Green Theism - Why Religion and Environmentalism Need to Work Together

When it comes to the environment, people are usually split between putting humanity first, or putting nature first. Is it too much to ask for a balance? Maybe extending compassion towards all?

Due to theological differences, this may be difficult. For example, some within the Abrahamic traditions follow that humanity is special, created by the divine not only in “his” image, but also in a place of dominion over the rest of “his” creation. Some go further and purport that “only” humanity has an eternal soul capable of eternal life. Of course this would lead us to the belief that we are on a pedestal. It's easy to see how the story of Genesis could be used as fuel for humanity's ego.

Now take the other stance, one of hardcore environmentalism. Most who believe in this view hold that Nature is on a pedestal and that humanity is it's disease. They go even further to suggest that the rise of the agricultural and industrial ages have slowly been the doom of this planet.

While this might seem humbling at first, it denies the fact that we are a part of this existence as well. It denies the amazing advances we have made in scientific research, without which we would be unable to even have this discussion let alone think about this subject. It also denies compassion because selective compassion is not compassion; it's prejudice.

Because of this, I suggest compassion for the sake of compassion. Because whether or not you believe it... if the Earth was a barren wasteland, guess what, you wouldn't exist. I ask that people love; not selectively, not conditionally... fully and exuberantly!  This is why religion and environmentalism need to work together.  They are not, and should not be treated as mutually exclusive.  Science needs to show the systematic and logical "Whys and Hows" to protecting the environment... Religion needs to show the moral and charitable "Whys and Hows".

I'm often reminded of St. Francis of Assisi walking barefoot around his home, preaching to the birds, living a life of simplicity, and loving to his full capacity. I'm reminded of St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) extending compassion and love to all suffering people, no matter what their condition.

When I take off my shoes, I am reminding myself of where I am. I am reminding myself to pay attention. To open my eyes, my heart, and my mindfulness. To let peace be my vehicle. To let love be my speech. To let open arms be my stance on every issue.

Reverence (The Absence of) : A Cry for a Sacramental Life

Stuff... stuff... and more stuff.  Honestly, why is there so much stuff?!  I have to admit that after moving my family from PA to SC I came face to face with exactly how much "stuff" we had.  And the monstrous amount  that I'm speaking of is AFTER we pitched, donated, sold, or otherwise attempted to thin our stuff collection. And after we were moved, completely unpacked, and ready to relax... I sat in my chair, looked around the room and thought to myself... "How much of this stuff do we "Actually" need.

The answer?  Almost none of it.  Sure we need some clothes ("some" being the important word there), and only enough food and water (we NEED only a fraction of what we consume regularly), and depending on where you live... a little shelter and warmth.  That's it.  So why the incessant desire for more and more and more?

I posit the decline of Reverence as the main culprit to this problem (well, that and the Industrial Revolution).  One of the personal vows within the Pedes Dei devotion is "Reverent Simplicity".

Reverence
1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.
2. the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.
3. a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy.

Simplicity
1. the state, quality, or an instance of being simple.
2. freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts: an organism of great simplicity.
3. absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness: a life of simplicity.
4. freedom from deceit or guile; sincerity; artlessness; naturalness: a simplicity of manner.

Pedes Dei encourages us to analyze our life, our priorities, and our possessions.  It encourages us to take a close look at where our desires are.  Are we too attached to our "stuff", or is our focus on that which is sacred?  If you haven't guessed, it should be the latter.  In Catholicism, we are lucky to be immersed in a Church that has "Sacraments" on the brain.  It's literally the center of the Church.  For those who are not aware, the Catholic Church has 7 Sacraments which are "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions."  They are...

1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Penace or Reconciliation
5. Anointing of the Sick
6. Marriage
7. Holy Orders

For some great reading, St. Thomas Aquinas discussed the biblical justification for the Sacraments in Summa contra Gentiles and Summa Theologica.

