An Interview with Ranjini George
This quarter, the Stoic Fellowship is very pleased to offer an interview with Ranjini George, MA, MFA, PhD, who has fashioned her life around creative writing, research, and teaching. She was born in Calcutta, India and taught English at Northern Illinois University. She was also an Associate Professor of English at Zayed University, Dubai, where she founded and ran the Teaching with the Mind of Mindfulness series. As a Mindfulness Meditation Instructor, she trained in various wisdom traditions and studied with different teachers such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Thich Nhat Hanh, Hari Nam Singh Khalsa and Lama Tsultrim Allione. She currently teaches Creative Writing, mindfulness and Stoicism at the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto and in 2019 received the Excellence in Teaching Award. She is also a visiting teacher for the Tara Mandala Buddhist International organization. Her book, Through My Mother’s Window was published in Dubai in December 2016. Most recently, an excerpt from her novel-in-progress was published in Stoicism Today.
SD = StoicDan (Organizer of The Orlando Stoics)
RG = Ranjini George
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SD: Thanks for joining us today, Ranjini. Let’s start with the amazing links between Stoicism and Buddhism. What meaningful connections do you and your students find between the beliefs of Stoicism and Buddhism? Most of our readers of this article are Stoa organizers, so we giving them ideas on how to start discussions in their groups.
RG: Stoic mindfulness ties in with Buddhist mindfulness practice. So does the emphasis on present moment awareness. Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh (or, Thay, as he is affectionately called by his students) reminds us that the past is dead and the future is not yet born. The only country is the country of the present moment.
The practice of how one begins and ends one’s day is important. In both Stoicism and Buddhism there is a great deal of emphasis on how one begins and ends one day. As Seneca reminds us, “Each day is a life.” We begin our day reminding ourselves of our intentions and core values. At the end of each day, we ask ourselves the three questions: What did I do (accomplish)? What did I leave out? What could I have done better? (cf. The Golden Verses of Pythagoras)
Instead of saying, “How are you?”, Atisha, one of the great 11th century Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist teachers, asked: “Have you been kind?”
I keep a journal and it is a practice I recommend. Journaling is a way that we can understand ourselves, our lives, and distill and contemplate what we’re studying. Journaling and contemplative meditation are powerful ways to connect with one’s intuitive self, contemplate the teachings, and to encourage self-inquiry (the Delphic maxim: Know Yourself).
SD: One of Seneca’s famous quotes is “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” For those looking for links in knowledge, what Buddhist sutras might agree with this?
RG: Of our suffering, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) says,
No Mud.
No Lotus.
Buddhism teaches us that we don’t push away the parts of ourselves that hurt, but that we cradle our anger, our jealousy, our depression and fears, like a mother cradles a child. We bring to that suffering self, the energy of mindfulness. We learn to stay. We make going home to ourselves a pleasant place.
One morning in Dubai, as I was walking on the beach in Jumeirah and struggling with what I considered problems, I had an imaginary conversation with Thay.
“So much Mud,” I said.
I heard in reply: “Bigger Lotus.”
Trungpa Rinpoche, the Tibetan teacher, reminds us “The obstacle is the path.” Ryan Holiday demonstrates through his narration of life stories the same premise in The Obstacle is the Way.
Thay taught me that our suffering can be garbage or it can be compost from which fruits and vegetables can grow. We learn to make good use of our suffering.
Amor Fati. This is what Marcus reminds us in the opening verse of Bk.4. All our obstacles become material to add to the fire. The fire blazes brighter. Everything that comes is fuel for this fire. It is not something we wish away or resist. As Marcus wrote: “A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.”
SD: Mindfulness is becoming a popular concept for modern discussions in both Buddhism and Stoicism. In Stoicism, it usually leads to improvement in how we focus on our day, on finding purpose, and how focus can lead to greater tranquility. How would you describe the benefits of mindful awareness in Buddhism?
