Notes & Queries - Can you be a Buddhist as well as a Christian?
Whenever I am in Cornwall, I make a point of paying a solitary visit to the church of St Peter Under Aylward.
As is the case with all worthwhile pilgrimages, this excursion is not without a degree of personal risk. On paper, the chapel remains in service, despite the considerable handicap of occupying Atlantic real estate currently submerged at a depth of between 15 - 27 feet, depending upon the disposition of the tide along the northern coast. St Peter's fell victim to a landslip in 1902, that also claimed a trailing thread of its parent village. The thick-walled buildings were constructed from the same rough-hewn masonry that was used to assemble a multitude of stone circles in this part of the country, many of which stand to this day. The seven underwater structures have endured their 12-decade exile from dry land (which has placed them at the mercy of the battering Irish Swell) largely unscathed, though all have lost their roofs. The church, in its present location, has become an unlikely guardian of the coast, absorbing some of the bite from the encroaching waves and slowing down the rate of cliff erosion. In doing so it has extended a prolonged stay of execution over a trio of properties that teeter precariously close to the precipice.If you possess the relevant scuba qualifications, then a visit to St Peter's is well worth the effort. The interior is renowned for its paintings and engravings (the latter inlaid with narwhal silicates brought back to England by the Cornish whaling fleet) that seem ostentatious for such a humble place of worship. A delve into the history of the parish reveals these works as the artisanal dry runs of craftsmen, prior to applying the same concepts to the larger canvas of Bristol Cathedral.
Rose Peppard swears that, while posing with two friends, for an underwater photograph, on a sunken stretch of the graveyard wall, a 15ft Great White Shark slipped past behind her husband, Douglas, as he steadied the camera – The devil himself grinning as he entered the house of God, not to cause any trouble, but simply to demonstrate that he could come and go as he pleased.
An unusual addition to St Peter's is a brass diving bell that was abandoned there in 1907 after entering the church through the, then, semi-intact roof and becoming embedded, at a slight angle, in the aisle, like an alien spacecraft, at odds with the biblical teachings that once rained down from the lectern.
It is possible to enter the diving bell. Once inside one can meditate, in complete solitude, upon the enormity of the all-encompassing ocean. I use the Silent Scuba technology developed by Jeanette Gallie and Penelope Smith at Bristol University, which quietens my breathing and allows for a greater appreciation of the mournful chorus of the brigg whales whose lives are an incessant migration to the North and South.
The marooned submersible has been nicknamed the 'Jonah Cell' in reference to the Old Testament figure who was swallowed by a whale after disobeying God. It is very seldom visited, so you can imagine my surprise when, during one dive, I found it already inhabited; by whom, I do not know. I slipped away, leaving the occupant to enjoy their perfect isolation.
In fact, to visit St Peter's legally, one must acquire a permit. These are obtained from the incumbent landlord of The Dog & Crook who will make a show of ringing through your details to the local coastguard. He does a good line in cubist dog paintings. If you bring your pet with you, into the bar, he will paint its abstract portrait, in-between serving drinks.
The divers licence comes wrapped around a pinch of Dutchy Snout – a potent snuff that was once taken by Dutch naval officers prior to entering battle. I believe that you are supposed to take it before plunging backwards over the side of your boat, into the freezing water.
I brought up the Jonah Cell with the Reverend William Wiggins. The catalyst for this development in our conversation was the gigantic whale skeleton, suspended over our heads, in the main hall of the London Natural History Museum.
“A double agent, that's how you put it,” bellowed Wiggins, obviously much louder than he intended.
Lowering his voice, he added: “I forgot to take my oratory teeth out. I had the dentist build them for projection and volume.”
“For the time being, I would avoid libraries,” I counselled. “Jonah had a fractious relationship with God. He appeared to spend long periods seemingly inactive, though possibly meditating. Why is it so hard for you to conceive of him as an incarnation of the Buddha?”
I had been relating to him, the tale of William Bradley - a 17th century pirate who, while marooned, had discovered the skeleton of a leviathan inscribed with a Buddhist text that he attributed to Jonah.
“My dear, the foundation of the Christian faith rests upon a fractious relationship with God. It's practically a requirement for men like myself,” responded Wiggins. “You are aware that it took Siddhartha 49 days under a bo tree, being tormented by demons, to uncover the four noble truths of Buddhism? You are claiming that Jonah achieved the same state of enlightenment after three days inside a whale.”
