Faith and Hope

Faith is knowing with certainty, and perhaps sometimes with doubts, that something is as one believes it to be. Jesus is Christ, the human face of God among us, the Word made flesh, our saviour and our redeemer. Faith grows and can be shaken. Faith lets us sleep well at night and can be the reason we get up in the morning.

Hope is trickier, me thinks. Hope is desire, an illusion, a projected outcome: Buddhism does not stress hope as a quality to be nurtured. Why? Because it is a waste of energy. If one hopes for a sunny day, one may hope, but this will have little effect on the weather. I always had trouble with no hope. Without hope, how does faith then grow? We can hope for a lot of things that are futile, like having the winning numbers in a lottery or hoping that a child will grow up to be president. Useless.

However when an individual hopes for himself, and is willing to make an effort, then i see a valuable tool for motivation. Though i may have no control over the weather, i can, for example, hope that i stay dry and take the necessary actions to increase my chance: rain ware, umbrella. A Buddhist might still say, a waste of time! Thinking this way one is bound to be caught up in desires for one result and be disappointed if the result is not met. One might better accept that the weather shall be as the weather shall be and enjoy whatever the weather does. True. This makes sense to me.

Hope gets trickier when i see someone with a serious injury and i hope that all ends well. I hope this because i am clinging to a particular expectation, says the Buddhist. Ah, but if i help treat the injury, may i then not hope? No, says the Buddhist, one can do ones best, but one cannot determine the future; even though one has an umbrella, despite ones best efforts one can still get wet. Hoping that one stays dry will only increase ones disappointment, and like the injury, if the desired result is not reached then there still will be greater suffering.

It still didn't sit right.

And if i hope for something, i use my reason and compassion to personally try to increase the odds of my expectation (i use medical knowledge for the injury and am wholly present for the other, say holding his hand and giving him support and prayer), though i may be disappointed, i am taking action. Hope is active, not passive. Hope is an ingredient, like yeast in bread, small and unassuming, yet essential for growth, me thinks. Hope allows me to participate in life directly. Of course the Buddhist warnings make sense to me: hoping for a winning lottery number is a waste of energy. However, hoping for and working towards somethings are part of faith. Though my faith tells me i can count on God's mercy and grace, i cannot take it for granted and do nothing, but i can hope for mercy and grace and take action. Hope makes my motivations white as snow. Hope fills me with the courage to take another step into darkness and the unknown. Faith puts God at my back so i am never alone. And even in disappointment, hope softens the blow and prevents my surrender. Hope lies between reason and intuition. Together with faith, hope is the foundation of compassion or charity/caritas, or love. Brother Buddhist, may i recommend a clarification of 'hope'? Silly or wasteful hope i can do without. But the other, wise hope is as real and worthwhile as enlightenment itself, that which awaits us upon the other side of the stream.

Deo gratias.

God, Dharma and Law

Today's reading from the Old Testament's Jeremiah 17 makes me smile. Doom and gloom preaching? No, it is because the LORD seems to be interchangeable with dharma/dhamma or "that which upholds, supports or maintains the regulatory order of the universe" or means Law or Natural Law (Wikipedia).

 

Thus says [Dharma]:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from [Dharma].
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in [Dharma],
whose hope is [Dharma].
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, [Dharma], alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.

I mean not to blasphemy, but merely to point out that God who countless generations of human beings try to understand is beyond the comprehension of our human mind. We have insights and teachings from those who have spent their lives in service to God or have been gifted by sudden epiphany, presence or revelation, yet still we cannot speak his sacred name. And yet, He knows our heart.

 

Meditating in a Buddhist temple in Thailand i swiftly came to the conclusion that our mutual religious goals were the same: peace, compassion, wisdom. Could the Christian God be at the end of the meditator's path to enlightenment? There is no strength in the flesh, or material things, for they are not permanent and turn to dust. Promises of rewards according to the merit of ones deeds sounds very much like karma. I have no intention of saying they are the same. And yet ... God in all things. Dharma in all things. The great mystery that in utter humbleness we serve, as we serve our fellow man as the image and likeness of God.

