Author Archives: Patrick Cole

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About Patrick Cole

Husband, parent and writer. Sharing stories with a little humor and wisdom along the way.

Jan 7 – “Nothingness is Infinite Possibilities”

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One last post on the excellent book by Cynthia Bourgeault, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, (c) 2004.

Centering Prayer (CP) might better be called the “path to your most interior self” or the “abiding prayer of silence.” The name itself is not important it is the practice of meditation that makes a difference.

CP is the creation of inter-religious and interspiritual dialogue. Based on Hindu, Zen Buddhism, Jain, Christian (Catholic, Protestant, Quaker), 12 Step Program for Recovery to Addiction, Transcendental Meditation and Ken Wilbur’s 9-Level Fallacy.

Ultimately, committed daily sitting in silence will encourage you to:

  1. Renew your own tradition (e.g., Buddhist meditation)
  2. Be of service to others in the community
  3. Engage in and appreciate interspiritual dialogue

I highly recommend reading or listening to the audiobook for Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening and/or watching the 1hr/17-minute YouTube video linked above with special attention on the last 17 minutes.

As Thomas Keating said, the nothingness (of sitting in silence) leads to infinite possibilities.

Jan 6 – The Divine Therapy

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Today I’m sharing more highlights from Cynthia Bourgeault‘s book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening with a focus on Divine Therapy.

What is Divine Therapy? How much and how frequently should you engage in it? How helpful and how risky is this form of meditation? Check out the quotes below:

“In the summer of 1983, Keating organized the first Centering Prayer Intensive …. hoping to achieve a more concentrated meditative experience on the model of a Zen sesshin, or deep immersion retreat ….

Keating produced a tape-video series then a series of books …. in an innovative synthesis, Keating interweaves the traditional wisdom of Thomas Acquinas, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross with the contemporary insights of Ken Wilbur, Michael Washburn, Jean Piaget, and even the Twelve Step Method of Alcoholics Anonymous. The result is a comprehensive psycho-spiritual paradigm that begins in woundedness and ends, if a person is willing to take it that far, in transforming union. He calls it the Divine Therapy.” Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, (c) 2004 Cynthia Bourgeault, The Psychology of Centering Prayer, pp. 91 – 93

Keating explains in his own book, Intimacy with God, (c) 1994, the real meaning of the term transforming union is “we can bring the false self to (church), but we cannot bring the false self forever to contemplative prayer because it is the nature of contemplative prayer to dissolve it.” p.98

Bourgeault goes on to explain that “a period of committed sitting is often the emergence of a patch of pain long buried and several days of emotional turmoil …. and quotes Keating once again with his explanation that (committed sitting) ‘will reduce anxiety for perhaps the first three months. But once the unconscious starts to unload, it will give you more anxiety than you ever had in your life.’ For individual practitioners he recommends a limited dosage – twenty to thirty minutes twice a day is the normal prescription – to prevent the premature emergence of material into the conscious … by repositioning meditation as a tool for the purification of the unconscious … the ‘Divine Therapy’ is gentle and it always holds paramount the need for integration of psyche and spirit.” p.98-99.

So, as always, “buyer beware” and be gentle with yourself with whatever form of contemplation, meditation or mindfulness you choose to practice. Remember, healing in any dimension (i.e., physical, psychological or spiritual) takes longer than we expect and sometimes we feel worse before we feel better.

Jan 5 – Imagine a River of Consciousness

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“In one of his most colorful teachings Thomas Keating describes (the Centering Prayer contemplation) process using the metaphor of boats on a river. The river, as he depicts it, is your consciousness – which is in fact a constantly moving “stream.” Down it floats boats, i.e., your thoughts …. on and on they float, down the river of your consciousness.” Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, (c) 2004 Cynthia Bourgeault, p.36

The metaphor continues by describing 5 types of boats or thoughts that will traverse your mind as you seek to reach deeper levels of awareness in your meditation practice. Thoughts will come and go “like clouds on a windy day”, Thich Nhat Hanh would say. That’s okay, just let them gently go.

Bourgeault continues, “The Art of Letting Go – the goal in Centering Prayer is not to stop the thoughts, but simply to develop a detached attitude toward them. As long as they are coming and going of their own accord …. this gentle, laissez-faire attitude toward the thoughts is reinforced through a simple formula called “The Four Rs“:

  • Resist no thought
  • Retain no thought
  • React to no thought
  • Return to (your) sacred word

Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, (c) 2004 Cynthia Bourgeault, p.39-40

Ultimately, contemplation, meditation, mindfulness is more about going with the flow of “stream of consciousness” rather than fighting with our ordinary awareness level.