RG: In many ways, it is the same, though there is a greater emphasis on sitting practice and walking meditation in Buddhism. It is easy to remind ourselves to be compassionate, but how do you train yourself to be more compassionate? There are many compassion practices in Buddhism. There are practices that help us develop greater equanimity, loving kindness (metta), joy and so forth.
In Mahayana Buddhist practice, setting our Boddhichitta aspiration is a daily practice. We practice moving beyond our egoic selves and wishing well for others, loved ones, strangers, those we consider our enemies and all sentient beings. We begin our day with this aspiration, one that takes us beyond our small self.
Bodhichitta practice helps us cultivate generosity and warm heartedness. It takes us beyond our personal preoccupations, narcissism and greed. Bodhicitta focuses on interconnection. “May all beings be happy…” It encourages loving kindness (metta).
I recite my bodhichitta aspiration every. I find this daily practice a powerful antidote (“good medicine”) to egoic self-obsession, craving, desire for more and more for oneself, and my own anger, grievances and resentments. We learn to soften our heart. We learn to stay open. We realize our interconnection or as Thay would say “inter-being.”
SD: Over the years, I remember some of our wonderful conversation, which have included the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh. One of my favorite quotes is “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” He beautifully combines gratitude, positivity, humility, and simplicity. How does he do that? Isn’t it amazing? What do you think?
RG: Yes, Dan. I remember us practicing walking meditation on the flight back from Athens after the 2019 Stoicon conference. Maybe you can include a link of our video! (https://youtu.be/fWE3DUgaatw) What an extraordinary event that was! I remember standing across from the Ancient Agora and surveying the Stoa Poikle. In your case, you walked among the ruins!
I first met Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) at a weeklong retreat at a Mindfulness for Educators retreat at Brock University in Ontario, Canada in August 2013. We would begin each day of our retreat with walking meditation. After breakfast, we attended his morning teachings. It was wonderful. Thay is a powerful teacher. His presence radiates compassion and presence. That week at Brock was one of the most precious weeks of my life.
I have learned so much from Thich Nhat Hanh that I consider him my spiritual father. He speaks simply and practically. His mantras are easy to remember:
Present Moment, Wonderful Moment.
Happiness is here and now.
Flow as a River.
I am home. I have arrived.
Nowhere to go. Nothing to do.
Buddhism as you know is not theistic. The Buddha is within us. Guan Yin, the boddhisattva of compassion, is within us. She is the principle of compassion. We learn to become our own refuge. We connect to our own Buddha nature.
As Thay reminds us, whatever we practice grows stronger. Practice anger. Your anger grows. Practice compassion. Your compassion grows.
In Buddhism, the deities we contemplate and visualize and bow to are as substantial as rainbows.
Both the one bowed to and the one who bows are both empty.
“Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form. Form is no other than Emptiness. Emptiness is no other than form.”
I was very sad when Thay had his stroke in November 2014 which left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. I was very sad when my father passed. I am sad when things that I love and cherish are lost. But Buddhism and Stoicism remind us that the only constant is change. The cloud become rain. The rain become tea.
As Thay says.
“No Birth. No death. Only continuation.”
*For more on this, read Thich Nhat Hanh’s slim book on the Heart Sutra: The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra.” It is a brief and concise elucidation of this most complex and inexhaustible of Mahayana Buddhist texts.
SD: For those meetup organizers who are reading this article, do you prefer the works of Donald Robertson, Antonia Macaro, Massimo Pigliucci, John Sellars, or others in the Modern Stoicism movement? What about their writings draws you in?
