As I think about being a Christian who is going through a very positive experience as I listen to dharma talks and other Buddhist resources, I mentally list those items that got me to this point. Lately I have been thinking about the Catholic priest from Hawaii who taught meditation at a
Matthew Fox retreat we attended in Montana. I was fascinated by his lectures, enjoyed the meditation, but I could not grasp and verbalize his basic teachings. Over the years, I have searched the "secret" in my journal and in some tapes I made of his talks. Now I think of it as a seed that has continued to grow inside me. I googled and found
The Beginnings of a Christian-Zen Bibliography. On it I noticed two books that I read and have been involved in this search.
- de Mello, Anthony. (1978) Sadhana: A Way to God. St. Louis, MO: The Institute of Jesuit Sources.
- Merton, Thomas. (1968) Zen and the Birds of Appetite.
While this is not one of the
Merton books that stands out in my mind, I remember reading "Sadhana" very carefully several times. de Mello is also mentioned in
my blog post about Chuck Smith and his son, who added while editing one of his dad's books:
"a quote from a priest, Anthony de Mello, whose Jesuit affiliation alarmed evangelicals. And on Page 103, Smith Jr. inserted the suggestion that breathing exercises might put one in a spiritually receptive state.
This seemed, in the eyes of some, dangerously close to endorsing a Buddhist practice."
Gosh, they knew what they were talking about. Look what has happened to me!
Seriously these types of resources may help me remain within the Christian community while following the path (as mentioned in the teachings of both Buddhists and Christians). I don't think I have made this clear of a connection before though I have thought about how Thomas Merton visited Asia and found so much in common with monks from other faith traditions.
No comments:
Post a Comment