Reader's Write: Choosing Your Religion

I got a comment from one of my friends a while back, in January when I had just started this blog and was just leaving for India. For some reason, I really liked the comment and wanted to share it here. I'm not sure that I have much of a response, but here it is anyway.

Darnell Writes: I'm glad you've decided to embrace a foreign culture and religion. It seems like most americans have a dismissive attitude about such things as personal enlightment through non christian means. Though I'm not religous myself, meditation has been proven by conventional medical standards to be very healthy and I've done it from time to time. Sinn said he spent one year at a tibetan monastery and he thought for sure that's where he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Is that how you feel about this?

Thanks Darnell. I was never really raised Christian, and never had much interest for it. Once I got older, though, I came to enjoy some of the stories of Jesus. One of my favorite episodes from the Bible is this one:

Jesus went to the mount of Olives: And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery: and when they had set her in the midst, They say to him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he raised himself, and said to them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even to the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

John 8:1-9

Wow! That's one of my all time favorites - a powerful image and sound advice. I'm not sure if I'm really very religious, but I hear a story like that and I feel moved and inspired. In fact, it doesn't even seem like anything religious, just good sense.

Funny though, that some who claim to be Christian might "cast stones" at foreign cultures and religions. Hmmm.... go figure.

I didn't know that Sinn spent time at a monastery, that's pretty cool. I must admit that I did visit a Zen temple in Korea and I remember watching the bamboo blow in the wind, and hearing the giant gong being struck at 5:00 in the morning, and I think I could've stayed there the rest of my life. There is something quite attractive about that kind of simplicity peace and beauty.

I definitely feel fortunate to live in a country (and much of the world) where I'm free to sit around enjoying inner silence in my own way without being persecuted for being a witch or a heretic. It's funny because even Jesus didn't have that, and his "embrace of a foreign religion" didn't seem to go over too well in his day. Let's just say, life is more enjoyable when not nailed to a cross.

Be well, and good luck with your meditation practice.

Daniel

Travel Update: Leaving Town Again

One last hike while up in the mountains took me to St. John's Church of the Wilderness. What a way to say goodbye to this beautiful mountain town. It's hard moving on sometimes, and this is one place where I will always have a little piece of my heart.

The Church of the Wilderness brought up a lot of metta (love) for Christianity, despite it's flaws. And also I was feeling a lot of love for the contribution that religion has made to architecture. I think, maybe, spiritual architecture may be one of the coolest achievements of mankind!

So, I'm getting on a bus tonight - third class, government bus. I think it's hit or miss whether I will regret this or not. It's a 12 hour overnight ride - just hope I have a friendly seat-mate.

I will end up in Rishikesh at some point tomorrow morning, where I'll be staying for one night. I'm excited about Rishikesh, as it's where the Beatles went to study with the great Maharishi. There's a bunch of yoga, ashrams and hippies there now.

I'll spend one night there, and then I'm going through Hardiwar on my way out of town the next day - on an overnight train to Sattal for my retreat.

Haridwar is currently hosting the 2010 Kumbh Mella, which is said to be the largest spiritual gathering on the planet (sometimes up to 10 million pilgrims). I wanted to see it, but not really be in it. Too many crowds for my taste. So, I'm happy that I get to simply pass through for the day.

Let's hit the road!

40 Days and 40 Nights

Say what you will, but I've always liked the phrase: "What would Jesus do?"

Well, what Jesus DID do was go into the desert and fast for forty days. So, maybe that's a good place to start.

I won't be fasting for forty days, but on March 15th I'm going on retreat again. I think it's forty one days, however, as I'll be released on April 25th. I also looked and saw that a nearby Goenka center is starting a course on the 26th of April, so I might go and sit that course too, which would be about 52 days. Or, I might serve the Goenka course, or maybe not go at all, depending on how I feel after the first 40. But, the chances are that you won't hear anything from me for about 50 days after I go into silence.

The course is led by OpenDharma.org, who have been highly recommended to me, and I've already met Jaya (one of the leaders of the retreat.) It will be at a beautiful Christian Ashram (another sign?) called Sattall Ashram. It's said to be in the woods, far away from the busy cities. Smile!

I'm quite grateful for this opportunity for extended practice. What incredible fortune to have the luxury of time and support for my meditation practice. One of my meditation mentors recently told me that I must have good karma, to see the Dalai Lama, and the Bodh Gaya retreat, and now this. It's wonderful. Jesus had to go to a desert and didn't have anyone serving him food! Oh, man!

I actually just finished a little informal six day self-retreat here in Dharamsala and it went very well. I'll write more about it later. I managed to subsist on about $7 per day, so that makes for a pretty economical retreat! I may have to come back here.

I topped off my self-retreat with a hike to Triund (2900m). I'll write more about that later too (and upload some of the several hundred photos I took).

For the record though, Jesus didn't really plan to go to the desert, he was led by the Spirit.

(Mat 4:1) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert...

It seems most things he did were led by the Spirit. So, I think that closes the case on "what would Jesus do?"... he would follow the Spirit. End of story.

Follow your Spirit.