Buddhist<\/a> Metta-bhavana (cultivation of loving-kindness or friendliness) for years now, and quite intensely for over a year now. And I\u2019ve done a tiny weekend retreat on the Spiritual Exercises, but I\u2019m feeling a pull to do more there, to dive more deeply into this practice of finding God \u201cin all things.\u201d<\/p>\nSome Buddhists out there may find this anathema; and I too would have at points in my life. But what I am finding now are the parallels of thought and action behind<\/span> the words that cause disagreement. For example, repentance and renunciation. As a Buddhist in America my face turns a bit sour at the very word \u2018repentance.\u2019 I can almost see the wild-eyed preacher, bible in one hand, cross in the other, yelling it out: Repent!
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Likewise with \u2018renunciation\u2019 for Catholics. To the Catholic, this looks like a selfish turning-away from the world. But here is what De Mello says about repentance:<\/p>\nRepentance brings an intense desire for God, deep gratitude, and a growth in self-awareness that increases our freedom to love.
<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span>He goes on to describe the process as not bringing sadness or self-loathing, but great joy. Isn\u2019t Buddhist renunciation<\/span> the same? It is a renunciation of a certain way<\/span> of being in the world, a selfish, ego-centered way. Breaking free of this ego brings awareness and my good friend, deep gratitude.<\/p>\nAnd for both, this is a difficult process. Realizing the futility of mundane existence, letting go of it, or perhaps feeling torn<\/span> from it. Realizing the hours, days, months, years spent chasing this form of happiness, like a hamster on a wheel. As Anthony says,<\/p>\nTears are a precious grace of that first week. This can be noticed in other schools of mysticism also. The Zen masters give great importance to tears; the false ego is washed away through them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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And so for every moment of false-ego-washing-away, and so much more, I am grateful.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>It is a fitting time, I think, to explore Gratitude. Yet in an ideal sense, gratitude would suffuse our every thought, word and action. Just thinking about this brings a sense of calm, stillness, and openness. The field of awareness expands and we hold gently all things.<\/p>\n