Speaking about God

In his novel on the life of Saint Francis, Nikos Kazantzakis recounts the story of Francis coming upon an almond tree in midwinter.  He says to the tree, "Sister, speak to me about God," and the almond tree bursts into blossom.  This blooming, the bringing forth of new life within a bleak and barren winter landscape, is a metaphor that illustrates what all right speech about God does.  First, it recognizes the relatedness of all creation.  Saint Francis addresses the almond tree as his sister.  Second, it calls forth life in those who hear it, even in the midst of bleak and difficult situations.  Francis' invitation to the tree causes it to bloom.  And the tree's answer to Francis is beautiful and inspiring.  Notice that the great saint does not preach to the tree, telling it what he thinks about God.  He invites the tree to share its understanding of God, and it does so in a way perfectly suited to its nature. 

As wonderful as this example is, speaking about God is dangerous business.  A lot is said about, and for, God by people of all political and religious persuasions, and much of what is said creates confusion and suffering.  It is easy to use language about God as a kind of bludgeon, a tool to dominate those who differ from us in their views.  This leads to two terrible outcomes.  First, both those who speak and those who are attacked with aggressive "God language" are spiritually damaged, and any possibility of relationship between them becomes extraordinarily challenging.  Second, we hamstring our ability to address profound challenges where spirituality could be helpful.  Once we make God into an object of domination (a form of idolatry), we can no longer speak about the Divine in times of extraordinary need without facing cognitive dissonance and the risk of tripping into hypocrisy. 

In Zen, we are told not to confuse the finger pointing at the moon with the moon.  Language and concepts are often barriers to the realization of enlightenment, which is a direct encounter with reality itself.  This encounter occurs not through study or discussion, but through practicing awareness of the present moment.  The Reality of God is encountered the same way, through the practice of deep contemplation where we find the love and compassion that then infuses the reality of our relationships.  At that point, we are blossoming with life for those with whom we are connected, and we invite the same from them.  

photo credit: pizzodisevo, slowly i will recover via photopin cc

Goodness vs. Purity

Photo by Wade M.  Used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License

How we understand virtue determines how we see and treat each other.  Goodness and purity are distinct but related ways to understand virtue.  Which one we emphasize deeply affects our view of others and of moral behavior.

When we talk about a good person, we are usually referring to someone who demonstrates properties such as kindness, fairness, love, honesty, and so on.  When we talk about someone being pure, we usually mean freedom from vice, sexual immorality, and the like.  A view of someone as good typically depends on how they treat others, while a view of someone as pure depends on how they maintain their own emotional, psychological, and physical state.   There is a deep connection between the two, and when it is lost, the meaning of virtue is distorted.  

I believe that our society currently places a disproportionate emphasis on purity as the basis for a virtuous life.  When this happens, the results are always tragic.  The quest to remain pure causes us to move away from one another, shunning those on the margins and most in need.  Having some success in our quest to remain pure leads to a toxic cycle.  Feeling more pure feeds our ego, and simultaneously leads to seeing an increasing swath of our sisters and brothers as impure.   The result is disconnection, desolation, and despair.  

Understanding virtue from the perspective of goodness works the other way.  Those on the margins and most in need are not impediments to virtue, but vital to its practice.  The way we treat them is part of what makes us good.  Again, some success in our quest leads to a cycle, but this one is positive and contagious.  When we treat others well, they begin to feel loved, and to love.  The result is connection, community, and courage.  

Yet ultimately, goodness and purity are neither separate nor strangers.  The connection between purity and goodness is found in the heart.  A pure heart is free of delusion, aggression, and greed. The pure heart sees situations with clarity, and responds with openness and generosity.

Understanding this connection, we can see that moral virtue consists of two things: (1) cultivating purity of heart (which I will discuss in a future post) and (2) taking action in the world from a connection with our pure heart.  These two practices are the basis for the radical change we require, and they lead to naturally taking deep care of ourselves and providing care and comfort to a world in need.  

The Case for Radical Change

Created for NASA by Space Telescope Science Institute, or for ESA by the Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre. Copyright statement at hubblesite.org

The earth and human society are perched on the precipice of disaster.  Our economic, political, and religious institutions are malfunctioning at the very time that we are in need of coordinated collective action to address global challenges.  I believe that we need a radical change in the questions we ask, the way we view and organize our institutions, and how we relate to ourselves and one another.  Over the next few weeks, I plan to write a series of entries that explore ideas about both our problems and potential solutions that we can use to address them.  Topics that I will discuss include goodness vs. purity, sustainability vs. greed, and pragmatism vs. ideology.  I hope you will join the conversation.

