An extraordinary American contemplative. One of my all-time heroes. When he met these Asian meditators, Lamas and yogis they immediately recognized him as one of their own. The Trappist monks are truly the superheroes of the Christian world. LOL.
Thank you for this writing. Since I saw the first version of The Razor's Edge, I have held this wisdom as sacred. I take comfort reading about the existence of humans who have transcended conditioning.
That's a great way of putting it... Transcending conditioning. And if not totally transcending then at least pushing back hard against it. Lol. You'd be surprised (or not) how much of the outside world and usual dramas invade the monasteries and ashrams. But I have been fortunate to spend significant time with beings who I am certain have entirely transcended ordinary deluded phenomena. Which gives a little bit of hope. 🙏
I have been fortunate to spend hours and hours on tidal waters, in estuaries, on rivers and bays, with creatures that never experienced conditioning, beyond adjusting to the environment they shared with other species.
Reality/Nature/God, I have come to realize as words with equal meaning. I cannot draw this on a blackboard, but I can hear it when I listen carefully.
On the outside of the delusional cultural vortices of want and anger, it is much easier to see the contrast between where we were spun, and where we are. I recall decades of my own grasping and suffering, spinning, as conditioned, but I had the memory of the estuary, who had adopted me, and freed me from the conditioning of my psyche. Which is why I am a merciless heathen, as defined by those who chain themselves to myths and legends. The best of culture signals to us reality beyond the vortex. The worst twists us deeper into it.
High praise from a great writer like you. . thank you so much Marc. 🙏
Very happy to see Chatral Rinpoche on Substack. Thanks for posting this, monkey, if that is your name. Are you a student of Dudjom?
I sent dm. 🙏
Well, this is surprising lol.
A terrific story. Thanks so much. I eagerly await chapter 2.
Look forward to reading the next installation
Intrigued!
There were many Merton books at the monastery I went to, I’ll be reading more of his stuff
An extraordinary American contemplative. One of my all-time heroes. When he met these Asian meditators, Lamas and yogis they immediately recognized him as one of their own. The Trappist monks are truly the superheroes of the Christian world. LOL.
Thank you for this writing. Since I saw the first version of The Razor's Edge, I have held this wisdom as sacred. I take comfort reading about the existence of humans who have transcended conditioning.
That's a great way of putting it... Transcending conditioning. And if not totally transcending then at least pushing back hard against it. Lol. You'd be surprised (or not) how much of the outside world and usual dramas invade the monasteries and ashrams. But I have been fortunate to spend significant time with beings who I am certain have entirely transcended ordinary deluded phenomena. Which gives a little bit of hope. 🙏
I have been fortunate to spend hours and hours on tidal waters, in estuaries, on rivers and bays, with creatures that never experienced conditioning, beyond adjusting to the environment they shared with other species.
Reality/Nature/God, I have come to realize as words with equal meaning. I cannot draw this on a blackboard, but I can hear it when I listen carefully.
On the outside of the delusional cultural vortices of want and anger, it is much easier to see the contrast between where we were spun, and where we are. I recall decades of my own grasping and suffering, spinning, as conditioned, but I had the memory of the estuary, who had adopted me, and freed me from the conditioning of my psyche. Which is why I am a merciless heathen, as defined by those who chain themselves to myths and legends. The best of culture signals to us reality beyond the vortex. The worst twists us deeper into it.
Thanks so much. 🙏