RG: As a student of English Literature, I read sections of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. In Dubai, I received the gift of a Roman bust. Fascinated by this bust that remained nameless for nine years, on a visit to the Ancient Agora in Athens in 2007, I discovered his name. His name was Antonius Pius and he was the adoptive father of Marcus. The story of this bust wove itself into my memoir-in-progress that won a Canadian prize: The Miracle of Flowers: In the Footsteps of an Emperor, a Goddess, a Story and a Tiffin Stall. The emperor in my memoir is Antoninus and the goddess (or, rather Boddhisattva or enlightened being/or enlightened sage) is the female Buddha, Kuan Yin. Even then, my interest in Stoicism was intertwined with my practice of Buddhism and interest in the sacred feminine. Article (https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2010/06/13/got_writers_block_try_your_local_coffee_shop.html)
However, it was only in April 2019, when I pre-ordered and then avidly read and reread Donald Robertson’s book, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, that I truly began to understand and practice Stoicism. I realized then that there was so much in Stoicism that was resonant with Buddhism. Donald’s book has had a profound impact on me. I use his book, along with Marcus’ Meditations, in my Stoicism and the Good Life class (https://learn.utoronto.ca/programs-courses/courses/3698-stoicism-and-good-life)
I am very grateful to Donald for his book and for embodying in his humility and warmheartedness the teachings of Stoicism. Such is the importance of our human effort. Yours in interviewing me. Donald in writing his book. And so on…We can never measure the consequences of our influence on others. We just do our work with presence and integrity.
Since then, I have attended Stoicon and other events and have learned from Christopher Gill, John Sellars, Massimo Pigliucci and others.
Antonia Macaro’s book on Stoicism and Buddhism is wonderfully rendered and focuses on the Pali cannon of Buddhism.
My training as a Buddhist teacher is in the Mahayana traditions, both Zen and Tibetan. I’m interested in exploring this area with regard to Stoicism. My most recent presentation at our very first Stocion-x Women’s event (June 2021) was on “A Female Buddha and a Roman Emperor: Joyful Lessons in Living.”
As a teacher of creative writing, lover of books and philosophy, I have also been inspired by Eric Weiner’s excellent book, The Socrates Express. I have also learned from the born teacher and philosopher, Rob Colter, Senior Lecturer at Wyoming University and founder of the Stoic camp. (Incidentally, Eric has an excellent chapter on Epictetus, Stoic camp and Rob in his book!) Rob eloquently lectures on Stoicism and philosophy. He makes philosophy come alive in the classroom, and his story of Socrates’ death brought me to tears. Rob lives Stoicism with heartfelt engagement and loving kindness (metta).
Rob, Eric, Donald, Kathryn, Gabriel Blott (Minnesota Stoics) and you, Dan, have kindly offered guest lectures in my UofT classes. Thank you! Though I am a teacher of both Buddhism and Stoicism, I very much consider myself a lifelong student on this path.
SD: The second time I spoke to your class at University of Toronto, the topic was “Stoic Discipline”. I remember the students were engaged on how discipline can help manage desires in the modern world. How can Buddhism help us achieve this?
RG: The Dalai Lama often talks about the necessity of cultivating and training ourselves in compassion. He says that whether we’re religious or not is irrelevant. What is important is that we cultivate warmheartedness. It is interesting that when he talks about compassion, he also emphasizes self-discipline.
There it is — from the Dalai Lama himself.
Cultivate compassion and self-discipline.
Compassion comes first. Compassion must always come first.
But without discipline we cannot manifest our dreams and live the lives we imagine for ourselves.
In Buddhism we speak about the six jewels or paramitas. Discipline or silla (in Sanskrit) or Tsultrim in Tibetan is one of the paramitas.
We need to cultivate discipline of body, speech and mind — Right Conduct, Right Speech is all part of the Buddha’s 8-fold path.
As a creative writer, I remember the words of Flannery O’Connor. She emphasized the “habit of art.” Without this daily habit of showing up at the desk, talent disappears. Whether we feel like it or not, we show up and write. We chose a time and place.
As my Kundalini yoga teacher Hari Nam Singh Khalsa says, “Be a disciple to your discipline.”
Discipline is not repressive. Discipline is true freedom.
As Marcus reminds us in the Meditations, we learn to work without being attached to outcome. We train ourselves to be free of “secondary considerations” (fame, publication, and so on).
It is also important How we work. We bring joy to our work. Joyful effort. We are alive. It is a gift to be alive.
