Sunday, June 7, 2009

Sunday Sermon


I have a Flagstaff Part 3 in the works, but after a weekend of end-of-season baseball games and parties, school fundraisers and a nasty cold, I'm spent.

But here's something from the estimable Thich Nhat Hanh:

Many Westerners attracted to Buddhist practice have abandoned their own spiritual traditions. They reject the churches and clergy of their own traditions because they feel constricted and uncomfortable with the attitudes and practices they have encountered there. They have suffered within their own tradition and so have sought another. They approach Buddhist practice with the hope of replacing their own tradition and may wish to break away from their own tradition forever.

According to Buddhist wisdom, such wishing is in vain. A person severed from her own culture and traditions is like a tree pulled out by the roots. Such a person will find it hard to be happy. Buddhist practice can offer effective means to heal, reconcile, and reunite with one’s blood and spiritual families, in order to discover the precious gems in one’s own traditions. Thanks to the practice, people will see that Buddhism and their own spiritual tradition have many things in common, and therefore it is not necessary to reject their own spiritual tradition. They will see that there are things that need to be transformed in Buddhism as well as in their own tradition.

–from Teachings on Love (Parallax Press)

5 comments:

  1. I love him & his teachings. Thank you for posting this sermon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this and I think it is totally true.

    I also love the picture.

    Try to relax today and have a good week.

    Love Renee xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. beautiful picture and post.

    i am often amazed when educated, intelligent, seemingly analytical people get caught in this cycle of criticizing one religion (usually one of the abrahamic variety); quoting texts, recounting wars, etc, yet are also the very first to defend those practices deemed more acceptable in the circles of the intelligentsia.

    if only we all could dispel that which does not work and walk away with those parts of our own culture that encourage peace, patience, community, and justice... what a wonderful world it would be.

    thank you for bringing this quote to my attention.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That applies in many many instances besides faith. We have become a "cut and run" people - and superficial at best.

    I enjoy visiting your blog because of the depth here - and that depth has everything to do with your commitment and purpose and hanging in and holding on through the battle and crisis.

    I hope this time in Flagstaff has been Good .....

    ReplyDelete
  5. so.did Henry win, or are you released from the ball field?????

    ReplyDelete