The Buddha in the Tarot Read online

  From Divination to Individuation, and the Hero’s Journey

  In popular thought and actual practice, Tarot continues to be associated with divination. This term derives from the Latin divinare, meaning to “forsee” or to be “inspired by a god,” and generally indicates the acquisition of hidden knowledge by supernatural means. The classical Greek term for this practice was mantike, from which we derive a modern expression for Tarot divination itself – cartomancy. Despite the fact that some Tarotists have put forward sophisticated and compelling interpretations of what Tarot divination may actually entail,9 in popular thought it continues to have strong associations with “fortune-telling” and other contentious practices, which hint at a degree of charlatanry and material expectation underscoring the whole process. Moreover, such practices have been criticized for encouraging a lack of self-responsibility and a certain degree of passivity towards the cards.10 For Thomas Saunders, divination “debases” both Tarot and Tarotist. Tarot he argues is about taking responsibility in the here-and-now, and not about future hopes, fears or material expectations.11 Additionally, given that the Buddha himself condemned the practice of divination as being one of the “lowly arts” (Kevatta Sutta), and that the renowned monk Thich Nhat Hahn censures the practice of fortune-telling by ordained Buddhists,12 it may seem that a Tarot-Buddhist comparison is perhaps inappropriate.

  Other practitioners, whilst not wishing to negate Tarot’s divinatory dimension entirely, have sought to recontextualise it within a more intellectually-credible framework. Thus Tarot’s occult connotations have been realigned with Chaos Theory, the Implicate Order, Synchronicity, Morphic Resonance, and other plausible theories suggesting “the sympathy of all things.” There are others still who have shifted Tarot’s focus almost entirely away from divination to therapeutic application, where the traditional relationship between reader/querent has been readjusted to that of counselor/client.13

  There are however those who adopt a more solitary, meditative and contemplative attitude towards the cards, viewing them primarily as an aid towards self-understanding and self-transformation.14 It is within this form of practice in particular that we find the most obvious influences of Jungian thought. Despite the view that the Tarot may be “doctrinally foundationless”15 or the fact that Jung himself saw the Tarot images as being only “distantly descended from the archetypes of transformation,”16 it is rare to find a modern book on Tarot that does not make some kind of nod to Jung, whether in terms of borrowed concepts (Archetype, Collective Unconscious, Anima, Animus, Masculine, Feminine, Shadow, Self) or in the generally personal and therapeutic flavor of what Tarot is seen to be about. Richard Roberts sums up the views of many when he says that Tarot is “above all” a system of self-development, similar to Jung’s individuation process.17

  What makes Jung popular is his attempt to make religion or “spirituality” intelligible and meaningful to contemporary individuals. Jung argued that our materialist culture had left us in a disenchanted world “bereft of gods”;18 a serious situation which threatens our “psychic balance.”19 Humanity needs to recover some form of spirituality said Jung, but can no longer find solace in the “metaphysical certainties” of the medieval world.20 Spirituality now needs to engage both “sentiment” and “reason,”21 and for Jung this meant extracting the old religious myths, doctrines and rituals from their original supernatural framework, and reinterpreting them within a more natural and therapeutic one. Religious “salvation” now only makes sense within the therapeutic perspective of personal transformation; or in Jung’s words, “individuation.” Individuation as Anthony Storr says represents a kind of “Pilgrim’s Progress,” aimed at personal unification and wholeness, as opposed to some post-mortem destination.22 It was Jung’s successful linking of religious myth and imagery with such a therapeutic and “this-worldly” process which continues to shape and inform much Tarot practice and interpretation.23

  Of equal importance is the link made between the sequence of Tarot Trumps and Joseph Campbell’s understanding of the Hero’s Journey – the Jungian interpretation of the individuation process as an archetypal path through life. In his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell argued that many of the world’s hero myths shared the same underlying archetypal structure, which he referred to as the monomyth. The classic Hero’s Journey he argued was a narrative magnification of an originally primitive rite of passage formula of separation, initiation and return. The journey is one is which the hero sets forth from the everyday world into a realm of wonder and testing. An important victory is won, and the hero then returns to his or her community, “to bestow boons.”24 Campbell’s understanding of the Hero’s Journey relied heavily upon Jung’s theory of the archetype, and, although he did not actually use the term “individuation process,” it is certainly implied. Of much relevance is the fact that Campbell saw this monomyth clearly reflected in the story of the Buddha’s own journey to enlightenment and his subsequent return to the world, to bestow upon humanity his gift of the Dharma.25 In his subsequent work, The Masks of God: Oriental Mythology, Campbell modified his analysis somewhat, and aligned the Buddha’s life story with an Archetypal Savior Biography, within which he recognized numerous thematic correspondences between the life of the Buddha and other World Saviors, including Jesus.26

