I Always Meet My Bodhisattvas On The Street, Ray..
Much of Eastern and Western thought is like art that is simultaneously spiritual, mystical and secular. These sects of thought (I'm not sure if Vedanta is one or where it charts) are often full of displaced Christians, as odd as that may sound. They attract many people in search of a more fulfilling or plausible philosophy than Christian Supernaturalism, to carry on the essentially mystical search for the miraculous. Quite often, these faiths include the worship or admiration of "supermen," Yogis with an absolute mastery of their own nature, complete with healing or a touch of the cosmos. There is much attention paid to the idea that we should all follow that certain path and be holy, and I would simply argue that we already are.
On the other hand, I believe there is a certain Naturalism to Buddhist & Zen thought. Zen and Buddhism alike are ordinary and nothing special, which makes them extraordinary. The awakened Buddha was human. He did not claim to be the Son of God. He was not betrayed and had no egocentric Messiah complex that would eventually lead to a crucifixion. He was a simple man who got into contact with the Buddhas of Old through right practice and meditation.
The Buddha, like all of us, is humorously human. He is accessible to one and all. It is interesting to note that in Buddhism, we have a conception of a holy man and sage who is not impossibly remote or intangible. He is far more human than a Mystical Yogi Superman.
I believe that most Western humans, by virtue of inundation at a young age of certain dogmatic, fear-based faiths, are subconsciously programmed to look for an entity or being (be it Jesus, a Yogi, Priest, teacher, etc.) to bow before, worship and follow. Supplication and Idolatry have seeped their way into our heads from a very young age. In Zen & Buddhist thought alike, all the strange terms are in fact references to very plausible things (samadhi, satori, etc.). The experience of awakening to our "original inseparability" with the universe actually seems simple when it is broken down into basic contexts. You don't need to be or believe in ancient scriptures, mysterious occultists or skinny Yogis in cloistered ashrams. The Buddha and his students are just like us, only they're floating much more easily upon the ocean of insecurity and transience, much more at home with the universe. I believe I aspire to that.
Buddhism does not moralize, scold and preach in the way most Western "religions" do. Despite the fact that it recognizes that all is illusion, it also rewards right action as important and regards it as the "highest and natural state of human things." Life can be improved by positive actions, compassion and good will. It can even eventually lead to the cessation of suffering, as it says in the Fourth Noble Truth.
I have both have always enjoyed driving out to the canyon and gazing at the stars, so this analogy is appropriate and makes sense to me: On one hand, there is this wondrous sphere of the incomprehensible Universe. Looking out into it at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, or between perfectly or poorly arranged constellations. But the thing is, stars are, by nature, both large and small, both dim and bright. Yet, looking out upon it, the whole entire thing is a splendor and marvel which sometimes make our flesh pulsate with awe.
To me, this same thought, this same scenery, can be compared to every day life. Our human experience is as much beyond right and wrong as the stars or the ups and downs of the Himalayas. Though it may be beyond explanation in linear terms, I believe human life itself is just as miraculous in it's splendor and marvel. It is as awe-inspiring as the view of the constellations painting the midnight sky in the canyon. This feeling becomes especially acute when the individual tries to fathom it's own true nature, seen through this particular telescope. With the sweetness of true Buddhism, as has been espoused by many, there is really is nothing than one has to consciously and continuously fathom. We already know the way. See, know and act. We are equipped. We are all.
Namaste,
Brother Ryan
On the other hand, I believe there is a certain Naturalism to Buddhist & Zen thought. Zen and Buddhism alike are ordinary and nothing special, which makes them extraordinary. The awakened Buddha was human. He did not claim to be the Son of God. He was not betrayed and had no egocentric Messiah complex that would eventually lead to a crucifixion. He was a simple man who got into contact with the Buddhas of Old through right practice and meditation.
The Buddha, like all of us, is humorously human. He is accessible to one and all. It is interesting to note that in Buddhism, we have a conception of a holy man and sage who is not impossibly remote or intangible. He is far more human than a Mystical Yogi Superman.
I believe that most Western humans, by virtue of inundation at a young age of certain dogmatic, fear-based faiths, are subconsciously programmed to look for an entity or being (be it Jesus, a Yogi, Priest, teacher, etc.) to bow before, worship and follow. Supplication and Idolatry have seeped their way into our heads from a very young age. In Zen & Buddhist thought alike, all the strange terms are in fact references to very plausible things (samadhi, satori, etc.). The experience of awakening to our "original inseparability" with the universe actually seems simple when it is broken down into basic contexts. You don't need to be or believe in ancient scriptures, mysterious occultists or skinny Yogis in cloistered ashrams. The Buddha and his students are just like us, only they're floating much more easily upon the ocean of insecurity and transience, much more at home with the universe. I believe I aspire to that.
Buddhism does not moralize, scold and preach in the way most Western "religions" do. Despite the fact that it recognizes that all is illusion, it also rewards right action as important and regards it as the "highest and natural state of human things." Life can be improved by positive actions, compassion and good will. It can even eventually lead to the cessation of suffering, as it says in the Fourth Noble Truth.
I have both have always enjoyed driving out to the canyon and gazing at the stars, so this analogy is appropriate and makes sense to me: On one hand, there is this wondrous sphere of the incomprehensible Universe. Looking out into it at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, or between perfectly or poorly arranged constellations. But the thing is, stars are, by nature, both large and small, both dim and bright. Yet, looking out upon it, the whole entire thing is a splendor and marvel which sometimes make our flesh pulsate with awe.
To me, this same thought, this same scenery, can be compared to every day life. Our human experience is as much beyond right and wrong as the stars or the ups and downs of the Himalayas. Though it may be beyond explanation in linear terms, I believe human life itself is just as miraculous in it's splendor and marvel. It is as awe-inspiring as the view of the constellations painting the midnight sky in the canyon. This feeling becomes especially acute when the individual tries to fathom it's own true nature, seen through this particular telescope. With the sweetness of true Buddhism, as has been espoused by many, there is really is nothing than one has to consciously and continuously fathom. We already know the way. See, know and act. We are equipped. We are all.
Namaste,
Brother Ryan