"Jesuit priest," "Zen master" and "psychotherapist" don't often
go together.
But they're more closely related than people realize, says the
Rev. Robert E. Kennedy.
The 72-year-old professor of theology and Japanese has devoted
his life to interfaith work. Although he does not consider himself
a Buddhist, he practices Zen, focusing on attaining enlightenment
through meditation, self-contemplation and intuition.
Father Kennedy, who is speaking Friday in Richardson, was
ordained in Japan in 1965. He earned the distinguished title of Zen
master, or roshi, in 1997, after training with Zen master Koun
Yamada.
Father Kennedy teaches at St. Peter's College in Jersey City,
N.J. Among his several degrees are doctorates in theology from the
University of Ottawa and St. Paul University in Ottawa. He also is
a graduate of the Blanton Peale Institute, a school dedicated to
spiritual and mental health, in New York City.
Father Kennedy is writing his third book, which he said will
expand on his earlier works, Zen Gifts to Christians and
Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit. He spoke by telephone with
Special Contributor Kendall Anderson. Here are
excerpts:
How did your dual interests in Catholicism and Zen
Buddhism come about?
I was born to a devout Catholic family, so I grew up in a
Catholic world. I went to Japan, and this enlarged my vision
tremendously, as I encountered Buddhism through the Jesuits.
There are great truths in all religions. It's not a question of
one right and the other wrong. It is a multiplicity of truths.
And psychotherapy?
As a young man I wanted to be a doctor, and becoming a
psychotherapist was a way of developing that side of my
personality. There were other Jesuits doing clinical psychology,
and talking to them inspired me.
What does it mean to study Zen?
To study Zen is to study the self. To study the self is to
forget the self. Once we stop focusing on ourselves, the whole
world opens up to us in a new way.
How does being a psychotherapist help you as a
priest?
I learned how to listen to what people said and how they said it
and how often they said it and with what emotion they said it. It
all fits together. It's part of the same mind-set.
How do you reconcile your Christian beliefs with
Buddhism?
It's not that we have to accept everything that Buddhism
teaches. Zen is a practice, not a belief. It is a practice of
attention and mental and physical discipline that people of any
faith can benefit from.
Have Catholic leaders ever expressed concern about your
being a Zen master?
No. The church has encouraged us to engage in interfaith work.
The Jesuit order especially has asked us to not just know what
other people believe but, as far as possible, to experience what
they experience, to walk in their shoes.
Do you feel compelled to convert
non-Christians?
Never, and I've never done it. I feel others might be better
positioned to do that.
I feel my business is to learn as much as I can and to live my
own Christian life as best I can. If other people are interested in
Christianity because of me and ask a question, I can answer it.
My contribution to interfaith work is to acquaint Christians
with Buddhism. Often they have no idea at all.
Are Catholicism and Zen compatible?
Yes. Zen and Catholic thought have major differences. Zen and
any theistic religion would have major differences. Yet we can
practice yoga, for example, and differ intellectually from some of
the Buddhist teachings but still benefit enormously.
Has society fully accepted a connection between religion
and health?
I think so. I don't know that every priest or rabbi has, but it
is established.
Religion is not just a spiritual endeavor, it is also
psychosomatic.
Kendall Anderson, a Dallas freelance writer, can be reached
at [email protected]