Choosing Buddhism : The Life Stories of Eight Canadians

Table of Contents

• Cover 1
• Title 3
• False-title 5
• Copyright 6
• Abstract 7
• Résumé 8
• Table of Contents 11
• Acknowledgements 19
• Introduction 21
• The Life Story of a Project 21
• An Introduction to Buddhism 27
• The Narrators 28
• Methodology 29
• Part I: Contexts 31
• The Text Boxes 31
• The Glossary 32
• The Commentaries 32
• Conventions for Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan Words 32
• Bibliographic Sources on Buddhist Spirituality 33
• Abbreviations Used in This Book 33
• PART I – Contexts 37
• CHAPTER 1 – Buddhism: Origins, Diversification, Teachings and Practices 39
• The Origins and Diversification of Buddhism 39
• Buddhist Teachings and Practices: An Overview 42
• The Question of Suffering and Its Causes 42
• The Ultimate Nature of Reality 45
• The Other Aspect of Awakening: Compassion 55
• Buddhist Training and Practices 57
• Nirvana 69
• CHAPTER 2 – Buddhism in Canada: An Overview 73
• Before 1967 73
• After 1967 74
• The Appeal of Buddhism in Canadian Society 75
• A Favourable Context 77
• The Multiple Ways of Being “Buddhist” 81
• PART II – Life Stories 87
• Chapter 3 – Ajahn Viradhammo 89
• A Fundamental Childhood Experience 89
• “That’s Not It!” 90
• Travelling to Gain Understanding 91
• The Road to India 91
• A State Beyond Suffering 93
• Introduction to Monastic Buddhism 94
• Loss of Direction 95
• Back on the Path 95
• Box 1 S´amatha-Vipas´yana 96
• Becoming Ajahn Chah’s Student 98
• Box 2 Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) 99
• Monastic Life 100
• Working with Ajahn Sumedho 101
• Box 3 Ajahn Sumedho (b. 1934) 103
• Monasticism—Its Benefits for the Mind and the Heart 104
• Box 4 The Four Noble Truths 105
• Bringing the Dhamma to the West 107
• The Death of Ajahn Chah 111
• The Return to Canada 111
• A Monastery in Canada 111
• Box 5 Interdependence Between Monastics and the Laity 112
• At the Heart of It 116
• A Rewarding Life 117
• Commentary 118
• Chapter 4 – Jim Bedard 123
• A Doubting Thomas 123
• The Martial Arts 124
• An Intuitive and Experiential Christian Practice 125
• Mysterious Energies and Unanswered Questions 126
• The Ocean in a Cup 127
• Letting Go of Christian Beliefs 128
• The Appeal of Zen 129
• Box 6 Zen Buddhism 130
• Meeting Roshi Philip Kapleau 132
• The First Sesshins 133
• Formal Training 134
• Roshi Sunyana Graef: A Change of Tone 135
• The Turning Point 136
• Facing Death 138
• Box 7 Impermanence and the Three Characteristics of Conditioned Existence 140
• A Timeless Peace 141
• A Glimpse of the Process of Death 142
• Box 8 Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Buddha-Fields and Pure Land Buddhism 144
• Seeing into Some Old Karma 148
• Moving Away from Zen 150
• A Different Approach: Theravada Buddhism 152
• Concentration and Mindfulness 152
• Box 9 The Noble Eightfold Path 153
• Box 10 Mindfulness Meditation 157
• Cultivating Loving Kindness 159
• Meeting Ajahn Viradhammo 159
• Teaching at Satipaññaˉ Insight Meditation Toronto 160
• The Benefits of Knowing Zen and Theravada 161
• The Intention of Relinquishment 161
• To Be or Not to Be Buddhist: That’s Not the Question 162
• Commentary 163
• Chapter 5 – Albert Low 169
• The Origin of a Question 169
• The War 170
• Experiences that Pointed to Something Else 171
• Doctor Nothman’s Group 173
• A False Start: Scientology 174
• The Move to South Africa 176
• Breaking Away from Scientology 178
• A Time of Crisis 180
• Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff 181
• Hubert Benoit 183
• A Second Kenshoˉ: Me-as-Centre/Me-as-Periphery 185
• Box 11 Koans 186
• From South Africa to Canada 188
• Introduction to Zen Practice 190
• Box 12 Hakuun Yasutani Roshi (1885–1973) 192
• The First Sesshin 194
• Dread 196
• Yasutani and Kapleau Part Ways 200
• Box 13 Roshi Philip Kapleau (1912–2004) 200
• A Sesshin at the Rochester Zen Center 203
• Awakening 204
• Life at the Rochester Zen Center 207
• Disagreements with Philip Kapleau 211
• Teaching in Montreal 215
• The Relocation of the Montreal Zen Group 216
• Receiving Full Transmission and the Birth of the Montreal Zen Center 219
• The Montreal Zen Center Today 220
• In the Benevolent Hands of a Bodhisattva? 222
