Last week I began this series by offering a few general suggestions about how lessons learned from meditation practice can help people cope with the recent escalations of terrorism, particularly by ISIS.

One of the key lessons of meditation is to learn how not to be swept away by the raw emotions of truly difficult situations such as the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and now in California. I do understand that many people have powerful reactions based in anger and fear and that those feelings are entirely justifiable. But I am equally sure it is important for both citizens and the leaders of nations to avoid bellicose, over-reactions that will only make matters much worse.

In writing this I am not saying there are any easy answers to prevent further terrorist attacks or wars in the Middle East. In particular I am not saying that some form of spiritualized, radical pacifism is the right answer either. After all, even Gandhi said his methods would not work against Hitler and the Nazis. It is reasonable to assume the same view applies to modern terrorists and aggressive developed nations.

What I am suggesting is that people step back and look at the history of conflicts in the Middle East as a way to gain fresh insight into what is needed to truly resolve the conflicts there. Here is a good basic question:

What are the causes of terrorism?

In my opinion, the primary cause of terrorism is that some men and women love greed and power and are willing to use violence, or other forms of manipulative coercion, to get control over a society. As such people gain control of the economy, military, and judicial system of a country they close off all legitimate avenues of dissent and movements for peaceful change.

A small fraction who are oppressed in such dictatorial societies feel they are pushed into more and more desperate actions to gain redress of their grievances. At it’s worst, this impotent rage turns into blind aggression and terrorist acts.

Here are two specific examples of this point in Iran in the 20th century.

Oil was discovered in Iran in 1908 by the Anglo-Iranian oil company which later became British Petroleum. The deal that was struck was so unfavorable to the Iranian people that the British government received more money from taxes on the profits the oil company earned than the Iranian government and people received in royalties.

In 1951 the Iranian government attempted to retake control of the Oil industry in Iran.

The western powers would not allow this to happen.

The US sponsored a coup in Iran in 1953 (Dwight Eisenhower President) and installed the Shah of Iran. The Shah of Iran was a ruthless dictator who used secret police and torture to repress the critics of his government from 1953 to 1978.

For rich companies and nations to get richer off the resources of a poor country is a recipe for disaster. The exploitation of the natural resources of Iran by western oil companies, while the average Iranian lived in poverty was bad enough. The US military backed installation and support of a ruthless dictator in Iran for 25 years made matters much worse. The torture and execution of thousands of dissidents by the secret police of Iran, the wealth of the Shah side by side with the poverty of the people, all of these factors made things that much worse. So too did the suppression of popular religion by a corrupt, secular regime.

With decades of gross injustice in Iran, when the Ayatollah Khomeini was able to lead a popular uprising and overthrow the regime of the Shah of Iran in 1978, the stage was set for extremely hostile relations between the US and Iran. The taking of US Hostages in 1978 froze relations between the two countries in a violently mistrustful stalemate which we are only beginning to emerge from.

Regrettably most Americans do not know of the history of the British and then the US involvement with exploitation and with supporting violent oppression of the people of Iran. They just assume the Iranians are crazy, violent, and evil. If we do not step back and see our history with Iran, the conflict will never be resolved.

In this way ignorance is one of the causes of terrorism.

What I am saying is that, painful as it is, US, France, and England need to take an honest look at how they have related to a wide range of problems in the Middle East. So too does Russia who has been involved with Middle Eastern countries such as Syria for generations.

If we in the advanced countries better understand the sins and crimes we have committed in the Middle East, such as what has happened in Iran, Iraq, and in the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, we will be closer to being able to see what needs to happen to reconcile old grievances and hatreds.

The same introspective process is just as needed  by the leaders of the PLO, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al Qaida, Israel and the leaders of Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the other countries of the Middle East.

The clarity and emotional maturity that comes from meditation will allow people in all sides of a dispute to look more openly and more honestly at three simple questions.

What are the causes of terrorism?

What will lead to the diminishment of terrorism?