The church also has what are called "Sacramentals" which are sacred signs that signify effects obtained through the Church's intercession. While all of the seven Sacraments are Christ-instituted and always do exactly what they signify ex opere operato  ("from the deed done"), sacramentals are usually Church-instituted (though some are Christ-instituted). They work through the power and prayers of the Church (ex opere operantis Ecclesiae) and, subjectively, ex opere operantis, that is, through the pious disposition of the one using them. Sacramentals drive away evil spirit, and when piously used, remit venial sin and prepare the soul for grace.   Sacramentals can be material things (blessed objects, such as scapulars, Rosaries, Crucifxes, medals,  Holy Water, etc.) or actions (the Sign of the Cross, genuflection, prayers, the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, etc.).

I believe wholeheartedly that a life built upon the Sacraments and Sacramentals of the Church, with a Reverent disposition towards the material things that aren't considered as such (aka, our food, shelter, heat, clothes, tv's, computers, etc...) encompass the concept of "Reverent Simplicity".

Barefootism Throughout the Ages - Part 3

For this issue of Barefootism Throughout the Ages, I'd like to take a look at two "founders".

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Mahavira

Much like Buddha, Mahavira is not a name but a title. In Sanksrit महावीर, it means "Great Hero". His real name is Vardamana (वर्धमान), he lived (traditionally) from 599 to 527 BCE and founded what is commonly known as Jainism (जैनधर्म better translated as Jainadharma).

His story is incredibly similar to the story of Buddha.  He was an Indian prince born in a royal family to King Siddartha and Queen Trishala. While still in his mother's womb it is believed he brought wealth and prosperity to the entire kingdom, which is why he was named Vardhaman. An increase of all good things, like the abundant bloom of beautiful flowers, was noticed in the kingdom after his conception. Trishala had a number of auspicious dreams before giving birth to Vardhaman (14 according to the Svetambaras and 16 according to the Digambaras), signs foretelling the advent of a great soul. Vardhaman's birthday is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti, the most important religious holiday of Jains around the world.

As King Siddartha's son, he lived as a prince. However, even at that tender age he exhibited a virtuous nature. He started engaging in meditation and immersed himself in self-contemplation. He was interested in the core beliefs of Jainism and began to distance himself from worldly matters.

At the age of thirty Mahavira renounced his kingdom and family, gave up his worldly possessions, and spent twelve years as an ascetic. During these twelve years he spent most of his time meditating. He gave utmost regard to other living beings, including humans, animals and plants, and avoided harming them. He had given up all worldly possessions including his clothes, and lived an extremely austere life. He exhibited exemplary control over his senses while enduring the penance during these years. His courage and bravery earned him the name Mahavira.

Mahavira devoted the rest of his life to preaching the eternal truth of spiritual freedom to people around India. He traveled barefoot and without clothes, enduring harshest of climates, meeting people from all walks of life who came to listen to his message. Mahavira's preaching and efforts to explain Jain philosophy is considered the real catalyst to the spread of this ancient religion throughout India.

At the age of 72 years and 4 and a half months, he attained nirvana in the area known as Pawapuri on the last day of the Indian and Jain calendars, Diwali. Jains celebrate this as the day he attained liberation or moksa. Jains believe Mahavira lived from 599–527 BCE, though some scholars prefer 549–477 BCE.

Mahavira's philosophy has eight cardinal principals – three metaphysical and five ethical.  To liberate one's self, Mahavira taught the necessity of right faith (samyak-darshana), right knowledge (samyak-gyana), and right conduct (samyak-charitra'). At the heart of right conduct for Jains lie the five great vows:

- Nonviolence (Ahimsa) – to cause no harm to any living being;
- Truthfulness (Satya) – to speak the harmless truth only;
- Non-stealing (Asteya) – to take nothing not properly given;
- Chastity (Bramacharya) – to indulge in no sensual pleasure;
- Non-possession/Non-attachment (Aparigraha) – to detach completely from people, places, and material things.

Jainism is largely considered one of the most peaceful religions in practice today.

