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Benedicts Dharma
James Wiseman
Monastic Interreligious Dialogue Bulletin
The book Benedicts Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict was published by Riverhead Books in the late summer of 2001. Several years in the making,
the volume was edited by Patrick Henry, director of the Institute for Ecumenical and
Cultural Research at St. Johns Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. It contains the
reflections of four Buddhist authorsNorman Fischer, Joseph Goldstein, Judith
Simmer-Brown, and Yifa on selected parts of the Rule of Saint Benedict and has
already met with such success that plans are underway to have it translated into
several foreign languages.
To coincide with the publication of the book, the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) board decided to hold a conference at Our Lady of Grace Monastery
in Beech Grove, Indiana, from September 2123, 2001. Originally all four of the
Buddhist authors had intended to come, but in light of the terrorist attacks of September 11, Norman Fischer and Joseph Goldstein felt it was more important that
they remain with their own communities during those days. However, Judith Simmer-Brown and Yifa did attend, along with more than a hundred other persons. The
attendees included Father Patrick Barry, the former abbot of Ampleforth Abbey in
England, who is currently residing at St. Louis Abbey in Missouri. His sensitive translation of the Rule of Saint Benedict is included as an appendix to Benedicts Dharma.
On the opening evening, Father William Skudlarek, OSB, the chair of the MID
board, extended a warm welcome to those attending and then introduced Patrick
Henry, who served as moderator of the entire conference. Brother David SteindlRast, OSB, who had worked closely on the project from its inception and had written an afterword to the book, spoke on the Rule of Benedict as a trellis, which is
the root meaning of the Latin and Greek words translated as rule. Just as a trellis in
a garden provides a structure for the plant climbing on it, so does the Rule of Saint
Benedict establish a framework on which a life can grow. Brother Davids talk was
followed by the assigning of dyads, groups of two participants each; the pairs would
use allotted times during the conference for dialogue about matters raised in the general sessions.
The next day, Saturday, September 22, began with sitting meditation in the monastery chapel, followed by the service of Morning Praise with the resident community of Benedictine sisters. Various other activities were in the conference schedule,

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but especially prominent were talks given by Christian monastics as their responses
to the book out of their own experience of living according to the Benedictine Rule.
The first of these talks was given by Sister Sarah Schwartzberg of the Benedictine
Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Her assigned topic was the section of the book Benedicts Dharma dealing with the themes of freedom and forgiveness. Following a
late-morning Eucharist and lunch, two presentations were made in the afternoon:
Abbot Francis Cline, OCSO, of Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina, reflected on discipline and spontaneity, and Father Columba Stewart, OSB, of Saint Johns Abbey,
Collegeville, Minnesota, spoke on the part of the book focusing on tradition and
adaptation. Those attending the conference again joined the resident community
for vespers in the monastery chapel and then, after dinner, heard Father James Wiseman, OSB, of Saint Anselms Abbey in Washington, D.C., speak on the themes of
leadership and humility as these had been treated by the Buddhist authors in the
last section of the book.
The Sunday schedule began in a way similar to that of Saturday, with morning
talks by the Buddhist scholar the Venerable Heng Sure and the MID chair Father
Skudlarek. After Eucharist, Judith Simmer-Brown made some extemporaneous closing remarks to thank persons who had worked so hard to make the entire project a
success. She also expressed pleasant surprise at how positively the book had been
received. In her own words, I think I speak for all the Buddhist commentators in
saying that we are astonished at the kind of response we have received to reflections
that we did out of our own pleasure and a desire to deepen our understanding of our
own practice, traditions, and contemplative lives. . . . If it is a benefit to others, thats
wonderful, but I find myself still astonished that there could be benefit from something that was such an enjoyable process.
The entire conference then concluded with an outdoor ceremony called dedication of merit. While some who had registered found themselves unable to come
because of flight cancellations in the aftermath of September 11, all those present
expressed deep appreciation for what they had experienced during their days together.
Further details about the conference, including the complete texts of the various
talks, may be found at the MID Web site: <www.monasticdialog.com>.