Lotus and Lily Field Notes

The Peregrine arrived via UPS this afternoon! And it is *beautiful*–the cover certainly is anyway, for which we have Victoria to thank.   As for the insides: I think it’s pretty great, but I’ve listened to it way to many times by now–we will see what The World thinks.

All I have right now is this pretty crappy digital version of the cover art (I won’t go into all the minutiae of the printing process and all that), but it gives you an idea.  We’ll scan the cover soon for Amazon purposes and then I’ll have something nicer to show.

Available for sale at our concert at Bastyr University in Kenmore this Friday night, and then we’ll be put it out in the usual places: the bookstores at Seattle’s St. James and St. Mark’s Cathedrals, Amazon.com, and at Center for Sacred Art events.  If anyone can get us a great distribution deal, let us know!

Also, at some point I will put up a couple of mp3 samples up on the CSA web site.

Pouf!  What an extraordinary month it has been!  Who knows what’s next?

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I was on Derek Blackwell’s KBCS show this evening and quoted Cynthia Bourgeault about professional groups singing chant that sounds like new wine, sharp and hurried, compared to the monastic recordings’ deep interpretations mellowed by years of contemplation.  And I get that, I’ve heard it myself, and felt it myself (in my barely semi-professional way).  And I don’t think Cynthia is trying to put down singing chant in contexts other than monastic (it was just a footnote of her book, for God’s sake).  But it’s something I think about quite a bit, especially now with the new Peregrine CD on the way here via UPS (supposed to arrive in a couple of days) and a pretty big concert on Friday night at Bastyr University.  Are we shills?  Phoneys?  I don’t really think so; but I have to acknowledge that when, a few weeks ago, I had occasion to listen carefully to some Solesmes brothers chanting through headphones, there was something different there–something Peregrine doesn’t do.  Yeah, it’s probably the contemplative life.

Still mulling that over.  My relationship with chant has gone on a long, long time and I don’t think that will change.  But there is a hint of something that is still looking to settle into place.  It’s a good thing, that somewhat unsettled feeling.  The seed out of which some new creative possibility might emerge?

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I’ve been doing daily meditation for roughly 1-1/2 years now, one session a day in the morning.  One of my resolutions for the year is to “meditate more”, which I am interpreting to mean “meditate twice a day.”  And it’s been a total bear.  In the morning my mind is relatively clear and calm, and despite the expected annoyances I am making decent progress.  “Progress” is a tricky term when it comes to meditation (since a lot of the point is “don’t do something, sit there”).  But I notice greater calm and better ability to focus and kind of let arise what arises: good stuff.

But meditating in the evening is really, really hard.  My mind is spectacularly jumpy and active; it is quite an effort just to sit still.  It’s actually a little scary to see how completely crazy and out-of-control my thoughts are, when I go about my non-meditative business as though I’m a rather normal person.  Not true!

I have been ruminating all week on the Gospel of Thomas teaching session provided by Cynthia Bourgeault at the Contemplative Wisdom Community.  One of her comments was that there is a “really scary” level of consciousness below the conventional level, that starts to reveal itself during meditation.  Yep, I seem to be getting there.  Dark night of the soul, perhaps.  Probably to be expected.  Certainly a challenge.  And most likely very, very helpful.

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What else is a blog but a platform for self-promotion?  Well, how about this:  I’m probably going to be in The Media a couple of times in the next couple of weeks: next Sunday night on KBCS-FM and, sometime later, on KING5 TV’s Evening Magazine (they will be filming Peregrine’s performance at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA, next Friday, February 2).

Also, our 2nd CD will be arriving next WEDNESDAY, and will be available at the concert next week.

It’s all a little weird and wonderful.  Sometimes it seems like the universe is just lifting you up on its great big loving wave.  And you think maybe, just maybe, it will keep going up and up, right on to heaven.

But I don’t really believe that.  Good ol’ Buddhism is always there, waiting to let the air out of the balloon, for which I am truly grateful.  Suffering lurks, and remaining mindful of that is so unbelievably helpful.  And just as helpful during ridiculous highs as during insane lows.

Nevertheless, I’m happy my group’s chanting is bearing fruit and getting noticed, at least a little bit.  It’s very nice to be able to share.

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My whirlwind life continues, with most of my waking hours the past few days devoted to attending the American Library Association midwinter conference right here in Seattle.  However, some other interesting developments have emerged as well.

Yesterday as I was downtown schmoozing with a kazillion librarians (a wonderful lot–I am falling in love with my job once again), I got a call from my wife who was attending a workshop on Mary Magdalene given by Cynthia Bourgeault.  She had told Cynthia about my chanting background and, as it happened, Cynthia was going to be at Elliott Bay Books talking about her recent, wonderful book about Chanting the Psalms, and, by the way, would I be interested in coming down to sing a bit as part of her presentation?  So I left the rural libraries reception I was attending, walked over to the bookstore, met Cynthia, sang some chant, then made it back uptown to the Sheraton in time for a Gates Foundation reception I was due at.  Whooey!  Talk about living the integrated life!

