Is There Such a
Thing as
Masculine Spirituality?
Stillness is what creates love,
Movement is what creates life,
To be still,
Yet still moving—
That is everything!
—Do Hyun Choe, Japanese Master
Perhaps
the term sounds new, strange, even wrong or unnecessary. Why would we
bother speaking of a spirituality that is especially masculine or male?
Is there anything to be learned here? Don't we all come to God the same
way? I am convinced that there are different paths because men and women
pay attention to different things. Moviemakers know that, book
publishers know that, advertisers know that, salespersons know that,
almost everybody knows that except the clergy. Fortunately, it is
strongly validated in universal sacred stories, legends and myths, which
are invariably written for men or women, and different patterns are
found in the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, too. That will be evident by
the end of this book.
First, I want to say that a masculine spirituality is not just for men,
although it is men who are most likely going to have to rediscover and
exemplify it. Strangely, it is an approach that many women are more in
touch with today than men. Women have been encouraged and even forced to
work on their inner lives more than men in our culture. They are more
open to the whole terrain, for some reason.
In general, women are ahead of men in recognizing their feminist
perspective, and also in integrating the so-called "feminine"
and "masculine" parts of themselves. Their inner journeys and
outer scholarship have left many of us men in the dust. Our sisters'
pursuit of the feminine voice has made men aware that there must be an
authentic masculine somewhere. But what is it? We know instinctively
that masculinity cannot be the same as patriarchy.
Quite simply, it is the other side of feminine energy. It is the other
pole, the complement, the balance, the counterpoise. I know I am taking
a great risk in saying this. Many believe that it is a unisex universe,
and all gender distinctions are culturally and artificially created.
Even if that were true, although I believe that is too easy closure on
the subject, I think both men and women can immensely profit from
learning by comparison and contrast, without denying that there are many
degrees and stages in between any classic polarities. Think of it as a
pedagogical tool, a way of learning.
In the Chinese view of the universe, for example, it is the yang,
or masculine principle, that is always the necessary complement to yin,
the feminine principle. For the Judeo-Christian tradition, it is half of
the image of God: "God created man in his image...male and female
he created them" (Genesis 1:27). Sexuality itself is the longing
for wholeness between the two. The archetypal pattern is so deep that
even many languages have masculine and feminine words.
I am not
saying that males are characterized by exclusively masculine energy and
that females hold only feminine. In fact, quite the contrary, although
there has been a tendency in most cultures to stereotype, classify and
hold the sexes in one predictable type of energy and behavior.
Unfortunately this tendency has kept us immature, unwhole, compulsive
and unready for living a life of love - human or divine.
Chapter
Two pages 7 and 8