SD: In June 2021, the first conference called “Stoicon-X Women” was held online and featured women speaking on topics like mindfulness, care, and creativity. How can the female voice help us understand philosophy today and find our path to a flourishing life?
RG: Without giving voice and space to the feminine in our culture, our world, and its philosophies, including Stoicism, will remain askew. Perhaps Marcus draws so many of us because he did not fit the masculine stereotypes of his day, which was one of aggression. Marcus was not a hawk like Avidius Cassius, but, as he was scornfully labeled, a “dove.” Within him was a balance of both principles, the female and the male. Marcus knew that the stereotypical masculine constructs of his day were not useful, even dangerous. He knew that in gentleness, self-reflection, kindness and vulnerability lies great strength.
The Stoicon-x women’s conference with its emphasis on care, creativity and relationships brought Stoic wisdom to the heart. Stoicism is relevant to the day-to-day practice of our ordinary (and extraordinary) oh so fleeting human lives. Stoicism is a philosophy that emphasizes interrelationship, warm heartedness, friendship and love. See, Bk. 1 of the Meditations. What a wonderful testament to the necessity of the practice of gratitude and warm heartedness. At the Stoicon-x conference, the wonderful Sharon Lebell brought music into our space. Alkistis Agio led us in a meditation. The conference was diverse and inclusive. It was a truly wonderful event. Thanks to two wonderful and inspiring women, Kathryn Korimilas and Brittany Polat.
SD: What Buddhist or Stoic authors do you recommend for people who are in great difficulty. This is needed, in part, because many people are suffering — psychologically and financially — during the pandemic.
RG: Of course, Marcus’ Meditations. I love the Robin Hard and Christopher Gill translation. I also like the Hays translation. Of course, Donald Robertson’s How to Think like a Roman Emperor.
Thich Nhat Hanh teachings are widely available on YouTube, and his books are many. Any book of Thay would be wonderful. His interview with Oprah Winfrey (available on YouTube) would be a good starting point. So would his slim book, True Love, where he talks about the four mantras of True Love.
The Dalai Lama is also a wonderful teacher, and his book, The Art of Happiness, set me on Buddhist Journey. So are the books of Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart, to name just one.
On YouTube you can listen to the Bell Chant offered by the Plum Village community, or attend one of their online offerings. Mindfulness is a wonderful practice. It teaches us not just attention and concentration and present moment awareness but vast mind, open space and open heart. When I listened to the audio of Donald’s meditation on View from Above, it reminded me of many of my Buddhist practice. I do both Buddhist and Stoic meditations quite regularly.
You could enjoy one of my free meditations: Kuan Yin of the Lake.
Also, this podcast from Kathryn Korimilas / Stoic Salon on Mindfulness, Buddhism, Stoicism and Creative Writing.
Metta meditation in song, Jennifer Berezan.
A few other favorite Buddhist books:
Pema Chödrön, Practicing Peace in Times of War. Shambhala, 2007.
Lama Tsultrim Allione, Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine. Atria Books, 2018.
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness. Beacon Press, 1992
METTA/LOVE MEDITATION
Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices. Parallax Press, 2009.
P. 113–114, “This is a love meditation adapted from the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa, a fifth-century CE systematization of the Buddha’s teachings.”
May I be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.
May I be safe and free from injury.
May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.
May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love.
May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.
May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in myself.
May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself every day.
May I be able to live fresh, solid and free.
May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.
Begin practicing this love meditation on yourself (“I”)
Practice on others (May he/she/they be…)
Learn More:
https://modernstoicism.com/blue-flowers-novel-excerpt-by-ranjini-george/
https://learn.utoronto.ca/programs-courses/courses/3816-dear-diary-marcus-aurelius-anne-frank-and-thich-nhat-hanh
https://learn.utoronto.ca/programs-courses/courses/3522-mindfulness-stoicism-and-writing-discipline-and-productivity
https://www.taramandala.org/blog/two-writings
https://ranjinigeorge.wordpress.com/