And tonight I was able to hear Cynthia teach about the Gospel of Thomas at St. Stephen’s Church with the Contemplative Wisdom Community.  And I must say she is the best, most egoless, funniest, wisest, most grounded teaching of Christianity in any form that I have ever encountered.  She loves chant and is delighted with the work we are doing–maybe there will be an opportunity for us to work together sometime.

Very exciting, very energizing–and off to bed I go, to rest up for one more day of library partying…after which, my radio interview on KBCS next Sunday night at 6, and the Peregrine concert and chant workshop the following weekend.  Yikes!
Cynthia talked tonight about “the single life” described in the Gospel of Thomas: integrity, wholeness, willing to embrace and live fully out of all that we are and can be.  For now, anyway, it seems to be working…

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Having some technical problems with posting.  I have now lost a couple of posts in a row.  Chant retreat-CD-library conference-piles and piles of life make it seem a bit to hard to try again for anything serious, not now.  Soon, I hope.

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Wulfila has tagged me to “list a few of the most important works of contemporary theology (1981-2006).”

Ever since my somewhat miserable sojourn at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union more than two decades ago I have shied away from formal theology. I had too many experiences of trying to plow through Moltmann or Kung and feeling utterly disconnected from the discourse. At the root for me that disconnect comes from these authors’ common presumptions of the reader’s shared passionate commitment to the church. Whatever else I may have in relation to Christianity, I don’t have that.
But here are the books on the shelf that might, in the loosest possible definition, pass for “theology” that have managed to ring my chimes over the past few years.
Medieval Christian mysticism: sorry, that’s about the only form of theology that interests me:
Bernard McGinn, The Presence of God: A History of Western Mysticism
You don’t have to buy the theology to be entranced by the completeness of the medieval vision of God. McGinn is a master.
Stephen Chase (editor), Angelic spirituality : medieval perspectives on the ways of angels
OK, I’m very entranced by this at the moment, and maybe it will fade. But it’s a beautiful book.
One nice book on liturgics:
Bernhard Lang, Sacred Games
Haven’t dipped into it for a while, but it’s fascinating and expansive. Probably the closest thing to real live “contemporary theology” that I’ve read for a good long time.
Three books on what might be called “New Age” theology:

Wouter Hanegraaf, New Age religion and Western culture : esotericism in the mirror of secular thought
A great, great book. Is it theology? It certainly speaks to many, many of the concerns of the contemporary world, and explains a great deal about the maelstrom that surrounds Christianity (though not addressing Christianity itself)
Ken Wilber, Sex & Spirit
I love Ken Wilber. He creates beautiful structures of thought.
Andrew Harvey, The Direct Path
I just adore Andrew Harvey because of the way he honestly weaves his own path into his ideas. And is unashamedly unaffiliated, which I find truly inspiring.
Two books related to Buddhism:Rick Fields, How the Swans Came to the Lake
A history, not a theology, but a very fine book nevertheless on what Buddhism means in contemporary America. There are many books on this topic but this was the first one I read and so is dear to my heart.
John Keenan, The Gospel of Mark: a Mahayana Interpretation
I’ve written about it a lot hear; it certainly belongs on my list.

And as I think of people I can tag who might be remotely interested in this game, there’s only one that comes to mind: Jon. Geez, my blogosphere circle is too darned narrow!

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This weekend is the Center for Sacred Art Gregorian chant retreat. We’re going to be singing chants for St. Michael and the angels, and it should be pretty amazing. After four years of Mary retreats, it will be quite an energetic shift–I’m really curious to see what happens.

In preparing I came across the following devotional framework from the high middle ages. It reminds me of Tibetan Buddhist moral/devotional frameworks I’ve come across (sometimes I call Buddhism the “five thises and six thats religion”). This one is very nice–definitely medieval (I toned “mortification” down to “opening the heart”–call me we a lily-livered liberal) but really very inspiring and compact. See what you think…

The Six Wings of the Cherubim (12^th century)

The first wing is confession.
The first feather of this wing is truth.
The second feather is integrity which prevents the disfigurement or division of truth.
The third feather is endurance, since confession ought to be steadfast and morally strong.
The fourth feather is humility, which excludes the character of pride.
The fifth feather is simplicity. Simplicity calls one to account for lack of endurance, ignorance and evil while defending nothing, excusing nothing, and degrading nothing.

The second wing is satisfaction, the worthy reproach and correction of sins.
The first feather of this wing is the complete renunciation of sin.
The second feather of this wing is the streaming forth of tears.
The third feather is the opening of the heart.
The fourth feather is the bestowing of alms.
The fifth feather is prayerful devotion.

