A Holy and Celebratory Rite. (# 1826)

1.Dearworthy reader, taking a probable temporary break from the intense, personal mysticism of Julian of Norwich to the more modern Protestant mysticism of the Society of Friends (Quakers), I have been led to Rufus Jones (1853-1948). Jones helped mend a serious break among the Friends, founded the Friends Service Committee to aid conscientious objectors, and argued for the cessation of missionary efforts and a greater respect of other religious traditions after his with meeting Mahatma Gandhi.

Out of a number of books available in the marketplace, I chose Rufus Jones, Selected Writings, “selected” by Kerry Walters who wrote the Preface and Introduction. (Maryknoll, NY, Orbis Books: 2001). Most of this post summarizing Jones and the mysticism of the Society of Friends is indebted to Walters’ introduction.

2.Kerry Walters begins the introduction with an account of a legend of a student seeking enlightenment from a Zen Master. This story appears to be generic and varies in details even that it is a martial arts instructor doing the teaching. In any case the student wants to know how long it will take to reach enlightenment if he becomes a pupil of the master. The master answers “ten years”. “But what if I work night and day and study hard?” asks the student. In that case, it will take twenty or thirty years is the reply.

3.Apparently there are two ways to cultivate “new eyes” in order to see the “essential realities” in Christian mysticism. One way is to eliminate everything that is “not God” in order to have a direct experience with the divine. “Self” is included. Attachments by any other name are as much a hindrance. Pseudo-Dionysos and Teresa of Avila are given as examples of mystics who followed this route. Jones believed that only a few people would be able to do the first way. The second approach is “affirmation mysticism”. Jones believed this approach was compatible with the early church. A person is awakened to “God-likeness” becoming sensitive to openings in everyday life. Both approaches are familiar to Play-as-Being explorers. The first is dropping self and attachments; the second sounds like APAPB.

4.One does not go it alone but with the church as the body of Christ. One is nurtured by the group. Ahh, the Christian sangha.

5.There is no inner life that is not outer life. The “most mundane” act becomes a holy and celebratory rite. One performs loving acts.

6.There is one thing about Friends’ meetings that I misunderstood. When Quakers meditate at their meetings, they are supposed to let go of all thoughts in order to allow the inner light to shine through. They are not supposed to be sitting thinking, even about what they are going to say. Anything that is spoken is to come from the divine place after all the space in the mind has been cleared of thoughts. Rufus Jones learned this as a young man when he prefaced some remarks, “I have been thinking…”. After the meeting an elder took Jones aside and severely corrected the young man.

7.(Later) I have been looking over the blog yesterday and today. I noticed twice I had dreams that I thought were warnings that my death was imminent; instead someone else died. We are still mourning the most recent after more than a year. It feels like an empty place in my chest, in the house and in the world. It is there every day but we go on.

8.The entry above about the zen master (#2) has me thinking about my own goals. I had a specific goal when I first started Play as Being which has long been met. More recent goals are much less clear but I feel there are things I do not understand but that I believe are understandable. Maybe I need to better heed Julian’s God and not worry my pretty little head. I feel that I have recorded insights in this blog and then forgotten all about them. I am working over the blog now to test that theory.

If I had to choose whether to be more at peace or to be a more compassionate person, which would I choose? The latter, of course. Enlightenment doesn’t enter the competition for me. Yeah, I wonder what it is from time to time. I just believe it is beyond my reach. I am fine with that but I do regret my shortcomings on the love part. There is always contrition :). There is a hint in #5 above: that the “most mundane” act can become a holy and celebratory rite. I wonder if I can remember that for a day.