Today’s senryu: Imagine a River of Consciousness

particle and wave,

matter and spirit, flowing

gently down the stream

Jan 4 – The Art of Awakening

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In my quest to learn more about mindfulness from an inter-spiritual perspective, I’m now reading Cynthia Bourgeault’s book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening (c) 2004 via Cowley Publications with a foreword by Thomas Keating. In this book, Bourgeault describes in chapter 2: “Virtually every spiritual tradition that holds a vision of human transformation at its heart also claims that a practice of intentional silence is a non-negotiable. Period. You just have to do it. Whether it be the meditation of the yogic and Buddhist traditions, the zikr of the Sufis, the devkut of mystical Judaism, or the contemplative prayer of Christians, there is a universal affirmation that this form of spiritual practice is essential to spiritual awakening.” p.9

Also, as an appreciator of simple visuals, I enjoy the three-circle display of the levels of Awareness:

There is so much to mine in this treasure trove of a book that it will take multiple posts to share.

So, to begin, here is today’s senryu: The Art of Awakening

release the ego

getting out of our own way

silence is golden

Jan 3 – Contemplation – Mindfulness by Another Name

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This week I am focusing on mindfulness aka contemplation or meditation. Today, I focus on Richard Rohr‘s 90-minute video offering a Christian perspective of contemplation. Here are the top 10 key highlights for me:

  1. the quicker we let go of ego and move beyond a positive self-image, the quicker we realize that we are spiritual beings learning how to be fully human
  2. religion is both the best and worst thing in the world if we never transform beyond our ego
  3. Christianity is simply learning how to lose graciously; a Christian is someone who has met one
  4. We shouldn’t say prayers; rather we should be one
  5. it’s right relationship over correct performance
  6. move beyond limousine liberal imaging
  7. how you do anything (in the present moment) is how you do everything
  8. the first half of any contemplative sit is seeing our own “garbage” and hopefully the second half is letting it go to reconnect with present moment awareness
  9. to observe is far more effective than attacking
  10. the most radical thing we can do is contemplation

Finally, I especially appreciated Rohr’s summation that we should not confuse meeting attendance or group membership with transformation. The bigger picture of contemplation is not to get hung up on posture, process or programs. Contemplation is about reconnecting with our higher power and recognizing our relationship with everyone and everything.

Today’s senryu: A Rose Is a Rose …

no navel-gazing

let your ego go and then

reconnect with love

The Buddha’s teachings or Stoicism?

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Sample then choose. Hope you enjoy Lynn J Kelly’s post below as much as I do. For more information on the similarities between Buddhism and Stoicism check out her website: https://buddhasadvice.wordpress.com

The Buddha’s teachings or Stoicism?

Posted on January 2, 2023 by lynnjkelly

Some Buddhist teachers draw an analogy between digging many shallow holes vs. one deep hole, with sampling different spiritual paths vs. practicing deeply with one (at a time).  While it’s interesting to discover commonalities between spiritual paths, if we explore only the surfaces of many, we’ll have plenty of superficial understanding, but it probably won’t produce enough of a road map to result in significant personal growth.

For this reason, I’m going to list my main reasons for choosing the Buddha’s teachings rather than Stoicism.

  1. The Buddha himself is an exemplar of what completion of the path looks like. You may or may not believe that a human can be fully awakened, but there are significant characteristics we can observe in people like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh who have walked the path. In Stoicism there are practitioners, but it’s hard to point to someone who would claim to have “realized the path” completely.
  2. Unlike other spiritual or religious paths, the Buddha left a coherent, comprehensive set of instructions pointing the way to less suffering and eventually to full liberation. Each of us is invited to try out and test these instructions for ourselves. In Stoicism there are wise and useful writings, and historical figures, but there is no practical road map.
  3. The stated objective of Stoicism is to “overcome negative emotions” and this endeavor relies on reason alone. The purpose of the Buddha’s teachings is to guide us towards freedom from all forms of suffering, and our efforts necessarily incorporate more of our faculties than reason. Our faith in the path grows as we see the cumulative results of our efforts. We are also encouraged to practice compassion as a foundation.

Of course, choosing to commit to one path doesn’t mean we don’t learn from other sources. It can be beneficial to consider goals and views other than the ones we’ve (currently) chosen; and if we find a different path that seems to suit us better at a particular time in our lives, we can switch with confidence.

There is value in every established spiritual/religious/philosophical tradition. As author and theologian Karen Armstrong has written, all religions begin with an acknowledgement that something is wrong; we are afraid, we are hurting, what can we do to make it better? The answers vary wildly but all traditions attempt to address this need. It’s important that we explore with the intention to find our way to a path that will guide us in a good direction.

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra,

“If you don’t know where you are going,
you’ll end up someplace else.”

