Howardism: Buddhism and George Washington

Buddhism and George Washington

I picked up the September 2002 issue of Shambhala Sun (a Buddhist magazine) and read the initial editorial from the Editor, Melvin McLeod, where he says:

Throughout this issue, the message is: you can't pretend. The spiritual path, if genuine, is never based on pretending you're someone you're not, dreaming about the person you might become, or projecting some fantasy on a spiritual teacher.

Ok, I can buy that. However, I recently saw a documentary on George Washington. And his modus operandi was to pretend… or really to just act a particular role. For instance, he came up with a role for what a general should be, and then he just acted the part until he became a general.

So why couldn't you envision the role of a person on a spritual path and then act the part until you were the part? I mean, this seems like a pretty practical way to grow into a future vision. I guess the problem would come when you wanted to grow without a vision… to grow in such a way that it reflects your internal being.

So perhaps the key is really to look deeply†† The term, looking deeply, was borrowed by another article from this same publication by Thich Nhat Hanh. into your inner-being, and by looking you will also reflect, and by reflecting, you will grow…

Page Update: This morning I ran across an interesting quote that I think relates to the above. It is from Sylvia Boorstein, Pay Attention for Goodness' Sake, found in the same magazine on page 79:

[The Buddha] understood the mechanism by which the mind, in confusion, weaves individual experiences into an ongoing, seemingly unbroken narrative of a life in which one finds oneself cast as the author of the drama, the principal player, and the hero and victim of everything that happens. Realizing that the sense of owning that role is illusion—and that the role itself is burdensome, frightful to play–the Buddha was able to stop.

I guess if you want to be President of the United States, I guess you need to follow the example of George … Washington, that is. If you want to enjoy life, perhaps the answer is, don't.

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	Fine Art of Doing Nothing The Poetry of Stonehouse Quotes from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind One Can You Be Happy?	Buddhism and George Washington I picked up the September 2002 issue of Shambhala Sun (a Buddhist magazine) and read the initial editorial from the Editor, Melvin McLeod, where he says: Throughout this issue, the message is: you can't pretend. The spiritual path, if genuine, is never based on pretending you're someone you're not, dreaming about the person you might become, or projecting some fantasy on a spiritual teacher. Ok, I can buy that. However, I recently saw a documentary on George Washington. And his modus operandi was to pretend… or really to just act a particular role. For instance, he came up with a role for what a general should be, and then he just acted the part until he became a general. So why couldn't you envision the role of a person on a spritual path and then act the part until you were the part? I mean, this seems like a pretty practical way to grow into a future vision. I guess the problem would come when you wanted to grow without a vision… to grow in such a way that it reflects your internal being. So perhaps the key is really to look deeply†† The term, looking deeply, was borrowed by another article from this same publication by Thich Nhat Hanh. into your inner-being, and by looking you will also reflect, and by reflecting, you will grow… Page Update: This morning I ran across an interesting quote that I think relates to the above. It is from Sylvia Boorstein, Pay Attention for Goodness' Sake, found in the same magazine on page 79: [The Buddha] understood the mechanism by which the mind, in confusion, weaves individual experiences into an ongoing, seemingly unbroken narrative of a life in which one finds oneself cast as the author of the drama, the principal player, and the hero and victim of everything that happens. Realizing that the sense of owning that role is illusion—and that the role itself is burdensome, frightful to play–the Buddha was able to stop. I guess if you want to be President of the United States, I guess you need to follow the example of George … Washington, that is. If you want to enjoy life, perhaps the answer is, don't. Tell others about this article:
	2009, Howard Abrams Some rights reserved	Originally written on 8 July 2002. Updated on 19 December 2006.