Autumn leaves & Generosity

Welcome everybody to this sunny Saturday morning practice. Sunshine and showers, like a proper spring day. So we're going to begin this morning with the Ancestors Prayer, which If you were here on Wednesday, we did read again on Wednesday, but it's so wonderful that I wanted to read it again. So if you don't have a copy, have a look on the red, um, liturgy kind of mats around you and find a copy. This was written by Caspar, and we'll read it All together, remembrance of ancestors.

Before we take our next action, we pause to remember our ancestors. We remember our Indian ancestors. Firstly, Shakyamuni, who was born in Lumbini and enlightened in Bodhgaya and set the Dharma wheel turning in this age. We remember those who came before Shakyamuni and passed their wisdom to him. We remember Mahaprajapati, who walked 150 miles, one, one step after another. Before becoming the first Buddhist nun. We remember the monastic and lay disciples of the Buddha and generations of teachers that spread Dharma through the East and throughout the world, and who refresh the precious Dharma. We remember awakened beings of all spiritual traditions, trusting that wisdom appears in the world in many different ways. At many different times in many different places. We call to mind the wisdom of marginalized and oppressed groups, much of which has already been lost. We remember our biological ancestors, our parents and grandparents, known and unknown, generations stretching back through time. To the first humans in Africa. We remember the ancestors of our chosen families. We remember the ancestors of our own mind streams, the beings of our previous lives who practiced Dharma and brought light and joy to others. We remember people across the world who stood against oppression and for human rights and the rights of all living things and for the Earth. We remember those who are oppressed and marginalized and harmed. We carry the legacies of all these ancestors, their gifts and their burdens. How wonderful to have the opportunity to work with all that has been handed down to us. We remember our great ancestor, the Earth, and her great ancestor, the universe itself. Ancient Buddhas and ancestors were as we. We shall come to be Buddhas and ancestors. Venerating Buddhas and ancestors, we are one with Buddhas and ancestors. Contemplating awakened mind, We are one with the Maker.

So we're going to move into a short period of meditation. So maybe just having a little move, a little adjustment, finding your center of gravity, finding the points where the body is in contact with the cushion or the chair, the ground. The parts of the body that are open to the air, the room. And then there's an invitation, if you like. To just rest the awareness into the very center of the chest, into the heart space. So we're going to move into a period of chanting. We're going to chant name Amitābha, to Amitābha Buddha. You want to see that written down, it's probably written on the little liturgy sheet which is under your chair or next to your cushion. Amitābha, the Buddha of infinite life and light.

Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Satya Robyn. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh.

Amitabh.

Amitabh.

Ame taba. Ame taba.

Ame taba. Amitabha. Amitabha. Amitabha. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabha. Amitabha. Amitabha.

We're going to recite the refuges and precepts, which are also on the little liturgy sheets. And the refuges are literally places or qualities of things that we can take refuge in, which are more constant, more steady, more reliable than some of the fleeting things we go for refuge in, in our day-to-day lives. And we do them, um, I say and then you say. For refuge I go to the Buddha.

For refuge I go to the Buddha.

The one who is awake and full of love.

The one who is awake and full of love.

Namo Buddha. For refuge I go to the Dharma.

For refuge I go to the Dharma.

All that guides us to wisdom and compassion.

All that guides us to wisdom and compassion.

Namo Dharma. For refuge I go to the Sangha.

For refuge I go to the Sangha.

Those who live in the Buddha's light.

Those who live in the Buddha's light.

Namo Sanghaya.

Namo Sanghaya.

For refuge I go to the Earth.

For refuge I go to the Earth.

The holy ground of awakening.

The holy ground of awakening.

Namo Bumi.

Namo Bumi.

With faith in the Four Refuges. With faith in the Four Refuges, and in light of my human tendencies, I pray that I may become aware of when I take life. I pray that I may become aware of when I take what is not freely given. I pray that I may become aware— —of when I fall into sexual misconduct.

Of when I fall into sexual misconduct.

I pray that I may become aware— —of when I fall into wrong speech.

Of when I fall into wrong speech.

I pray that I may become aware— —when I become intoxicated.

Of when I become intoxicated. No blame.

No blame. Be kind. Be kind. Love everything.

Love everything. Innumerable are sentient beings.

We vow to save them all.

Exhaustible are deluded passions.

We vow to transform them all.

Immeasurable are the Dharma teachings.

We vow to master them all.

Infinite is the Buddha's way. We vow to fulfill it completely.