 

Of course, there are ceremonial, theological and cultural differences (to be seen in the Roman Church abroad as well). I recall the Dalai Lama here in Amsterdam saying that his goal was not to have everyone run off and become a Buddhist. He did however hope that we might all come closer to that which units us as creatures of wisdom and compassion: for us to seek that in our own religions and faith. He urged us to perfect these great gifts here and now and through some (or great!) personal effort. A monk has more time to meditate, yet doing good is a question of priorities and motivation for each individual. The wisdom and compassion of God is then not for a chosen few, but for the whole of His creation, me thinks, though some may be more ripe for His gifts than others. I pray that the state of Israel might now remember this, as well as the leaders and peoples of Iran (and the European Union, America, China, etc. etc.), for when we trust in the Lord [Dharma] and walk in His [its] path, we are blessed.

 

Deo gratias. 

Spring Temple Cleaning

I am God's dwelling place, in His likeness and image created. This the Jesuit's remind me today. A temple, thus.

Yet, is this temple open or closed? Well maintained or run down? Cause and effect, all that i do with this body and mind will have a direct influence on how i think and how i respond in word and act. My moods can overwhelm my thoughts and determine my actions: i'd like to call them involuntary, but awareness and meditation have revealed that i always have an influence upon my words and actions, even as anger rises.

"A dwelling place of God", saying it aloud it humbles me. It is disquieting! Is this how i honour Life and Love? Not to be overwhelmed, i recall a Dominican ipod talk on growing in spirit, growing in ones relationship with God, growing in Love and ones ability to be compassionate, to be present for others or 'act lovingly in all we do', to be with God.

I guess that's what's meant by 'putting away childish things' and taking responsibility for all one does, ones life in its totality. Though i cannot personally end wars or famines, i can choose how i will personally respond to all levels of activity. Cause and effect, the wheel of dhamma / dharma turns, but i do not necessarily have to be bound to its rising and falling, clinging to, running from, suffering at every turn. Let me and this temple share peace and be a haven to those seeking shelter, both unshakable and liquid, as life's wheel spins as it may.

The spring rains make me think now is a good time to get this dwelling place in shape. Now is the only moment in which i can act. Carpe diem.

Deo gratias.

Now That You Know ...

Today, more sound advice from the Gospel of Mathew. To the ancient Greeks, a philosopher was a man who lived exactly as he taught. To Christ there is no Master among men on Earth, no Teacher, no Father, no Rabbi, but God. We strive to be humble and practise as we preach. We are all brothers. We must carry our own burdens and help others with theirs. We must be watchful of pride, of wanting praise, of placing more attention to our outer appearances than our inner well-being.

So simple. And yet, society seems no further than 2000 years ago. Being humble is out of fashion; we call it poor. In a capitalistic world of pathological consumerism humbleness is to be loathed. The supermen are exalted. The rich and powerful are to be emulated. It is no wonder that getting away from it all has such an attraction, from Buddha leaving land and royal title, Jesus' 40 days in the desert, and the many saints such as St. Anthony en St. Francis.

Is balance possible? No, me thinks. By choosing humbleness, one must give up the other. Can someone then be a little bit Christian? No again, me thinks. If we are to follow God's laws, which do we choose? Which are more important than others? In this manner we become very much like the Pharisees; we begin to play judge. If we say 'yes' to Christ then pruning down the wilderness of our lives and sticking to His path must become our priority, because like any priority it must have our full and constant attention.

Of course, choosing humbleness now will be a recipe for failure, instead if one watches the path step by step, humbleness will be the result. Observe my own behaviour, my reactions, my desires and impulses, and with awareness carry my own burden as well as helping the less fortunate to carry theirs, this i can start to do now. Know moderation first and when routine, unthinking patterns of desire and aversion are exposed, perhaps they will dissipate. But then, all that we need to do one can find in the new testament. The invitation to take up the challenge is given to each one of us. Christ seems to be saying, "Now that you know, what are you going to do about it?"

So Simple

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you. (Lk 6:36-37)
We have a role-model who acts the way he teaches and encourages us to copy Him. When i read Jesus' words, me thinks, this is so easy! So obvious! Again and again and again this is the message ... so why am i not doing it?

