exploitation American companies and government agencies have been involved with for decades in many countries around the world?

Yes, the terrorists need to be stopped. In a dangerous situation I too might think it OK to torture someone to find out how to stop a terrorist attack before it happens.

None of these issues are easy to work with.

Still, if we do not do a much better job upholding the positive virtues we claim, and speaking out about abuses that occur, then the cycles of violence will only get worse.

Please remember the torture victims of both our government and the victims of torture at the hands of the terrorists. Please give serious thought to the question, “How can we lessen the violence of the fanatics on their side and ours.”

Please also remember and pray for the torturers and fanatics on our side as well those on the side of our enemies, for they are in the worst shape of any of us.

In truth one can only hope for their sake there is no such thing as hell.

But when I behold the torturers of the world, and how they often get away with their sadism, I can fully understand why spiritual people invented hell.

Please let me know your thoughts. All constructive comments will be posted after the first of the year.

Will Raymond Author of “The Simple Path of Holiness” and host of meditationpractice.com.

774-232-0884   will  at   meditation  practice   dot com (Spelled out to lessen spam)