Julia
Julia is typical is a Christian influenced by Buddhism. The practices Process Zen.
She is a hospice worker in New York who, as a Benedictine sister, turns to Buddhism "to become a better listener and to become more patient." As a student of Zen she has been practicing zazen for twenty years under the inspiration of the Vietnamese Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, whose book Living Buddha/Living Christ gave her new eyes for Christ, proposing that Jesus himself was "mindful in the present moment."
She practices meditation in order to deepen her own capacities for mindfulness, particularly as it might help her be more effective in her life's calling. As a hospice worker she feels called to listen to dying people, quietly and without judgment, as a way of extending the healing ministry of Christ. Like many people in consumer society, she sometimes finds herself too hurried and distracted, too caught up in her own concerns, to be present to others in patient and healing ways. She turns to Zen practice because it has helped her become more patient and attentive in her capacities to be available to people in a spirit of compassion.
From Julia’s perspective, “being present” to people in a compassionate way is a spiritual practice in its own right. She calls this attention “practicing the presence of God,” and she believes that this listening participates in a deeper Listening – an all-inclusive Love -- whom she calls God, and whom she believes is everywhere at once. She turns to Zen meditation, then, not to escape the world, but to help her drawn closer to the very God whose face she sees in people in need, and to help her become gentler and more attentive in her own capacities for listening. In her words: “I hope that my Zen practice has helped me become a better Christian.”
She is a hospice worker in New York who, as a Benedictine sister, turns to Buddhism "to become a better listener and to become more patient." As a student of Zen she has been practicing zazen for twenty years under the inspiration of the Vietnamese Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, whose book Living Buddha/Living Christ gave her new eyes for Christ, proposing that Jesus himself was "mindful in the present moment."
She practices meditation in order to deepen her own capacities for mindfulness, particularly as it might help her be more effective in her life's calling. As a hospice worker she feels called to listen to dying people, quietly and without judgment, as a way of extending the healing ministry of Christ. Like many people in consumer society, she sometimes finds herself too hurried and distracted, too caught up in her own concerns, to be present to others in patient and healing ways. She turns to Zen practice because it has helped her become more patient and attentive in her capacities to be available to people in a spirit of compassion.
From Julia’s perspective, “being present” to people in a compassionate way is a spiritual practice in its own right. She calls this attention “practicing the presence of God,” and she believes that this listening participates in a deeper Listening – an all-inclusive Love -- whom she calls God, and whom she believes is everywhere at once. She turns to Zen meditation, then, not to escape the world, but to help her drawn closer to the very God whose face she sees in people in need, and to help her become gentler and more attentive in her own capacities for listening. In her words: “I hope that my Zen practice has helped me become a better Christian.”
Process Zen
Infinite gratitude for all things past,
Infinite service to all things present,
Infinite responsibility for all things future.
~ Gotō Zuigan Roshi
Where am I? What time is it? The answer is "here" and "now." This is always the answer, whatever the clock may say, wherever we happen to be in physical space, and whatever circumstances we face. The subjective immediacy of the past has perished, and the subjective immediacy of the future has not yet arisen. We are always in the moment.
Process Zen is the activity of inhabiting the moment we are in, with an intuitive awareness of the connections that make it possible, a mindfulness of what is happening, loving attention to whomever we encounter, and willingness to respond to the call of the moment, which is for wisdom and compassion. The call of the moment is how God, the cosmic Bodhisattva of love, is present in our lives.
We ourselves are not different from the moment we inhabit. We are the self-creativity of that moment and in that moment, responsive to the call or otherwise. We are also the people and plants and animals and landscapes we encounter. There is no sharp boundary separating "inside" from "outside." We are the outside as well as the inside. The world, says Whitehead, is our body. This does not mean that all is always happy or pleasant. But it does mean that we are the worlds we inhabit and our inhabiting of those worlds. This is Process Zen.