The third wing represents purification of the flesh.
The first feather of this wing is the eye of virtue.
The second feather is purity of hearing.
The third feather is scent of modesty.
The fourth feather is temperate taste.
The fifth feather is holy touch.

The fourth wing is purity of mind.
The first feather of this wing is a sincere and upright disposition of mind.
The second feather is the delight of the mind in the Lord.
The third feather is well-ordered and elegant thinking.
The fourth feather is a holy will.
The fifth feather is simple and pure intention.

The fifth wing is love of neighbor.
The first feather is avoiding injury to others either by word or by deed.
The second feather is to do good in every word and deed.
The third feather is to avoid feeling so burdened that you are no longer of any value to them.
The fourth feather is to lay aside the soul for the sake of a brother or sister.
The fifth feather is to persevere in all these forms of love.

The sixth wing is the love of God.
Whoever longs for and strives after nothing other than God has the first of these feathers.
Whoever distributes this love actively among brothers, sisters, and the world for the sake of God has the second of these feathers.
Those who, for God’s sake, reserve nothing for themselves but relinquish all things in God’s name, these people have the third of these feathers.
Those who deny themselves for God alone, these people have the fourth feather.
Whoever perseveres in all these things has the fifth feather.

These are the wings of which the psalmist said, “Hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the face of the wicket who assail me.” And who said “I will take hope in the shadow of your wings until the injustice has passed.” These are the feathers of which the psalmist also said, “Who will give me feathers like a dove, that I might fly away and be at rest?” “That I might fly away,” the psalmist said, abandoning the earth, striving passionately after heaven, and delighting in the eternal blessing, the true freedom of peace. Amen.

From Angelic Spirituality (Paulist Press 2002)

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I have been an occasional listener to and admirer of the radio show This American Life.  The other day while listening I heard that they have archives of the entire 10 years of the show on their site–which they do.  You can stream portions of shows (anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes of the entire show, which is an hour); full shows are available for .95 from iTunes.

I have always especially enjoyed the show’s tales of faith and public life, so it was great to sample some of the recent shows on that topic that I haven’t heard.  One in particular, from their 2005 archive, called “Heretics”, is about Reverend Carlton Pearson, a very successful charismatic (both senses) evangelical leader and protege of televangelist Oral Roberts who suddenly realized one day the he couldn’t believe in hell.  It’s a moving, powerful story of trusting experience, and the doors that opens as well as the hardships it creates.

At the root of his realization was an intuition of compassion, the recognition that it was not a loving God but a vengeful humanity that was responsible for both the idea of hell and for its experience here on earth, in the form of human suffering, by too many people.
Pentecostalism is just two ticks away from what I grew up with (same theology, just less lively music and carrying on).  I loved hearing this story of courage and cutting through the delusive but extremely powerful group-think of his co-religionists.  Thrilling!  I’m putting him on the hero list with Krishamurti, Bob Dylan and others who make it their business to follow their truth even when it makes life uncomfortable.
And the good bishop even has a MySpace page…

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It has been nearly three weeks since I wrote last.  Attributable to many things: dark, cold and blustery winter weather, the holidays, a whole lot of Gregorian chant gigs around Christmas, working on a new Peregrine CD, fascinating-yet-demanding work getting ready for our St. Michael retreat, tons of place-of-work stuff going on.

Three weeks.  It feels like I nearly lost the thread of writing a blog, but the impulse seems to be gradually resuscitating itself.
I have been thinking more than I usually do about New Year’s resolutions.  Here’s what I’ve got:

1. Eat more fruit.  Research shows that people who eat more fruit are less likely to experience vision issues in later life, and since I already have vision problems and am steadily creeping toward later life (hmm, how unusual is that?), it seems like a good idea.
2. Meditate more.  I am aiming for an hour a day, which will entail a serious lifestyle shift if I can keep it up.  After five days I’m doing OK, and it already feels quite different to inhabit my skin.  This commitment is part of a larger sense of gradual shift toward a more consciously Buddhist way of living.  All right, fine, I give up.
3. Blog better.  I think I’ll be writing less often but hopefully in a more useful way.  After nearly a year of doing this I think I have the hang of the basic discipline, but I still puzzle over the right way to use the medium.  “Right way” in the “right livelihood” sense: skillful means, beneficial to sentient beings, not reinforcing but liberating the bonds of ego.  That in itself is something of a contradiction, since it seems like blogging is an inherently narcissistic form of expression.  So it’s an interesting challenge.

It’s not that there aren’t other virtues beside these three that are worth pursuing, but I figure a Holy Trinity is easy to remember.  Fruit.  Meditate.  Blog.  So any mountain climbing or sky diving or other inner or outer pyrotechnics
will either happen spontaneously without effort or intention, or will take place in some other year, or will continue to exist in someone else’s life path.

It’s funny how as I get older the scope of my life seems to grow narrow and yet become more rich and satisfying.  I think I’m becoming a somewhat more boring but a substantially happier person.  OK!

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