Walking the Zen Christian Path
Summary
TLDRThe speaker, a Buddhist Christian, reflects on his spiritual journey that began in California and led him to Japan, where he immersed himself in a different consciousness, culture, and religion. As a 'marginal man,' he identifies as a bridge between cultures, facilitating the integration of Eastern wisdom into Western lives. His experiences with Zen meditation, teaching, and haiku writing have deepened his understanding of Christianity, emphasizing the primacy of direct experience and mindfulness.
Takeaways
- π The speaker's name, 'Hung Dole,' symbolizes accompaniment and crossing over, reflecting his journey and role as a bridge between cultures.
- π He was born in California and entered the Jesuits at a young age, seeking a spiritual path rather than a career as a priest.
- π After 15 years of Jesuit training, he became a priest and embarked on a physical and spiritual pilgrimage to Japan, aiming to immerse in a different consciousness and culture.
- π« In Japan, he helped establish a junior senior high school in Hiroshima and identified as a 'marginal man,' living on the fringes of both Japanese and American cultures.
- π§ He discovered his true calling in directing retreats and transitioned to become a spiritual director, delving deeper into Zen Buddhism and its meditative practices.
- π€ The speaker sees himself as a bridge, facilitating the crossing over of Westerners to gain Eastern insights and integrate them into their lives.
- π His experiences in Japan led to a profound understanding and teaching of mindfulness, meditation, and the direct experience of reality, as exemplified by haiku poetry.
- ποΈ He built the 'Path of the White Dragon' in Japan, symbolizing his love for working with the earth and creating spaces for meditation and contemplation.
- π± The concept of the 'Pure Land' in Buddhism aligns with the Christian idea of forgiveness through sincere repentance and turning to God.
- ποΈ Hakuin's poem emphasizes the transformative power of meditation, where sins or waywardness are annihilated, leading to a state of purity and connection with the divine source.
- π‘ The speaker's identity as a 'Buddhist Christian' highlights the integration of Buddhist insights with Christian beliefs, enriching his understanding and practice of spirituality.
Q & A
What is the significance of the name 'Hung' in the speaker's life?
-The name 'Hung' signifies 'to accompany' in the speaker's life, reflecting his role as a companion or guide, particularly in helping people cross over or integrate different aspects of life and culture.
What does the term 'pilgrim' mean in the context of the speaker's journey?
-In the context of the speaker's journey, 'pilgrim' originates from Latin and means to go to a place away from one's own field or home. It represents a spiritual journey, which for the speaker, was his move to Japan and the subsequent exploration of a different consciousness, culture, and religion.
Why did the speaker initially join the Jesuits?
-The speaker joined the Jesuits because he was interested in a spiritual path, and the Jesuits were the most accessible religious community at the time. He also had friends who were joining, and he tagged along despite feeling insecure about the decision.
What role did the speaker play in Hiroshima after moving to Japan?
-The speaker was sent by the California Jesuits to help build and start a junior senior high school in Hiroshima. He taught there for six years and was successful in bringing students to national championships in English speaking contests.
What does the term 'marginal man' mean to the speaker?
-The term 'marginal man' refers to someone who is on the margin or edge of different cultures, languages, and religions. The speaker identifies as such because he feels he is on the margin of both Japanese and American cultures and religions, which allows him to be a bridge between them.
How does the speaker describe his experience with Zen?
-The speaker describes his experience with Zen as a profound learning process that began with a gut feeling to attend a Zen group at an old temple called Jo Myoji. His Zen master guided him to integrate Zen practices with his Christian faith, leading to a deeper understanding of both.
What is the significance of the name given to the speaker by young religious people?
-The name given to the speaker, combining 'Han' meaning 'to accompany' and 'Dope' meaning 'to cross over', signifies his role as a guide who accompanies people in crossing over or integrating different aspects of life, similar to the concept of a bridge.
How does the speaker's experience with teaching English in Japan relate to his spiritual journey?
-The speaker's experience teaching English in Japan, particularly teaching haiku writing, reflects his fascination with the Japanese consciousness and the direct experience of reality that haiku represents. This ties into his spiritual journey by emphasizing the importance of mindfulness and meditation.
What is the concept of 'Pure Land' in the context of the speaker's meditation practice?
-In the context of the speaker's meditation practice, 'Pure Land' refers to a state of being where one is free from waywardness and is fully immersed in the flow of life force coming from the divine source. It represents a state of purity and enlightenment that can be achieved through deep meditation.
How does the speaker's understanding of Christianity been influenced by his experiences with Buddhism?