*
Many years ago, when I was taking a course on Whitehead’s Process and Reality under John Cobb, I was also the English teacher for a Zen Buddhist monk from Japan. In the mornings, I would study Whitehead, and in the afternoons, I would teach English to my friend from Japan. Often, we would discuss Zen and also sit in meditation together. As a result, I couldn’t help but read Whitehead with Zen-influenced eyes. Whereas my fellow students would think of Whitehead’s account of experience from an external perspective, as if experiences were small units of energy in the depths of atoms, I found myself thinking that actual occasions of experience, as described by Whitehead, were very much how Zen Buddhists experience the world. They were living what Whitehead was talking about.
In light of this, I am talking about what process theology looks like when influenced by Zen Buddhism. For lack of a better phrase, I call it Process Zen. It is not a form of Buddhism or Christianity or Judaism or Islam. It is a form of process theology that can be embodied by many different people in many different ways. It emphasizes living in the moment, in a spirit of deep listening, cognizant that the moment includes the whole universe within its depths, and responsive to the call of the moment.
Often, when people hear the phrase process theology, they think of it as a worldview or outlook on life, including a unique way of thinking about God, which people can embrace and then put into practice. The ideas come first, and practice follows. In the case of Process Zen, however, the reverse is true. The practice takes precedence over the worldview, and the idea of God is subordinate to that practice. To be sure, the practice includes receptivity to the call of the moment, which, from the perspective of many process theologians, comes from God. But in Process Zen, openness to what is present in the moment, and responsiveness to the call of the moment, is more important than whatever beliefs might accompany the openness. A person may not believe in God at all, yet be fully present to what is happening in the moment and respond to its calling. If so, they are practicing Process Zen.
*
At its core lies an awareness of what is happening in the present moment. The here and now, the "actual occasion" in its momentary aliveness, is the heart of reality. It is holy ground. This moment is not isolated from the world or from the past and future. It includes the entirety of the past actual world and the future as a not-yet-determined possibility. William Blake speaks of finding heaven in a wildflower and the universe in a grain of sand. Process Zen finds the universe in each present moment and adds that the whole universe is composed of present moments.
In saying this, it is important to recognize the difference between a third-person perspective and a first-person perspective. From a third-person perspective, it may seem as if the present moment is one among many moments arising and perishing, to be succeeded by subsequent moments—as if the viewer were sitting on the shore of a river, watching the moments arise and perish. But this could wrongly imply that the viewer remains the same as the moments pass. From a first-person or existential perspective, the viewer is in the river, in the moment. The moment is not observed as an object among objects; it is the lived subjectivity of human life. The human self is always here and now, and yet different at every moment: like the crest of a wave which is always here and now yet always changing. In truth, there is no stable shore on which to settle. From the perspective of Process Zen, the whole of the actual universe is a river, and we are always already within it, even as we might think otherwise. There are no spectators. We are all in the water. The key is to be present to where we are.
*
Being present, then, is a way of being in the water. It entails fully inhabiting each moment, attuned to the experiential richness it offers, responsive to its nuances, and mindful of the interconnectedness of all phenomena. This includes a recognition that the one who "inhabits" the moment is not different from the moment itself. The inhabitor is the inhabiting.
Inhabiting the moment is not something that happens to someone sitting on the shore, watching from afar. It is the self-awakening, self-creativity, and self-enjoyment of the moment itself. It is an alert, relaxed awareness of what is given for experience—other people, plants and animals, hills and rivers, and the inward landscapes of thoughts, memories, and emotions in the here and now. This presence includes mindfulness and discernment, recognizing and responding to what is called for in the moment at hand.
Being present involves letting go of the past in order to be present to what is present. Moment by moment, the subjective immediacy of a given moment perishes, and a new moment takes its place. The one who inhabits the moment changes along with this transition. The past selves continue to exercise their influence; the crest of the wave includes the past. But a sense of newness, of freshness, is part of the process life as influenced by Zen.
*
Amid the freshness, there is a constancy of attitude. It is captured in the phrase “infinite gratitude for all things past, infinite service to all things present, infinite responsibility for all things future.”
Gratitude for the past does not mean that you are happy about everything that has happened in the past, whether they happened to you or to other people or to other creatures. You are happy about some things and not about others. But it does mean that you know that the present moment includes and is dependent on what has happened in the past; it would not be itself without those past events. They come together and set the stage for a unique moment in the history of the universe that has never happened before and will never happen again. A moment with its possibilities to which you can respond, freely and creatively. We are grateful.
