Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fr. Kevin Hunt Installed as Zen Teacher
North American Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries of men and women. ^

Posted on 07/14/2004 6:59:26 PM PDT by Land of the Irish

Fr. Kevin Hunt Installed as Zen Teacher On April 17, 2004, Fr. Kevin Hunt, OCSO, a Trappist monk of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, and a former member of the MID board, was installed as a Zen teacher (Sensei) in a ceremony held at the abbey. The installation was led by Fr. Robert Kennedy, S.J., who is the only North American Jesuit who is also a Zen Master (Roshi) and who served as Fr. Kevin’s teacher. The installation was witnessed by the abbot of St. Joseph’s and the rest of the monastic community as well as by over seventy guests, including Zen teachers and members of Catholic religious orders from around the country.

Fr. Kevin thereby became the first Trappist monk who is also a Zen teacher. In recognition of this unique event, letters of commendation were written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and by Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, the superior general of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Kolvenbach wrote, “Many Christian have found Zen to be a valuable instrument for progressing in the spiritual life. By coming to focus on the present moment through the practice of the techniques of Zen meditation, the Christian can become aware of God’s immediate loving presence.”

Fr. Kolvenbach’s remarks reflect the commitment made by the Jesuits at their 34th General Congregation to foster dialogue with other religions, an activity that they called “a shared commitment to a transformation of the cultural and social life within which people live.” Noting that Pope John Paul II has wished to make interreligious dialogue an apostolic priority for the third millennium, Fr. Kennedy said that his work with Fr. Kevin was one way in which this priority could be carried out. He added that this installation ceremony points to “the unity and cooperation between the Jesuits and the Trappists as well as to the friendship and mutual esteem between Buddhists and Christians.” He also sees it as a continuation of the dialogue between Christians and Buddhists that has been fostered over the past half-century by persons such as Thomas Merton, himself a Trappist monk.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic
KEYWORDS: buddhist; catholic; dalailama; falseecumenism; trapist; zen
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last

1 posted on 07/14/2004 6:59:27 PM PDT by Land of the Irish
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Akron Al; Alberta's Child; Andrew65; AniGrrl; Antoninus; apologia_pro_vita_sua; attagirl; ...

Ping


2 posted on 07/14/2004 7:01:10 PM PDT by Land of the Irish
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Land of the Irish
Many Christian have found Zen to be a valuable instrument for progressing in the spiritual life. By coming to focus on the present moment through the practice of the techniques of Zen meditation, the Christian can become aware of God’s immediate loving presence

Dang!
You mean I have been wasting my time with those Rosaries and Masses? Does this mean the Trappists are going to start learning how to fight unarmed?

I should have been following the Wu-Li Masters, not reading Imitation of Christ.

Lets hope this isn't going to create a new method of Communion:
If you can pluck the Body of Christ from my hand....
3 posted on 07/14/2004 7:14:49 PM PDT by Dominick ("Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." - JP II)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dominick; Land of the Irish

You know, I thought my Catholic education was horrendous, and was definitely lacking something. I had no idea what it was- no training in apologetics, no Latin, no scripture, no reading of the Fathers nor Doctors of the Church. Sure, all of those things were lacking, but what has really been missing from Catholic schools is, it has now occurred to me, formal training in Buddhism from a Priest/"Zen Master". Yeah, that's it! This will most surely bring us forth from this crisis of faith that Cardinal Ratzinger and the gang have waxed so eloquently about.

What on earth are these people doing to God's Church?!?!


4 posted on 07/14/2004 7:33:09 PM PDT by bonaventura
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Land of the Irish

okay boys and girls, can you say "syncretism"? there...I knew you could!


5 posted on 07/14/2004 8:21:01 PM PDT by ahadams2 (http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com is the url for the Anglican Freeper Resource Page)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Land of the Irish
By coming to focus on the present moment through the practice of the techniques of Zen meditation, the Christian can become aware of God’s immediate loving presence.”

That statement is rather puzzling, since there is no God in Buddhism, Zen or otherwise.

6 posted on 07/14/2004 9:08:50 PM PDT by stripes1776
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stripes1776
By coming to focus on the present moment through the practice of the techniques of Zen meditation, the Christian can become aware of God’s immediate loving presence.

The Christian can become aware of God’s immediate loving presence by kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament or by partaking of any of the other sacraments, not by embracing false religions.

"The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. But the hired hand runs away when the sheep comes." --Jesus

Who is shepherding the flock on earth; a good shepherd or a hired hand? Is it too much to ask why these heretic wolves are given free reign to gorge themselves on the innocent lambs right in the sheepfold?

Lord Jesus, save us from the mitered wolves and their hired hands!
7 posted on 07/14/2004 11:31:46 PM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ahadams2
okay boys and girls, can you say "syncretism"? there...I knew you could!

What about "the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"?