-The speaker's understanding of Christianity has been profoundly enlightened by his experiences with Buddhism. He has integrated Buddhist practices such as meditation into his Christian faith, leading to a deeper comprehension of what Christianity is about and identifying himself as a 'Buddhist Christian'.
What is the significance of the labyrinth that the speaker built at the Mercy Center?
-The labyrinth built at the Mercy Center is a physical representation of a spiritual path. It is designed to take people out of their linear thinking, allowing for deeper insights to arise. The labyrinth is a place where many have had profound spiritual experiences, reflecting the speaker's belief in the power of meditation and contemplation.
Outlines
π Journey to Japan and Spiritual Pilgrimage
The speaker, named Hung, shares his personal journey to Japan, which he describes as a spiritual pilgrimage. Born and raised in California, he joined the Jesuits at a young age, driven by a quest for spirituality. His journey to Japan was not just physical but also a deep dive into a new consciousness, culture, and eventually, a different religion. He reflects on his experiences in Japan, including establishing a school in Hiroshima and identifying as a 'marginal man,' straddling the line between two cultures. His narrative is a testament to the transformative power of travel and cultural immersion.
π Embracing the Role of a Bridge
The speaker discusses his identity as a 'bridge,' someone who stands on the margins of both Japanese and American cultures, as well as between different religious beliefs. He views this position as enabling him to facilitate connections and understanding between East and West. His attire, a blend of Jesuit and Zen monk elements, symbolizes his role. He emphasizes the importance of being a bridge in fostering cross-cultural dialogue and learning, particularly in his work accompanying Westerners to gain insights from the East.
π§ββοΈ The Zen Path and the Primacy of Experience
The narrative continues with the speaker's immersion into Zen Buddhism, which he pursued with a deep sense of purpose, despite not fully understanding his motivations. His introduction to Zen meditation and the associated discipline were transformative, leading him to a profound realization of the interconnectedness of all things. He also discusses his teaching experiences in Japan, including instructing students in writing haiku, a form of poetry that he believes embodies the spirituality of direct experience and mindfulness.
ποΈ The Path of the White Dragon and the Labyrinth
The speaker recounts his passion for creating paths, beginning with the 'Path of the White Dragon' in Japan, which he built around a valley over several years. This endeavor reflects his love for working with the earth and his belief in the spiritual significance of paths. Upon moving to the Mercy Center, he continued this practice by constructing meditation and contemplation paths, culminating in the creation of a labyrinth designed to encourage non-linear thinking and facilitate deeper spiritual insights.
ποΈ The Concept of 'Sins' and the Pure Land
In this section, the speaker explores the concept of 'sins' from a Buddhist perspective, explaining that it refers to waywardness or being off the mark, rather than the Western concept of offenses against God. He discusses the transformative power of meditation, which can erase these wayward tendencies and align one with the fundamental life force, leading to a state of purity akin to the Buddhist 'Pure Land.' The speaker also draws parallels between this state and the Christian idea of forgiveness through sincere devotion to God.
π Buddhist-Christian Synthesis and Enlightenment
The speaker concludes by reflecting on how his engagement with Buddhism has enriched his understanding and practice of Christianity, leading him to identify as a 'Buddhist Christian.' He believes that the insights gained from Buddhism have deepened his spiritual life and provided a more profound comprehension of Christianity's essence. This synthesis of Eastern and Western spiritual practices represents a personal journey of enlightenment and a testament to the value of interfaith dialogue.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Pilgrim
π‘Jesuits
π‘Zen
π‘Mindfulness
π‘Haiku
π‘Marginal Men
π‘Bridge
π‘Kokoro
π‘Zen Meditation
π‘Labyrinth
π‘Pure Land
Highlights
The speaker's name, Hung Dole, symbolizes accompaniment and crossing over, reflecting his journey as a spiritual pilgrim.
The concept of 'pilgrim' originates from Latin, indicating a journey away from one's place, resonating with the speaker's spiritual quest.
The speaker's initial attraction to the spiritual path led him to the Jesuits, despite his initial uncertainty.
A deep dive into Japanese culture and consciousness during his time in Hiroshima, where he co-founded a school.
The realization of being a 'marginal man', straddling the boundaries of different cultures and identities.
The speaker's role as a 'bridge' between Western and Eastern spiritual insights, symbolized by his attire.
His transition from teaching to spiritual direction, reflecting a deeper calling to guide others on their spiritual path.
The transformative experience of engaging with Zen Buddhism, which enhanced the speaker's Christian faith.
