REFLECTIONS ON WESTERN INTEREST IN
BUDDHISM.
Reflections on Western Interest in Buddhism.
Regarding Buddhism, the first question one might ask is
why a person today should wish to study such a subject: what has led them
in this particular direction? Is it instinctual, or is it a product of
some bitter life experiences? And what do they wish to get out of such
study? Greater wisdom and knowledge, perhaps? Or maybe greater peace and
equanimity? Do they want mere palliation, or the full cure? Is their
interest chiefly grounded in their pathology, their suffering? Or is it
rooted in a more genuine interest in self-improvement and gaining
insights? All motivations are valid, but perhaps the best motivation is
self-improvement, because various other ‘therapies’ might be more
suitable for dealing solely with a pathological interest.
Having said that, however, one can achieve much
self-healing through meditation, for in any case, some negative life
experiences do become insightful when viewed with the right attitude, and
tell us things about ourselves and mould our interests, and Buddhism does
enrich our inner life, our self-awareness and instil inner peace. This
enriches our understanding of who we are and how we came to be where we
are today as people. It helps us come to grip with our self-identity.
Painful experiences in life and feeling bad about
oneself in general, can undoubtedly lead one towards psychotherapy,
philosophy or religions in general. And it would be foolish to deny that
this is an important reason that motivates a good many people to study a
religion. That is neither good nor bad in itself. It can be good because
it means we have already come to know what suffering, death, loss and
impermanence mean, what setbacks and failures are, and the lessons they
teach us, and Buddhism is grounded upon a conceptual field that is richly
dominated by these aspects of human life. Such features dominate the
philosophy of Buddhism, which is central to it. In meditation we often
wish to find answers for our own failings just as much as to cosmic
questions.
We must also consider some of the underlying attitudes
and beliefs that most Buddhists tend to subscribe to and how one might fit
into or get along with such attitudes and beliefs; i.e. to what extent do
we share them? For example, pacifism, non-violence and a gentleness of
spirit one might expect to find, not only in most genuine Buddhists, but
also in those people who are even remotely attracted to it. It does not
tend to appeal to aggressive, grasping or competitive types of people as
it does not validate or encourage such attitudes in its followers, or in
anybody. It regards them as basically negative traits—‘mental stains’
to be worked upon and subdued.
Introverted, peaceful, reflective and contemplative
people can easily become inclined towards Buddhism—they resonate with
it, and it rewards them well, often richly. It also rewards those who have
naturally experienced periods of tranquillity and bliss, or any type of
religious feeling. Likewise, studious people who wish to read in greater
depth the Buddhist scriptures and ancillary literature, or to integrate
contemplation into their daily lives. It certainly rewards such study and
close reading.
Most Buddhists also tend to be submissive to some
degree, broadly accepting of the world as they find it, and themselves—as
far as they can—and wish not so much to change the world or self to meet
their own desires, or to dictate how it should be, but to adapt oneself
better to it as it is, to find and live by its natural given rules, and to
find ways to blend in more harmoniously with them, so as to achieve
greater happiness, contentment, and equanimity, through adaptation to
things as they are, through social camouflage and spiritual attunement,
rather than through pre-doomed attempts to exert one’s will upon others,
upon self or the world, like some rigid straitjacket. It prefers the
narrow, peaceful path that runs between both extremes—between inaction
on one side and fighting things on the other. Surrender and loss of
control do not come easily to competitive and aggressive people, but they
are key aspects of Buddhism.
All Buddhists believe in karma as a law that shows our
actions and their inevitable results, thus forming a framework of the
world and the life we have, which we are born into, and within which we
very largely live. There is surprisingly little we can do to hastily
change this structure of life, self, the world, others that we are born
into, and to try to do so is, for many of us, the source of considerable
pain, unhappiness and frustration; such is our suffering. Is it better to
adapt and to learn to be happy with the relative riches we are already
blessed with, than to spend all our days wishing and wanting and warring
against what we do not or cannot have? Which path in truth creates more
peace, joy and contentment? We have a straight choice in this matter. On
the other hand, sitting back and meekly doing nothing about one’s life
and accepting everything that comes along, no matter how painful, does not
seem like a good option either.
Thus, Buddhists tend to be more like the more accepting
and adaptable third or fourth child in a family who naturally wishes to
blend in with a preformed situation they are born into, rather than the
domineering first or second child, who often wishes to exert their will
upon events, upon others and upon structures, rather than follow a given
path of peaceful adaptation and harmonious coexistence.
Some interest in self-analysis, psychology, observing
oneself, of achieving greater mindfulness, goodness, kindness, deep inner
peace and contentment or equanimity, provides a sound basis for studying
Buddhism. These are integral aspects that it richly validates and rewards.
