I am currently rereading a book which I have had
for many years. I’m not sure when I bought it – it cost $5.00 new so that is a
hint. It is Eastern Paths and the Christian Way by Paul Clasper
described on the blurb on the back cover as, “an introduction for thoughtful
people concerning the quality of Christian faith as it encounters the great
traditions of the Asian Paths. Perhaps I bought it because I have for a
long time thought of myself as a thoughtful person.
The date of first printing is 1980 so it was
written in a time when the interest in Eastern Religions was stirring strongly
in Western culture. In any case as a baby boomer who came of age in the
1970’s, I have had an interest if not an attraction to eastern religions like
so many of my contemporaries. This has faded somewhat both personally as
well as culturally but the interest has not entirely gone away on either front.
One of the passages that caught my interest was an
example of a story from the Old Testament which, according to the author,
exemplified the essence of Zen Buddhism. It is the account of the
shepherd boy, David’s fight with Goliath. To recount the story, King Saul
wanted David to wear his armour rather than meeting the giant with his
shepherd’s garb and weapon of a sling. Putting on the armour David
quickly realized that he could barely move much less fight effectively.
He wisely decided to revert to his accustomed way in which he had successfully
defended his flock from all attackers. Of course, we know the story;
David defeated Goliath with a stone from his sling and beheaded Goliath with
his own impressive sword.
To quote Clasper, “In short order he had done in
his own way, what the conventional of his day never accomplished.” Zen
teaches that the authentic way, “gets buried, stifled, warped, and smothered by
the overlays of artificiality which society early begins to heap on us.”
Clasper maintains that the essence of Zen is to provide the shock treatment
that is necessary to pierce the armor of the respectable and complacent life in
which we are indoctrinated by society. This is the purpose of the Zen
koan. The best known of these in the West - if not the best actual
example - is the Zen master’s question to his disciple, ‘what is the sound of
one hand clapping?’
It strikes me that this is exactly what the
parables of Jesus does. They are more detailed than the typical Zen koan,
telling a story in many cases. However, they shock his audience out of
their complacency and provide a different and radical way to perceive what the
truth and meaning of the Kingdom of God and a hint of what it means to live the
authentic life that God intends for us. It was the despised Samaritan who
was the true neighbour. It was the sinful tax collector and not the
Pharisee who humbly asked for forgiveness and whose prayer was authentic.
The Eastern Paths can give us in the West a glimpse
of the Kingdom and there is value in exploring that path as a complement to the
path shown us by Jesus Christ. However, the Way of Jesus Christ that will
lead us most assuredly to the Kingdom of God – if we choose to pick up our
cross and follow that path.
Blessings on your journey and listen for the sound
of one hand clapping.
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