In my book An Ache For Union, I used "Here” for that mystical place of no-place - really, however, this "place" is not mystical at all. The same placeless place is Nirvana, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Paradise, Heaven, the Father’s House with Many Dwelling Places, Eternity, the Promised Land, New Jerusalem, Cosmic Consciousness, Christ Consciousness, Contemplative Awareness, Sat-Chit-Ananda, the Pure Land, the Garden of Eden, Just This, our Original Face, Buddha Nature, Non-Local Reality ....

The difficulty in our trusting Here is always here is illustrated by the following humorous story. In reading it, recall Larry-san was a student of Kyudo Roshi. Kyudo, a Japanese Zen Master, spoke little English.

When I tell Kyudo that I am studying to become a monk, a look of incredulity crosses his face. Then he explodes with laughter, “You monk? Larry-san a monk? Ha! Ha! Ha!”

For a moment, I think he’ll never again regain control of himself, but then suddenly his laughter stops and he fixes me with a stare. “No, Larry-san, you not monk. You instant monk! Understand? Instant monk! Listen: I monk. Become monk six years old. Four years temple, fifteen years monastery. Why you want to monk?”

Stammering slightly, I tell him I want to “take my practice to a deeper level.”

“Deeper level?” He laughs again, “What you mean ‘deeper’? Zen practice only one level. No deep, understand? No shallow.”

*Lawrence Shainberg. Ambivalent Zen.

* * *

We are always speaking in contradictions, when we speak of Life, of Here. We simply cannot speak on it, only all around it. Spirit, and anything pertaining to Spirit, is neither “this” nor “that”: to talk about a spiritual journey implies essential, logical contradiction.

Wherever we think we are trying to get to by taking a spiritual journey, or wisdom path, we are always trying to get Here, regardless of where we get to. We may travel a long way to arrive at Here - interesting, to go so far to get somewhere, but nowhere.

*Move cursor over pictures for photographer and title.