How can be build more stable, just, and peaceful societies?

Please let me know what you think. All comments will be responded to.

Will

will @ meditation   practice   dot com    774-232-0884

The terrorist attacks in Paris, the possibility of new attacks in Europe and America have opened a new chapter in the conflict between the western world and radical Muslim terrorists.

The downing of a Russian air plane by the air force of Turkey has added more pressure to the international situation.

It is very hard to see how all this will end.

I wanted to put together some basic insights drawn from meditation practice to illustrate how meditation can offer practical benefits to help people cope with disturbing news.

1) It is wise to limit the amount of time you spend reading or watching news reports. While it is important to be aware of current events, it is just as important to shield yourself from the non-stop media coverage and the constant repetition of disturbing events.

2) Be aware of, but also be patient with, whatever feelings of anger and fear develop within you as you think about the struggle with terrorism and the bleak news reports. Given the savage nature of the attacks in Paris, it is understandable most people are very angry and also quite afraid that new attacks may be launched here in the US. Being aware of any anger and fear that does arise is a good basic practice of being mindful of what is happening in the moment.

3) Give some thought to the fact that the terrorists want to provoke as much violent reaction as they can. It is important that governments develop the right responses and not over-react in ways that play into the hands of terrorists. Make your voice heard on this point. You really can call or write your local senator or the President.

4) If you cannot pray for the attackers, spend some time each day offering prayers for the victims and their families and for all of us who are scared by these events. If you prefer to use the phrase “offering positive intentions” rather that prayers that is fine too.

Calling to mind the love and compassion we have within us, and offering that love and compassion to the victims and their families is another way to put out the fires of anger and fear that may (probably will) arise as events unfold. If you find a credible charitable agency designed to help victims, making a donation to them will also be helpful even if it is only a few dollars. It is an action you can take that will also lessen the feelings of powerlessness.

For those who are further along with their meditation and spiritual practice and are able to also pray for the attackers and their families then do so. Those who are further along understand that more unconditional compassion is the long term cure to the long term disease of violence. But most people are not able to pray for the attackers in situations like this. Focusing your prayers for the victims is still better than just feeling helpless and powerless over what is happening.

5) A primary goal of most styles of meditation is to calm and clear the mind so you can see the deeper underlying causes that trigger savage events like what is happening in Europe and the Middle East. It is important to remember this does not happen for most of us over night. Being patient with your practice and with any fear and anger that arises is a good start. Being patient with the efforts to offer love and compassion in prayer and positive intentions on a more consistent basis to as wide a circle of living beings as you can will also be helpful. But this too can be a slow learning process.

But as the mind clears you can ask more effectively the deeper questions, what are the true causes of terrorism? Careful reflection on such questions will also help with the long term process of clearing and calming the mind so you can go deeper still.

What chain of events and misguided attitudes over time have led to the development of the conditions we now are living with?

More next week.

Please let me know what you think. I will respond to all comments.

Will Raymond  Author of The Simple Path of Holiness and host of Meditation    Practice   dot  com

will

at meditation     practice   dot com  (Spelled out to limit spam 774-232-0884

In the first three posts of this series, I outlined different ways the current presidential campaign offers great opportunities to apply the skills and values learned from a sustained practice of meditation.

The suggestion last week was to make the effort to offer positive wishes, or prayers if that is your preference, for the well-being of all candidates.

Please see the last week’s post for more background on this point (the archive of posts is on the lower right hand corner of the home page). I want to emphasize again that for most people, it may take a while before they become willing to offer positive wishes for those politicians and/or media figures they strongly dislike.

But, as I mentioned last week, you can start with the politicians you support, or at least do not dislike too much. For the language of these positive wishes, I have adapted and expanded the language of the Buddhist saying, “May they be happy, may they be well.”

Here is my expanded version: “May they (the candidate) know the joy, health, and prosperity that all men and women want for their own life, their family and their community.”

