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PREFACE
by Bani Shorter |
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Among the many books about Buddhism that have recently been brought to
my attention this one is unique. It is not a text; it neither exhorts,
compares nor expounds. Quite simply, it opens a way through the
landscape of life, ageing and death. Reading, one joins the author on
the Way. It is vivid; it is honest; it is profound. All, all flows
naturally, revealing a terrain of trust.
The author is a Buddhist monk of some twenty years' experience in the
Theravadin tradition of the forest monks of Thailand. Though originally
from New Zealand he is now abbot of Ratanagiri, a monastery located at
Harnham in Northumberland, England. But what he writes carries no
connotation of something acquired or learned. It resonates with the
power of authenticity. He appears to be one with the fabric of that
which he expresses. He intervenes with his presence without having to
overstate it. The thread of his text subsides into an untimed sequence
and although, undoubtedly, it is the product of sustained attention, it
conveys a refreshing spontaneity, directness and compassion.
Compassion, that is, which is focused upon the dilemma of being human
and being face to face with realities affecting us here and now. There
is no avoidance or escape into the mists of exotic and esoteric
practice. Rather, the author speaks of ancient truths in the language of
now affirmed and reinforced by personal experience. So the message of
the book is equally relevant to monks, nuns, lay Buddhists and other
companions of the Way from whatever spiritual traditions they come. The
simplicity in which it is expressed attests to its availability.
The book is not intended as a beginner's manual, however. Here there is
no attempt to update a tradition thousands of years old by equating it
either explicitly or symbolically with modern teachings, technical or
scientific. Neither is the aim to proselytise any more than to
substitute a methodology for original insight. Instead, with seemingly
artless invention and without guile, the speaker invites us to see and
claim that of the Buddha's wisdom and perceptions recognisable in each
of us. Yet, although these are the words of an elder monk, abbot and
teacher, speaking from the perspective of a Jungian analyst, I find
there is nothing here which is inconsistent with the findings of Depth
Psychology. He has managed to surmount the difficult barrier of language
and theoretical comparison by integration rather than an attempt to
dissect and analyse what is experienced as an inherent unity of the
person.
It might have been easier, as it appears to have been for many others,
to differentiate, instruct or advise. But Dhamma talks, such as these
originally were, are given in an atmosphere suggesting we're all in it
together. The aim of a speaker at such a time is to awaken awareness for
possibilities of knowing and a collection of such talks should always
carry the resonant sound of a message waiting to be heard. Reading these
pages, the reader hears this; apposite words resonate and take root in
conscious process.
So one can open these pages with excitement and feel anticipation of
inner discovery. Here emphasis is placed upon journeying rather than
arrival. Whether the one who journeys be old or young, he or she will
not be admonished to take the Way or be made to feel ashamed of having
stepped aside from the Way but, quite simply, the challenge is to
approach the Way and recognise the possibility that it has parallels
with one's own. Yet, this would not be possible without Ajahn Munindo's
communication of his own evident respect for the Way. With a sense of
wonder so deep as to be engaging and ever-transitional, he beckons us to
being. He speaks directly and matter-of-factly to persons in a manner
that is mindful of the path each has tried and the suffering that has
entailed. Trials are not trivialised; instead, they are dignified
through acknowledgement of their relevance.
There is something incorruptible about what is contained here, a wisdom
of enduring value presented so quietly, so directly so as to be
available to any of us. For some it becomes a summons to practice; for
others it amplifies insights already intuitively grasped. For still
others it offers an introduction to process. There is a solidity about
the book that engenders trust. It addresses live and decisive moments on
the journey of an individual. Such wisdom is not enduring because it is
Buddhist. It becomes enduring because it speaks of day-to-day existence
and its connection with the emergence of meaning.
Bani Shorter
Edinburgh
December 1997
Bani Shorter is a senior analyst who lives in
Edinburgh. She was trained at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich,
Switzerland and in addition to working as a consultant she also lectures
and writes. Her most recent book is entitled Susceptible to the Sacred.
© Aruna Publications |
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