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St. John of the Cross

Without St. Teresa of Avila, St. John would probably have gone insane.  She was his light at the end of the tunnel, and together they co-founded the Discalced Carmelite order.  His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver's daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work.  When the family finally found work, John still went hungry in the middle of the wealthiest city in Spain. At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering, that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

On 24 February 1563 he entered the Carmelite order, adopting the name Fr. Juan de Santo Matía.  The following year (1564) he professed as a Carmelite (was promoted from novice status) and moved to Salamanca, where he studied theology and philosophy at the University and at the Colegio de San Andrés. This stay would influence all his later writings, as Fray Luis de León taught biblical studies (Exegesis, Hebrew and Aramaic) at the University. León was one of the foremost experts in Biblical Studies then and had written an important and controversial translation of the Song of Songs into Spanish. (Translation of the Bible into the vernacular was not allowed then in Spain.)

John was ordained a priest in 1567, and then indicated his intent to join the strict Carthusian order, which appealed to him because of its encouragement of solitary and silent contemplation. Before this, however, he travelled to Medina del Campo, where he met the charismatic Teresa de Jesús (Teresa of Avila). She immediately talked to him about her reformation projects for the Carmelite order, and asked to delay his entry into the Carthusians. The following year, on 28 November, he started this reformation at Duruelo together with Fr. Antonio de Jesús de Heredia, and the originally small and impoverished town of Duruelo became a center of religion.

The followers of Juan de la Cruz and Teresa de Jesús differentiated themselves from the non-reformed communities by calling themselves the "discalced", i.e., barefoot, and the others the "calced" Carmelites.  But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God -- and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.

After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of stirps of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.

His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that "Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness?" and "Where there is no love, put love -- and you will find love."

St. John of the Cross is considered one of the foremost poets in the Spanish language. Although his complete poems add up to fewer than 2500 verses, two of them—the Spiritual Canticle and The Dark Night are widely considered masterpieces of Spanish poetry, both for their formal stylistic point of view and their rich symbolism and imagery.  St. John also wrote four treatises on mystical theology, two treatises concerning the two poems above, which set out to explain the true meaning of the poems verse by verse and even word by word.

The third work, Ascent of Mount Carmel is a more systematic study of the ascetical endeavour of a soul looking for perfect union, God, and the mystical events happening along the way. A four stanza work, Living Flame of Love describes a greater intimacy, as the soul responds to God's love. These, together with his Dichos de Luz y Amor, or "Sayings of Light and Love," and St. Teresa's writings, are the most important mystical works in Spanish, and have deeply influenced later spiritual writers all around the world. Among these can be named T. S. Eliot, Thérèse de Lisieux, Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), and Thomas Merton. John has also influenced philosophers (Jacques Maritain), theologians (Hans Urs von Balthasar), pacifists (Dorothy Day, Daniel Berrigan, and Philip Berrigan) and artists (Salvador Dalí). Pope John Paul II wrote his theological dissertation on the mystical theology of Saint John of the Cross.

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To Be Continued...

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Mahavira - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavira

Jainism - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism

St. John of the Cross (Wikipedia) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_the_Cross

St. John of the Cross (Catholic.org) - http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=65

Facebook Cover Photos

I love making and changing my Cover Photos on Facebook.  And I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you all... for you to use if you'd like. :D  Enjoy.

Peace be with you all. :D

Suffering - Reject it, or Embrace it?

दुक्ख, 苦, 고, སྡུག་བསྔལ།, ταλαιπωρία, suffero, sofferenza, suffer... etc...

ARRGGHHHH!!!!!

Buddha talked about it, Jesus experienced it, Lao Tzu wrote about it, Mother Teresa surrounded herself with it...  so it must be important, right?  What I find incredibly interesting about suffering is that it can mean so many different things to so many different people.  And I suppose it always has.  Just the word itself is incredibly ambiguous.  For example, Latin is one of those languages that tries to simplify things.  What I mean is, in the Latin language you find a lot of meaning condensed into one word.  But the concept of suffering doesn't fit this mold.  There are many words to represent different aspects of suffering within Latin... such as...