Why?

For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Lk 6:38).

Jesus promises that what we sow, we shall reap. "Love all, serve all", sing the harbingers of compassion, yet still i fall short. And if these words were totally unbelievable, unrealistic, unattainable, too bizarre for words, nonsense, a child's fantasy ... then why my longing to live this way? How can i recognise goodness in other humans so easily, the warmth of love and the chill of hate? The only goal worth attaining in this life of mine, i know with certainty. I have fallen short, yet God's promise remains valid to me, as it does to anyone who embraces the path Christ walks.

I am no expert on karma (kamma), indeed, my teachers recommended not to dwell on ones karmic standing as this was a waste of valuable time: note ones motivations, be mindful, just do good and know that what is sown shall be reaped. Meditate more, they said. I suppose my priests would say something similar like 'pray more'. Be more aware of ones thoughts, words and acts while nurturing ones relationship with God. Listen. Ignorance is no excuse. Jesus spells it out. The Holy Ghost ensures that when i fall short of doing good, i know it in my shame and regret. I try to make amends. And the next moment i find myself once again falling short. Oh, so simple is a good life, i laugh which sounds more like a groan.

During this Lent some get uncomfortable about the great attention to sin, my Self included. Let's talk about something else, my ego whispers. Enough already, why wallow in sin, isn't the world depressing enough? My fragile Self's evasion tactics work sometimes and it is with great effort that i remain focused on the path. Distractions abound. I am reminded of the advice of St. Ignatius if one hits an impasse: patience, have patience, don't quit, persevere, don't change paths, stick to it, don't get angry, get humble, pray, reflect and accept the Lord's grace (my own summary). So simple, i repeat. If this house of mine is ever going to get a good once over, a spring cleaning, now is the time.  

Love Hurts

Love hurts, love scars
Love wounds, and marks

I remember that lyric from the group Nazareth. It popped into my thoughts after a profoundly touching homily on Abraham's willing sacrifice of his only son Isaac. Insanity? Today Abraham would be hauled off, imprisoned and put through the hoops of rigorous psychiatric examination. The priest confessed that to our modern ears this story does indeed come across as insane (my words) and bring the nature of a loving God into question. Rather, it's a story of trust and perseverance in ones relationship with God. Of course, the similarity with the sacrifice of His only son Jesus is applicable, though a mortal life was not spared. Trust and perseverance.

Love is not a fluffy cloud nine nor is it an insufferable pit of blackness, me thinks. Love is a process of growth, of growing together, of empathy and shared highs and lows. And for this love to grow there must be trust and a willingness to continue through the lows of human pain and suffering. In the stations of the cross Christ's suffering is graphically revealed. He carries the very thing upon which he shall die, yet asks us to to the same daily. He is not glossing over love, rather pointing out that there will be suffering. Trust in me and trust in the Father, he seems to be saying. Though there will be suffering, i think he means to show us through sharing our human physical and mental suffering that like him, we shall rise above it. We are greater than any suffering that might send us running for comfort and ease. Suffering is unavoidable in human life. Better accept it, learn to deal with it in a noble fashion and know that it will pass: to the meditators out there, you know what i mean as we observe pain rising and falling, shifting and relocating. Like the high times on cloud nine, the black pit of suffering is temporary. All things of this world pass, hence our need for perseverance.

Resolutely Abraham was prepared to do what God had asked him to do, even if it seemed insane. We know, however, that God would have us only do good, to reveal the very nature of our being which is Love. He would have us grow in Love, its joys and wounds, its scars and marks. Suffering shapes us unlike any other human experience. With trust and perseverance in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost, let us endure and rise to the occasion that calls us to Love God and Love our neighbour and Love even our enemy! Let us not busy ourselves with avoiding suffering, running to and fro in fear. Fear would have us locked in our homes, benumbed in the illusion of safety. Doubt and denial would have us pretend that pain was a thing of the past and no longer applicable to our modern sensibilities and technologies. Suffering will happen. And with God at our side, we shall endure and be better people for it.

Deo gratias.