Guided Meditations

Ton glen - Compassion Practice

The “Ton Glen” practice is a Tibetan Buddhist Practice that is generally taught word of mouth, person to person. Loosely, it means giving and taking. We use imagery and imagination to open our heart-mind to connect with someone who is suffering. It is, also, the consummate Christian form of prayer. This compassionate prayer practice is best performed when we get our ego-self out of the way and we allow the grace of God to flow through us. This is what the Apostle Paul means when he tells the Galatians, “I live not by my own life but the life of Christ who lives in me”

While there may be some differences in approaches the format I practice and recommend is listed below. Occasionally we have employed the practice during our scheduled sittings. In that case, the attached video may be helpful for review. If you are watching this for the first time, please know you are welcome to contact Rev. Gene for follow-up: rev.gene@icloud.com.

• Identify a suffering person for whom you will be praying.

• Set a timer.

• Take a comfortable posture.

• Step one, do a calming practice for 5 minuets.

• Step two, Soften your heart…put yourself in God’s hands…open you heart to the breath of God. (5 minutes)

  • Exchange (5 minutes)

  • Allow the pain and hurt of another person to enter your heart.

  • Allow compassion to flow through you to the suffering person.

  • Repeat several times

In Christianity and in Buddhism, to be compassionate is to bear witness to suffering with out fear. It means to hold the tension as best you can. If you find it difficult to take in, to receive, the full extent of the person’s suffering, that’s okay. Take in a little…as much as you can. If even this is too difficult, just do the second half, the compassion expression portion of the practice. We react the way we need to. This practice is meant to reduce the grab of suffering not to inflict suffering on you instead.

The Lotus Cross

The Lotus Cross is a symbol used by Chinese Christians, when the faith first arrived in China in the early 600s. Christianity was brought to China by a group fo Syriac Christians and the cruciform is from that tradition. After obtaining the approval of the emperor a monastery was established in Xi’an, China. Buddhism was also re-emerging in the region and the emperor built a monastic settlement to be shared by both religious groups. Chinese Buddhism and Chinese Christianity grew up together for a time. Chen Buddhism became Zen Buddhism, as it spread to Korea and Japan. Both shared the cultural wealth of China in symbol and language.

This Cross was carved by Karen Hattman, an American wood sculptor. Karen used Koa wood, which only grows in Hawaii. It had been the sacred wood only used for the ruling families. It is extremely hard and buoyant. Perfect for the boats of the royal family. It was also prized by Hawaiians for making Ukuleles. Today the tree is protected. It is illegal to cut the trees; only trees that have died naturally in the forest can be harvested for wood.

Some years after the establishment of the monastic settlement, both Buddhism and Christianity fell into disfavor to the emperor and the shared site was abandoned. It was rediscovered in the 1600s by Jesuit missionaries who had little curiosity about the settlement. It turns out that it wasn’t until the 1930s that the site was excavated. The artifacts that were uncovered were sent to England and stored, the outbreak of the war was a distraction and the material was ignored. Finally, in the 1990s an anthropologist went to Xi’an to find the site and uncovered a whole treasure trove of artifacts.

This Christian site was a shared site with a Buddhist monastery and the mutual influence is evident. The Lotus Cross was a common iconic feature of this early Chinese Christian community. Since the group that founded the church in Xi’an were Nestorian Christians, the form of the cross is a style found in Syrian, Chaldean and sometimes Armenian Christianity. These are Christian communities that generally may be less familiar to Americans. In addition there were some recovered documents including the “Jesus Sutras.” (Sutras are a type of teaching unique to the East and the cultural influence is astounding.)

This cross will be the focal point for the Christian Zen meetings, which is fitting since we employ elements of both traditions. In addition, we are fortunate to have Rev. Peter MacInnis in our group. As a minister who served the Church in China, he is familiar with Chinese Christianity. Also, Peter has a personal connection with the Xi’an site.

約翰福音 Chinese Standard Bible
(Traditional Script) (CSBT) John 1:1-5

神成為人
God became human

1 太初有道，
1 In the beginning (at the origin of all) there was dao

道與神同在，
dao, with God, were together (existed together)

道就是神。
Dao, in fact, was God.

2 這道太初與神同在。
2 This dao, at the origin of all, existed together with God

3 萬有是藉著他而成的；
3 The universe came into being through him

凡所成的，
of all that is,

沒有一樣不是藉著他而成的。
not one thing came into being except through him.

4 生命在他裡面，
4 Life is within him,

這生命就是人的光。
this life is humanity’s light.

這光在黑暗中照耀，
This life, in the midst of darkness, shines,

黑暗卻沒有勝過[a]這光。
5 but the darkness has not overcome this light.

Guiding Teachers

Fr. Kevin Jiun Hunt, O.C.S.O., Roshi, is a monk of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. He is a Catholic priest and a Trappist monk of over fifty years. Certified as a Zen teacher after more than thirty years of practice by Robert Jinsen Kennedy, S.J., Roshi, a Jesuit priest and Zen teacher. Fr. Hunt was installed as a Zen Teacher or sensei in the White Plum Asanga of the Soto tradition.

Cynthia Kin Ryu Taberner, Roshi received Dharma Transmission on July 15, 2017 from her teacher, Kevin Jiun Hunt, OCSO, Roshi. Fr. Kevin was a student of Robert Jinsen Kennedy, SJ, Roshi, a Jesuit priest and Zen teacher. Kin Ryu was Fr. Kevin’s first Dharma Heir. She received the Precepts at her Jukai ceremony in 2010. She studied and practiced vipassana for many years until she was introduced to Zen meditation. She then sat at a Zen Temple until finding her teacher at the Spencer Trappist Abbey. Fr. Kevin, Roshi and Sensei teach at Day Star Zendo in Wrentham, Massachusetts.

Rev. Gene Dyszlewski is an ordained minister in both the United Church of Christ and American Baptist Church. He currently serves as pastor at Lime Rock Church and holds a position as Community Minister at First Unitarian Church Providence. Prior to his service in ministry, he worked as a licensed professional counselor serving in numerous mental health treatment settings. Rev. Dyszlewski is trained and experienced in Christian Monastic Contemplation. In addition, he has studied Mahamudra and Dzogchen under Dr. Daniel P. Brown, Lama Geshe Sonam Gurung and His Holiness, 34th Menri Trizin, Lungtok Dawa Dhargye Rinpoche.  

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