• Commentary 222
• Chapter 6 – Taigen Henderson 231
• Childhood in Ceylon 231
• A Difficult Return to Canada 233
• Wanderlust 234
• A Need for Fundamental Change 235
• Searching through Drugs 237
• Encountering Zen and Discipline 237
• Resistance 238
• Beginnings 239
• Transformation While Living at the Toronto Zen Centre 240
• Box 14 Precepts 241
• Back to Samsara 242
• A First Crisis at the Toronto Zen Centre 243
• A Perfect Storm 244
• Back to Practice 245
• A Second Crisis at the Toronto Zen Centre 245
• A First Kenshoˉ 246
• Leadership Transition at the Toronto Zen Centre 246
• The Toronto Zen Centre’s Second Life Under Roshi Sunyana Graef 247
• Box15 Roshi Sunyana Graef (b. 1948) 248
• Box 16 Kyoˉsaku 250
• Deeper Practice and Ordination 252
• Becoming the Teacher of the Toronto Zen Centre 253
• Commentary 255
• Chapter 7 – Zengetsu Myoˉkyoˉ 259
• A Christian Childhood 259
• Leaving the Family 260
• Challenges 260
• The First Encounter with Zen 261
• A Life-changing Experience in Indonesia 262
• Jumping into Rinzai Zen Practice 264
• Box 17 Joˉshuˉ Sasaki Roshi (1907–2014) 264
• Box 18 The Main Schools of Japanese Zen 267
• The First Sesshin 268
• Further Training in California 270
• The Return to Canada 271
• The Path to Ordination 271
• Zen and the Question of Gender 275
• Serving as Head Monk at the Cimarron Zen Center 276
• Establishing a Zen Centre in Montreal 279
• Community Involvement 283
• A Time for Change 284
• The Challenges of Zen Practice in the West 286
• Commentary 287
• Chapter 8 – Louis Cormier 293
• A Poor but Happy Childhood 293
• A First Encounter with Religion 294
• Taking Responsibility for One’s Actions 294
• The First Negative Experience with Catholicism 295
• Questioning Beliefs 296
• Learning about Impermanence 297
• Suffering and Compassion 298
• Breaking with the Catholic Church 299
• Liberation Through Poetry 300
• Encountering Buddhism for the First Time 301
• Early Buddhist Practice 302
• A Visit to the Rochester Zen Center 304
• From Zen to Tibetan Buddhism 305
• Box 19 Taking Refuge 305
• Box 20 Tantras 307
• A Profusion of Masters 311
• The Vancouver Experience 313
• The Illusion of the “Self” and Helping Others 314
• A Sect 315
• Breaking Away 317
• An Interval 318
• Starting Over 319
• Box 21 Geshé Khenrab Gajam (1928–1993) 320
• Normal Buddhist Practice 322
• In-Depth Study of Sacred Texts 323
• Twenty-Four-Hour Retreats 325
• The Tibetan Buddhist Temple 326
• Lessons in Humility 329
• Parting Ways 329
• The Death of Geshé Khenrab 332
• Teaching at the Tibetan Buddhist Temple 333
• Leaving the Tibetan Buddhist Temple 336
• A Need for Perspective 337
• A Long Way to Go 338
• Commentary 340
• Chapter 9 – Kelsang Drenpa 345
• A “Natural” Spirituality 345
• Seeing Others Suffer 347
• Encountering Buddhism for the First Time 348
• A Deeper Commitment 350
• Box 22 Saˉdhana and Mahaˉmudraˉ in the Higher Tantras 352
• A First Meeting with a Second Teacher 357
• Box 23 Geshé Kelsang Gyatso (b. 1931) 358
• Box 24 The Practice Centred on a Deity (Saˉdhana) 360
• The Death of Geshé Khenrab Gajam 364
• Choosing a New Teacher 366
• Box 25 The Main Schools of Tibetan Buddhism 367
• An Unexpected Proposal 370
• The Inauguration and Evolution of the Kankala Buddhist Centre 370
• Ordination 372
• Challenges Faced by the Centre as It Evolved 375
• A Presence Behind the Walls: Working in Prisons 379
• The Kankala Buddhist Centre Becomes the Centre de Méditation Kadampa Montréal 381
• Meaning 381
• Commentary 383
• Chapter 10 – Tsultrim Palmo 387
• From Poland to Canada 387
• Symptomatic Depression 389
• Encountering Buddhist Practice 390
• Box 26 Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939–1987) 391
• Further Practice and Ordination as a Novice 393
• Box 27 Pema Chödrön (b. 1936) 395
• Box 28 Kalu Rinpoche (1904–1989) 398
• Gampo Abbey’s Early Days 400
• Full Ordination and the Traditional Three-Year Retreat 403
• Teaching at Gampo Abbey 407
• Retirement and Illness 410
• Commentary 412
• Appendix 415
• Appendix 1: Albert Low’s First Kenshoˉ at the Rochester Zen Center 417
• The Rohatsu Sesshin 417
• Kenshoˉ 419
• Afterword 422
• Appendix 2 423
• Glossary 425
• Bibliography 449
• Index 455