This weekend, members of a Muslim community in Canada, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC), came together with members of the Hindu Samaj Temple, Ramgarhia Association, Redeemer University and the Jewish Students Association of McMaster (Ontario), for a conference entitled, The Role, Character and Actions of God.
More than 200 participants, including members of Buddhist, Native American and Atheist organisations joined in with the AMC, whose roots in Canada extend back to 1889. The AMC has long been the champion of the Islamic dedication to peacefulness, with its founder declaring more than a century ago that an aggressive “jihad by the sword” has no place in Islam.
The AMC advocates for universal human rights and protection for religious and other minorities, while it champions the empowerment and education of women. The guiding principle at the AMC has always been “love for all and hatred for none.”
I couldn’t help but wonder why the small city of Hamilton was able to bring together such a diverse group of people, when here in the oldest inland city in the United States, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we have continually met fundamentalist and conservative roadblocks to such progress.
Within our spiritual community, the Contemplative Order of Compassion, there are many practices, rooted in the Tibetan tradition, that support heartfelt connections between one’s self and others. Probably the most helpful of these for me, has been the practice of Tonglen.
Tonglen is a means of remedying the tendency we might have to become wrapped-up in our ego-selves, by opening us to a greater awareness of the truth of suffering (both in ourselves and in others). It is a practice which opens the heart chakra, and a powerful means of removing obstacles from our spiritual paths and personal experiences.
Tonglen is an ancient Tibetan practice, which literally means, “giving and receiving.” It empowers us to shift our perspective, particularly when there are interpersonal difficulties, or conflicts within ourselves, or about ourselves and others.
Geshe Chekhawa, who lived in the eleventh century Tibet, was an extremely learned and accomplished meditation master, who became aware of Tonglen while reading the quote below, as he was sitting in his teacher’s room:
“Give all profit and gain to others,
Take all loss and defeat on yourself.”
There really is no other practice that can be as effective in destroying the self-grasping, self-cherishing, self-absorption of our ego, which is at the root of our suffering. Geshe Chekhawa set out immediately to find the Tibetan master, who had written the quote.
Along the way, he met a leper, who told him that the master Atisha, had in fact died. But determined, Geshe continued on, eventually finding the principal disciple of that great teacher.
He asked the learned disciple whether he felt these two lines were significant, and the disciple replied, “Whether you like it or not, you will have to practice this teaching if you truly wish to realise your Awakened Mind!”
That began a 12-year period of study with the disciple, during which he trained Geshe Chekhawa in the practice of Tonglen.
Through various dreams and visions, Atisha, who was responsible for bringing the Lojong Mind Training practice to Tibet, became convinced that ultimate spiritual liberation was possible only through the Bodhichitta practice of opening one’s heart completely to all beings.
If we are to eliminate our self-grapsing, self-cherishing attachments, we must be willing to step outside ourselves… to embrace the needs, the hurts and the desire for non-suffering of others, and work toward practical means of bringing about peace, compassion and understanding.
Until we leave this area, I will continue to try to bridge those lines of separation that have been marked in the sand by Lancaster’s ultra-conservative religious leaders. Perhaps, a yoga centre or meditation group will invite us in to speak about the Charter for Compassion, and ways in which we can begin to serve the local community more openly.
Perhaps there will be others, struggling with their Dharma practice, who find our presence among them to be a sign of encouragement — a chance to come out of the closet of post-denominational, non-sectarian and emergent spirituality — an opportunity to begin to build something new… something different… something worthwhile… where all perspectives are honoured and we celebrate the common ground of compassion.
I remain hopeful… and I trust in the lineage of my teachers… the Succession of the Apostles, and the rich tradition of the great Je Tsongkhapa and all his entourage.
What can you do in your community, to bring people together? What can you do to foster dialogue about meaningful ways of serving those in need, and alleviating suffering? I encourage you to join us in our commitment to becoming champions of that dialogue, as I bow in respect to the loving people of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for their wonderful work in Ontario.
May peace and calm abiding fill your week!
I bow to my Root Guru, Tenzin Yangchen Ma; to my beloved Spiritual Father, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso; to my most precious Spiritual Brothers and Beloved Teachers, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche; to the memory of my Refuge Guru Sri Abishektananda-ji, and to our Satguru Sri Neem Karoli Baba. Jai! Jai! Jai! Ki Jai!
your least servant,
- dharmacharya gurudas sunyatananda
Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda. All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.
