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UUs and Buddhism
Unitarian Universalism welcomes
all individuals of good will. Wide ranging beliefs include: Earth centered, Ethical Humanist, Christian, Buddhist, atheism,
agnosticism and other spiritual and ethical beliefs. All are acknowledged and respected in our congregations. We believe that
humankind’s search for truth is ongoing and that we should be active participants in that search.
Our interest
in finding truth wherever that search may lead is not new. Unitarian interest in Buddhism began in the late 1700s as missionaries
and trade with the far East brought Unitarian Bostonians into contact with Asian religions. In 1844 Elizabeth Peabody published
the first translation of a Buddhist scripture in Emerson’s magazine, The Dial. Thoreau soon proclaimed that Buddha was
as much his spiritual teacher as Jesus.
Buddhism's Attraction
for UUs
Buddhism has a wide range of spiritual practices. Modern UUism, by contrast is an open ended religion
with major emphasis on social action, personal quest and responsibility. The adoption of Buddhist spiritual techniques, practiced
and refined over 2,500 years is appealing to some UUs who find that activities like meditation, chanting, creation of personal
altars, studying text and puzzling over the riddles known as koans are useful in helping find a path to increasing wisdom
and compassion.
Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. With no firm belief in a deity, its central point is not devotion
to a god but introspection to find one’s true nature, joined with strong compassion for all sentient beings. Buddhism’s
flexibility means that elements that speak to atheists, humanists, theists, pagans and others can be utilized without significant
conflict with their other beliefs.
UUs appreciate the fact that Buddhism has escaped the depressing history of sectarian
violence that has characterized Western religion. Instead it has focused on the affirmation of the individual’s potential
and teaches that enlightenment is not only possible but inevitable.
UUism has had a positive effect on Buddhism too.
UUs have placed much more emphasis on positive social and political action in working for the good. UUism’s fierce commitment
to feminism helps to balance the chauvinistic aspects of Asian culture that have permeated Buddhism over the centuries. And
while Buddhism has never become involved in holy wars, it does contain competing sects. The open-minded, non-dogmatic views
of UUs may have helped it to develop an atmosphere of mutual exploration and discovery.
Practice of UU Buddhism
UU Buddhist practice groups are rather common. Most meet for weekly group meditation
practice. While a designated teacher leads most Buddhist temples, UU Buddhist groups tend to govern themselves by consensus
and avoid elevating any one member as an authority figure. Many UUs also practice at
home and may attend nearby Buddhist temples at the same time that they continue as members of UU congregations.
Buddhism
is now an accepted path within UUism. More and more UUs are discovering the value of Buddhist spiritual practices and the
Buddhist view of life. At the same time UUs are modifying Buddhism to meet their needs for a socially engaged, nondiscriminatory
and democratic form of religious practice.
Adapted from an Internet article on UU Buddhism by Jeff Wilson, Editor of
UU Sangha.
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UUs and Humanism...
Religious Humanism
is a long and respected tradition among both Unitarians and Universalists. The writings of Joseph Priestly, Thomas Jefferson,
John Haynes Holmes and many other notables emphasized our potential as humans and personal responsibility for ethical behavior.
‘Whither is God?” Frederich Nietzsche’s madman cried. “I shall tell you. We have killed him-you
and I.” But the people only stared in astonishment. “I come too early,” said the madman. Nietsche was prescient
in the Nineteenth Century when he wrote these words. For many in the western world humankind’s concept of god has evolved
from that of an omnipotent, anthropomorphic presence to hard to define concepts like “Love”, “Spirit”
or “energy”.
These changes have indeed taken place within many main line Christian churches. Despite the
continuing evolution in their conceptions of god, in most denominations old rituals and dogmas have not been changed significantly.
By contrast, in most Unitarian Universaliast churches, as the major emphasis shifted from theism to religious humanism, service
themes and rituals have changed in keeping with our changing religious sensibilities.