Please feel free to develop your own language as you wish to.

Here are a few more of the specifics of the process:

The first stage is to be mindfully aware when you are reading about or hearing some story of a politician or a comment by a media figure. Pay special attention to whether you notice if they are someone you like, or someone you really think is a “bad guy” or a “bad lady.”

The second stage is to be mindfully aware of any feelings of hope, or sense of triumph, or optimism that arises if it seems like things are going well for “your candidate” or “your side.” In a few simple words make a mental note such as, “feelings of optimism or hope.” See how these feelings affect the mind and heart.

For the third stage of this effort: offer a sincere and positive wish towards whomever you have been thinking about. “May they know the joy, health, and prosperity that all men and women want for their own life and family and their community.” Once you get the hang of it, take a moment to see how these efforts affect your mind and heart.

On the other hand, if the news is about a candidate you do not like and do not trust this three stage process is still pretty much the same.

1-Be mindfully aware of any feelings of anger, harsh judgement, resentment, sense of disgust or despair that arise when you think of politicians or media figures you do not like or trust.

2-In a few simple words make a mental note, “feelings of anger and fear.” See how these feelings affect the mind and heart.

3-Then, if you are able to, offer the sincere and positive wish towards whomever you have been thinking about. “May they know the joy, health, and prosperity that all men and women want for their own life and family and their community.” Once you get the hang of it, take a moment to see how these efforts affect your mind and heart.

As you develop the ability to step outside the usual reflexive judgements of others, and to wash away the knew-jerk reactions of anger and fear, the benefits of this work will become clear. Your mind will continue to settle into deeper states of calm and clarity. From this clarity, insights will arise that will allow you to see the true underlying causes of social conflict and injustice. You will also begin to see more creative ways to deal with deep-rooted problems.

Whether you are conservative or progressive in politics, whether you are a spiritual person or an atheist, you can adapt this practice to your personal experience and views.

Call to mind the candidates and their wives husbands and children. Call to mind the campaign workers and their wives or husbands and children. Call to mind the billionaire donors seeking to steal democracy, as well as the apathetic who refuse to vote. Call to mind the media figures and imagine what is running through their mind as they contrive and strain to find ways to boost their ratings and career by saying needlessly inflammatory comments and softly say within yourself:

“May they know the joy, health, and prosperity that all men and women want for their own life and family and their community.”

If you can pray for your candidates and the opposition candidates, we will all be better off. If those you oppose pray for their candidates. and those on “your side,” we will all be better off.

If enough people embrace this simple practice, we will reach an important tipping point. We will be able to shift the tone of the current, acrimonious national debate.

It will become possible to build meaningful new alliances between groups and to forge a new consensus across the broad middle of the society.

We can break through the dangerous stalemate we are in now.                                   This simple practice will help with all of this.

Please let me know what you think. I will be glad to get back to you.

Will Raymond

Author of the Simple Path of Holiness. Host of Meditation practice dot com.

will    at meditation    practice   dot  come  (Spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

In the first two parts of this series last week, I suggested the developing presidential campaign offers a great opportunity to apply the skills and values learned from sustained practice of meditation. Please see the last post in this series for more background (the archive of posts is on the lower right hand corner of the home page).

Here is another suggestion about how to apply mindful awareness when you think about politics, or read or listen to news reports on political struggles.

Offer positive wishes for the well-being for all candidates and their families.

In the past I have often written about how the process of working towards unconditional love and forgiveness for all who live is usually, at best, a gradual process.

Working with the anger and resentments that arise when you think about certain political figures is another way to move towards offering positive wishes to wider and wider circles of people. But as I said, this will probably need to be a gradual process. Nothing could be more understandable. It is easy for people to get angry and fearful when they hear politicians talking about programs they feel will be, or already are, harmful to many people.

Offering wishes of good intention to them may be the last thing you want to do. I do get this.