Wishing for self-improvement, to become a better person and to feel better
about oneself; these are also useful ancillary aims that find validation
in Buddhism and its teachings.
Regarding ego and possessions, Buddhism prefers that we
work hard to subdue and demolish the former and live frugally with as few
possessions as we can. In this way, we can at least learn greater
detachment from people, and events, and also from sensations, pleasures,
pains and possessions, for ultimately all these things must pass away and
they often become sources of our inner suffering. All this comes under the
general heading of moderation in all things, non-attachment or the Middle
Path trod between the extremes of pleasure and pain.
Any person contemplating embarking upon an interest in
Buddhism, or a deeper involvement in it, would do well to reflect upon all
these factors to ascertain where they stand in relation to the whole. They
can soon see if they are well-suited to this set of ideas, or not.
Regarding the types of Buddhism on offer as it were,
then there are four types extant in the world today. First is the
Theravada, second the Pure Land School, third Tibetan Buddhism and finally
Zen. These need to be studied in some depth in order to find the one that
suits one’s own temperament and requirements the closest.
Zen Buddhism
can be seen as a prolonged exploration
of the incomparable silence and stillness of being; an attunement in
tranquillity to the essence of being; or maybe a big self-delusion. Is a
cold and compassionless mental discipline of a severe type, meditation on
tranquillity, resolutely excluding all emotions and all samsaric forms,
really possible? This is the sound of one hand clapping; the world before
it was created; your name before you were born; or the ultimate essence of
everything. That is, nothingness, awareness and being without stain,
blemish, name or colour, without feeling or sensation; without labels; a
total immersion in pure being. Such is Zen meditation–-placing the mind
in the Buddhist deep freeze.
Though Zen aims at a cool scientific appraisal of the
nature of mind—and creates deep tranquillity experiences—yet, its
Tibetan critique holds that it is not the route to enlightenment because
samadhi—and its ensuing wisdom, deep insights—is only one part of
Buddha’s enlightenment experience, which also requires the exhaustive
cultivation of compassion and unfading bliss, caring for the infinite
living beings, impulses which arguably cannot arise simply from
calm-abiding meditation alone; it must be cultivated alongside. Thus, they
regard Zen as a good Mahayana path.
The Pure Land School of Buddhism is a popular
devotional form of Buddhism that holds that self-purification is most
easily achieved through mantra repetition and positive thinking. This is
held to comprise a simple way that suits everybody. It comprises simple
devotional exercises which appeal to the masses who do not relish complex
intellectual or monastic training, but who do wish better luck and success
in life, good future lives and bad karma burned off. The Pure Land school
claims to offer exactly this.
Pure Land is “a branch of mainstream Mahayana
Buddhism and one of the most popular schools in the Far East…the main
practice is the commemoration of Amida (Jap. nembutsu), either
through contemplation, seeking a vision of him in this life, or through
the chanting of his name in order to be reborn in his pure land at the
time of death.”
[Pure Land Buddhism, Virtual Library;
http://www.pitaka.ch/vlpl.htm;
accessed 4-2-04]
The Theravada School [path of elders, hearers or
shravakas] employs simple meditation on breathing, and mindfulness, plus a
strict ethical code, a simple frugal life, being good, and self-restraint
as a path to arhatship, which is becoming a realised being after countless
lifetimes. It emphasises patience, non-violence and calm plus the
difficulty of adhering to a very long spiritual path that may take many
aeons to complete. A simple and effective ethical life and mind training
are deemed to lead to better future rebirths and gradual loss of bad
karma. It aims at the objective of arhatship, a peaceful control of the
passions.
Tibetan Buddhism
claims to be a complete path that
offers a path to full Buddhahood in one lifetime. This form of Buddhism is
in very large part merely the late Mahayana Indian Buddhism, c.1100
transferred into Tibet by scholars and adepts, where it has been
well-preserved. It is a very social and people-centred form of Buddhism.
It is compassion-oriented, guru-devotion centred, highly ritualistic and
symbolism oriented. Joy, compassion and colour predominate over mind
control and meditation, which are pursued more in the retreat situation.
Visualisation is also a key feature.
The final point seems to be that people will be drawn
towards the form of Buddhism that suits them best, both in terms of what
they perceive to be their predominant spiritual needs, and according to
their personal disposition. Zen and Theravada will always tend to be
especially attractive to those who do not enjoy ritual or philosophy, who
crave an uncluttered simplicity of view and practice and who desire to
obtain tranquillity and mind-training to enhance their peace of mind.
Tibetan Buddhism, by contrast, will tend to appeal more to those who do
love ritual, philosophy and symbolism as well as close personal
instruction from a guru, and who stress the humane and compassionate
aspects of Buddhist training as much as the rigorous mental discipline of
meditation training.