• - adlido -lidere -lisi -lisum [to strike against ,dash against]; pass. adlidi, [to suffer damage].
• - calamitosus -a -um act. , [causing loss, destructive]; pass., [suffering loss, miserable]. Adv. calamitose, [disastrously].
• - condolesco -dolescere -dolui [to suffer severely , feel much pain].
• - deminuo -minuere -minui -minutum [to take away from , diminish, lessen]; 'capite se deminuere', [to suffer a loss of civil rights].
• - doleo dolere dolui [to suffer pain] , physical or mental, [to be pained, to grieve]; of things, [to cause pain]. Hence partic. dolens, [painful];adv. dolenter,[painfully, sorrowfully].
• - perpessio -onis f. [suffering , endurance].
• - suffero sufferre [to hold up , support; to endure, suffer].
• - torminosus -a -um [suffering from colic]. 

• ... AND MORE!

But of course, some of the biggest variance shows up within religious understanding.  In Buddhism, there is a concept known as "Dukkha" (दुक्ख), which is basically the very foundation of the 4 Noble Truths, and therefore the 8 Fold Path.  And even perhaps Buddhism in general, but I won't go that far because I feel it oversimplifies an EXTREMELY complex religious tradition that's over 2500 years old.  I'd never be that brash.
Anyway, the 4 Noble Truths are as follows...

1. 1. "This is the noble truth of dukkha: birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, illness is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are dukkha; union with what is displeasing is dukkha; separation from what is pleasing is dukkha; not to get what one wants is dukkha; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are dukkha."
2. 2. "This is the noble truth of the origin of dukkha: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination."
3. 3. "This is the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it."
4. 4. "This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration."

Notice your thought, accept it, drop it.

Needless to say, the concept of Suffering is a negative thing in Buddhism.  It is something that needs to be ceased, to be awakened from, and is the absolute hindrance to enlightenment.  The 8 Fold Path is set down as a guide, a path, to rid one's self of suffering... but it doesn't end there.  The different Buddhist traditions have other practices and rituals for this very purpose as well.  Such as Zen (禪).  Zen meditation is designed in a way that brings one face to face with their attachments, desires, etc... and gives the practitioner the tools and hopefully the ability to drop those very attachments and desires.

To be honest, this is incredibly wise.  As any parent can attest to the fact that when you take something away from a child that they are attached too... inner torment ensues and a temper tantrum erupts.  And despite our intense repugnance towards our kid's suffering, we all know that taking it away is good for them, it teaches them independence, it teaches them about loss, about contentment, fulfillment, etc...  But I wonder if we ever really learn this, truly, or do we just better at concealing our inner torment and temper tantrums?  I know that when things don't go my way, I get disturbed psychologically.  If I have a busy day, and my schedule gets interrrupted by something, I don't like it... not one bit.  We have to calm ourselves down, remind ourselves that "it's going to be alright".  If we were enlightened and free of Dukkha like Buddha, there would be no need to calm ourselves down because we wouldn't get upset to begin with.  But alas... we're all stuck in the constant wheel of suffering.

Complete Surrender

But can suffering be a good thing too?  Well... let's look at suffering from a Christian standpoint.  A common theme throughout Christian life is that of "Humility".  It's an aspect within Abrahamic traditions that overshadows pretty much everything else, and perhaps is the very foundation of the God/Human relationship discussed within it's theology.  Whether you're talking about worship, prayer, contemplation, mystical experiences, scriptural study, eucharistic adoration, religious devotion, intercession, etc...  they all boil down to being humble acts (or at least they should).

Of course the biggest examples of suffering as a humble act is the story of Jesus.  The story is that God in the greatest acts of love, decided to become a feeble, fragile, imperfect animal (homo sapiens sapiens) so that his fellow feeble animals could learn and become saved from their own vices.  To help you better understand this concept, imagine if Mitt Romney (who's net worth is roughly $200 Million) decided to sell everything he has, give it all to the poor, move into a 3 bedroom apartment with his wife and 5 kids, work a minimum wage job, and get food stamps... and that was how he'd choose to live out his presidency.