“I am saying that the speed of enlightenment is relative to location.”
“And you don't suppose that it was all a test of faith? Because I am fairly certain that the omnipresent reach of God extends to the bellies of whales.”
We were now ascending the main stairs to the first floor balcony, Wiggins voice was again creeping upward in volume:
“I think that you may have achieved the impossible and unified Christianity and Buddhism in mutual astonishment at your absurd theory. You do know that William Bradley is about as grounded in reality as King Arthur?”
At the midpoint of the staircase, where it divided in two, the post biblical, patriarchal figure of Charlie Darwin gazed down benignly upon us. We veered to the left and resumed our climb.
I hope this is of help.
Rose Peppard swears that, while posing with two friends, for an underwater photograph, on a sunken stretch of the graveyard wall, a 15ft Great White Shark slipped past behind her husband, Douglas, as he steadied the camera – The devil himself grinning as he entered the house of God, not to cause any trouble, but simply to demonstrate that he could come and go as he pleased.
An unusual addition to St Peter's is a brass diving bell that was abandoned there in 1907 after entering the church through the, then, semi-intact roof and becoming embedded, at a slight angle, in the aisle, like an alien spacecraft, at odds with the biblical teachings that once rained down from the lectern.
It is possible to enter the diving bell. Once inside one can meditate, in complete solitude, upon the enormity of the all-encompassing ocean. I use the Silent Scuba technology developed by Jeanette Gallie and Penelope Smith at Bristol University, which quietens my breathing and allows for a greater appreciation of the mournful chorus of the brigg whales whose lives are an incessant migration to the North and South.
The marooned submersible has been nicknamed the 'Jonah Cell' in reference to the Old Testament figure who was swallowed by a whale after disobeying God. It is very seldom visited, so you can imagine my surprise when, during one dive, I found it already inhabited; by whom, I do not know. I slipped away, leaving the occupant to enjoy their perfect isolation.
In fact, to visit St Peter's legally, one must acquire a permit. These are obtained from the incumbent landlord of The Dog & Crook who will make a show of ringing through your details to the local coastguard. He does a good line in cubist dog paintings. If you bring your pet with you, into the bar, he will paint its abstract portrait, in-between serving drinks.
The divers licence comes wrapped around a pinch of Dutchy Snout – a potent snuff that was once taken by Dutch naval officers prior to entering battle. I believe that you are supposed to take it before plunging backwards over the side of your boat, into the freezing water.
I brought up the Jonah Cell with the Reverend William Wiggins. The catalyst for this development in our conversation was the gigantic whale skeleton, suspended over our heads, in the main hall of the London Natural History Museum.
“A double agent, that's how you put it,” bellowed Wiggins, obviously much louder than he intended.
Lowering his voice, he added: “I forgot to take my oratory teeth out. I had the dentist build them for projection and volume.”
“For the time being, I would avoid libraries,” I counselled. “Jonah had a fractious relationship with God. He appeared to spend long periods seemingly inactive, though possibly meditating. Why is it so hard for you to conceive of him as an incarnation of the Buddha?”
I had been relating to him, the tale of William Bradley - a 17th century pirate who, while marooned, had discovered the skeleton of a leviathan inscribed with a Buddhist text that he attributed to Jonah.
“My dear, the foundation of the Christian faith rests upon a fractious relationship with God. It's practically a requirement for men like myself,” responded Wiggins. “You are aware that it took Siddhartha 49 days under a bo tree, being tormented by demons, to uncover the four noble truths of Buddhism? You are claiming that Jonah achieved the same state of enlightenment after three days inside a whale.”
“I am saying that the speed of enlightenment is relative to location.”
“And you don't suppose that it was all a test of faith? Because I am fairly certain that the omnipresent reach of God extends to the bellies of whales.”
We were now ascending the main stairs to the first floor balcony, Wiggins voice was again creeping upward in volume:
“I think that you may have achieved the impossible and unified Christianity and Buddhism in mutual astonishment at your absurd theory. You do know that William Bradley is about as grounded in reality as King Arthur?”
At the midpoint of the staircase, where it divided in two, the post biblical, patriarchal figure of Charlie Darwin gazed down benignly upon us. We veered to the left and resumed our climb.
I hope this is of help.
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