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Our Personal Spirituality, Eclectic or Focused?
Lately I’ve found myself somewhat confused about where my spiritual practice is headed; in some ways it’s been feeling that it’s all over the map. This came into my awareness after a private consult with Changling Rinpoche, who offers us Buddhist teachings each year right on the Sunshine Coast. I discovered what felt in that moment like a significant disparity between the belief of Buddhists that their is no God, that it all comes from within, and my own belief, initially informed by a Christian upbringing left behind many years ago, and later influenced by a “New Age” philosophy, that there is a Higher Power. Perhaps it’s “out there”, perhaps within, as my friend the United Church minister and many others have spoken of (i.e. the second coming of Christ is the Christ within).
This got me thinking – why do I attend Buddhist teachings (when I don’t call myself a Buddhist); practice (on and off) the deep Krya Yoga Meditation taught by Paramahansa Yoganananda, and embrace the basic idea of a God/Goddess/Divine/Universe/Higher Power. What am I doing here? Am I just confusing myself and making my life more difficult?
A few months ago I skimmed the two-volume, 1200+ page missive called The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You written by Paramahansa Yogananda wherein the author presented evidence that Jesus spent time in Tibet during his lost years. This was pleasing to me as I have so many wonderful Tibetan Buddhist friends in Dharamsala, and the place resonates strongly within me. Then a friend suggested a couple of books that discuss Buddhism and Christianity, to help me with my spiritual dilemma. One of them, Jesus and Buddha, The Parallel Sayings, edited by Marcus Borg, is a simple little book that shows that the two men were on the same track so to speak with their universal truths that help us live a good life. Although Jesus espoused a more social activist vision, their basic teachings were very similar. They were about love and compassion; ideas like help others; don’t be violent; be truthful, don’t judge others; you reap what you sow and so on. This I also find helpful.
This past weekend we had the privilege of attending an amazing Tibetan Buddhist celebration in Vancouver, a once in a lifetime opportunity, at the Longhouse on the grounds of UBC. Called Celebrating a Century of Blessings, it was the West Coast leg of a world tour to celebrate HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s 100th anniversary. Born in 1910, he passed away in 1991. He was one of HH the Dalai Lama’s main teachers and one of the most remarkable spiritual masters of the 20th Century. An interesting fact about him that makes him different from almost all Buddhist monk teachers is that he took a wife and had two daughters on the advice of one of his teachers. The other goal of the world tour, that began in Nepal and will end in Bodh Gaya, India (where the Buddha found enlightenment), is to launch Khyentse Rinpoche’s young incarnation into the world.
There were four main speakers, all of them from the emminent Shenchen Monastery in Nepal: Matthew Ricard, the French monk billed as “The Happiest Man in the World” after scientists measured his brainwaves while he meditated; Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, the grandson and spiritual heir of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and our Sunshine Coast teacher, Changling Rinpoche, who Rabjam Rinpoche told us was dubbed The Jumping Rinpoche when he first entered the monastery at age eleven, because he was so full of vim and vigour (he still is, but he no longer jumps!). Then there was Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche himself, the gentle, warm-hearted 17-year-old incarnation whose soft heart energy emanated out to us. Although his elders see many subtle characteristics and behaviors of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in him, he told us in his humble way that he is his own person, not a replica of his predecessor.
Each monk brought their own unique skills and personality to their presentations, and all of them had a terrific sense of humor, as most Tibetan monks we’ve met seem to. My partner suggested that they can go from serious teachings to hilarity in minutes because they give themselves fully to the moment they’re in, and to that activity; they’re not thinking of what just happened or what’s going to happen.
The weekend began on Friday night with the screening of “Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche” by Neten Chokling Rinpoche, director of Milarepa. Matthew Ricard was one of the filmmakers and he introduced it. Narrated by Richard Gere, it’s well worth seeing, very moving and cleverly put together. The link I’ve put in here is for the trailer downloaded by Shechen Monastery onto U-tube.
The last day was devoted to the bestowing of the empowerment of “Rangjung Padma’i Nyingthig” or Spontaneously Occuring Heart Essence of Padma, by Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche. A very powerful empowerment, it is a heart opening and was revealed to the elder Khyentse Rinpoche in a vision. An amazing feast, part of the empowerment, followed in the afternoon; the tables set up at the front on either side of Yangsi Rinpoche’s throne were food art of the highest degree. The feast time involved a lot of group chanting led by Changling Rinpoche; the empowerment itself was spoken by Yangsi Rinpoche.
I’ve noticed that the Tibetan Buddhist teachers send out different kinds of energy for different purposes. I have never been exposed to energy of this powerful nature, not even during HH the Dalai Lama’s teachings I attended in both Vancouver and in Dharamsala India. We found that the energy affected us profoundly and is still doing so today, as our bodies incorporate it. During parts of the transmission and the chanting during the afternoon feast my partner was often in a sleep-like state, while I dealt with a low level headache I’d woken up with; it migrated around in head with the influx of powerful energy, I also felt slightly ill several times. Today we feel good, but know that we need a slow day to continue the adjustment.
The event ended on an upbeat note, with Changling Rinpoche thanking everyone who volunteered their time (some of them for over 2 years) to bring the event to fruition. Changling Rinpoche’s Lotus Speech organization sponsored this event, and members came from as far away as Australia to participate and volunteer. We met an Australian nun on the Sunshine Coast who came over for our local event and the Vancouver one. Since Vancouver is close to Seattle and Bellingham, those groups took an active role in the Vancouver event. It was heartwarming to see Changling Rinpoche’s joy and satisfaction that he and his group were able to host these emminent Rinpoches and offer this event to so many people in Vancouver.
Now, after my pondering, my reading and my experience at “Celebrating a Century of Blessings”, I’ve come back to what I knew and felt all along – “All roads lead to Rome”.
Note:
What I’ve written is not meant to be comprehensive in any way. I could not include all aspects of my reading or of the celebration, nor am I knowledgeable enough to do so.
I’d love to hear any additional input you have, either personal experiences or points of information.
i think all the things you believe and feel spiritually are very compatible!
love
b
Thank you! Writing about it & thinking about it helped me see how they do somehow fit. Anyway all spiritual philosophies are seeking a similar outcome.
xo M
hi Ellen–I have a similar seemingly hybrid outlook as well (Christian mysticism, A Course in Miracles, Buddhist meditation practice). Really relate. Somehow, coming to deep peace in meditation helps allow Jesus’ teachings to be self-evident…it’s really hard to describe! Wilber’s writings have also been useful, too, in small doses. Somehow, during an intense time, the simpler I keep it, the better. Like, to sit slightly cross-eyed like my cat here.
Hi Carol: It’s good to hear from you! And it’s validating to hear that other women embrace an eclectic spirituality also. My daughter sees what I wrote as all fitting together also.
I’m too in a time of stepping back, simplifying things.
I’ll check out Wilber.
All the best
Ellen