Service to all things present is a recognition that what is called for, no matter what the circumstances, is wisdom and compassion, including and especially loving-kindness. This love is given without reservation and without expectation of necessary outcomes. It is a natural response to the suffering of others and also to their natural desire for happiness.
Responsibility follows from the service. To truly serve others, it is not enough to meet their needs in the present; we must also create conditions by which they and subsequent generations of human (and other living) beings can flourish.
Infinite service to all things present,
Infinite responsibility for all things future.
~ Gotō Zuigan Roshi
Where am I? What time is it? The answer is "here" and "now." This is always the answer, whatever the clock may say, wherever we happen to be in physical space, and whatever circumstances we face. The subjective immediacy of the past has perished, and the subjective immediacy of the future has not yet arisen. We are always in the moment.
Process Zen is the activity of inhabiting the moment we are in, with an intuitive awareness of the connections that make it possible, a mindfulness of what is happening, loving attention to whomever we encounter, and willingness to respond to the call of the moment, which is for wisdom and compassion. The call of the moment is how God, the cosmic Bodhisattva of love, is present in our lives.
We ourselves are not different from the moment we inhabit. We are the self-creativity of that moment and in that moment, responsive to the call or otherwise. We are also the people and plants and animals and landscapes we encounter. There is no sharp boundary separating "inside" from "outside." We are the outside as well as the inside. The world, says Whitehead, is our body. This does not mean that all is always happy or pleasant. But it does mean that we are the worlds we inhabit and our inhabiting of those worlds. This is Process Zen.
*
Many years ago, when I was taking a course on Whitehead’s Process and Reality under John Cobb, I was also the English teacher for a Zen Buddhist monk from Japan. In the mornings, I would study Whitehead, and in the afternoons, I would teach English to my friend from Japan. Often, we would discuss Zen and also sit in meditation together. As a result, I couldn’t help but read Whitehead with Zen-influenced eyes. Whereas my fellow students would think of Whitehead’s account of experience from an external perspective, as if experiences were small units of energy in the depths of atoms, I found myself thinking that actual occasions of experience, as described by Whitehead, were very much how Zen Buddhists experience the world. They were living what Whitehead was talking about.
In light of this, I am talking about what process theology looks like when influenced by Zen Buddhism. For lack of a better phrase, I call it Process Zen. It is not a form of Buddhism or Christianity or Judaism or Islam. It is a form of process theology that can be embodied by many different people in many different ways. It emphasizes living in the moment, in a spirit of deep listening, cognizant that the moment includes the whole universe within its depths, and responsive to the call of the moment.
Often, when people hear the phrase process theology, they think of it as a worldview or outlook on life, including a unique way of thinking about God, which people can embrace and then put into practice. The ideas come first, and practice follows. In the case of Process Zen, however, the reverse is true. The practice takes precedence over the worldview, and the idea of God is subordinate to that practice. To be sure, the practice includes receptivity to the call of the moment, which, from the perspective of many process theologians, comes from God. But in Process Zen, openness to what is present in the moment, and responsiveness to the call of the moment, is more important than whatever beliefs might accompany the openness. A person may not believe in God at all, yet be fully present to what is happening in the moment and respond to its calling. If so, they are practicing Process Zen.
*
At its core lies an awareness of what is happening in the present moment. The here and now, the "actual occasion" in its momentary aliveness, is the heart of reality. It is holy ground. This moment is not isolated from the world or from the past and future. It includes the entirety of the past actual world and the future as a not-yet-determined possibility. William Blake speaks of finding heaven in a wildflower and the universe in a grain of sand. Process Zen finds the universe in each present moment and adds that the whole universe is composed of present moments.
