L.D. Turner
After my tireless and at times seemingly disjointed efforts at spiritual study and practice over the past 40 years or so, I have come to several salient and universally applicable realizations:
• The flows beneath the seemingly different surfaces, a common experience among all religious traditions. This is not to say that all religions are the same – because they are not. What it does say is that deep down in that space where it really counts – deep down in that part of our being that intrinsically knows the truth – lies the same experience and it is an experience of mystical unity. The only other common thread that I see running through almost all religions is less savory – all religions eventually seem to reach a point where they become the major
impediment in the path of their followers finding truth and enlightenment.
Even in the newer, more non-religious spiritual groups, there is a marked tendency toward self-absorption and this, in turn, tends to foster the problem of ego domination rather than solve it. Although the path of spiritual growth and personal development requires a significant amount of focus on oneself, this self-reflection must always be balanced with service to a cause larger in scope than one’s own petty concerns, however significant they may seem. As a result of these realities, many New Age groups devote little time and or energy to community service. Much lip service is offered but little legwork is proffered. For a degree of validation of this point, next time you are browsing the spirituality section of your favorite bookstore, see how many books you find on “service” or “community enhancement.” Also, look at the table of contents in most spiritual books. Normally, there may be at most a section on something like “Creating a Better World” tucked in at the back of the book. Even some of our most cherished spiritual writers are guilty of this. I say this not in a spirit of condemnation, but just of non-judgmental observation.
I must admit that I find this trend somewhat disturbing. I guess part of my reaction stems from the fact that I was so radically guilty of the same crime. It took more than a few personal crises and at least one divine pummeling to bring me to my senses, at least marginally. Fortunately, as time passed I began to see things from a broader and more global perspective, coming eventually to the cosmic realization that everyone and everything in the universe, in fact, did not orbit my being.
This personal epiphany eventually led me to see that in an overall grander scheme of things, I was, in reality, fairly small potatoes. Over time, thanks to coming in contact with several significant spiritual teachers in ways that can only described as divine synchronicity, I came to view a few of the more important issues we all face in life in a decidedly different light.
In retrospect, one of the most enlightening insights that I came to was that no matter how we may choose to frame the reality, the ultimate goal of working with any system of spiritual growth is to awaken in ourselves the desire to make a positive contribution to the world beyond ourselves. Ideally, each of us should strive to find ways in which we can bring light, joy, and relief to others. It is no overstatement to say that the entire framework of my spiritual odyssey has since been to place myself in a state of being where I can not only be good – but good for something.
Gautama Buddha was an example of grace and perfect love incarnate. After finding his awakening under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha went about spreading the truth that he had discovered, a truth that when astutely applied to life, could liberate beings from endless rounds of suffering. Just as with Jesus who would come later, Buddha taught through sermons, informal talks, parables, and above all, his actions.
Just as Christ would later set an example for his disciples to follow, the Buddha also would serve as the divine prototype for the essence of “metta,” or “loving-kindness.” In Metta, there is an internal manifestation and an external manifestation. Internally, increasing feelings of loving kindness give rise to a vital sense of compassion that is also based on the realization of the oneness of all things. These internal states of loving kindness and compassion result in the external manifestation, which is proactive service to the world.
This eventually gave rise to the Mahayana Buddhist ideal of the Bodhisattva. On a theoretical level, one can accurately say that the ultimate goal of the Bodhisattva is enlightenment and to some extent this is true. However, on a highly practical level, the Bodhisattva’s highest goal is selfless service. Personal enlightenment takes a back seat to serving others, spiritually and materially. In Chinese Buddhism we see this demonstrated in the high devotional priority given Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or, literally translated, “she who hears the cries of the world.”
Radical compassion is compassion with legs; radical compassion is a verb. Just as the Bible tells us in the Letter of James that faith without works is dead, also, compassion without concomitant action is a lifeless phenomenon. Many sincere aspirants have the mistaken notion that the ultimate goal of the spiritual path is enlightenment. Although a sincere desire for motivation is one of our most treasured possessions, it is actually penultimate. The real aim of the spiritual journey is simply this – Sacred Service. All that we do is dedicated to the greatest good of all beings in all the worlds. Our gain is their gain, our loss is their loss, our advancement is their advancement, and it is to this sacred reality that those in the Buddhist world offer their benedictions at the end of their times of meditation and prayer.
to be continued....
(c) L.D. Turner 2010/All Rights Reserved
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