Happy Easter, Happy Birthday Buddha!

The great menacing freak snowstorm fronts coming from Alberta and the south that we were originally destined to get had dissipated, at least for our area, and luckily there remained a completely snow-free corridor along the stretch of highway that I needed to drive through. Other areas of the province weren’t so lucky. For instance, my brother’s community in the Southeast got nailed hard. They awoke to 30 centimetres of new snow covering everything: more than they had all winter. It was a miracle that we somehow weren’t affected, and that this miserable stuff dodged us. It’s still really cold, but I’m so thankful that I didn’t have to travel through any of that kind of inclemency.

I departed Saskatoon to visit my parents late Saturday afternoon. I took time to sort of attend to my own spiritual affairs in the city before I left to join them for Easter. I attended a dharma lecture presented by a visiting Buddhist monk. He was of the Tibetan school of Buddhism, and he came from Ontario. His name was Gen Kelsang Rabgye. I gleaned so much from his three hour lecture, which included a fabulous lesson on having a quality session of meditation. Since I’ve been studying Buddhism, more specifically Zen, I’ve found that the concepts of no inherent existence and non-self were always hard concepts to grasp. Rabgye provided good examples that brought so much clarity for me.

The Tibetan word for "prayer" translates to "wish path"

Gen Kelsang Rabgye

Today is not only Easter Sunday; it is also Buddha’s birthday. Since this is so, I thought I’d share my thoughts about Buddhism, and why it has become a bigger part of my life in the past few years. I am quite truthful in saying that I don’t currently practice any sort religion.* Generally, religions focus on the subjugation of people for some purpose of ultimately appeasing the supposed super-imposed will of some God figure: commonly represented in the West as some sort of cosmic, law-giving, super-entity that smites or forsakes people who don't accept, nor yield to, nor cower to the power of this almighty being. That’s not what Buddhism is about. Buddhism isn’t so much a religion as it is a more of a spiritual method of psychoanalysis: gaining insight about the truth of nature in an empirical manner, and gaining sounder sense of the world through a tamer, tranquil, and happier mind; extinguishing the hatred, greed, and delusions that ultimately bring about one’s suffering; and being mindful about the nature of the forces of cause and effect (karma). It allows you to deeply and directly cultivate wisdom, happiness, and compassion because it's already innate and natural for you to want to rid yourself of suffering anyway. All happiness/suffering originates in your own mind, and it's ultimately your own choice and responsibility as to which paths you'll take. In such a paradigm, things aren't due to anything else supernatural, like some god's grace/wrath, or whim for your salvation/damnation. You can have any kind of heritage, or believe whatever faith it is you (think you) have, and still practice Buddhism. There is no conflict within me studying Buddhism and celebrating and enjoying "religious" holidays like Christmas and Easter with my family. If one does have such conflict or personal upheaval, I’d say one wasn’t doing their practice right. I like Buddhism because it has nothing to sell me. I like the fact that it invites the disciple to freely explore the world, applying the teachings of the eightfold path and seeing the results, and to not just blindly accept the teachings as they are. It’s non-dogmatic, welcoming you to freely discard it if it all turns out to be bullshit for you: as in not genuinely bringing you happiness (less suffering) in helping out yourself and others. If you don’t like it, you are free to find something else that does the trick. I highly doubt if the big three western Abrahamic faiths, or even some of the newer "cults" are so confident as to state that without some caveat about dire consequences attached.

Zen, or any other form of Buddhism, is not merely an intellectual pursuit. It only works for you if you practice it, and put it into action. I don't claim to be the best at doing this, but I think I prefer Zen, apart from the meditation, for the fact that there is, by the example of some of its own teachers, a little more leeway for using some spontaneity, wildness, humour, and shock value to snap people (including yourself) to their senses. It’s very down to earth in that respect. Some of the best teachers of it (some achieving enlightenment, others not) have varying backgrounds. They include noblemen, beggars, former criminals, artisans, warriors, and even a punk rock bass player (in contemporary writings, of course). Zen’s teachings of compassion fit better to my definition of it more than other schools. I admit, my patience still very taxed sometimes in engaging with some people with more drama-oriented personalities, but with Zen on my side I have gained more courage to confront them and help them as needed, and less inclination of avoiding them altogether. Sometimes they get my humour, other times they get a question that makes them think about their sensibility of their drama/actions or behaviour. Sometimes it comes out with less-than-tactful, colourful, and even profane sounding language, but sometimes I have to lower/raise myself to someone else’s operating level to make them see my point**: if they can’t deal with, or process my first suggestion or response. A little embarrassing laughter may result; sometimes I have to use a little self-effacing humour to keep things from escalating. In either case, it’s better than dealing with the problem with full out anger, from either side, needlessly spinning things into a guilt trip for someone else. The base intention is still the same: to stop such people from edging themselves into a bigger heap of greater suffering. The people I deal with have a big enough trial from day to day; they need not have their problems compounded with extra ignorance. I’m realistic in knowing that I won’t get through to all people, but it is my sincere wish and intent to help make others be at least a little more happy and comfortable; including myself. That’s the true goal in trying to attain enlightenment through Buddhism.

*-I tried and explored theistic religion(s) . . . sorry, but no thank you. I decided to grow up and think for myself instead, and divorce myself from any so-called “loving and peaceful” Abrahamic faith institutions that: do little to quell (and in fact often promote) sectarian violence, terrorism, ethnic cleansing, or sanction “holy wars”; endorse racial/ gender/sexual inequality/segregation and homophobia; forbid the teaching of the theory of evolution in schools; use disinformation about, or threaten harsh consequences for the use of birth control/condoms/STD protection; uphold and support death penalties for things like “blasphemy”; support capital punishment in general; harbour and give sanctuary to criminals of genocide while neglecting the actual victims of it; threaten me or others with reprisals, excommunication, or damnation for questioning or disagreeing with their particular creed or dogma; are actively involved with using guilt and shaming real victims of serious violations and abuse into silence.

** - Or, equally, to allow me to see theirs.