Still, it is of critical importance for greater numbers of people to learn how to extinguish the fires of their anger, resentments, and fear. This practice of offering love and positive wishes to wider circles of people will help. Politicians just happen to be a very visible group of people you can apply this practice to.

As individuals gain greater skills in this regard, wisdom will arise. From this wisdom people will gain a broader perspective on the true underlying causes of serious social injustice and conflict. The greater clarity and insight will also help people develop more creative and more practical solutions in their own life and community and the larger society as well.

If enough people in the center, center left, and center right learn these skills, we will get to an important tipping point. There will be enough mature and rational people at the broad center of society with sufficient skill and compassion to create a fresh consensus that will allow us to move beyond the sharply polarized divisions in our country.

For more information on this process of working with anger and unconditional love please see the free workshop I offer on the “Online Workshops” of this site.

But generally here is what I am suggesting. Start with those politicians you like, or at least sort of like. Offer the following positive wish for them when you are listening to or reading about the latest developments in their campaigns.

“May they know the joy, health, and prosperity that all men and women want for their family and their community.”

Offer your best wishes for their marriage, and their children, and for the people in their extended family and their campaign workers and supporters. Offer your best wishes for their health as you come to understand that the incredibly hard work it takes to run for office, or to hold an office, is very stressful for the body and mind.

Over time, and at a realistic pace, work towards offering the same positive wishes to those candidates you do not dislike to much.

“May they know the joy, health, and prosperity that all men and women want for their family and their community.”

At some point, you will realize that doing this work benefits you and leads to a more peaceful meditation practice and the further arising of wisdom. These benefits will allow you to extend these positive wishes to those people in politics and the “media” who by all ordinary reckoning deserve neither love nor best wishes.

Imagine what will become possible when great numbers of people on the center right, the center, and center left are patiently offering positive wishes for all the candidates in all elections.

This process begins by remembering to remember to notice with clear awareness when anger and fear have arisen within you.

The process proceeds by realizing there actually is a way out of the sharp polarization in our country.

It sounds so simple. Would it really work? Yes, and it is free.

It will also make the next 12 months much more bearable.

More next week

Please let me know what you think. I will respond

Peace to you and your family,

Will Raymond

Author of the Simple Path of Holiness. Host of Meditation practice dot com.

will    at meditation    practice   dot  come  (Spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884

In the first part of this series last week, I suggested the developing presidential campaign offers a great opportunity to apply the skills learned in meditation.

After all, meditation is not just about what you do on the cushion or at the retreat center although the times of stillness and silence and retreat are important. Focusing your clear mindful awareness moment by moment on the normal activities of each day and year is also important. Being a responsible citizen and making intelligent decisions with your vote and civic contribution are both good examples of such efforts.

Here is another way to apply the skills of mindful awareness when you think about politics or read or listen to the news reports on the subject.

Take the time to consider some important traits that many conservative and progressive voters have in common. Here is one of them:

Each side feels their way of life, values, economic standing, and general security are seriously being threatened by what the other side is doing. In my experience most people on either side do not stop to take the time to realize this. Also, most people never really take the time to understand why their opponents are so angry and afraid let alone that at least some of their critiques may be valid.

For example, center left and progressive voters talk about the raw anger of many conservative voters, but they do not try to understand why so many conservatives are so angry. Likewise many conservatives often do not take the time to understand the raw anger and frustration of their progressive opponents.

I am not defending the anger of conservative voters or the self-righteous indignation of many progressive voters; or either of their views. What I am trying to do is to help people see how their opponents look at the world.

In my experience, conservative voters, especially evangelical Christian voters, feel they and their way of life are being overwhelmed by the fact that progressive voters have gained the upper hand on many social issues. Legalized abortion and gay marriage are the two most prominent examples.

In my experience many center left and progressive voters also feel their way of life is in danger of being badly undermined by the agendas of their conservative opponents.