The importance of direct experience and mindfulness in spiritual practice, as learned from Zen.
Teaching meditation and the integration of Zen principles into Christian spirituality.
The speaker's unique approach to teaching English through the medium of haiku, a traditional Japanese form of poetry.
The spiritual significance of haiku as a form of direct expression of reality and experience.
The construction of the 'Path of the White Dragon', symbolizing the speaker's connection with nature and spiritual journey.
The creation of meditation and contemplation paths, culminating in the building of a labyrinth for spiritual exploration.
The profound impact of Hakuin's poem on the speaker's understanding of the transformative power of meditation.
The concept of 'Pure Land' in Buddhism and its parallels with Christian understandings of purity and forgiveness.
The speaker's self-identification as a 'Buddhist Christian', embodying a synthesis of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.
Transcripts
the first character for my name is hung
which means to accompany and the second
is taught or in the compound it's
pronounced dole that means to cross over
people in Japan are not at all bashful
about asking where you're going where
you're from and when they ask me about
myself
one of the major self identifications
that I give is that I'm a pilgrim and
the great pilgrimage of my life was to
go to Japan in fact a pilgrim is a very
interesting word it comes from Latin
pair odd jer your field your place and
pair means to go to a way away so when
you go away from your field in your
place you're a pilgrim and without
realizing exactly why I was going to
Japan I was on pilgrimage the whole time
I was there in fact I've been on
pilgrimage all my life the field that I
went from is California I'm a native
Californian I was born in an
unincorporated part of San Mateo County
right here and did all my schooling
until I graduated from high school and
government college prep in San Jose and
then I entered the Jesuits I wasn't even
18 years old in 1938 and at that time I
even then I knew that what I was really
interested in was a spiritual path I
wasn't interested in becoming a priest
and I was really interested in
spirituality I was even a pilgrim on
this pilgrim path even at that time and
that meant for me my first two years of
high school I was going to become a
Cistercian brother a Trappist monk but
that dream faded and then in my last two
years of high school I realized that I
really didn't know where
wanted to go and the Jesuits were the
closest accessible religious community
to go into and some of my number of my
friends were also going in so I just
tagged along and I was insecure I wasn't
sure but it was the right decision
and then after 15 years of Jesuit
training afterward nation is a priest on
the 8th of August 1953 I sailed through
the Golden Gate I went on a cargo liner
to Manila and then Hong Kong and then
Japan going to Japan just physically was
by no means the real pilgrimage the real
pilgrimage was going into an entirely
different consciousness an entirely
different culture a different language
and eventually into a different religion
from the very first moment in Japan I
was fascinated by the Japanese
consciousness I knew that there was
something different and it was something
that I wanted of course although I say
that I really didn't know why I went to
Japan that's on the interior level on
the external level I was sent by the
California Jesuits to help to build and
start a junior senior high school in
Hiroshima and we did that and one day
when I was even teaching there I taught
there for six years I was walking with a
fellow Jesuit a man by the name of Tom
Charbonneau sociologists and we were
talking and suddenly he said you know he
said we're marginal men and that is
stuck with me ever since that's one of
the ways that I really identify myself I
was very aware that I could never really
be a middle-of-the-road
ordinary Japanese
so that I'm on the margin of Japan I'm
on the margin of the language I'm on the
margin of the culture I'm in a margin of
the religions and on the other hand I'm
really on the margin of being an
American I'm not an ordinary
middle-of-the-road American I'm kind of
on the margin there and even in the
Jesuits I'm somewhat of a marginal
person although I with all my heart I'm
a Jesuit and there's all many facets of
my life where I literally have one foot
here and one foot there and that is why
I can be a bridge and so that that is
one of the major identifications that I
have of myself is that I'm a bridge even
the clothes that I'm wearing this bottom
half this kind of skirt that I use for
sitting in meditation is the bottom half
of a Jesuit cassock and the top half is
a Zen monks work aa coat and so that in
itself is a very symbol of what I am and
to be a bridge then you have to have a
margin in one side and the other side
and this is well brought out in the name
that so some young religious gave me
we're having supper and I said look
couldn't you give me a Japanese name a
way of writing my name and real Japanese
because you can take my name hand cannot
be pronounced in Japanese
the hair is not a Japanese sound it has
to be ha hung and the no Japanese word
ends in a consonant like D and so it
turns out to be handle and so they took
han and dough and gave me two beautiful
characters and the upper character means
to accompany and the second character
dope the upper character is Han the
second one is dope and that means to
cross over so I accompany people
crossing over that also has the bridge
idea crossing over so that I even now my
main work is to accompany Westerners to
cross over get some of the insights from
the East and integrate them into their
