#impersonal iesus

[notmuchtoconceal]

bro, for real. think bout this shit, bro.

a douche is an instrument which cleans out a pussy. bro, it's an apparatus which cleans out a pussy with running water.

bro, the german word for shower -- it's fuckin dusche, which is only funny hat man with an e.t. away from deutsche, ze name of ze land~!

check this shit, bro. these words are both etymologically descended from the latin ductus by the italian doccia, the matter (latter) meaning leading like what lunks yer head by makin ya aggro-horny with brain damage, while the former (i actually meant former before, so latter now) means conduit | pipe, like what ur brain's made of, like what ur muscles r made of, like what the internet and the sewer systems r made up.

fuckin tress and shit, bro.

it's bout like -- water runnin up and down, even without the tendrils of soggy white and freshly budded visible root masses, or lead it just like ... doesn't stay in one fuckin form ... it turns to air, then semi-solidifes into visible mass, then pours down in droplets, and like ... fuckin ice, bro.

fuckin ice, it all runs still. the shallowest part of you is the toughest. people fuckin walk over you, til they hit a weak spot and plunge into ur depths where they're quickly taken by hypothermia, panic and the lake woman, who is dwelling always with her laquered mermaid claws, bro.

otherwise it's just hangin up there, y'know? bein a cloud. bein so soft and fluffy. veilin the sun like the bride before the weddin. the bride so safe behind her veil, garnished in purity, the chamber of the marriage bed and the chapel and all onlookers obscured, for she is a radiant bouquet!

soft and stinky and ready to dribble down ur face in runnin water.

just wanna bury urself in that soft comfy stuff, bro. maybe it'll harden and a vein'll stand on edge like a thunderbolt, descend down to smack u with an inspiration which fries u, outdated and overworked lil processor.

\\./

bro, listen.

head-man wants u get fuckin douched.

gotta get douched to stay in motion, bro.

gotta stay in motion to descend / ascend

up down up down ~

the stable dance of the material cosmos

though all is spheres.

billiards clack in subatomics overhead -/

~ tramplin celestia underfoot.

//*\

Cousin Fuckin Josh, bro.

Cousin Fuckin Josh Fuckin Hates It When U Get Douched.

Cousin Fuckin Josh Wants to Be The Only Douche.

Cousin Fuckin Josh Wants His Charles Manson Himbro Groupie SlaveGirl Harem Where He's The Only One Fuckin Douche Brah.

Cousin Fuckin Josh Wants Ur Pussy All Nasty So It'll Get Stagnant and Accrue Flavor Bacteria and He Can Be The One To Drive It Out With A Word Cause Dogboy Gonna Get Down and Lick.

He's Your Fuckin Savior, Motherfucker!

[cloudrealm]

Karuṇā vs. Caritas

(excerpt from the article “A Depth of Otherness: Buddhism and Benedict’s Theology of Religions” by Robert M. Gimello in Explorations in the Theology of Benedict XVI. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2012.