Some examples of this are: the constant pressure by conservatives to repeal Roe versus Wade, the bitter struggles over gay marriage, and the resistance to meaningful progress on climate change. Seeing the wealth of the rich continue to soar, while the income of the middle class, and the safety net at state and federal levels are constantly being attacked are also deeply troubling to many center left and progressive voters.

There are lots of other issues that sharply divide conservative and progressive voters such as the role of the military in American foreign policy. Another is what to do about 11 million illegal immigrants.

I am not saying there are easy ways to find a reasonable consensus with these very tough and emotionally charged issues. What I am suggesting is to try to understand that people on all sides need to work with their fear and anger in ways that allow them to listen better and to think and speak more clearly.

What I am also saying is that whatever side you take, there are many, many people on the other side that work just as hard as you do to keep a marriage going, earn a living, raise their children and deal with the pressures of modern life. However differently opponents look at the world, there are certain core life experiences and values both sides hold in common that are a base we can all build on.

The people on the far right and far left will probably never really be willing to seek accommodation. But here is my question, “Are their ways for the center right, the center, and the center left to begin to find a consensus that will help us achieve the measure of economic stability, justice, and a renewal of shared values that we need?

More next week.

Please let me know what you think. I will respond.

Will Raymond Author of the Simple Path of Holiness                                                     and host of Meditation Practice dot come.

774-232-0884 or will  at meditation practice dot  com (Spelled out to limit spam).

The developing presidential campaign offers a great opportunity to use the skills gained from a sustained practice of meditation.

After all, meditation is not just about what you do on the cushion or at the retreat center although the times of stillness and silence and retreat are important. Focusing your clear mindful awareness moment by moment on the normal activities of each day and year is also important. Being a responsible citizen and making intelligent decisions with your vote and civic contribution are both good examples of such efforts.

In general this is how a well-established meditation practice will help:

Over time, (probably more slowly than you want), your mind will become more calm and lucid.

The intuitive channels of the mind will become much more open and clear.

Effective compassion will be easier to summon; at least most of the time.

Your faculties of reason and analysis will also become much more highly refined and effective.

It is simple, your mind will gain the ability to investigate more deeply, and from broader reference frames, the root causes of complex problems. As a result, the solutions you arrive at will generally be more creative as well as more practical and effective.

Here is one suggested way to apply these skills.

Look clearly at the leading candidates without the knee-jerk reactions and biases that all of us are prone to have to one degree or another. Specifically, consider, with a reasonable level of attention to detail, the present tax and budget proposals of all the leading presidential candidates.

Whether you favor the Republicans or Democrats, or others, once you clear the mind of the various biases of both of the tribes, you will be able to see one simple truth.

None of them has a plan that will actually work to balance the federal budget.

None of them have a credible plan to address the significant budget pressures which will get steadily worse over the next two decades as greater numbers of seniors retire and draw on Social Security and Medicare and as other major budget pressures mount.

None of them has a credible plan that outlines exactly how America’s over-extended, and overly militarist, involvement in foreign affairs can be carefully and successfully recalibrated.

Whether it is Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, none of them have a plan that even comes close to getting to a balanced budget.

Whether you favor the Republicans or Democrats, or some independent party, look carefully at the plans all the candidates have for the federal budget and tax plans.

Some current candidates propose solutions that have historically proven under Ronald Reagan and George Bush the II  to make the budget deficits much worse for at least 15 years in each case (see federal budget acts 1981 and 2001). Some propose radical solutions that are akin to substituting a meat cleaver for a surgeon’s scalpel to the federal budget. Most propose very expensive new programs without a clear means as to how they will pay for them.

Understanding that certain core challenges facing the country are not being addressed in a meaningful way by any of the major candidates is both freeing and disturbing.

The liberating part is the sense that comes from seeing through all the various illusions and breaking through your own denial as well as that of others in the society. I feel it still makes sense to work and to vote for whichever candidate you feel is the least worst of the field. But penetrating through the political spin and lazy-thinking of all the candidates is still better than being caught up in believing that somehow “your candidate” or “your party” or your “preferred media commentators” have a point of view that really create a balanced budget in a reasonable amount of time.

