As part of our #MeditationHacks series, Rev. angel Kyodo williams, founder of the Center for Transformative Change, advises on what to do when confronted with too many choices.
Photo by Vladislav Babienko.
I find myself attracted to all kinds of Buddhist teachings and practices, so I go from one to the next without sticking with any of them very long. I enjoy sampling different types of Buddhism, but should I just choose one and commit to it?
Rev. angel Kyodo williams: As the world changes and our awareness evolves at a faster pace, we have more access to information, practices, and teachings from different Buddhist schools than ever before. It feels as difficult to stick to one tradition as it does to stop checking your Instagram feed.
I myself have grown up within one tradition: that is to say, the core reference point of my practice has been Soto Zen. But my lineage also has distinct elements of another tradition, Rinzai Zen.
Through my search for insight that could meet my reality, I’ve come to hold indigenous, abolitionist, black womanist liberation and complexity theory alongside my buddhadharma.
When I found there were qualities of being that Zen teachings didn’t addressed in direct ways, I looked toward the wisdom of Tibetan schools. And when the concerns of twelfth-century Dogen felt incomplete in relation to my faster, non-monastic, modern life, I immersed myself in Shambhala teachings.
Through my search for insight that could meet my reality, I’ve come to hold indigenous, abolitionist, black womanist liberation and complexity theory alongside my buddhadharma. That said, it would be hard not to recognize also the Zen ways that time has infused into my bones.
If you truly love and are made more whole by engaging with multiple traditions, perhaps take a page out of an intentional polyamory manual: have a primary, make sure all parties (and teachers of your traditions) are in consent, and should a breakup be required, don’t disparage the tradition just because one relationship didn’t quite fit.
Read more from our #MeditationHacks series…
Feeling Unworthy?
Author and psychoanalyst, Pilar Jennings, offers advice to a practitioner who continues to feel unworthy and unloved.
Other Ways to Practice?
Vipassana teacher Konda Mason answers the question: “Is it OK if I find other ways to be meditative besides sitting on a cushion following my breath?”
Sleepy Mind, Monkey Mind?
Anita Feng, teacher for the Blue Heron Zen Community in Seattle, helps a practitioner navigate the path between drowsiness and daydreaming.
Not Enlightened Yet?
Author and musician Miguel Chen comforts a practitioner who doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to enlightenment.
Is Meditation Painful?
Buddhist teacher Mushim Patricia Ikeda suggest alternatives when meditation becomes too painful.
Don’t Like Meditating?
Lila Kate Wheeler, author and trainer at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, answers what to do if you don’t like to meditate.
Practicing for Myself?
A Mahayana Buddhist who is encouraged to practice for the benefit of all sentient being feels like they are only practicing for their own benefit. Venerable Thubten Chodron answers.
Buddhist Traditions: Which Way to Go?
Rev. angel Kyodo williams, founder of the Center for Transformative Change, advises on what to do when confronted with too many choices.
Meditation Leading to an Unstable Mind?
Josh Bartok, a Zen teacher, suggest what to do if meditating leads to an unstable mind.
Still a Schmuck?
A reader asks Sylvia Boorstein: “What’s the point of practice if it’s not making me a better person?”
Your Partner Disapproves?
A new meditator’s spouse disapproves of their newfound practice. Susan Piver, founder of The Open Heart Project, answers.
Overwhelmed by Emotions?
Author and lay Zen teacher Susan Moon is asked: “Should I stop meditating when emotions begin to overwhelm me?”
Practicing on Your Own?
An isolated practitioner asks dharma teacher Mitchell Ratner where to look for community.
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