The conference from which this volume emerged was named after Benedict's encyclical God Is Love. Let us conclude, then, with an application of Benedict's guiding principles for the theology of religion to the theme of love and to the question of whether anything quite like Christian love is to be found in Buddhism, our prime example of "another religion." It is often held that love is in fact one of the more obvious points of convergence between Buddhism and Christianity. Searching for "love" in Buddhism, one usually looks to either karuṇā  (lit.,"compassion'' or "pity"), or maitri (lit.,"benevolence" or "friendliness"), or dana (generosity, altruism; lit., "giving," cognate with Latin donare), or perhaps some amalgam of all three. Karuṇā  in particular is emphasized in Mahayana Buddhism as the principal virtue of the Buddhist human ideal, the "bodhisattva" (O'Leary's "gracious embodiment of ultimacy"), the being who dedicates himself to saving all sentient beings even at the heroic cost of indefinitely postponing his own liberation. And dana (altruism) is the first in serial order of the bodhisattva's six or ten perfections (pāramitā). But what exactly is karuṇā , or compassion? It is commonly defined in Buddhism as empathy with the suffering of others-usually "all others" (sarva sattva) rather than just some particular other or others. One is inevitably reminded of certain modern secular ideologies that espouse "love of all mankind" but disregard the sufferings and needs of particular human beings. (It is not the case, of course, that Buddhists are callous and indifferent in this way-usually quite the contrary-but there is something notably abstract, aloof, or angelic about their ideal of universal compassion.) As a virtue to be cultivated, rather than as only an ideal to be imagined, karuṇā is depicted in the Buddhist canon chiefly as an affective disposition that has a powerful transformative effect on those who arouse it, its arousal being a metanoia-the arousal of the aspiration for the awakening of all suffering sentient beings (bodhicittotpada)-that instigates and sustains the new religious life. Karuṇā can, but need not always, motivate or yield concrete action on behalf of others. But even when it does not generate actual compassionate behavior and is just a spiritual disposition, an intense wish, or a strong sentiment of solidarity, it is believed able mysteriously to effect transformation in others and in the world at large. Thus, it can be profoundly enacted or "projected" even while one is engrossed in quiescent meditation (dhyana or zazen) or absorbed in meditative ecstasy (samadhi). Indeed, it can itself be a meditative exercise insofar as it is one of the "four divine or sublime abodes" (brahmavihara) or "boundless states" (apramana) of the classical Buddhist meditation manuals. It is true that Buddhist literature, canonical and paracanonical, abounds in examples of extravagantly heroic compassionate action, but that action is almost always couched in myth (tales of bodhisattvas serving their own flesh to hungry tigresses, etc.) and is seldom illustrated in events from actual Buddhist history or biography. Also, strangely little attention is paid in expositions of karuṇā to its beneficiaries, who are usually anonymous, generic, and as fictive as the mythical bodhisattvas who care for them. Moreover, it is commonly maintained that the merit accruing to the agent of compassion far exceeds its benefit to the patient or recipient. Most important to the Buddhist understanding of compassion, however, is its entailment of the metaphysical doctrines of no-self (anātman) and emptiness (śūnyatā). Put simply, but not inaccurately I think, Mahayana Buddhists who cultivate compassion also strive to understand that the beings whom they pity and whom they would save do not actually exist as determinate personal entities; that they are literally insubstantial, evanescent, unstable, illusory congeries of fleeting sub-personal events. This is no mere metaphor, no overstatement for rhetorical effect of a figure of speech. It is rather to be taken most seriously. The suffering beings who are the foci of the bodhisattva's compassion (if, indeed, we can even call them beings, and sutras say that really we cannot) have no independent, fixed identities, and, lacking such identities, they have neither intrinsic worth nor claim of their own on the bodhisattva's pity. They are pitied, so to speak, not for their own sakes but as instantiations of the impersonal truth of pervasive suffering. The bodhisattva's compassion is therefore also a kind of dis­ passion, a remarkably abstract sort of pity. This is not to say, of course, that Mahayana Buddhists cannot be kind, generous, amiable people; they often are. I, for one, know this because I have so often been myself the beneficiary of their kindness and friendship. Think also of the Dalai Lama. Anyone who has ever met him or attended one of his teachings or watched one of his interviews knows that he is a very warm, genial, even happy person; he radiates kindness. There can be no doubt that he has true Buddhist compassion for us all, but not be­ cause each of us is such a being as deserves his compassion. Rather it is because his wisdom compels it. His bodhisattva's compassion for us is more serene and impassable than fervid. It is an empathy more philosophical than affective, a pity so modulated or restrained by equanimity as to be compatible even with what seems in his case to be a naturally ebullient personality. Mahayana Buddhists constantly submit their pity to the chastening, the desiccation of prajñā that penetrating and withering deconstructive analysis of experience that discloses the emptiness of all persons and things. This makes of karuṇā, I think, a kind of benevolent sadness tempered by stoicism. One is perhaps reminded of the Japanese appreciation of the lovely evanescence of cherry blossoms, flowers held to be most poignantly beautiful just as they begin to fade. Such is the calm, steady gaze of the compassionate bodhisattva. Of Christ it was said "et lacrimatus est Iesus," but even the famous bodhisattva Sadaprarudita of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ar(asiihasrikaprajnapāramitā) and other sutras, whose very name means "the ever wailing one," cries not when con­ fronted by the suffering of sentient beings but only when frustrated in his pursuit of the perfection of wisdom. All this suggests that Buddhist karuṇā is something fundamentally different from Christian caritas, at least if we understand Christian caritas or agape to be love of the other owing to the intrinsic worth of the other, and if we understand that worth to consist precisely in the presence of Christ in the other. Karuṇā differs from caritas also, and even more fundamentally, insofar as God's love is not something he does or feels. Rather, as Benedict has reminded us, it is what he is (Deus Caritas Est). No­ where in Buddhism is it ever said, or could it ever be said, that the Buddha or a bodhisattva "is" karuṇā.