Posted in Compassion, Dukkha, Friendships, Mindfulness, Relationships, Wisdom | Tagged Buddhism and Stoicism, Mindfulness, Why Buddhism? | Leave a comment

lynnjkelly's avatarThe Buddha's Advice to Laypeople

Some Buddhist teachers draw an analogy between digging many shallow holes vs. one deep hole, with sampling different spiritual paths vs. practicing deeply with one (at a time).  While it’s interesting to discover commonalities between spiritual paths, if we explore only the surfaces of many, we’ll have plenty of superficial understanding, but it probably won’t produce enough of a road map to result in significant personal growth.

For this reason, I’m going to list my main reasons for choosing the Buddha’s teachings rather than Stoicism.

  1. The Buddha himself is an exemplar of what completion of the path looks like. You may or may not believe that a human can be fully awakened, but there are significant characteristics we can observe in people like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh who have walked the path. In Stoicism there are practitioners, but it’s hard to point to someone who would claim…

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Jan 2 – Meditation Is Free(ing)

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If you’re looking for something new to help you focus and feel more peaceful this year, then consider mindfulness meditation. You don’t have to adopt a new religion to do this. Contemplation is something found across religions and secular psychological traditions and there are many simple ways to learn about this calming practice.

For example, check out the free daily teaching from Tricycle Magazine this month; find more information below.

Today’s senryu: Meditation Is Free(ing)

no navel-gazing,

simply calming down to live

this present moment

Jan 1, 2023 – Happy New Year

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Every new year, new day, new breath is a new beginning. May we enjoy the present moment more often this year.

Below is a repost of today’s daily meditation from the Henri Nouwen Society. https://henrinouwen.org/meditation/

May we be inspired and re-energized for the moments to come.

“What makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think but our ability to love.” Henri Nouwen (https://henrinouwen.org/)

A New Beginning!

We must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new. Imagine that we could live each moment as a moment pregnant with new life. Imagine that we could live each day as a day full of promises.

Imagine that we could walk through the new year always listening to the voice saying to us: “I have a gift for you and can’t wait for you to see it!” Imagine. Is it possible that our imagination can lead us to the truth of our lives? Yes, it can!

The problem is that we allow our past, which becomes longer and longer each year, to say to us: “You know it all; you have seen it all, be realistic; the future will just be a repeat of the past. Try to survive it as best you can.”

There are many cunning foxes jumping on our shoulders and whispering in our ears the great lie: “There is nothing new under the sun… don’t let yourself be fooled.” When we listen to these foxes, they eventually prove themselves right: our new year, our new day, our new hour become flat, boring, dull, and without anything new.So what are we to do?

First, we must send the foxes back to where they belong: in their foxholes. And then we must open our minds and our hearts to the voice that resounds through the valleys and hills of our life saying: “Let me show you where I live among my people. My name is ‘God-with-you.’ I will wipe all the tears from your eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone” (Revelation 21:2–5).
Let us go forth boldly with awe and wonder

CYE Countdown – Dec 31 – Grateful for 2022

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Dear Friend,

Thanks to the generosity of many people like you who value the difference that grateful living makes in your life and in the lives of all sentient beings, please consider a gift to your local animal shelter or Humane Society International: https://donate.hsi.org/page/112649/donate . 

Your support today will truly help. Please join me with a gift of any size. Your support helps protect all animals—including those suffering in laboratories, on factory farms and those abused in the wild.

You can help stop animal cruelty. Please give today.

Today’s senryu: Make A Difference

make a difference –

if you can’t adopt a pet,

adopt a shelter

Please remember, together we can make a difference in our local community and for the planet as a whole.

Dec 30 – A Little Magical Thinking Is Good for Us

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Magical Thinking by Matthew Hutson – Why a little magic is good for you, Psychology Today Magazine

“We look for patterns because we hate surprises and because we love being in control. Emotional stress and events of personal significance push us strongly toward magical meaning-making.”

Matthew Hutson, science journalist and former news editor for Psychology Today Magazine, continues in his delightful and informative article (referenced above), “Often we don’t even register our wacky beliefs. Seeing causality in coincidence can happen even before we have a chance to think about it; the misfiring is sometimes perceptual rather than rational.”

Hutson identifies 7 key principles of magical thinking:

  1. Anything can be sacred
  2. Anything can be cursed
  3. Mind rules over matter
  4. Rituals bring good luck
  5. To name is to rule
  6. Karma’s a bitch
  7. The world is alive

Finally, Hutson’s article offers a couple of provocative quotes:

“You can be a believer in astrology and still be a good astronomer.” Eugene V. Subbotsky

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke

Inanimate objects will become more responsive, interactive, and intentional, TechGnosis author Erik Davis says, “so it will make sense to have a degree of magical thinking just to be able to deal with these devices.”

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I’ve really enjoyed Matthew Hutson’s work; especially this article. For more information about Matthew and his work check out these links:

https://www.science.org/content/author/matthew-hutson

Matthew Hutson New Yorker, Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Wife, Salary, and Net Worth

https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/matthew-hutson

Matthew Huston @ science.org