It is necessary to start with in Vietnam (!) to see that this reflection has a foundation. In Vietnam, the more the place of worship is serene, the more it is sacred for the people. Buddhist Temples are built in quiet and tranquil locations with the big banyans around; The Lady of Lavang shrine is in the forest; etc.
The following is an introduction to the serene prayer during our recent Wednesday’s Vesper.
The arrangement of the Chapel was as in a Buddhist Temple. In Buddhism, there is a treasure that we can learn and we can think that it is from the Holy Spirit. This treasure is known as Buddhist meditation or Zen. Zen in Vietnam is ngoi thien (sitting meditation), not lying or standing. Zen must be done in a quite place with soft light. In other words, the serenity helps meditation to be successful. A successful Zen encompasses ‘calm thinking’, ‘a soft heart’ and ‘a bright mind’. The first is the consequence of the second and the second is the consequence of the third.
Our prayer should somehow also lead us to a bright mind. Therefore, during the serene Vesper, with the dimly lit candles and the stuffy smoke; the seating on the floor in a straight line (one direction indicating support and communion with each other) are seen as a whole to help community in a united move toward God; to have a bright mind. The bright mind for us is the awareness of the presence of God through the communion with confreres and with the universe.
There is a philosophical thought of Buddhism about interbeing that could aid us in our prayer. This thought is preached by a Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He sees the interconnectedness of all things, not just humans or even animate objects, but all forms of existence in the universe: including the forms created by humans to connect with God and the universe. It is because all things are interconnected that individuals could be concerned for the wellbeing of all. The liturgy of the Hours embraces the whole Church, the whole world and the whole universe. Zen manners help us in some ways to have an intimacy embrace, concern, and union in our prayer.
To conclude for this introduction of serene prayer, it is right to say that inculturation on one hand entails the penetration of the Gospel values into our Asian culture, but on the other hand, it includes the element where we grow and are purified by the culture. Zen does not belong only to Buddhism alone, rather it is a beautiful heritage of Asian culture. A serene prayer therefore could be acknowledged in our Liturgy of the Hours.
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