The Blind Turtle
ChatGPT-4/DALL-E3, 2023-12-16
- Gelek Rinpoche, Odyssey to Freedom, #19
with your one wild and precious life?
- Mary Oliver, The Summer Day
The concept of a precious human life is central in both Christian and Buddhist teachings, emphasizing the rare and invaluable opportunity it presents for spiritual growth and awakening. This rarity is particularly significant in our era, marked by the confluence of Christian and Buddhist traditions, especially since the Tibetan diaspora of 1959. It's a unique moment in history where the profound teachings of two major spiritual paths intersect, offering us an unparalleled chance for inner transformation. As we navigate this confluence, it becomes imperative to reflect deeply on what makes our human life so precious and rare, and how this understanding informs our spiritual practice.
and a man were to toss a yoke with a single hole there.
A wind from the east would push it west, a wind from the west would push it east.
A wind from the north would push it south, a wind from the south would push it north.
And suppose a blind sea-turtle were there.
It would come to the surface once every one hundred years.
Now what do you think:
would that blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface once every one hundred years,
stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?"
that the blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface once every one hundred years,
would stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole."
It's likewise a sheer coincidence
that a Tathagata, worthy and rightly self-awakened, arises in the world.
It's likewise a sheer coincidence
that a doctrine and discipline expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world.
Now, this human state has been obtained.
A Tathagata, worthy and rightly self-awakened, has arisen in the world.
A doctrine and discipline expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world."
- Chiggala Sutta: The Hole(SN 56.48).
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
The teachings in the scriptures poignantly remind us of the serendipitous nature of human birth and the emergence of spiritual guides and teachings in the world. This rare conjunction of circumstances in our current time and place, where Christian and Buddhist wisdom meet, amplifies the significance of our human life. With this realization, the question arises: How shall we use this precious life for spiritual development? The guidance from these traditions converges on the importance of contemplation and action - to not only understand the nature of suffering and its cessation but to actively engage in practices that lead to spiritual liberation. Our time is now riper than ever for profound transformation, urged by the wisdom of both the East and West.
'This is stress...
This is the origination of stress ...
This is the cessation of stress.'
Your duty is the contemplation,
'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"
"Chiggala Sutta: The Hole" (SN 56.48).
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Has great potential but is easily lost.
Inspire me to remember this constantly
And to think day and night of taking its essence.
-- The Foundation of All Perfections, Verse 2
before the days of trouble come,
and the years draw near when you will say,
‘I have no pleasure in them’;
...before the silver cord is snapped, and the golden bowl is broken,
and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern....
- Ecclesiastes 12:1,6
The profound intersection of Christian and Buddhist traditions in our era presents an extraordinary opportunity for spiritual exploration and growth. Recognizing the rarity of our human life in this unique historical context, we are called upon to embrace this chance with responsibility and mindfulness. Let us then, with both contemplation and action, harness the essence of our existence, infusing our days with the wisdom and practices of these rich spiritual heritages. In doing so, we honor not only the preciousness of our own lives but also contribute to the spiritual enrichment of the world around us.