These differences between the Christian "theological virtue" of love and the Buddhist "perfection'' (pāramitā) of compassion are examples, only a few from among many that might be noted, of what may be disclosed in the truly discriminate attention that other religions deserve. But such scrutiny can also reveal, not only true affinities or shared values and insights, but also elements of the other religion that can contribute to the growth of Christianity and help Christianity more deeply to plumb its own depths. As but one Buddhist example of the latter let me cite the remarkable epistemological so­ phistication and acuity of Buddhism. In expounding his first and second "noble truths" the Buddha identified the cause of suffering (duḥkha), the pervasive dissatisfaction and unease of the human con­ dition, as "craving" (tṛṣṇā) rooted in ignorance (avidya). Discernment of the subtle and complex relations between desire and the failure to know is a hallmark of the Buddhist tradition and one of its great strengths. Christian theology might well profit by study of Buddhism's knowledge of the inveteracy of cognitive concupiscence, its insights into the capacity of the mind, since beginningless time (anadikaliko), to fabricate desired falsehood. Error and falsehood are for Buddhism not mere absences of knowledge; rather they are active forces powerful enough to construct whole worlds of suffering. Owing to the fundamental claim that all things are empty and arise or hap­ pen only as undulations in the ocean of interdependence, Buddhists seldom say of anything that it "exists" (asti). They adamantly resist the tendency to ontologize. However,·the Madhyantavibhaga (Discrimination of the Middle from the Extremes), a foundational text of the Yogacara or "Representation-Only" school of Buddhist thought, proclaims, in deliberately provocative terms, that "the imagination of the unreal (abhutaparikalpa) does exist." And it argues further that recognition of the existence of constructive ignorance, as much as the perception of emptiness, is absolutely necessary if one is to know things as they really are. Furthermore, it was awareness-indeed, deep wariness-of the powerful alliance of desire with error, which defines us as sentient beings, that led Buddhism so often to appeal to reason (tarka) as well as to meditation as a prophylactic against error. All this, along with Buddhism's astute, fine-grained analysis of the psychology of error, the intricate ways in which the conscious and unconscious mind constructs falsehood, is available to Christian theology, and to take advantage of such riches would not invite the kind of threat to Christianity's integrity that is presented by superficial identifications of kenosis with śūnyatā or other forced exercises in relativist pluralism.

[dioceseofwesternanglicans]

Missio Iesu: March 2018

For the last few years, All Saints Anglican Cathedral has been ministering at the Alamitos Belmont Rehabilitation Center. Now, they hold services 3xs a month and some identify it as their primary church location. Here, Staci Putman answers questions about how the ministry got its start and where it is heading.

Could you describe the Alamitos Belmont Rehabilitation Hospital outreach? What does the church do? What do you see as the most important part?

The ABRH outreach seeks to minister through presence and worship to the staff, patients and patient families. Jesus ministered to the sick and the widows. This informs the theology of this ministry. The platform for engagement is through routine, scheduled activities such as our Sunday afternoon worship and communion, bi-monthly dinners, an annual staff appreciation event (new), and hosting a prayer request box (new) for staff.  Through this platform, we build relationships to provide compassion and connection for those who suffer and those who love and care for them, some are the patients.

How did the outreach start?

