Care-Full Madhyamaka
As a chaplain, I frequently provide care for individuals whose spiritual and religious backgrounds differ significantly from my own, a situation far more common than encountering those with similar beliefs. This spiritual care work has necessitated a more subtle and practical application of my Buddhist identity and practice. Over time, I have learned to become malleable with my views, and it dawned on me that there is a kinship between my spiritual care practice and practical applications of madhyamaka. “Madhyamaka” here refers specifically to the emptiness of views. My practice in spiritual care requires that my views be held loosely in order to serve others of a variety of spiritual backgrounds and also to invite flexibility from those in my care.
Being Open to Spiritual Diversity
Engaging with diverse spiritual and religious perspectives can be complex. The integration of madhyamaka into my clinical practice did not initially occur as a theoretical exercise; rather, it began with a compassionate commitment to meet individuals where they are. As a fellow person who also experiences suffering, I need to empathize with and comprehend the unique perspective of each person I seek to serve. This process requires the cultivation of openness, curiosity, and spiritual reflexivity. In my own times of struggle and pain, I most certainly am not seeking advice or requesting reminders of some Buddhist tenet. Most often I am seeking understanding and maybe, if there’s some wiggle room, a way to integrate my present experience with the ideals of my faith. This is what I have found also in my support of people in the hospital and what feels like a care-full application of madhyamaka.
My professional development as a chaplain has benefited from this approach. When engaging with individuals holding diverse beliefs, I try to maintain an internal space that accommodates spiritual variety, reflecting the principle that “the best view is no view.” I rely on my Buddhist practice to remain open to supporting—with authenticity—an individual’s belief in a deity, divine intervention, or an eternal afterlife. My Buddhist faith provides a stable foundation so that I can support the varying degrees of faith or no faith in others.
Applying Madhyamaka as a Chaplain
During my studies at Naropa University and Nitartha Institute, I deeply appreciated the practice of madhyamaka debate and contemplation. I particularly gravitated toward the practice of prasangika (absurd consequence) debate. The exercise of allowing someone to establish their view only to point out an absurd consequence within it is thrilling. As you might imagine, this is neither workable nor compassionately skillful at someone’s bedside, and I had to let go of the deconstruction of views and other intellectual exercises. As a result, when my focus shifted from academic scholarship to the practical provision of care, the application of Buddhist philosophy in general became less clear. In the healthcare environment, it is essential to maintain a gentle and compassionate presence for individuals in vulnerable states. I noticed that both I and those I serve may experience psychological rigidity when navigating the various manifestations of suffering. I had to analyze this tendency toward rigidity in myself, and I learned that through tenderness and the cultivation of spiritual safety, I could create a space of exploration and integration for others.
When any of us encounter uncertainty and suffering, there is a tendency to cling to familiar beliefs and views. We may hold onto values that were previously beneficial even when they no longer resonate with our current experience. I observe this phenomenon regularly, and I perceive my role as facilitating an opportunity for individuals to examine, question, and potentially expand their spiritual frameworks to better relate to their present circumstances. This is the upaya of madhyamaka at the bedside.
This internal openness and spiritual security provide the necessary space for individuals to acknowledge that emotions such as anger, doubt, or ambivalence are valid components of their experience and compatible with their faith systems. My approach of care-full madhyamaka is not intended to destroy people’s views, but rather to provide them with the flexibility required to accommodate their present experiences, leveraging their inherently empty nature in a positive way to encourage coping and feelings of being supported. And then, perhaps, we are all clinging just a little bit less, and we’re all able to hold suffering with more grace and kindness.
Compassion for Self and Others
Below, I offer a simple contemplative exercise that you might try. More often than not, what I’ve found when I do this exercise is the ever-present need for self-compassion. When I feel challenged that my practice and my experience are not meeting, I need to be kind and compassionate to myself. Most likely, my own dharmic view has gotten in my way, and what I need now is the simplicity of authentic understanding and compassion.
I conclude this article with the second stanza of Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara, a verse referenced often by Dr. Phil Stanley, from whom I’ve learned much about the power and practice of madhyamaka.
Compassion alone is first seed for the abundant harvest of buddhahood;
Then water for its growth,
And finally, what matures as a state of lasting enjoyment—
Therefore, first I praise compassion.
Contemplative Exercise
- Bring to mind a present or past experience that feels in conflict with your understanding and practice of the dharma. Do you feel injustice around circumstances in your life? Are you feeling angry, despairing, or lost? Is your practice not meeting you where you are or providing the support you need?
- Feel the fullness of your emotions. Allow them to be there, and do not try to impose intellectual dharmic teachings or other spiritual views to stifle the energy. Let the feelings flow. Don’t rush away or hide from the experience.
- As you face your feelings, allow yourself to grow just a little bigger than the original experience and the emotions that arise. Use your imagination to create some space, and hold yourself gently and lovingly in the experience of any suffering.
- Now, get curious and explore. In what ways can my practice meet this experience? What teaching might I apply here?
- Remember that you do not need to find an answer. Be truly curious but have little expectation for resolution. Prioritize your needs for understanding and care first.
- After your exploration, sit quietly and, for now, let go of all thoughts and feelings.
Stephanie Mikolaj joined Nalandabodhi and became a student of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche in 2018. She has held administrative roles in Nalandabodhi International and Nitartha Institute and currently serves on the Nalandabodhi Senior Administrative Team. Stephanie currently works as a hospital chaplain in Colorado Springs where she lives and enjoys the outdoors with her spouse, Ben, and their dog, Kraken.