In saying this, it is important to recognize the difference between a third-person perspective and a first-person perspective. From a third-person perspective, it may seem as if the present moment is one among many moments arising and perishing, to be succeeded by subsequent moments—as if the viewer were sitting on the shore of a river, watching the moments arise and perish. But this could wrongly imply that the viewer remains the same as the moments pass. From a first-person or existential perspective, the viewer is in the river, in the moment. The moment is not observed as an object among objects; it is the lived subjectivity of human life. The human self is always here and now, and yet different at every moment: like the crest of a wave which is always here and now yet always changing. In truth, there is no stable shore on which to settle. From the perspective of Process Zen, the whole of the actual universe is a river, and we are always already within it, even as we might think otherwise. There are no spectators. We are all in the water. The key is to be present to where we are.
*
Being present, then, is a way of being in the water. It entails fully inhabiting each moment, attuned to the experiential richness it offers, responsive to its nuances, and mindful of the interconnectedness of all phenomena. This includes a recognition that the one who "inhabits" the moment is not different from the moment itself. The inhabitor is the inhabiting.
Inhabiting the moment is not something that happens to someone sitting on the shore, watching from afar. It is the self-awakening, self-creativity, and self-enjoyment of the moment itself. It is an alert, relaxed awareness of what is given for experience—other people, plants and animals, hills and rivers, and the inward landscapes of thoughts, memories, and emotions in the here and now. This presence includes mindfulness and discernment, recognizing and responding to what is called for in the moment at hand.
Being present involves letting go of the past in order to be present to what is present. Moment by moment, the subjective immediacy of a given moment perishes, and a new moment takes its place. The one who inhabits the moment changes along with this transition. The past selves continue to exercise their influence; the crest of the wave includes the past. But a sense of newness, of freshness, is part of the process life as influenced by Zen.
*
Amid the freshness, there is a constancy of attitude. It is captured in the phrase “infinite gratitude for all things past, infinite service to all things present, infinite responsibility for all things future.”
Gratitude for the past does not mean that you are happy about everything that has happened in the past, whether they happened to you or to other people or to other creatures. You are happy about some things and not about others. But it does mean that you know that the present moment includes and is dependent on what has happened in the past; it would not be itself without those past events. They come together and set the stage for a unique moment in the history of the universe that has never happened before and will never happen again. A moment with its possibilities to which you can respond, freely and creatively. We are grateful.
Service to all things present is a recognition that what is called for, no matter what the circumstances, is wisdom and compassion, including and especially loving-kindness. This love is given without reservation and without expectation of necessary outcomes. It is a natural response to the suffering of others and also to their natural desire for happiness.
Responsibility follows from the service. To truly serve others, it is not enough to meet their needs in the present; we must also create conditions by which they and subsequent generations of human (and other living) beings can flourish.
Twelve Principles of Process Zen
Process Zen, as described through the lens of Elena's transformative journey and the elucidation of its philosophical underpinnings, weaves together principles from process theology and Zen Buddhism. These principles guide individuals towards a deepened understanding of their place in the universe and foster a way of living that is both mindful and ethically engaged. Here are twelve principles of Process Zen derived from the text:
- Interconnectedness: Recognizing the fundamental interconnectedness of all beings as a core aspect of existence.
- Presence: The importance of being fully present in the moment, acknowledging the richness and depth of the here and now.
- Momentariness: Understanding life and reality as a series of moments, each moment being all there is and ever will be in that instance.
- Immediacy: Responding to the immediate call of the moment with awareness and action.
- Mindfulness: Cultivating an alert and relaxed awareness of the present, being attuned to the experiential richness of each moment.
- Discernment: Developing the ability to perceive the needs of the moment and respond appropriately, with wisdom and compassion.
- Gratitude: Holding infinite gratitude for all things past, recognizing that the present moment is a culmination of the past.
- Service: Embracing a commitment to service in the present, responding to the needs of others with lovingkindness and compassion.
- Responsibility: Carrying a sense of infinite responsibility for the future, ensuring actions in the present contribute to the flourishing of all beings.
- Transcendence of Theological Doctrine: Prioritizing direct experience and universal ideals over specific religious or theological doctrines.
- Co-creative Process of Life: Viewing life as a continuous, co-creative process in which individuals actively participate in shaping reality.
- Cosmic Mind and Emptiness: Recognizing the cosmic Mind or Emptiness as a source of creativity and love, guiding the universe towards truth, goodness, and beauty.