lives so I was teaching at Hiroshima and
I taught from the very first students
that came in the first little boys
coming into junior high school and I was
very successful teacher and even brought
kids to national championships in in
English speaking contests and things
like that but I don't know how many
times I stood at my window and the
Jesuit residents there on the campus
looking down on the ball field where the
kids were playing in the road where
their parents were coming up the hill to
the school and I just said to myself
this isn't be
and finally after six years I just
couldn't stand it anymore I said I just
knew this isn't me this is where I'm
supposed to be so one day I stopped and
I said well what is me and I reflected
that every time I had directed a retreat
and I was given retreats made in English
in Japan all those those first eight or
nine years every time I had given a
retreat almost without exception I
literally stood at a window and looked
out just reflecting and saying and said
to myself this is me and so it was very
clear that that's what I was supposed to
get into and just at that time sure
enough the Jesuit provincial superior
came through and ice told him this story
and he said look would you like to go up
back to the language school and be the
spiritual director of the language
students and I said yes and there at the
language school I was able to do more
study of the language got more learned
more about the consciousness that
created the language and it was from the
language school building and then that
during that time that I walked down down
the literally walked down the road to an
old temple called Joe Miyagi where the
Zen group that I entered was sitting at
that time and began the study of Zen the
great learning process of my whole life
so when I walked down the hill to go
into the Zen though I really didn't know
what I was going to do what I was doing
again I was just following my gut
feeling it was the first step in the
great battle to take me out of the my
head and the Jesuit training that had
kept me in my head for so long this was
bringing me down in a very real sense to
my gut at any rate it was not easy ever
to go to the zendo
and it was very hard work but I just
something drew me to me and it reached
the kind of a clarification when at the
end of about three months when I had
gone through all the introductory
lectures and I had shown that I was
earnest about sitting I went through the
little ceremony called show Ken show
means mutual and can mean seeing so the
Zen master sees me and looks at me and I
look at the Zen master from that meeting
I become his disciple in all things
concerning Zen and so we went through
the little ceremony I remember there was
a candle there were about three of us
and we all gave candles or something and
then each one of us was individually had
an individual interview with the Zen
master and his only real question was
about my kokoro sake which means the
intention of my heart what was that what
would my aspiration for Zen and I really
didn't know as I said I I didn't know
why I had gone there I just knew I had
to go and so I finally came up with I
gave him the answer finally I said well
cold Oh which means integration and he
didn't know what I meant and I didn't
know what I meant
and so I says well I'm a Christian I
intend to live and die as one but
there's something here in Zen forest oh
he says yes he says you're a Christian
he says yes there are two kinds of Zen
there's Buddhist Zen and with all the
statues and all the sutras and all the
teachings all of Buddhist and then
there's just them real deep meditation
he says you do them and you'll be a
better Christian and that's exactly what
happened what I'm teaching is what I
learned in you in in Zen
the primacy of experience and that means
the primacy of awareness becoming aware
of reality and the the great experience
the primacy of experience the great
experience is mindfulness and meditation
is a concentrated training and
mindfulness and so that's what I'm doing
I'm teaching meditation the last nine
years of I was in Japan I taught at a
junior college and while I was there I
was teaching English of course but I got
into teaching these Japanese students to
write haiku in English their own native
one of their major types of poetry in
English and it was a lot of fun but that
only was a manifestation of the
fascination I had had for many years
with with haiku and so even to this day
I still read haiku a lot more than right
and appreciate them and I teach haiku
writing in English but above all I teach
the spirituality of haiku haiku as a
path a spiritual path because a haiku
comes out of out of direct experience a
haiku is direct experiences directly
expressed take for example the most
famous of all haiku writers Bashaw when
de Bosco was on one of his travels up in
the northern part of Japan and he was up
in Yamagata prefecture and came to what
is simply called yamadera the mountain
temple and it was a summer day very hot
and the only thing that was moving
were the wings of the cicadas making
their summer sound and he sat there and
was totally taken over by the silence
and by the sound and so he wrote a haiku
Shizuka saya II wanna see me earu Cimino
Koya Shizuka Zhou is all the stillness
in even Ashima arrow into the rocks it
Pierce's Cimino koi the sound
the cry of the Sakura all the stillness
into the rocks it pierces the cry of the
Saqqara now that little poem is a good
example of the oneness of all creation
because any direct experience of reality
at any real depth will come to see the
interrelatedness the actual oneness of
all reality so that there is only one
flow what is it that pierces the rocks
that is the one action the stillness
pierces the rocks the cry of the cicada