The first disturbing part is realizing that one’s country is in real danger, and most likely heading towards worse trouble.  What is even more troubling is that the very notion that democracy itself, so much better than all the other choices, is itself heading towards the predictable fate that people such as Plato predicted for it in his book “The Republic” (see Book 8).

There have been many attempts over the centuries to come up with a plan to create societies that are more stable, just, and peaceful (I am certainly not saying that Plato succeeded in this task.)

Progressing far enough in meditation so that the mind is able to penetrate through all the denial and illusions within you and around you will help. Cultivating the compassion to earnestly pray for the well-being of all the candidates and all the “good guys” and all the “bad guys” is another very, very good place to start.

More next week on this “compassion for political candidates thing.”

Please let me know what you think. I will respond.

Will Raymond Author of the Simple Path of Holiness                                                     and host of Meditation Practice dot come.

774-232-0884 or will  at meditation practice dot  com (Spelled out to limit spam).

11 weeks ago I began this series, “A New Way to Teach Meditation”. Please see at least one or two of the earlier posts for more background. (The archive of earlier posts can be found on the lower right hand corner of the home page).

For a brief recap:

This approach to meditation works just as well for people who believe in God, those who do not, as well as those who are not sure what to believe.

It is not that I am saying, “It makes no difference what you believe as long as it works for you.” There are some belief systems such as Scientology, Opus Dei, or Jehovah’s Witnesses, or the Taliban, or Scientific Determinism that are unhealthy and misguided. It would be more or less a waste of time to think you would gain any benefit from meditation if you are a “true believer” of such teachings. The only exception would be if the meditation was simple and clear enough that the meditation helped you realize you need to walk away from these misguided paths.

I have also said that this new approach to meditation works just as well for those who follow a traditional religion as it does for those who despise organized religion and those who are committed atheists. But this remark also requires a serious qualification.

It is one thing to follow a traditional religion if you also hold a genuine respect for other religious cultures and belief systems. It is quite another to be involved in the arch-conservative or fundamentalist strains of any particular religion or belief system.

What I mean by arch-conservative or fundamentalist strain of an organized religion are those people who feel their way is the “only true way.” They feel that anyone who does not agree with them completely are heretics who are doomed to perdition and that they may be violently attacked. Tragically it is such fanatics in Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist cultures that are discrediting the whole notion of organized religion for many people who otherwise might be quite interested.

Here is another example of such misguided fanaticism.

In the Washington Post today (10-17-15) was a story about Hindu fanatics pouring black paint over the head and face of a former Indian official who hosted an event with a former Foreign Minister of Pakistan. This is a shocking and disgraceful act of intolerance and bigotry on the part of conservative Hindu Nationalists.  It is very simple. Any act that supports reasonable dialogue between India and Pakistan needs to be supported not attacked. There have been even worse acts of violence in India where a Hindu mob killed a Muslim for killing a cow and eating its meat. The rise of violent intolerance and fanaticism among Arch conservative Hindu’s in the land of Gandhi is particularly disturbing. However, it is worth remembering that Gandhi was killed by an arch-conservative Hindu just as Yitzhak Rabin was killed by a Jewish extremist.

I am not trying to criticize organized religion, or to promote it. Neither do I have any interest in trying to convince atheists not to be atheists or to increase the numbers of atheists in the world.

What I am criticizing is the violent intolerance of arch-conservatives and fundamentalists of any religion or ethical belief system who specifically target moderates who seeking to create dialogue as a means to reconciliation.

What is needed is more dialogue and compassionate respect among those religions or atheist traditions that honor basic human values and integrity.

What I feel is important is to help people think more clearly and more independently about what they truly do believe and what are their core values. The approach to meditation I have developed will people across a very diverse spectrum of beliefs to do that. But I want to be clear. There are some forms of spirituality or atheist beliefs that are neither credible nor healthy paths to get involved with.

