Henri le Saux: we are all called to say: ‘I am’ 

Later in his life William Johnston’s journey of continuous conversion moved into awareness of the coincidence of opposites, [where coincidence means the meeting at the same time of the opposites]. Johnston had begun to appreciate, that for many of the students he taught Zen Buddhism offered a deeper awareness and inner peace without the baggage of dogma. He began to teach a Zen-influenced meditation that could be practiced by Christians, Buddhists, and agnostics. He emphasized the importance of sitting with straight backs and breathing from the abdomen: ‘I will breathe in; I will breathe out’ was recited slowly and rhythmically. He also offered those who he taught a sacred word or mantra.

One he thought suitable for everyone was a Buddhist koan: ‘Every day is a good day’. Many protested at this – giving examples of when bad things were happening. The task, he explained, was to break through into a state of consciousness that allowed seeing the coincidence of opposites: ‘That is to say, we see that every day is at the same time a good day and not a good day.’ This breakthrough into getting awareness of the opposites held together comes with great joy and relief.

Johnston thought that old age was especially a time to realize the coincidence of opposites. Especially for those over 80, this was above all the time to meditate, to deepen faith and devotion.

‘Above all it is the time to come to the realization that life and death are not two things but one.

Again the coincidence of opposites! As every day is a good day but not a good day, as life is fair and not fair, as all is one but not one – so too life and death are one and not one. This is the mystical enlightenment … associated with the Hindu advaita, the Buddhist emptiness, and the words of the Heart Sutra that ‘form is emptiness and emptiness is form.’ It is the core of “The Cloud of Unknowing” and the writing of St John of the Cross. Is not this at the center of all mysticism?’

Johnston’s continuous conversion led to the understanding that it is only in collaboration with other religions that a new mystical theology can be found, and what he describes as a universal vocation to mysticism. Writing about the inner life of the Christian sanyasi Swami Abishiktananda – the French Indian monk Henri Le Saux – Johnston writes how he only later in life understood what Abishiktananda meant.

‘[He] found the peak point of mysticism in the “I am” of Jesus. Not “I am the Messiah” or “I am he” but simply “I am”. And Abishiktananda follows this back to Moses who, having asked Yahweh his name, received the answer, “I am who I am”. This, the Swami claims, is the key to all mystical experience. We are all called to say, “I am.” And is not this an experience beyond reasoning and thinking, beyond space and time?’

It is in such experiences outside time and space that the coincidence of opposites can be truly known, where there is ‘realization of the non-dualistic truth that life and death are not two things but one and a dimension of reality that is ordinarily hidden’ – (another glimpse of glory for those who have read the previous months posts).