Namamidabhu. So the second of our precepts is, may I become aware of when I take what is not freely given. And as with all the precepts, there's— they can be taken on face value, but really they, they exist in subtler and subtler and subtler and subtler ways. So, you know, I could think, oh, you know, I haven't stolen anything today. I haven't even taken the free fruit that they put for kids in the supermarket today. So, you know, I, I have nothing to become aware of for that one today. You know, but obviously there's much more to it. What are some of the other ways we can take what is not freely given? Obviously there's, you know, if we interact with someone in, in a way where there isn't full consent, that's another obvious way. A subtler way— so if we're talking to someone and they've kind of they're, you know, we've had a good conversation and, but they're kind of, they're starting to get to the point where they're wanting to get on with their day. And, and we just really just wanted, just, we've just got one last thing we want to say, or we want to ask them about, or we want to talk to them about. That's, we're taking some of their time, which isn't being freely given. And there's also all the ways that we are caught up in wider actions of taking what is not freely given. So like the exploitation of plants, animals, the earth, the sea. The meat industry, the dairy industry, for, for resources, for gas, for oil, for crystals, for the salt, for salt lamps, even for the, um, all the metals that go into mobile phones, all of the ways that humans are exploited for their labor to acquire those things. And those are just like— we have some level of agency in these things. We can make real choices to try to reduce a little of our involvement in with those things. You know, we can choose not to eat meat or support this industry, we can try to source things, to buy things that are more ethically sourced, but inevitably in every moment we are still complicit and interwoven with other ways in which this taking of what is not freely given is happening. Which can be a bit depressing and is also part of the reality of living in this world in this time as we are. And there's also the positive counterpart. So sometimes generosity is viewed as the positive counterpart to taking what is not freely given. And a lot of different religious traditions talk about generosity. It's, it's definitely very widely regarded as a really positive thing to do, something which opens our hearts. And, and, and sometimes it's viewed as something quite reciprocal, you know. If we give material things, we give our wealth, or, um our time or energy, then we'll get good things back. We'll— yes, it'll help people, and we're also kind of getting something good in return. Sometimes generosity is viewed like that, and sometimes that's not viewed as real generosity or fully authentic generosity, which is viewed more as something which is completely freely given with no expectation of something in return, and is simply like something that, that moves through us, like a, like a wish to give. And sometimes we might personally experience a mixture of the two. So we might have some parts of ourselves which wholeheartedly and without effort, without deliberation, are giving generously of something, whether that's our energy or our time or our money. And sometimes at the same time, there might be parts of ourselves in the background that are secretly hoping that maybe if we do this, maybe people are like us or will be more accepted. Or any of those other really real, raw, completely understandable human wishes, human longings. I had a really beautiful example of wholehearted generosity last weekend. When I was watching my 2-and-a-half-year-old niece and autumn leaves. She was just absolutely blown away by the gorgeousness of autumn leaves. And so she was going up to these leaves and she was picking them up, and it was like, wow, like, this is amazing! And she just out of pure, like, delight and joy, wanting to share this with us. And she was bringing these leaves up to us like, wow, look at these leaves, aren't they amazing? And we got to experience the gift of her generosity and of the beautiful leaf and of the wonder that was being transmitted there, the wonder at these beautiful leaves. And so, and, and, and it was this kind of, this kind of this amplifying effect that came from that experience in that like her expansion of love and generosity and wish to share was like transmitted through into, into us. And, you know, I felt like my heart expands and, and, and that wanted to move through into some kind of spontaneous giving as well. And so I really feel sometimes generosity is called the spirit of generosity, isn't it? And I feel like that phrasing is really interesting because I feel like it really speaks to this sense that just like my little niece with those leaves, generosity can be like a, an energy that flows through us. That doesn't— we don't create it. It doesn't come from us. It moves through us and out into the world and keeps moving, keeps rippling outwards. And, you know, I think sometimes there can be a fear, maybe, if we give too much of our time or too much of our energy that we may become depleted. And obviously that can happen. Yeah, there is a reality to that as well. And at the same time, I feel like when this, this energy of generosity is moving through, then the giving is spontaneous and it's within— it doesn't deplete in any way, and it's within the means and the capacity of that moment. So if I'm giving because I'm experiencing a bit of that, and at the same time I'm experiencing a bit of like, oh yeah, I should really be putting my energy into this right now because I've made a commitment to do it or whatever, then that can be a bit depleting. Yeah. But if it— if I'm just purely in that moment, completely unplanned, spontaneously just acting on this energy of generosity that's moving through me, then it's not depleting. And it could be as simple as like giving a smile, like sharing, sharing a moment of friendliness. Or it could be, you know, like cleaning something that someone else is going to use as well as myself, or taking the time to do something really small. However it comes, I really feel like when when it is really in touch with that spirit of generosity, then it's not depleting, it's spontaneous, it's, um, it's alive, it's expansive, and it, and it encourages that in other people. It encourages that same energy to move through in others. So really inviting the spirit of my little niece with those leaves into your morning, and maybe you'll feel that same energy moving through you at some point during this weekend. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So in a moment, Dave's gonna ding the bell, and then we're going to move into prostrations whilst also chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Alas, people busily engaged in secular matters take no notice of life wearing away day by day, night by night. Like a lamp in the wind, how long can it last? In the six realms of vast samsara, there is no fixed abode. Until we are emancipated from the sea of affliction, how can we rest in peace? Should we not be afraid? While we still have strength, let us each share the Dharma. Let us strive and diligently seek the path to return.

And extend to our seats, and then we're gonna bow one way and then the other. Tidy our seats and we bow to our seats.

Announcements.

So at 11 o'clock, in about 40 minutes, we're We're going to have a volunteer hour, so this is an opportunity before the rain comes to do a bit of gardening, an expression of generosity. So many opportunities. Or to do some clearing of things within the temple and preparation for some building work we're doing that's being done. Tonight we have kirtan chanting and sacred singing, so that's chanting of simple mantras and devotional songs from different traditions.

Um, and we have a retreat day on the 18th of October, Earth as Refuge. I think that's it for the announcements. Is that it for announcements? Yeah, okay, great.

So we're going to do the closing prayer. Bless us by Amitabha's light.

May we care for all living beings. Am I dear?