A sustained study of this interfaith approach to meditation will help a greater number of citizens learn to think and act more clearly, creatively, and independently. This general trend will strengthen the center of any society. As greater numbers of people learn to think more clearly, creatively, and independently new breeds of leaders, teachers, healers, thinkers, and scientists, and citizens will emerge in those societies.

As the center of societies are strengthened the responsible cluster of citizens at the center will be better able to resist the violent religious fanatics or extremists in that society who threaten to rip the society apart as is now happening in Syria, and Afghanistan.

As the center of societies are strengthened those societies will also be better able to resist the tendency towards more authoritarian and violent forms of political oppression such as has developed in countries like America and Russia over the past two decades.

Instead of psychopaths like Vladimir Putin, Dick Cheney, George W Bush, Fidel Castro, and Donald Trump, there will be more people like Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Mohandas Gandhi, and Dr. Zaruful Islam Khan, (President of the All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat).

Peace,

Will Raymond                                                                                                                Host of Meditationpractice.com                                                                                 Author of the Simple Path of Holiness

774-232-0884   will    at    meditationpractice    dot    com    ( Spelled out to limit spam)

10 weeks ago I began this series, “A New Way to Teach Meditation”. Please see at least one or two of the earlier posts for more background. (The archive of earlier posts can be found on the lower right hand corner of the home page).

As I continue with this series, I want to add these additional remarks.

Anyone who knows me is aware I do not have a preference for whether a meditation student is one who believes in God, is a committed atheist, or is generally just plain confused about what to believe is the truth of this life.

In my experience any person, with sufficient personal integrity, honesty, intellectual clarity, human warmth, and decency can reach the higher stages of the spiritual life if they are following a path they genuinely feel most closely reflects their personal views. This is not to say that any path is just as good as any other. There are some paths like Scientology, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or neo-liberal capitalism that are neither credible nor healthy at least in most respects. What I am saying is that everyone has a path and a general direction in their life that has been emerging throughout the years and decades of their life. If you learn the essential skills of silent meditation and how best to employ the highest standards of personal integrity and virtue you will find that which is most deeply true within you.

The key is to learn how to listen within yourself so you really get a visceral feeling as to whether something you are hearing or reading is true or false even if you can’t be quite sure why you are feeling what you are feeling. You can then explore these visceral feelings over time to gain greater insights and more detailed perspectives. It is true that to supplement this personal discernment you need to find one or two experienced elders with whom you can check in with. Talking things over with genuinely experienced mentors, over time, will help you make sure what you think you are perceiving within your depths is indeed a true path of faith and truth rather than some misguided delusion.

Over the past few weeks I have offered half a dozen suggestions of ways of searching in addition to the basic practice of sitting in silence and stillness and being truly open to allowing truth and insight to emerge within you.

Here is another suggestion:

Find a tradition of writers and practitioners and the accompanying artists or musicians of that tradition. Take the time to read the classic works of that culture and to experience the art and architecture of the tradition you are willing to explore. It does not matter whether that tradition is ancient or modern or post-modern. What is important is to find some writers you feel have something important to say to you then to read some small passages from those writers, or to behold some of the art or music or dance of that tradition on a regular basis. With this as a practice, over time you will find a few books, or selections of music, or some monastery or retreat center with beautiful grounds and buildings that you can experience in a personal way over time.

The literature, the visual art, architecture, music, and where available, the dance of a culture, are additional great ways to experience both truth and mystery.

While you will not be able to find a culture that is free from all error, you will be able to find a culture that matches well with the general trajectory of your life. In that tradition you will also find art and symbols and images that offer you real sustaining strength to get you through the challenging days or years that all of us face sooner or later.

If you are reform minded then a good choice is to study the tradition of reformers.

If you are a traditionalist then study the leading teachers of your tradition.