For several years two faithful parishioners persistently and respectfully prayed and knocked on the door inquiring if we could connect and be of support.  After 10 years and many "no's" we were finally offered the opportunity to assist with a special event.  A young, single mother of two showed up with her kids and a few friends and All Saints has been there ever since making it possible to provide a special evening for patients and their families.  These twins are now teenagers and "belong" to ABRH and help new volunteers fill water glasses and serve dinners with a kind smile and gentle touch.   A little over two years ago, this grew into a request for All Saints to assist with the rotation of a Sunday afternoon worship service along with a few other churches.  ABRH holds this responsibility very carefully and sets high expectations.

Who is involved?

A core set of volunteers reliably shows up for the special events every other month.   All parishioners over the age of 13 are invited and show up to assist at the events. The annual August Luau is the big event of the year and many want to attend due to the fun and enjoyment by all the families.  The Sunday worship has been led by Father Scott and various trained Lay Eucharistic Visitors.  Parishioners are invited to come and assist not only with handling the service leaflets but now in the important personal, face to face invitations to the service.  The All Saints' prayer team also now addresses the prayer requests on a weekly basis.

I understand the ministry is expanding. How did this happen? What's next?

As a new LEV asked to lead a Sunday service at ABRH, I went to meet the Activities Director and take a tour to ensure I understood the logistics and charism of the facility.  Quickly realizing that she was the person of peace inviting us to bring the love of Christ to ABRH, I simply asked, "What else can we do to help?"  It was an obvious question to me.  Her small desk was piled higher than it was wide.  Her office looked like a cross between a cruise director's and preschool director's.  She clearly gives up her space and herself to her role as Director of Activities.  We talked about how her role fit in and how All Saints had been a reliable supporter over the years.  She asked if we could help with more Sundays and if we could find paid musicians to fill open spots on her Saturday activity calendar.  She made it clear they needed no financial assistance, just loving people of integrity that would follow through.

After a few weeks, I followed up in person to confirm we could take on more Sundays and discuss what's next.  I asked about personally inviting patients and families to the service rather than just the impersonal, cold announcement over the speaker system. This allows us to go door to door with a simple smile and hello. We ask if anyone would like to attend if they can and if not, which is most of the time due to ambulatory reasons, we pray with and for them at that time. 

Having prayed before we even begin, we see that we are encountering many who are prepared for us to be present.  Please know, that here I mean not only do we pray before the start of the service but clearly as a result of the prayers from years and years ago by faithful saints from All Saints, many are prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the love of Christ that we humbly try to carry.  Those original two parishioners' faithful prayer and effort planted seeds. The stories each week are numerous about the people we encounter and their pain, their joy, their fear, their suffering, and their hope.  The harvest is so ripe to bring the presence of Christ to these of all ages and conditions.  

I then asked if we could hold a staff appreciation event to reach out even further. The answer was, "How about September?".  A prayer request box for staff was also offered.  To that offer, we were told, "Let's put it next to the staff time clock!"  In the same meeting I was asked if we could find an artist to come in for a hands on hour-long class during the week.  

We are building relationships within ABRH with staff and patients.  We hope to extend that outside through inviting some of the local businesses to join in on the Staff Appreciation event so we can expand the gift of presence to them as well.  Being given the gift of presence or invited to be a giver allows All Saints to build relationship and open doors to all for the love of Christ. Our local barista is quite curious about what we are doing and we have the sense that he too is being prepared in some way by the Holy Spirit.  ABRH is the reason for a conversation with these neighbors and the gift of loving presence is special to be invited to join.  We're still looking for musicians and artists to enter this open door and know that the Lord is preparing those to arrive in His timing.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to start a similar ministry?

If you hear God is at work, go join Him.

Realize that there may be more He has readied for you to do for Him and you need to be curious and open to what that might be so don't set limits.  

Be willing to give what someone wants, listen well and then offer what is laid upon your heart that they may need.

Finally, be reliable people of integrity.  There is no need to over commit.  God has the supply to meet the demand so ask others to help.  One of the musicians I found was through my work. He is married to a coworker.  He's recovering from his 2nd bout with cancer and has asked if he could provide some gospel music once a month to others who are in a state of recovery.