8 posted on 07/14/2004 11:59:45 PM PDT by xJones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Land of the Irish

I remember many years ago when "in the spirit of Vatican 2" our high school invited a practitioner of zen to give a talk as part of a series on different religions.
Here are some of the nebulous answers we were given:
"Zen is the sound of no hands clapping"
"Zen is the shade under an oak tree"
This same wacko related to us some stories about "attaining enlightenment"...
"Before you attain enlightenment mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. While you're in the process of enlightment, mountains are no longer mountains and rivers are no longer rivers. Once you attain enlightment, mountains are once again mountains and rivers are once again rivers".
"In their quest for enlightment 2 young men sat staring at a flag-pole for over a week. Finally one of them said, "The flag is moving". Some time later the other responded, "No, it is the wind that is moving". Finally, a master of zen who had been watching the 2 men corrected them both, "No, it is your mind that is moving" - and they were instantly enlightened".
Go figure.


9 posted on 07/15/2004 12:07:24 AM PDT by AskStPhilomena
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AskStPhilomena
LOL! My favorite teAchiNG came from a Hindu Guru: "All is nothing, and nothing is all, and I know nothing!" (followed by a tittering laugh, of course). I laughed too, but not WITH him.
10 posted on 07/15/2004 12:30:21 AM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: broadsword

HEY! Maybe that goofy Hindu Guru is a Catholic Bishop by now. Maybe he will be the next Pope! Hari, Hari! Krishna, Krishna! Body of Christ! Guru, Guru! Ooooooooooooommmmmmmmm!


11 posted on 07/15/2004 12:32:51 AM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Land of the Irish

I remember Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, the superior general of the Society of Jesus. He's the guy who forbade Father Joseph Fessio from any involvement in San Francisco's Campion College - and posted him off to Santa Teresita Hospital (now closed) in Duarte, California to serve as hospital chaplain.
Given the sorry state of the Jesuit order, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that the superior general would endorse a false religion (in obedience to the holy father's example perhaps?)


12 posted on 07/15/2004 12:47:22 AM PDT by AskStPhilomena
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AskStPhilomena

Here, let me get it started for the Dorkamada Brownshirt Club; "Your'e a schizmatic! Shut up! Don't post any more! You will burn in hell! Burn in HELLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!"


13 posted on 07/15/2004 1:02:31 AM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: broadsword

Careful! One of our liberated/enlightened brethren is probably already looking for an excuse to have this thread pulled.


14 posted on 07/15/2004 1:09:34 AM PDT by AskStPhilomena
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: AskStPhilomena
But, don't you see that every thread critical of the liberal modernist Amchurch is really about whether or not YOU are a wicked excommunicated SSPX schismatic sedevacantist devil? And, of course, accusing those who have never been to, or even heard of an SSPX Mass, other than reading about them here, of being the same sort of devil? It's the Dorkemada thing: lie, libel, spam, bear false witness, act haughty and self-righteous, lie some more, screech and defame, while covering for every foul Amchurch odor... oh, and lie some more. (It makes 'em feel CYBER-TOUGH! and much better about being failures and losers in the real world.)
15 posted on 07/15/2004 1:24:18 AM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: AskStPhilomena

(Dean of Sanity and Truth--Dorkemada Brownshirt Club)
Die, SSPXer! DIIIIIIIIIIIIE!
16 posted on 07/15/2004 1:31:15 AM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: broadsword; Canticle_of_Deborah

"bear false witness, act haughty and self-righteous, lie some more, screech and defame, while covering for every foul Amchurch odor... oh, and lie some more."

That's a pretty good description of Steinbock - the bishop under scrutiny here...
http://www.dioceseoffresno.org/letters/20040701knxtcommunion.html


17 posted on 07/15/2004 1:34:18 AM PDT by AskStPhilomena
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: AskStPhilomena
But the mission of the Church is to teach and propose the truth, not to impose it.

What the heck? When did Jesus become the way, the suggestion and the life?
18 posted on 07/15/2004 1:40:44 AM PDT by broadsword (Liberalism is the societal AIDS virus that thwarts national defense.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: broadsword; Canticle_of_Deborah

Oops, I lie - wrong thread.
Steinbeck relates to the Lastiri thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1171532/posts


19 posted on 07/15/2004 1:41:45 AM PDT by AskStPhilomena
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dominick
"By coming to focus on the present moment through the practice of the techniques of Zen meditation, the Christian can become aware of God’s immediate loving presence'"

This is actually a very true statement. Whenever one of His own falls away, our loving God disciplines the Christian just as a loving father disciplines his children when they disobey.

Do we remember how we all felt the immediate loving presence of our parents, as we were bent over awaiting the first swat of the ordained punishment about to be rendered?

I wonder what immediate loving presence is about to befall the Jesuit Order.

20 posted on 07/15/2004 2:25:33 AM PDT by Cvengr (;^))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson