My name is Kevin from Tehachapi Karuna Sangha, and
I’m nearing the end of a lengthy prison term.
During those years of confinement I have learned valuable, life
enhancing truths from my exposure to many different religions and belief
systems. Whether from Christian or Druid,
Jew or Muslim, esoteric or atheist, Hindu or Buddhist, I am a better, more
well-rounded man as a result of my willingness to listen and learn from those
around me.
Several months ago I
signed up to attend a twelve week addiction recovery program sponsored by the
Buddhist community called, Refuge Recovery.
While participating in the series of lectures and meditation I became
impressed with the pragmatic value of Buddhist teachings. Not only are there teachings of generosity,
kindness, forgiveness, common to all faiths I had previously studied, but the
Buddhists also provide training in down-to-earth practices that actualize such
lofty teaching for each participant, integrating the principles into their
everyday lives.
Strong, consistent
emphasis on mindfulness, mental discipline, and deep, penetrating meditation
are a few of the Buddhist tools for achieving, in very practical terms, the
lives most other religious camps preach but all too rarely practice. As a result of my own personal growth through
this twelve week program I decided to begin attending Buddhist services and
explore more of what I began to believe would, at the very least, provide for
me a mechanism by which to fortify my own religious faith.
I should tell you a
little more about myself here. I love
learning about the world around me, and I love exploring ideas about how my
little own personal micro-cosmic view might fit into a grander, universal
whole. When I meet others with similar
yearning, I always feel as if I am with family-cut out of the same cloth. It has been a source of frustration in my
life, both before and after my arrest, to have not found many who share in my
child-like awe and wonder at the beauty and glory of nature – both that beneath
our feet and skyward.
Yesterday I was privileged
to attend a Buddhist retreat where I sat before the Buddhist monk, Venerable Xian
Zhong. Before this time I had already
been blessed with meeting regularly with an inmate Buddhist facilitator, we
affectionately refer to as ‘Doc”. Doc
runs the Refuge Recovery program and is, himself, a recovering soul from the
terrors of drug abuse. From Doc’s
stories about his past selfish, self-centered, self-destructive life I had
already seen for myself a living testament for the Buddhist approach to putting
a broken life back together. Doc is a
remarkable example of the power potential to be found within Buddhism.
While I sat listening
to this humble, yet enthusiastic monk I was quickly aware that his words were
spoken in what I have come to accept as the “Spirit of truth”. There are unseen, unheard energies in our
universe. Physicists speak of “dark
matter”, and “dark energy” as comprising better than 96% of the cosmos, meaning
that we can only directly observe less than 4% of the entirety of what we know,
but cannot detect, is out there. I have
come to believe that truth, not facts, not mundane observations, but sublime,
universal truth comes to us from the unobserved majority of our universe – and
perhaps beyond even there.
As Venerable spoke, the
inner part of me, my “heart”, resonated.
I have felt this same resonance many times before as I read from sacred
texts from all cultures in our multi-ethnic world. Whether from the Bible, the Vedas, the Koran,
the Book of Mormon, or Plato – when I read the words of any sage, guru,
prophets, or philosopher inspired from the unobserved reals my heart sings,
vibrates, swells and becomes softer, more pliable. Such was the case before Venerable Zhong
yesterday.
To be sure, at least
on the surface, there are distinctive beliefs within every approach to
enlightenment, or rebirth, that are unique and apparently irreconcilable to
other faiths: reincarnation,
transubstantiation, miraculous conception, ancestor worship, speaking in
tongues, etc. Every church, synagogue,
temple, community have their particular peculiarities. But, beneath the doctrines, rites, and
rituals of every group is a commonality, and that singularity binds us all – no
matter your congregation – Love. Compassion. Eager forgiveness. Self-sacrifice. Nobility in personal grow. This is what I have found in every religion
or belief I have studied. This is at the
heart of Buddhism. This is the
resonating truth I heard with my heart coming from my new friend, brother, and
fellow lover of all things truthful, the passionate humble Buddhist monk,
Venerable Zhong.
