Ascension
Joanna Vaughan, 2007
My dear friends,
In Tibetan Buddhism, a bardo is a transitional state, an interval between two lives, or a pause between two significant events. It is a time of potential transformation, reflection, and profound learning. In Acts 1:1-11, we see that the final departure of the risen Jesus is one such significant event, dividing the 50 days between Resurrection and Pentecost into two such bardos.
Much like the apostles' experience, we too face moments of transition, uncertainty, and anticipation. By meditating on this passage, we can cultivate resilience, learning to embrace change without fear, trusting in the unfolding journey of life.
from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles* whom he had chosen.
After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
- Acts 1:1-3
During this first bardo of forty days, the apostles grapple with the wonder and reality of the resurrected Christ. They are witnesses to his miraculous reappearance, his wounds, and his teachings. The appearances of Jesus during this time are sporadic and unexpected. This is very much like the experiences one might have in the bardo of dying in Tibetan Buddhism, where appearances of various forms – both peaceful and wrathful – challenge the deceased's attachment, understanding, and discernment.
In this bardo, the apostles' faith, which might have been shattered by the crucifixion, is restored and fortified. Their encounters with the resurrected Jesus enable them to deepen their comprehension of his teachings. They learn about the nature of life, death, and the resurrection, confronting their deepest fears, doubts, and hopes. This period allows them to reaffirm their commitment to Christ's mission.
but to wait there for the promise of the Father.
"This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
- Acts 1:4-5
After Jesus' ascension, the apostles will find themselves in a waiting phase. This mirrors the bardo of becoming, where there's a sense of in-betweenness, of anticipation for what is to come next. It's a transition phase, moving from the known past to an unknown future. We too have times in our lives when external guidance or affirmation is absent. It's an invitation to go inward, to find strength and guidance from our inner spiritual compass.
In this bardo, the apostles will learn patience, trust, and deepened communion with one another. Without Jesus' physical presence, they must lean on their inner spiritual strength and the collective energy of the group. This is a period of introspection, preparation, and fortifying their bond as a spiritual family. They're getting ready to receive the Holy Spirit, which will empower them to spread Christ's teachings.
Now the apostles ask him a question which shows that they are still "thinking small", confusing the kingdom of God with the kingship of Israel, and confusing political and military power with spiritual power:
"Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
- Acts 1:6
The false allure of worldly structures of power is the Devil's trap - a temptation that even the Christian church has itself all too often been unable to resist, but which Jesus overcame at the very beginning of his ministry, and resisted to the end:
And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority;
for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."
Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
- Luke 4:5-8
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"....
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world."
- John 18:33,36
Jesus's gentle reproach of his apostles' final question, and his final instruction to them, reveals the nature and purpose of spiritual power:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
- Acts 1:7-8
The real purpose of spiritual power is to be witnesses to the truth, to embody love, compassion and wisdom, and to extend these to all, without execption, like a Bodhisattva.
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven,
suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?
This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
- Acts 1:9-11
The apostles are not to remain fixated on the departed Jesus. Rather, they are to follow Jesus' instruction to stay in Jerusalem to face this bardo head-on. Jerusalem, as the epicenter of the events of the Passion, Resurrection, and the upcoming Pentecost, becomes a crucible for their transformation. By staying there, they are fully immersed in the spiritual energies and memories of their recent experiences with Christ. It is a place of convergence for the old and the new, making it the ideal location for the descent of the Holy Spirit.
According to the Gospel of John, this is a working out of Jesus's intentional use of the laws of cause and effect:
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away,
for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
about sin, because they do not believe in me;
about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;
about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
- John 16:5-11
Without the Crucifixion, there would have been no Resurrection; without the Resurrection, there would have been no Ascension; without Ascension, there would have been no coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost; without the Holy Spirit, there would have been no Christian church; without the Church (warts and all), we would not have these precious endowments:
The Teacher has taught the Way.
The Way continues to be taught.
There are those who follow the Way.
My dear friends, let us acknowledge the cyclical nature of our existence. Just as the apostles navigated through the bardos of life, so do we in our own journeys. By embracing the nature of change, by trusting the path that unfolds before us, and by harnessing the transformative power of each moment, we prepare ourselves to receive the wisdom and love that life has to offer. Let us always remember the purpose of spiritual power: to be witnesses of truth, embodiments of compassion, and extenders of love to all beings. Let us follow the Way taught by the Teacher, the path of love, compassion, and wisdom, and in doing so, become a beacon of light in this world. May we all find the strength to face our own bardos with courage and grace, and in doing so, contribute to the collective awakening of our world.