Brother Lawrence and Zen

“Brother Lawrence: A Christian Zen Master” is a fascinating collection of insights, bringing together the Christian tradition, by citing Brother Lawrence, and that of Buddhism, offering similar insights from a number of Buddhist teachers. The book begins with a reminder that “Zen itself is not a religion but a technique, a practice that can be applied to any religious tradition. However, it grew out of Buddhism, and it has always fit most comfortably within the Buddhist faith.” However, the book also recognises how well this fits with the way that Brother Lawrence lived. “At its heart, Brother Lawrence’s practice was simply Zen—a focus on the present moment in order to wake up, to be able to see the Light. This way of living drew not only the attention of church leaders during his day; down through the centuries, it has continued to draw the attention of those who see in Brother Lawrence’s life a way of relating to God that Christianity has often neglected. Other mystics, including Meister Eckhart and Teresa of Avila, might be able to explain this in greater detail in their writing; Brother Lawrence simply lived it.” The book adds “Zen asks us to let go of our focus on the ego, to empty ourselves of our selfish attachments, to destroy our mental constructs, and simply be present to the light. Not so very different from Christ’s call to die to ourselves so that we may be born again!” There is certainly loads of parallel wisdom from both traditions cited in this insightful book. Naturally, I identified most with the quotations (updated in language) from Brother Lawrence and the Christian tradition, but it was easy to recognise the many ways in which Buddhism offers similar messages. A final quote – “Don’t get tired of doing little things for the love of God. The size of our task matters not at all, only the love with which we do it.”