Re: [ConstellationTalk] Family Constellations and Buddhism
- From: Kate Ingram <c.ingram@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 12:29:41 +1100
DEAR DANIEL, CHRIS AND OTHERS,
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION WITH A SUBJECT THAT
IS CLOSE TO MY HEART. I HAVE BEEN PRACTISING NICHIREN DAISHONIN'S
BUDDHISM (BASED ON THE LOTUS SUTRA) FOR SOME 17 YEARS NOW AND WOULD
LIKE TO SHARE THIS STREAM'S VIEWS ON PERPETRATORS, GOOD AND EVIL and
CONSCIENCE (I HOPE IT IS HELPFUL).
FIRSTLY I WOULD LIKE TO QUOTE FROM HELLINGER HIMSELF IN HIS BRIEF
THERAPIES BOOK (p.227), "perpetrators are often excluded from the
heart..if you look back on the course of your own life, each of you
will come to some point where you were guilty of something, a point
where you hurt someone a point where you were a perpetrator. Often we
don't want to admit this and we repress those memories. that becomes
the shadow which we deny. If you can hold the knowledge of your own
guilt and the memories of the damage you have caused and lie down
with the dead perpetrator with this full awareness until you feel
calm and at one with him, then there can be reconciliation..." IN
BUDDHIST TERMS, THERE IS A CONGRUENCE, AS WE BELIEVE WRONGDOER AND
VICTIM SHARE THE SAME 'KARMA' (i.e. action and consequences thereof)-
THIS NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED SO THAT THERE CAN BE
RECONCILIATION-THIS IS DONE THROUGH INNER DIALOGUE (MEDITATION ON THE
EVENT) AND OUTER DIALOGUE THROUGH RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. IT SEEMS
ABHORRENT TO MANY THAT PERPETRATOR AND VICTIM ARE EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR A HEINOUS CRIME BUT THIS IS THE BUDDHIST VIEW BASED ON THE LAW OF
CAUSE AND EFFECT. INDEED THE VICTIM IS EXPIATING PAST 'KARMA' AND IT
IS THE PERPETRATOR THAT ONE IS INVITED TO FEEL THE MOST COMPASSION
FOR, AS THEY ARE CREATING CAUSES FOR THEIR LIVES THAT WILL NEED TO BE
EXPIATED IN THE FUTURE WHEN THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS ARE EXACT FOR
THIS.
AS FAR AS GOOD AND EVIL IS CONCERNED- WE SAY THAT A BUDDHA (ALL HUMAN
BEINGS ARE POTENTIALLY BUDDHAS IN THIS LIFETIME) IS SOMEONE WHO "IS
THOROUGHLY AWAKENED TO THE NATURE OF GOOD AND EVIL FROM THEIR ROOTS
TO THEIR BRANCHES AND LEAVES..." (nichiren daishonin) this means THAT
BUDDHAS ACCEPT THEIR INNATE GOODNESS WITHOUT ARROGANCE BECAUSE THEY
BELIEVE ALL PEOPLE SHARE THE SAME BUDDHA NATURE BUT AT THE SAME TIME
THEY ACCEPT THEIR OWN INNATE EVIL WITHOUT DESPAIR BECAUSE THEY KNOW
THEY HAVE THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME AND CONTROL THE NEGATIVITY I.E THE
WORLDS OF GREED, ANGER AND IGNORANCE THAT ALL HUMANS ENGAGE WITH AND
THAT ARE DESTRUCTIVE TO LIFE AND CREATIVITY.
The Lotus Sutra, a Buddhist scripture and practice that very
strongly, in my mind, speaks to that conscience (the third one), Bert
Hellinger has identified, which transcends cultural, familial and in
Buddhist terms, karmic, conditioning and inheritance.the conscience
that speaks to and identifies our place and relationship to the
greater whole.
As you know, there are several Buddhist streams and many Buddhist
practices and chants, but none, as far as I know, offer a direct
pathway (without intermediaries) to Buddhahood, another name, as I
see it, for this third conscience. (through the chant of Nam Myoho
Renge Kyo- the title of the Lotus sutra)
THANKS FOR READING,
WARM REGARDS,
CATE INGRAM (MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA)
I've been considering the interface between Constellation Work and
Buddhism. Chris has a good article on his website about his
Buddhist approach to psychotherapy. My question is how do the two
views fit with each other?
I wrote an email the other day to a friend who is a practicing
Buddhist. She did a family constellation 8 months ago about her
father who is a concentration camp survivor. I was trying to bridge
how she deals with her perpetrator energy in her Buddhist practice
and how she might understand the images in the constellation.
I wrote, "One can see these approaches as complimentary, like the
inhalation and exhalation of breath. The family soul approach takes
it in and the Buddhist approach lets it go."
Has anyone else reflected on these questions? I'm always interested
in our collective wisdom and understanding.
Dan
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Kate Ingram
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