Do you think he'd do it?  No... freakin'... way!!!  Why?  Because he's just like the rest of us, his attachment to "stuff" hinders his humility, and he just happens to have A LOT of stuff.  (Well... that and it would be pretty stupid of him financially speaking, and since he's a crumby politician and not a monk, I can't expect him to make such a moral decision.  And that goes for any politician, so don't get on my case for singling out Romney... I don't have room to use every politician as an analogy)

OUCH!!!

But God's humility doesn't end there... not only did he step down to our measly little level on this tiny speck of dust called Earth, but his human form had to endure some of the most agonizing suffering imaginable.  He was whipped, flogged, thorned, crucified, and speared in the heart.  Talk about suffering.  And as the story goes, this was a good thing.  Not necessarily because it was required (rising from the dead only works if you're dead first), but because it was a reminder of what true humility is... that of complete trust in God's will.  Any reasonable person would desire nothing more than to save their own life, to rid themselves of said suffering... but if the suffering is redemptive then the suffering itself becomes the release.  Christs suffering is what ended his suffering... and it is in suffering that we come to know God (Tao, the Force, the Great Spirit, whatever you want to call it).

This idea was embraced in the Catholic Church in many ways, one being the practice of mortification, which would include self flagellation, wearing of hair shirts,and  intense fasting and abstinence...  This was voluntary suffering for the sake of redemption, either for themselves or for others. 

The Rev. Michael Geisler, a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature in St. Louis, wrote two articles explaining the theological purpose behind corporal mortification. "Self-denial helps a person overcome both psychological and physical weakness, gives him energy, helps him grow in virtue and ultimately leads to salvation. It conquers the insidious demons of softness, pessimism and lukewarm faith that dominate the lives of so many today"  

... 

Some theologians explain that the redemptive value of pain makes pain lovable in its effects, even though by itself it is not. Pain is temporal and limited, thus to undergo it is worthwhile to gain the real benefits. For those with this viewpoint, pain is seen as a means to an end. Thus, a modern Catholic saint, Josemaria Escriva said, while consoling a dying woman who was suffering in a hospital, "Blessed be pain! Glorified be pain! Sanctified be pain!"

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Another compelling example of redemptive suffering is in Mystical Stigmata.  The first well known stigmatist was St. Francis of Assisi (although it can be argued that it was Paul, I won't get into that here).  Wanting to live so much in the image of Christ, he was granted the chance to share in his redemptive suffering by physically bearing the "Marks of Christ".  Francis' stigmata was different than you'd think.  He had growths on the hands and feet that actually looked like bent nails protruding from his skin.  This made walking impossible, not just because of the intense pain he was in all the time, but the nails protruding out from his soles meant he couldn't stand with his feet flat.  This is a bit different from the popular case of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, a Franciscan (Capuchin) friar from Italy in the 20th century who's stigmata was actual wounds, literal holes in his hands and feet that bled continuously.  It's Pio's stigmata that we are most familiar with, but there is also another kind... invisible stigmata.  This stigmata is one of pain only, pain without any visible mark, wound, growth, etc...  Just the suffering.  But just like all of the other forms of suffering, it is only positive in nature if it grows from humility and is redemptive in nature.

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At first glance, these two approaches to suffering may seem at odds;  but I argue that they are not.  And this is why...

Dukkha in Buddhism is better translated as "never being fulfilled".  The reason one suffers is due to the attachment to the EGO.  Buddha talks about the concept of Anatman (No Self), which is basically a serious approach to selflessness.  Dukkha is ceased with true humility, and absolute selflessness.  The 8 Fold Path guides us in this way.  It points us to a complete dependency, and utter connection with the rest of existence. It illuminates a perspective that cements the desire for compassion and charity in the reality of "what I do to another (human or not) I do to myself".

Suffering in Christianity is a surrendering of one's self, totally, to God's will.  It is a rejection of the EGO, and a detachment from this "material world, and possessions" (with one's body being a possession).  So in essence, suffering is the path to God, but only if the suffering is done humbly, with grace, and redemption it's priority.  For Christ said that his yoke is easy, and his burden light... but that doesn't mean that we should take it easy, sit back and wait, it means that no matter what you do (even if that includes experiencing physical stigmata), if you do it for the glory of God and not yourself, it will be a WONDERFUL experience.


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Dukkha : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukkha
4 Noble Truths : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_Noble_Truths
Mortification of the Flesh : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortification_of_the_flesh

Barefootism Throughout the Ages... Part 2

In "Part 2" we find a couple different figures, one being incredibly well known and the other... not so much.

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Mohandas Ghandi

While not always barefoot, he was a beacon of simplicity... so much so that Churchill publicly called him a "half-naked fakir".  And if you remember from my post "Barefootism NOT Barefooting", "being barefoot is not a requirement for being a Barefootist.  Nor does wearing shoes negate the truth that Barefootism teaches."  Best known for his Non-Violent resistance to British Colonialism and the coining of the term "Satyagraha".  The term originated in a competition in the news-sheet Indian Opinion in South Africa in 1906. It was an adaptation by Gandhi of one of the entries in that competition. "Satyagraha" is a Tatpuruṣa compound of the Sanskrit words satya (meaning "truth") and Agraha ("insistence", or "holding firmly to"). For Gandhi, satyagraha went far beyond mere "passive resistance" and became strength in practising non-violent methods. In his words:

Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and gave up the use of the phrase “passive resistance”, in connection with it, so much so that even in English writing we often avoided it and used instead the word “satyagraha” itself or some other equivalent English phrase.

While Gandhi was born a Hindu, he grew up in an eclectic religious atmosphere and throughout his life searched for insights from many religious traditions.  He was exposed to Jain ideas through his mother who was a devout Jain and was in contact with Jain leaders. Themes from Jainism that Gandhi absorbed included asceticism; compassion for all forms of life; the importance of vows for self discipline; vegetarianism; fasting for self-purification; mutual tolerance among people of different creeds; and "syadvad," the idea that all views of truth are partial, a doctrine that lies at the root of Satyagraha.

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St. Teresa of Avila

The Catholic Church is filled with so many wonderful Barefootists, but how about a nun who helped create a religious order specifically named after being barefoot?  Oh yeah....  I'm talking about the Discalced Carmelites (Ordo Carmelitarum Discalceatorum).  If you are not aware, Discalced means Barefoot.

As a mystic, God gave her spiritual delights: the prayer of quiet where God's presence overwhelmed her senses, raptures where God overcame her with glorious foolishness, prayer of union where she felt the sun of God melt her soul away. Sometimes her whole body was raised from the ground. If she felt God was going to levitate her body, she stretched out on the floor and called the nuns to sit on her and hold her down.

There was much gossip and ridicule surrounding her, and when Jesus told her, "Teresa, that's how I treat my friends" Teresa responded, "No wonder you have so few friends." But since Christ has so few friends, she felt they should be good ones. And that's why she decided to reform her Carmelite order.

At the age of 43, she became determined to found a new convent that went back to the basics of a contemplative order: a simple life of poverty devoted to prayer. And with the help of St. John of the Cross (I'll profile him later) the Discalced Carmelites were born.

One thing that I love about Teresa was her zeal for God.  To her, life was more than just the humdrum of the daily religious life, secluded within the walls of the convent... instead she would encourage finding God in nature.  "May God protect me from gloomy saints," she would say, and that's how she ran her convent. To her, spiritual life was an attitude of love, not a rule. Although she proclaimed poverty, she believed in work, not in begging. She believed in obedience to God more than penance. If you do something wrong, don't punish yourself; change. When someone felt depressed, her advice was that she go some place where she could see the sky and take a walk.  Teresa also believed that the most powerful and acceptable prayer was that which leads to action. Good effects were better than pious sensations that only make the person praying feel good.

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To Be Continued...


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Mohandas Ghandi : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohandas_Karamchand_Gandhi
Satyagraha : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyagraha
St. Teresa of Avila : http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=208

Barefootism Throughout the Ages... Part 1

While I may have made up the name "Barefootism", I really didn't make up Barefootism.  I simply singled out a common thread in certain religious realities, focused on a fundamental concept, and gave it a name.  But truth be told, Barefootism has been in existence for as long as there has been life on Earth (or any other planet for that matter).  So what I'd like to do is showcase my research here on historical figures that were, without calling it such, Barefootists.

I will start with my favorite, my Patron Saint, my biggest influence...

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St. Francis of Assisi

Famous for his humble nature, his affinity for creation, stigmata, and the founding of the largest religious order in the Catholic Church... this saint was almost ALWAYS barefoot.  Not necessarily because he didn't like shoes, but because every time someone would give him a pair, he would soon run into someone without them... and he would give them away.

"Francis' brotherhood included all of God's creation. Much has been written about Francis' love of nature but his relationship was deeper than that. We call someone a lover of nature if they spend their free time in the woods or admire its beauty. But Francis really felt that nature, all God's creations, were part of his brotherhood. The sparrow was as much his brother as the pope.

In one famous story, Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for God's care. The story tells us the birds stood still as he walked among him, only flying off when he said they could leave.

Another famous story involves a wolf that had been eating human beings. Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat."
It is Francis' love of nature and his simplicity of life that I have always found solace in.  His mystical experiences, his understanding of the gospels, and his complete Unconditional Compassion (the man would kiss lepers!) should remind us all of the Grace in which we are called to live.  Because he was right... "Francis and his companions went out to preach two by two. At first, listeners were understandably hostile to these men in rags trying to talk about God's love. People even ran from them for fear they'd catch this strange madness! And they were right. Because soon these same people noticed that these barefoot beggars wearing sacks seemed filled with constant joy. They celebrated life. And people had to ask themselves: Could one own nothing and be happy? Soon those who had met them with mud and rocks, greeted them with bells and smiles."

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Buddha

The spoiled prince turned mendicant mystic, Siddhartha Gautama walked pretty much everywhere barefoot... and much like Francis, embraced the simple life.  There is even a place where you can go and step in imprints, said to be his footprints.  Which is pretty cool.  Gautama's humility is another of great respect, when asked if he was a god, he replied "no".  When asked if he was the savior, he replied "no".  When asked what he was... he simply said, "Awake".  And the sanskrit word for awake is, "Buddha".

"Just before the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, realized enlightenment, it is said the demon Mara attacked him with armies of monsters to frighten Siddhartha from his seat under the bodhi tree. But the about-to-be Buddha did not move. Then Mara claimed the seat of enlightenment for himself, saying his spiritual accomplishments were greater than Siddhartha's. Mara's monstrous soldiers cried out together, "I am his witness!" Mara challenged Siddhartha--who will speak for you? Then Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth, and the earth itself roared, "I bear you witness!" Mara disappeared. And as the morning star rose in the sky, Siddhartha Gautama realized enlightenment and became a Buddha.

This story is the essence of Barefoot Zen. The truth that we are not independent beings, and that we rely on the rest of existence for our very lives."  Buddha knew this connection very well, and developed the concept of Anatman (no-self) based on it.  It is due to this that the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold path were created... and in turn the 5, 8, and 10 Precepts.  The 5 Precepts are generally used for lay-persons, the 8 used for lay-persons wanting a stricter rule, and 10 for monastics following even stricter guidelines.  Each of these sets of precepts have the first in common, and it gives us a glimpse into Buddha's understanding of this "connection".  In Pali, it reads... Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.  Which translates to "I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life."  Or more simply... I vow to not kill (human or non-human).

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To Be Continued...


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St. Francis of Assisi : http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50

Barefoot Zen - What is "No-Shoes Mind" : http://www.barefootism.com/barefootzen/noshoesmind.html