Do not miss the treasures of the past. You will find them to be a refreshing source of inspiration and diversion. You will also find them to be a very needed counterpoint to the fashion magazines, twitter, and shopping mall wastelands that are slowly destroying much of what is left of the world’s refined cultures and ways.

Do not lose contact with the best traditions of the generations that have gone before. In the written and artistic traditions of the past you will find much that is rich and valuable that will help you in your search even if you have to wade through some of the old errors and dysfunction to find what you are looking for.

Please let me know what you are reading that is especially helpful to you. If you are looking for suggestions as to what might be of interest let me know that as well.

Peace,

Will Raymond                                                                                                                Host of Meditationpractice.com                                                                                 Author of the Simple Path of Holiness

774-232-0884   will    at    meditationpractice    dot    com    ( Spelled out to limit spam)

9 weeks ago I began this series, “A New Way to Teach Meditation”. Please see at least one or two of the earlier posts for more background. (The archive of earlier posts can be found on the lower right hand corner of the home page).

As I begin to wrap up this series, I want to add these additional remarks.

There is a great deal of benefit to be gained by studying meditation in any one of the traditional cultures such as Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Taoist, Native American,, Quaker, Buddhist, or New Age. The general problem is that in all of these traditions as you go more deeply into any one of them you will find yourself exposed to the more conservative aspects of those traditions. The most dedicated and experienced teachers will also be the ones most likely to be the guardians and defenders of the most conservative aspects of that particular culture. Despite all the good they have to offer they will also tend to be the ones to most actively repress dissent and refuse to deal with any troubling questions that raise serious challenges to the established order.

This is especially true of the monasteries and the most established retreat centers of those cultures. The people most dedicated to those cultures will be the only ones strong enough to maintain the that culture over the long haul. They will also tend to be among the most narrow minded and chauvinistic defenders of the teachings of that culture.

Also, the rank and file members of a monastic group or retreat center will tend to be the people most likely to have strong needs to submit to authority. Consequently they will be the least likely to ask any serious questions about dysfunction or error of the teachers. They certainly will almost never be the ones to “blow the whistle” on any of the true scandals that may come up such as the sex scandals that rocked the Catholic Church over the past few decades. It is worth remembering that it was, with rare exception, only the victims and outside lawyers, judges, and journalists who brought the depth of the Catholic scandal into public view. Even the current popular Pope Francis actively participated in the cover up of some of the worst examples of sex abuse by conservative priests (see the case of Father Maciel)

So, between the authoritarian personalities that lead monastic cultures, and the submissive tendencies of the members you have a general recipe for a hardening of the arteries of those cultures. This is a problem. Each of even the best of the world’s monastic centers and retreat houses will have their own quirks, errors, and levels of cultural dysfunction embedded in the priceless truths they also have to offer. Yet there are very few ways to reform the old order without losing the essential power of the older traditions.

One of the great witnesses to the truth of what I am saying is the Catholic writer and monk Thomas Merton. In his journals he levelled similar, even more trenchant, criticisms against the culture of the monastery he, so ironically, helped make famous as a center for meditation.

Conversely those who are renegades or reformers will have a very hard time keeping a meditation group together let alone to maintain a monastery over many centuries. Due to the strongly divergent and egotistical personalities there will tend to never be a strong enough sense of agreement among renegades and reformers about how to manage the community decisions, or what constitutes valid teachings versus invalid teachings that are clearly outside the norm of what the group is trying to promulgate. In short, the older cultures are too narrow and conservative, and the many reformers are to undisciplined and contentious to last for any length of time.

I am not sure what the answer is to this dilemma, but I know the questions raised are good question for serious thought.

Have you been a member of a monastery or an administrator of a well known retreat center? What has been your experience of both the best of your tradition as well as the dysfunction that folks tend to keep carefully hidden from the view of the faithful?

Peace,

Will

will   at meditation      practice    dot     com ( spelled out to limit spam)

774-232-0884