pierces the rocks so you have stillness
and Secada coming together in one action
and all things come together in one flow
that is the spirituality of hike would
it was while I was still living at a
language school there and Iike Makara in
Japan and the foothills I started
building a path I love to go out and
work in the earth in fact my middle name
is George and George means worker of the
earth we had a fairly good-sized piece
of property there for Japanese standards
and it was all on the side of a hill and
a little valley and so I made a path all
the way around that valley and it took
me about six or seven years and I named
it the path of the white dragon' at that
time I was fascinated by dragons and
there was a little cave down in the
valley there this tiny valley
where there was lots of water and that's
where dragons are supposed to live ever
since that time I've been building paths
everywhere I go so in the 15 years that
I've been here at Mercy center I've made
paths all around the property which are
meditation paths contemplation paths
right to this day it culminated in the
building of the labyrinth we use no
machinery just human energy so it's full
of good human energy and now the
labyrinth is literally truly a spiritual
path you go this way and then you go
back that way then you go sort way this
way and then you go way around there and
so you're taken out of your linear
thinking and when you're taken out of
your linear ordinary thinking there's a
chance for deeper insight to arise
literally hundreds of people have
already walked that labyrinth and come
to real experiences in fact in the
retreat that we just had about two weeks
ago
a lady walk the labyrinth she came to
the big stone that we put in the center
and she put her hands on the stone and
everything dropped away and then she
came back and the stone and she were one
and then everything and she were one a
real deep fine literally as n-type
enlightenment experience the texts that
we have been using for these Wednesday
night talks is the famous
poem really written in rather for the
time ordinary Japanese by the great 17th
century Zen master Haku in he says for
the person who does one sitting one
sitting session one hour of true zazen
the accumulated immeasurable waywardness
sins to me sins
we'll all be annihilated what is he
speaking about the main thing is to
remember what sin means to a Japanese
Buddhist do a Buddhist in general we
have to get out of our Western idea of
sin because we were taught as little
children that sin is an offence against
God and in a sense it makes God angry
and then we've got to pay back and do
something to atone for that sin that's
not what sin means here it doesn't mean
sin in the Western sense it means
basically waywardness being off the mark
and so when he says that all your sins
are wiped away by one sitting he means
that all our waywardness are simply gone
horrible means to perish there they're
gone and where are our sins every action
that we perform goes into our individual
human energy form field as into a memory
bank every action that you have ever
done good or bad is still part of your
energy field your being your isn't it
also goes into the universal human
energy form field everything that you do
and ever done in your life ever will do
influences the whole of the human race
and so that is there in the field
however if you sit and really go into
true meditation you go into what we like
to call the flow there's one great
movement it is our fundamental life
movement our life force in action and
that movement comes directly from the
formless divine source and is we are
nothing but that movement manifesting
and in this hour of sitting and when we
forget all our waywardness we forget
everything and just allow our heart the
attention of our heart to bring us into
that one flow then we're pure
we are impeccable and I was thinking
about this today and I realized that
when I was in theology studying theology
up near los gatos for four years we were
taught that if a person really turns to
God with all their heart and just really
turns to God by that very act all their
sins are forgiven and then well
legalistically in the church loves
legalism legalistically you should go
and submit those sins to the confession
but they're already all forgiven they're
all forgiven and then it's interesting
that Ocwen uses the very word Pureland
joel Dolson hwacha toca Raza which means
the Pureland
indeed the Pureland is not far away you
have already come into that state
to which you are trying to to go
Pureland means that is the Buddhist
heaven and it's called pure because
there is no way word miss there and if
we allow ourselves in meditation to
really let everything go and just by
watching your breathing by saying that
Jesus Prayer by doing centering prayer
whatever your focus of attention is if
you really do it forget everything else
and just you will be taken into the Pure
Land you have already reached where you
are trying to go and the reason why we
have to keep doing is because we don't
stay we slip back but it show it's a
beautiful text today this evening to
show us what a wonderful thing it is to
sit so as I always say at the end let's
sit Buddhist insights have had a
profound effect upon me and to such an
extent that I have literally not only
become a better Christian in it that I
meditate and so forth better but that my
whole understanding of Christianity has
been enlightened profound enlightenment
and I'm a much better have a much better
and a much deeper understanding of what
Christianity is all about because of
Buddhism and so that's why I call myself
a Buddhist Christian I'm a Christian but
I've got a lot of Buddhism in me and I'm
very happy to be such a person
you
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