Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.02.2005, Page 16

This definition fits the descriptions
of God as given by the three major
monotheistic religions (Judaism,
Christianity and Islam), along
with their offshoots, and two
of the other “world religions”:
Zoroastrianism and, with some
important reservations, Hinduism.
But Confucianism, Shintoism,
Taoism and, the main subject of this
article, Buddhism, do not fit into
such a category and might be more
accurately called “God-less paths.”
Science of the Mind
Buddhism has survived for over
2500 years providing immeasurable
comfort, support, wisdom and
compassion while never insisting
upon belief in a God. It has been
variously described as being more
a “science of the Mind” or a “path
of Awakening” than a religion and
continues to confound those who
insist directly or indirectly that a
“religion” must contain a “God”.

So what is Buddhism then, and how
can it be approached? The simplest
answer might be contained in one
of Buddhism’s most famous stories.
When asked by a local King if he was
a God, since he was so revered and
beloved by all who came in contact
with him, the Buddha answered,
“No.”
“Are you a saint then?”
“No.”
“Are you a demon?”
“No.”
“Then what are you?” asked the
King.
“I am awake,” the Buddha simply
said. Buddhism, then, is all about
waking up.

What Makes a Path a Path?
But how is it possible that a “Godless
path” can become so widespread
and grant its “believers” spiritual
comfort while speaking constantly of
“suffering”, denying the existence of
a soul and asserting that everything
is connected to everything else
through a timeless, beginning-less
and endless procession of causes and
conditions?
What made Buddhism spread,
what made this path “a Path” was
its assurance that each of us can
become enlightened too, if only
we learned to see things as-they-
really-are (yatham-bhutam). This
“seeing”, this dynamic experience of
Ultimate Reality is, in fact, Truth
itself. And that must be actualized
by each person individually, through
practices collectively known as
“meditation” but known in Sanskrit
(the literary language of Buddhism
and Hinduism) as bhavana, or,
“mental cultivation”.

Experiencing Complete Freedom
In the most basic terms, Buddhist
meditation can be divided into
calming (s’amatha) and insight
(vipas’yana). We cannot begin to
understand the infinite complex of
causes and conditions that make up
who we are without first calming
down the constant babbling that
takes place within us. Once this is
achieved to a stable degree, we can
then move into careful observation
of the constant flow within us. How
everything, starting with our bodies
themselves, the sensations, our
feelings and the thoughts connected
to those feelings, comes up, stays
a little while and then fades away.
This process of arising, temporarily
staying and passing can be said
to apply to all things, animate or
inanimate. It is an infinite flux,
a vibrant impermanence that
initially threatens our limited “self”
but eventually offers us complete
freedom.

In practical terms, we can actually
experience this intimately, loosening
our attachment to the habitual
patterns that keep us tied into our
own private little neuroses. We can
gradually free ourselves from the
process of solidifying around one
particular pattern we call “me” and
learn to actually change ourselves.
We can experience the utmost
freedom; a liberation sometimes
described as a “pure awareness.”
Living always in this experience is
Awakening, and we can all have
glimpses of this if we want. And no
need for any mention of “God” to
begin...

Rev. José M. Tirado is a poet, writer
and Green activist. He is also a Shin
Buddhist priest teaching in Iceland.
www.thepathofmyexperience.com
RELIGION
WITHOUT
GOD
METAPHYSICS
A fundamental mistake in the presentation of religions or spirituality is the presumption that a
Supreme Being, better known as “God,” is essential. What this rather loaded term has generally implied
is a Person or Conscious Being that acts in the function of Creator, Judge or Final Arbiter of our actions,
is the repository of all that is Ultimate Good, and has a Final Resting Place for those who obey said
Beings’ terms and conditions (sometimes known as rules or commandments) as a precondition to entry
into His (generally, and unfortunately, it is a “he”) “Paradise/Heaven”
Wondering what
you’re looking at?
Don’t be. If you flip the page
back, you’ll see that these panels
down here are the back sides of
the flyers that you should clip
out and drop over any ass-kickin’
zone that you plan to invade.
Don’t be shy. I know you wanna.
So much oil, so little time. Get
dem scissors, bitch, and get ta
clippin’!
G
úndi