Hidden Spring Haiku

California Buckeye Bud & Raindrop (Ingrid Taylar) / CC BY 2.0

Some trees are budding

Some still look barren yet hold

The wonder of Spring

Seeking Simplicity

Darren Lwyd through the window by ceridwen

In a New York Times opinion piece published just before the New Year, essayist Pico Iyer discusses the challenges of living in an "always on" culture, with the average American spending over 8 hours per day in front of the screen of some type of device (no, the irony isn't lost on me as I type this entry on my laptop.)  Digital devices are ubiquitous.  We have smart phones, e-readers, tablets, laptops, and desktops.  We email, share on Facebook, blog, text, "hangout" on Google+, tweet, and post to YouTube.

I find that keeping up with my myriad channels of communication can sometimes seem like a chore, and in certain moments, my interactions become fast, shallow, and unsatisfying.  I'm not alone in recognizing the challenges of living in highly connected, fast moving technological times.  The Wisdom 2.0 series of conferences brings Silicon Valley leaders together with major thinkers and leaders in the mindfulness  traditions to discuss how to live with awareness, wisdom, and compassion in a technological age.  

In a face-to-face conversation with a friend, I came to realize that one answer to starting to live with awareness, compassion, and some sanity was hidden in plain sight.  I was missing it because I had fallen  for our current cultural notion that "more is better."  I've been seeking to simplify my life by adding more things to it, which has the opposite effect.  When my friend stated bluntly that whenever he acquires something new (either an object or a commitment), he finds something else to let go of, it made perfect, shocking sense.  I've been packing my life with more stuff and I wasn't letting anything go. 

Wednesday, February 22 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent.  I've already begun what will be my spiritual practice during this season, which is clearing my life.  I'm getting rid of physical objects that clutter my space by giving clothes and other items to charitable organizations.  I'm also seeking to identify the commitments I can give up or pare back, and I'm thinking very carefully before taking on any new discretionary commitments.  I'm hoping this will give me some space and time to engage my life more deeply.  I'll report back to my readers near the end of Lent and let you all know how it has been going.  

Nature and Not-Knowing

Photo by NASA Goddard.  Used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 (Generic)

Not knowing is most intimate.  - Zen Master Dizang

I woke up this morning to good news.  The power is still on, the water is running, and the eye of Hurricane Irene is moving over NYC.  We will have high winds behind the eye, but the worst of the rain is nearly over.  Although the television news indicates that the city is dealing with some serious problems caused by the hurricane (with continued worries about the rising East River), it appears that the city has largely avoided the worst of what we feared could happen.  

One temptation when the worst case scenario doesn't materialize is to assume a critical or ironic stance.  We can take an almost accusatory tone, discussing the overreaction by the authorities, the inconvenience it caused us, and how we knew it wasn't going to be that big of a deal.  I think this type of reaction is actually an emotional release, born from relieved fears.  

The truth is that we didn't know what would happen.  There is very little data on a how the waters surrounding NYC behave during a direct hit by a hurricane (there is more now!), so the computer simulations were very uncertain.  Our leaders made the decision to look at the worst case models and prepare for what would happen should those scenarios materialize.  They are to be commended for this, and we can all be grateful that the impact of the storm on the city wasn't as bad as it could have been.  

Supporting a Good Cause

This is my third year riding Braking the Cycle.  The ride goes from Boston to NYC in 3 days, covering close to 300 miles.  

This year my ride preparation has gotten off to a rockier start than in prior years. A new position at work, personal and work travel, and a nasty summer cold have curtailed my ability to train. I'm also behind on my fundraising. In spite of these challenges, I've set and am keeping am ambitious goal: I want to raise almost 50% more for HIV/AIDS services than I have in prior years. My goal is $10,000. Several people on the ride have already raised more than $20,000, so I know that with your help I can do this. 

I'm setting this ambitious goal because the challenges that I face in preparing for the ride pale in comparison with the challenges facing a community at risk and the organizations trying to address their needs. The economic situation and austerity budgets at both the federal and state level are having dire consequences for the budgets of AIDS Service Organizations nationwide. New York City has an incredible caseload - our numbers exceed the combined totals of Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. The money you give will go to programs that provide HIV/AIDS prevention and care at the LGBT Center of New York. These programs are lifelines for many New Yorkers. 

Please sponsor me by making a tax-deductible donation, and please be as generous as you can. It will save lives. 

All you have to do is click on this link, and enter your billing information. Whether it's $10, $100, or $1000, every penny will help a person living with HIV or AIDS.

With your generosity, I know I can reach my goal of $10,000. 

Thank you for your support.