UNITY
As some of you know, I have been living and working at the intersection of Christianity and Buddhism for most of my adult life; and as you also know, I am ordained both as an Independent (Ecumenical) Catholic Priest and as a Zen Buddhist Priest. Where possible, then, my goal is to either post on topics that draw on both traditions, or do parallel posts where I feel the topic is best separated out. My post yesterday about Stages of Enlightenment is one such topic where I wanted to address the Zen perspective separately.
Here then my focus is on oneness with God, non-dual thinking and the question of the divine versus the human states of being. And, yes, I know for many these may seem blasphemous or irreligious, but it is in fact in line with Jesus' own teachings.
Apologies to those who have heard me say this before, but perhaps the single most egregious example of bad translation in the New Testament is the word "metanoia." Since an accurate translation of the term did not suit the early church's theology of sin, redemption, Jesus dying for our sins, they decided to mistranslate it. Thus the term found its way into translations of the NT as "repent" or repentance. With it came the invention of a theology that Jesus did not teach: namely, that of our needing to repent our sins so that after we die we will get into heaven. And of course the related invented theology that Jesus died for our sins (which actually is true, but not in the sense it is usually meant).
What the term actually means is meta=above, beyond and noia=thinking, mind. So it translates to above or beyond thinking, indeed one might say before thought. Hence Jesus' actual teaching was that in order to enter the state of being he termed 'heaven on earth' (where heaven, he tells us, is inside us) you must first go beyond thinking, or perhaps more accurately, come from a place of before thought.
In John we learn that Jesus also taught that one can become a son (or daughter) of God by aligning one's will with God's will. And throughout his teaching, Jesus points to this aligning of wills being associated with this coming from a place of before thought, being as a child (child-like, not childish), in order to enter the state of being he called heaven.
His teaching, then, although not often presented in the way he said it, was that we are all both human (ego-based, mind/concept, duality based) and divine (before thought, non-dual thinking, oneness with God). And if this sounds irreligious to you, remember that in his core prayer Jesus taught us to pray to "Our Father," (not his Father), and he referred to all his followers as his brothers and sisters. Indeed, in one superbly clear teaching he even talks of who is his mother? who are his brothers? to which he answers that all present are his brothers, sisters, mothers. But that is a topic for another blog.
In reading about mystical experience you will have noticed a common theme that those who have so-called "mystical experiences" often speak of becoming one with God, one with everything, a dropping away of self, of ego, and a sense of ecstasy and a feeling of all being well. A deep sense of peace that passeth all understanding.
For many, this moment of non-dual thinking, of becoming one with God, is just that -- a fleeting moment that they may then spend the rest of their lives trying to repeat. For others, these moments of oneness happen on a regular basis, and what ensues is the challenge of balancing one's ego-based dualisitic way of being, with the non-dualistic state of who you truly are.
ILLUSION/DELUSION: SEEKING YOUR TRUE SELF
Here, as with the Zen version of my blog, the above visual illusion can be used as a metaphor or parallel. For many, living in the dualistic every day life of the ego, of me-my-I thinking, is the norm represented by the upright staircase that runs from top on the left down the lower step on the right. But once, or perhaps occasionally, there is a glimpse of your true self, which is like getting a glimpse of the inverted staircase that runs the other way upside down.
But when in dualistic mode its hard to also being in the unity mode of your true self: similarly, when in the state of union, which for many can be like a state of ecstasy, its hard to also be in the "regular" ego driven dualistic state. Its either one or the other: seeing either the upright staircase or the inverted one, not both at once.
Entering into a state of non-dual thinking, of the before thought "heaven within" that Jesus taught about, whether by centering prayer or other means, can not only be a challenge but, for some, a scary experience. Unlike Eastern traditions like Zen, Christianity doesn't tend to promote the idea of having a mentor or teacher -- yet it can be vital to have someone walk the path with you.
The path can be a challenging one, and I heartily recommend that you seek a mentor or spiritual director if you are pursuing this path (following the writings of the likes of Richard Rohr, Thomas Merton or Fr Keating). Yet the path is the most important one any of us can take: that toward unity with God and seeking heaven on earth. It is to go beyond ego-based dualistic thinking to non-dualism and unity -- finding your true self -- but to not be deceived into taking on the non-dual experience as some kind of "achievement" or badge of honor. Your true self is love, and here we mean agape of course. It is a very deep state of compassion, for ultimately true selfless love is deep compassion, and vice versa. But beware: as one person recently wrote she thought she had become the most serene peaceful compassionate person ever until someone cut in front of her on the freeway when she was already running late for work :-)
Seek the way that Jesus spoke of but be prepared to discern illusion from the true path, your true self. And if you have not already done so, seek out a mentor or spiritual director to walk the path with you.
peace and blessings.
do well, do no harm, do what you can, remember to truly love yourself, and above all help others.