Unitarianism and Universalism
have long been averse to creeds and dogmas. However, non theistic ideas such as those espoused by humanists were slow to take
root even within our liberal tradition. Through the 1920s, Unitarians debated the merits of such a religion. By 1933 the controversy
had largely been resolved and a group of Unitarian ministers and other religious liberals drafted a statement of humanist
principles in the form of a document, “The Humanist Manifesto”. Aimed at describing a religious faith, it was
a serious attempt to reconcile reason with religion.
Today, humanists comprise approximately half of all active
UUs. This is more than double the number who espouse the second most common view, nature centered spirituality, and far more
that the 10 to 12 percent who consider themselves theists or Christians.
Core beliefs of humanists include: showing
love to all humans, finding immortality in the examples we set and the work we do, gaining insight from many sources and all
cultures, recognition of the power within ourselves and that we are ultimately responsible for what we do and become, both
as individuals and as citizens of the Earth.
Even those UUs who do not identify themselves as humanists find themselves
in sympathy with most of the views of our humanists. They too regard use of scientific method, the continual quest for new
knowledge and working for social justice, including care of our Earth as important elements of our liberal religious journey. Earth Centered Religion
One of the sources of faith recognized
by UUs is the “Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions”. We are fortunate to have a member, Doug
Harbst, who is deeply involved in the earth-centered practices of native Americans. The following article is his excellent
contribution to this series.
What is the Native American
Sweat Lodge?
Most all religions have some sort of prayer
ritual, or ceremony to worship their God. The Native American sweat lodge is their kind of ritual to worship and to connect
with the Creator or Great Spirit, which in actuality- is the same God of most religions.
The Native Americans believe
this spirit lives in all of us and all of creation and that we are all connected through this spirit. In the sweat lodge,
we connect deeply and personally with this Great Spirit- each person in his or her own way, through reverence, prayers (spoken
and unspoken) and purification.
This purification, or cleansing is of the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional parts
of us. The physical cleansing is the sweat carrying the toxins out from our bodies. The mental cleansing comes from
being in the totally dark, hot, steamy atmosphere and leaving our worries and troublesome thoughts outside- similar to meditation.
The spiritual cleansing is the opening, offering and connecting of our spirit, or soul to the creator and asking for forgiveness,
healing and strengthening of that part of us. The emotional cleansing comes from the culmination of all of these- each one
building on the other. The process of each of these cleansings brings us to a calmer, more grounded state and leaves us more
peaceful with our selves and our lives.
The lodge is constructed of young sapling trees, which are first asked, honored
and thanked for their use. Then they’re put together, tied with sinew to form the dome-shaped structure that most people
are familiar with. Next, they are covered with canvas and/or blankets. The idea is to simulate the womb with its dark, warm,
moist area and a rebirth of ourselves, through the experience.
Rocks, which again are asked, honored and thanked for
their use, are heated to red-hot in a sacred fire. These rocks are brought into a pit in the center of the lodge, as needed
throughout the course of the ceremony. Water is sprinkled onto these rocks to create steam to simulate the warm, moist environment
of the womb. This steam, causes our bodies to sweat, hence the name, Sweat Lodge- to flush out the built-up toxins from
our bodies.
The Doors
The ceremony has four doors, or rounds. The first door, is the door of offering thanksgiving
to the creator, or Great Spirit. A sacred pipe is smoked (inhalation not required) and passed to each one at the opening of
the door. This sharing of the pipe unifies all of us and the rising smoke carries our spirits and prayers into the air where
the Great Spirit is- connecting us to it. We welcome in and offer thanks to this Great Spirit, the Spirits of the Four Directions,
Mother Earth, the Nature Spirits and all living things. These prayers of thanksgiving can be spoken, or unspoken- as each
one cares to do.
The second door is asking for healing for ourselves. We ask for healing of our physical ailments and
ailments in our character- for things we have done wrong.
The third door is asking for healing for those around us and
in our lives, our loved ones, those we know and don’t know, the Earth and all things in Nature.
The fourth door
is the door of visions, or dreams. We ask for meanings, or clarifications of these visions and ask the Great Spirit to help
us bring them into fruition.
Breaks are taken between each door on round, with water and fruits passed around and shared.
Safety is paramount in the lodge ceremony. The intense heat and steam can be overpowering for some people. Therefore
it is stressed that anyone can leave at anytime without explanation, or retribution.
So in a word, the sweat lodge ceremony
can be summed up as a purification. It is a getting rid of the built up toxins in all our states of being- the body,
mind, soul and emotions- leaving us renewed to carry on our journey in life.
Doug Harbst- Chief
Thunder Owl-of Thunder Mountain Lenape Nation
UUs
and Christianity
While more than half of contemporary Unitarian Universalists consider themselves to be “Humanist”,
a small but still significant number, thought to be about 10%, consider themselves “Christian”. Indeed, there
is an well organized UU group called the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship. It publishes a newsletter titled Good
News and maintains an informative web site.
(http://www.uuchristian.org/)
Unitarian
and Universalist Christians trace their roots to the formative days of Christianity and argue that trinitarianism is not essential
to Christian religion, but is nothing more than a doctrine that was established by a vote of the bishops attending the Council
of Nicea in the third century (325A.D.)
The following
is the Statement of Welcome
of the UU Christian Fellowship--
“We are non-credal followers of Jesus rooted in the history and tradition of Unitarian Universalism. All who wish to
freely follow Jesus are welcome to be members of the UUCF."
The UUCF
ministers especially to those who feel they are too UU to be Christian and too Christian to be UU”.
The Rev. Thomas
Wintle, a UU minister and contributer to the UU Christian Fellowship’s web site, breaks down UU Christianity into three
major categories.
First are the “Classical UU Christians” They follow the sort of Unitarian and Universalist
ideas that were common before theism went out of vogue. Their focus is on the ethical teachings of the human Jesus. They feel
that the concepts of Trinity and Atonement are not appropriate. They concentrate instead on reason and a scholarly approach
to the mythology of the Bible. They picture God as a benevolent but distant creator. This is a “unitarianism of the
Father” in that Jesus and all people are seen as equals under the guidance of a unified, transcendent Father God.
A second type is the Catholic/Ecumenical Christian group. They find meaning in the “Christ-event” in the person
of Jesus Christ and the Church. Usually they are high church oriented selecting freely from and using Catholic and Protestant
liturgical and ritual traditions. Various spiritual disciplines are important to this group. They have a “unitarianism
of the Son” because their orientation is toward the Church (the Body of Christ) and a mystical attitude toward the more
than human Jesus.
The third group is the Liberation UU Christians. They have a “unitarianism of the Spirit”
because of their emphasis on the Spirit at work among the oppressed and needy of the world. They believe that God calls us
not only to help our fellows spiritually but also to get to work and do something about the pressing problems of the world.
These UU Christians hear a prophetic call for radical, ethical action aimed at changing the temporal world into the Kingdom
of God.
A fourth group might be called “questioning Christians”. They feel drawn toward Christianity but
are really unsure of how to reconcile it with their doubts. They feel especially welcome in UU congregations where adhering
to particular creeds is a thing of the past.
There are surely many other people who don’t fit into any of
the above groups who consider themselves both UU and Christian. The individual freedom from creeds, church hierarchy and set
liturgies we enjoy as UUs allows us room to explore and develop our personal religious beliefs without compromise.
UUs and Wicca
The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, Inc. (CUUPS)
is an Interest Group of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA). The Statement of Purpose in its bylaws
states that CUUPS exists to enable:
• Networking among Pagan-identified UUs; providing outreach
of Unitarian Universalism to the broader Pagan community continentally.
• Providing educational
materials on Paganism for Unitarian Universalist congregations and the general public.
• Promoting
Pagan - Jewish & Christian dialogue; encouraging the development of theological and liturgical materials based on earth
and nature centered religious and spiritual perspectives.
• Encouraging greater use of music,
dance, visual arts, poetry, story, and creative ritual in Unitarian Universalist worship and celebration.
Providing support
for Pagan-identified UU religious professionals and ministerial students; and fostering healing relationships with our mother
the Earth and all her children.
Wicca is a modern day reconstructionist faith based on Indo-European mythology.
It is heavily influenced by nature spirituality. There are several forms of Wicca. They vary based on cultural backgrounds
and personal philosophy. There is no central Wiccan ecclesiastical hierarchy, although there are a number of Wiccan organizations.
Wiccans traditionally worship two deities - the Goddess and the God. The Goddess represents the feminine aspect
of life. The God is the male aspect.
Some Wiccans believe in the Goddess and the God as literal deities while
others see them simply as archetypes.
Wicca is recognized as a religious faith by the United States government.
Wiccan religious organizations are eligible for the same tax exempt status as Christian churches. Wicca is recognized by the
Department of Defense and there are some Wiccan military chaplains.
“Wicca” is an old English word
for “wise”. Pagan comes from the Latin “Paganus”, the equivalent of “hick” or “rube”.
Literally it meant one not subject to the civilizing aspects of a city. The term “Pagan” is used to describe the
followers of pre-Christian religions. “Wicca” is often included in a field of religions called “Neo-Paganism”.
Therefore, a “Wiccan” can be a “Pagan” but a “Pagan” isn’t necessarily a “Wiccan”.
“Heathen” is another term used in this context. “Heathen” literally means “one who lives in
the heaths” - or a dweller in the back woods.
Wiccans are sometimes called “witches”. The word
“witch” has a negative connotation and so followers usually prefer the non-offensive, gender neutral term “Wiccan”.
The closest thing Wicca has to a universal doctrine is their Rede “An It Harm None. Do What Thou Wilt”
(the word “An” is Old English for “if”). This does not mean that one is free to do as one pleases,
but that what one does should not harm others.
Individual UU congregations vary in their support of Pagan beliefs
and practices, but in our UU tradition, most are tolerant and accepting of Paganism as a spiritual expression. We in the UU
Fellowship of Ligonier Valley are in the supportive group and have included Wiccan rituals in some of our services and other
meetings. UUs and Judaism
Unitarian
Universalists for Jewish Awareness is an interest group within the Unitarian Universalist Association. It is an organization
committed to addressing the Jewish dimension of Unitarian Universalism’s multicultural challenge.
UUJA offers
resources to:
*those who have come to Unitarian Universalism from Judaism
* interfaith couples and families
*
religious professionals
* anyone with a personal or spiritual interest in Jewish/UU issues, stories, heritage and resources.
UUJA works to help people deepen their understanding of Judaism and the ways it has impacted, and can continue to
develop, our Unitarian Universalist faith.”
One of the stated six religious sources from which Unitarian
Universalism draws is "Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors
as ourselves."
Roughly a quarter of all members of Unitarian Universalist congregations draw inspiration from
Jewish theological perspectives. Many Unitarian Universalist congregations celebrate some of the major Jewish holidays, including
Passover and the High Holy Days.
Elizabeth A. Lerner is a UU minister with a partially Jewish heritage. Here is
a quotation from one of her sermons which succinctly explains some of the reasons for the attraction for many people of Jewish
backgrounds to UUism.
“I am a Unitarian Universalist in the same way I am an American—born to it,
out of a colorful ancestral stew. My ancestors arrived here from Poland, Russia, and Italy within the same twenty-year span.
Roman Catholic on one side of the family, Jewish on the other, I am a perfect candidate for Unitarian Universalism—which
is exactly why my parents chose this faith and raised me and my sister in it. Unitarian Universalism’s religious pluralism,
as so many of us have found, is a good match for American cultural pluralism.
For a long time, becoming an American
meant that people shed their old family traditions and cultures and put on the glad rags of a new American self. And for a
long time, becoming a Unitarian Universalist meant rejecting the religious traditions of one’s parents and grandparents.
Lately, though, many of us have been trying to renew connections to our roots and honor them in our lives. But just as an
interest in genealogy doesn’t mean someone is moving back to their ancestors’ homeland, Unitarian Universalists
interested in older religious traditions aren’t necessarily backsliding. We simply want to know where we came from,
and to integrate parts of that heritage into where we are now.”
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