#16 Kansas City Here I Come!

OK so we're not in Kansas anymore; we're actually in Kansas City, MO, but this looked interesting, 'American Buddhism' in the Unity Temple (A Christian mystical/spiritualist church with a fascinating background).  A Victor James Dougherty is now the director of the Buddhist practice side of things.   His music did not move me but he gave a great introduction to today's livestream meditation. 

With the instruction to take a few 'conscious breaths'; holding for a moment and releasing concerns of 'doing' and instead tuning in to the energy of 'being.'   Following that was the chant Om Ami Dewa Hrih, mantra of Amitabha, a Buddha of several Vajrayana schools. 

The following talk was led by Robert Brumet,  Unity's Buddhist leader, and a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader's program.   The title of today's teaching was 'Perils of the Path.'   After a 15 minute guided meditation on the body "feelings are like the weather, whatever it is, that's what it is", and the mind "the mind wants to present you with something more interesting than the breath,"  he began. 

I had not previously heard a definition of 'American Buddhism,'  but Robert offered that it is composed of mindfulness (awareness and acceptance) and cultivation of the heart.   The heart of the teaching was pure Buddhism from the Vissudhimagga on the enemies of the Brahma-Viharas ('abodes' or attitudes or 'immeasurables.').     Robert likened our spiritual path to a sometimes bumpy road, in which we need to stay aware of blind spots, and unskillfulness, the enemy being conditioned mind, with it's negative habits that obscure healthy practice.  I love this quote of his, "I'm always suspicious when I feel comfortable."  "Good practice,"  he said,   "keeps us on the edge."

For awareness, the 'far' or more obvious enemy is ignorance and delusion, while the 'near' or more disguised enemy (often appearing in a cloak of positive practice), is awareness being filtered through our concepts, for example, goal setting;   we might say to ourselves 'I am being really aware now I am reaching my goal that makes me special or I have moved past such and such issue.'.     

For equanimity (acceptance), the far enemy is aversion or non-acceptance, while the near enemy is spacing out or numbness, feeling perhaps like 'I'm fine with it, I accept it' as a way of not dealing with something.  This would include bargaining like 'I will accept it so I can get rid of it.' 

For metta (loving-kindness), the far enemy is hatred, while the near enemy is using loving kindness practice to change something with an agenda.   Robert emphasized that metta is best done without a desire for changing others; it is a practice of opening our own heart. 

Finally compassion's far enemy is cruelty or not caring, and the more subtle near enemy is pity. 

What to do?   For all of these challenges to our practice, it can help to return again and again to the intention we set for liberation, and apply ourselves to staying aware.   Seeing things as they are.   Can we really see ourselves without ego?   Take a look.   

I also loved that he threw in a comment on non-dual practice; the enemy of which is using it as an escape; like 'oh it's all one' or 'we are already enlightened', while remaining unwilling to manage the shabby imperfections, fragility and loss we all must support each other in. 

Robert quotes the 16th century mystic Mirabai on his home page: 

Listen, my friend, this road is the heart opening,
Kissing his feet, resistance broken, tears all night.

If we could reach the Lord through immersion in water,
I would have asked to be born a fish in this life.
If we could reach Him through nothing but berries and wild nuts,
Then surely the saints would have been monkeys when they came from the womb!

 If we could reach him by munching lettuce and dry leaves,
Then the goats would surely go to the Holy One before us!

 If the worship of stone statues could bring us all the way,
 I would have adored a granite mountain years ago.

The heat of midnight tears will bring you to God.