  The notion that the Buddha’s life story can be understood as an archetypal journey over (or at least alongside) actual events seems to match the historical record. The Buddhist tradition was never really concerned with preserving every detail of the Buddha’s life, but only certain “critical” moments. Yet, when put together, these moments constitute a clear path or journey towards enlightenment, and a subsequent return to the world to teach and spread the Dharma. These key moments were regarded as being so central to the Buddhist message that from early on, artists, sculptors and poets sought to preserve them in statues, reliefs, and poetry. This archetypal focus continues to have appeal among modern Buddhists. According to Joseph Goldstein for example, the Buddha may have been an historical person, but we can also see his story as expressing a number of basic archetypal characteristics of human life, and thus one that “connects the Buddha’s journey with our own.”27

  The notion of an equivalent Fool’s Journey was first applied to the Tarot in 1970 by Eden Gray in her A Complete Guide to the Tarot. The Fool’s Journey says Gray corresponds to our own journey though the twenty-one “life experiences” illustrated in the cards of Major Arcana, which she also considered as being “archetypes of the subconscious.”28 Gray’s views illustrate a particular interpretive division adopted by most Tarotists today. Namely, that while the Minors reflect the more mundane aspects of the everyday, the Majors point to a number of “touchstone” events in our journey through life. For contemporary Tarotists, the Fool’s Journey - or the Twenty-One Doors as it is sometimes called - is usually framed within the context of contemplative practice. The Fool is considered as representative of our potential, and is led through each card in turn, learning their lessons, and thereupon proceeding to the next. More complex interpretations involve separating the cards into different developmental phases or themes. Rachel Pollack for example applies a tripartite schema to The Fool’s progress which clearly reflects the underlying structure of Campbell’s monomyth - the Worldly Sequence of growth towards independence; Turning Inwards, signifying inner reflection and spiritual development; and finally The Great Journey, indicating social reintegration.29

  The view of the Buddha’s story and the Fool’s story as similar expressions of the same archetypal journey serves as a basis for our investigation of the “Buddha in the Tarot.” Yet, it is clear that links between Buddhism and (Jungian-influenced) Tarot practice exist at a more foundational level. What really unites the two systems is a belief in the human potential for positive change, and that humans have the innate capacities to affect such change. It is within this “fathom-long body,” declares the Buddha in the Rohitassa Sutta, that we find both the o
rigins of the world of suffering, and its end. In fact the Buddha insists that enlightenment can only be found through our own efforts; there is no easy way to awakening; no grace-dispensing savior to carry the burden for us. As the Dhammapada states: “Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another.”30 Buddhism, as Dzogchen Ponlop argues, is fundamentally at odds with religious concepts such as “original sin,” which view human nature as essentially contaminated and corrupted. Within Buddhism humans are regarded as “primordially pure”; replete with many “positive qualities” which sit alongside those more negative potentials.31 These “positive qualities” form the basis for the Buddhist vision of self-development. Although it would be naïve to suggest that the concept of individuation is identical to the Buddhist concept of enlightenment, many of Jung’s general ideas, as Adrian Chan-Wyles has pointed out, pass “very close” to the Buddhist model of self-transformation.32

  The Structure of this Investigation

  Our investigation of “The Buddha in the Tarot” will begin with an analysis of The Fool; that mysterious figure regarded as being both within and outside all other Trumps. The subsequent inquiry is divided into three parts, corresponding to the three elements of Campbell’s monomyth, and similar sequences found in the Buddha’s journey towards enlightenment and his ensuing return to the world. The first has been termed The Way of the World, and comprises cards 1-7 - from The Magician to The Chariot. This mirrors Pollack’s “Worldly Sequence,” and relates to the growth of personal consciousness and factors which allow for life to be lived in society – parental influences, education, relationships, and growing independence. In the Buddha’s own story, this sequence culminates with his chariot ride into the city of Kapilavastu, and his encounter with the Four Sights. The second has been termed Departure and Trials, and comprises cards 8-16 – from Strength to The Tower. This sequence reflects a “turn away” or within to the world of spiritual reflection, and includes the many trials to be found along the way to individuation. In the Buddha’s story, this sequence extends from his departure from his father’s palace, to his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The third has been termed The Return, and comprises cards 17-21 – from The Star to The World. This sequence reflects the issues of social engagement and reintegration; a return to the world to “bestow boons.” In the Buddha’s story, this sequence relates to his decision to return to society, to teach and spread his new Dharma.

  Each card itself will be discussed under three sub-headings. The General Overview will examine traditional and popular interpretations of the card in question, but will also include what I consider to be relevant insights from other disciplines and spiritual paths. The second is entitled In the Story of the Buddha, and discusses a relevant episode or event from the narrative accounts of the Buddha’s own journey. The third sub-heading is termed A Buddhist Reflection, and discusses Buddhist ideas that I feel are pertinent to the overall theme of any particular card. For example, The Lovers card addresses the issues of sex and relationships within Buddhism, while The Hermit explores the practice of renunciation.

  Our investigations in the main should be considered with a Standard or Universal Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck in mind. This is a deck which continues to hold a foundational role within contemporary Tarot reflection and interpretation. In this respect it is assumed that the reader will have access to images from the RWS or a similar deck (the B.O.T.A. deck for example). Both the black-and-white images from Waite’s The Pictorial Key to the Tarot and the colored ones from Pamela Coleman Smith’s 1910 (PAM-A) deck can by accessed at www.sacred-texts.com.

  Any attempt to reduce the complexity of the Major Arcana to a purely linear storyline, as I have done here, must take onboard Arthur Rosengarten’s criticism that it may impose unwarranted restraints on “experience and possibility.”33 A similar point is made by Joan Bunning, who highlights the fact that our own journey through life might not move as smoothly as that of the Fool’s.34 I agree, but our investigations here are first and foremost about the Buddha’s story, not ours. One feature about such an archetypal narrative is that it is, well, “archetypal.” Its very attraction, persistence and appeal are in its conformity to patterns of development that resonate with millennia of human experience. So, we may find that this story does resonate with our own experiences in a somewhat identical fashion; and if it does not, this neither detracts from the appeal of the story itself, nor invalidates our own spiritual adventure.

  However, before we enter The Way of the World, it is necessary to begin our investigations with The Fool – after all, it’s his or her journey.

  The Fool (0)

  General Overview

  We begin our investigations of the Buddha in the Tarot with The Fool. The RWS version of this card shows a young man in boots and garish clothing walking towards the edge of a precipice. With his right hand he carries a rod with a bundle attached, while with his left he holds a white rose. A small dog on its two hind-legs is shown at his left-hand side. The sun is depicted shining at its zenith.

  The Fool is a unique card in that it is numbered with a zero (0). For many interpreters this indicates that it stands outside the normal sequence of cards, representing both the individual’s potential before commencement on the path, and his or her spiritual fulfillment at its completion, symbolized by The World. In this respect Roberts draws our attention to the color of The Fool’s boots – he is the only character in the RWS deck with golden footwear. For Roberts, this suggests that he has already traversed the “golden path” of spiritual development.1 It is also interesting to note that if we place The Fool at the end of the Trumps we can observe the Sun rising from its lowly position in Death, to its zenith in our wandering vagabond. Generally speaking, The Fool is considered to be not only outside all cards, but within all cards too, representing the challenges and transformation at each stage of the process. As a prequel to the path, the Fool is often viewed as representing a sense of spontaneity, levity, innocence, naivety, and perhaps even childishness; all suggested by his playful gait and lack of self-concern. As a conclusion to the path, The Fool is linked with a sense of awakening and freedom, grounded in the accumulation of experience, reflection, and wisdom.

  Of note too is the little dog at his side, which in some interpretations indicates an element within The Fool’s own nature, attempting to draw him away from danger, or preventing him from engaging in some perilous new experience.2 Another useful interpretation is offered by Place, who links the dog with the Fool’s status as outsider. Place draws our attention to the fact that the beggars, troubadours and religious mendicants of the medieval world had to contend with wild dogs and other savage creatures as they wandered through the countryside.3 This is an insight perhaps shared by older renditions of the card – for example the Tarocchi of Venice, Mantegna, and Marseilles versions - where dogs are depicted tearing at The Fool’s clothing. His outsider status is further suggested by his beggar’s stick and tied bundle of belongings, which he holds casually over his right shoulder.

  In the Story of the Buddha: The Narrative Itself as Skillful Means

  The Fool represents no single episode from the life of Gotama Buddha. In fact, he represents the enlightened reality to which the narrative points. To understand this rather abstract idea we need to be aware of two Buddhist concepts relating to the meaning of the term “Buddha.” One of these is Dharmakaya (“Truth Body” of the Buddha), and the other is Nirmanakaya (“Manifest Body”). The Dharmakaya indicates the eternally awakened mind that, according to the Mahayana tradition, resides within all things. The Nirmanakaya represents that same mind as it spontaneously manifests itself in the world, and whose purpose is to awaken all to their true nature. The Nirmanakaya, to use Yeshe’s words, represents the enlightened mind’s appearance in the world in ways to which “unenlightened beings can relate.”4 The relationship between both is discussed in an important Mahayana text called the Lotus Sutra. Here, the Buddha tells his followers that he has been teaching
the Dharma to many beings for “countless eons.” His followers ask how this can be possible, and he then proceeds to tell them the parable of The Good Physician. We are told that a wise doctor with many sons left home to go on business. On his return, he found that they had all taken some poison that had been left in the house. He provides an antidote, but only a few take it. The others, in their agonized and delirious state, refuse. The father devises a plan to make them better – he will leave, and pretend that he has died. This he does, and news quickly spreads about his “death.” The remaining sons in their grief take the medicine to honor their father’s memory, and are cured. The father then returns home, and is reunited with his sons. His “death” was a “skillful means” (upaya) which motivated his dying children to take the medicine that would heal them. In the same way, says the Buddha, the story of his own birth, enlightenment and death is not to be taken at face value – it is primarily a skillful means of motivating those lost in Samsara. Its real purpose is to provide the impetus for action, the motivation to engage with ourselves. In truth, “I am always here teaching the Dharma.”5