Satya Robyn leads a Buddhist evening practice over Zoom with readings, guided meditation, and mantra recitations. The session includes a Dharma reflection on natural growth, an incense offering, and a personal story about Prince and a locksmith from This American Life.
Chapters
Welcome everybody, welcome if you're joining us on Zoom. Beth, Pip, and Claire, almost doubling our numbers. We'll begin as always with a Dharma glimpse this evening. One written by Jyame, who isn't here, but Luna has agreed to read it for us. Thank you. Thank you.
So this is called Natural Growth. I had been feeling frustrated with myself recently after a perceived failure on my part to master certain behaviors that can be destructive. The tendency for me is to aim high and overwhelm myself with great expectations about becoming pure and perfect. Even though I know in my bones that it's not possible. I am perpetually fallible. As I was inwardly beating myself, I happened upon a teaching about natural growth. Trees were used as an analogy for the process by which nature forms organic matter by providing the conditions that allow growth to happen. The tree has soil, water, sunlight, and most importantly, time. The tree doesn't have to do anything. It is forged and shaped over decades of exposure to the elements, the harsh and bitter rain and wind, and the warmth and nourishment of the sun. The result is a simple natural radiance that stands tall as a testament to the life force from which we all originate. This comforted me greatly. I knew that my need to feel in control of my own growth and healing was to some extent impeding a deeper, perhaps more important thread of an overall process. Maybe there is a value in just being where I am with it all, allowing myself to fail while continuing to engage with the practice that feeds my roots and waters my leaves. Namaste.
So we move into meditation. And the invitation in meditation is to, on the one hand, avoid pushing things away. That appear, and on the other hand avoid pulling them towards you, finding the still center point and noticing, oh, here's a sound, without going into storytelling about the sound. Here's a Here's a sensation, or maybe here's storytelling about the sound. Whatever you're noticing, taking that step back or inviting that space that allows you to come into the place, the curious non-judgmental observer. Let's recite the Shakyamuni mantra together this evening. Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Shakyamuni Swaha. Oh sage, sage, great sage of the Shakya clan. So calling out to the enlightened spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha, who started the Dharma wheel turn in this age. Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Shakya Muni Swaha.
Om Muni muni maham uni shakya mumisvaha! Om Muni muni maham uni satya mumiswaha! Om Muni muni vaham uni shakya mumisvaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakya Mani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Lakshmi Mani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakya Mani Swaha. Om mani mani maha mani shakya mani swaha! Om mani mani mahamuni Shakya Muni Swaha! Oh many— Many Mahamanishaka Maniswara... Om mani mani mahamani shakya mumisvaha!
Oh my goodness— Um... um... om... oh wow! I'm so sorry for that one guys.
Thank you very much again everybody who joined us today on this special day of 1 million subscribers.
It's been an amazing journey to get here together.
We've had some ups and downs along our way but we're glad it all worked out well at the end because now there's more time available for me to make these videos every week which makes them even better than they already were before right? So thank you everyone once again, have fun listening through those subtitles if needed or just enjoy your weekend ahead.
Namaste.
Bye-bye! Om Namo Shivaya. Om Namo Shivaya. Om Namo Shivaya.
Om Mani Mani Mahamuni Shakya Muniswaha Om Mani Mani MahaMuni Sakya Muniswaha Oh! Many many mahamunishakya muniswaah— Om mani mudhi maha mundishakhyam munisvah!
Ahh...
Ohhh— Mani Mudhi Maha Mundisha Kiyam Muniswa Haanomani Mandimaramund Shakyamanispahaha Aaahuuunmani mandima ramundi shakiyamu nisuwaa? Oohm mini moony mama ooni sha kye amoon issoooha haaanoo-oommini maany mahamauni sha kyamooney soowhaaaa ah-huhumini many mana venu Shakyan mu ni swahaña Om Mani Mani Mahamuni Shakya Muni Swaha! Oh many manis maha mini shakya muniswaha— oh many many mahaminishakyas miniswaah— om many many maha mini sakya mumisoaahh... umani menima ha menu sha kiamu ni swaha? Ummani menimaha mini Sakya Munisuwaahmumisaahha? Om mani mani maha vini shakya mini swa ha! Om many many mahamani Shakya Mini Swa Ha! Um— —mani meh mahe mi sha kya miniswa?
For refuge I go to the Buddha.
For refuge I go to the Buddha.
The one who is awake and full of light.
The one who is awake and full of light. Namo Buddha. 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 consists of wisdom and compassion. Namo Amida Butsu.
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 Sangha. Namo Sangha.
With faith in the Three Jewels.
With faith in the Three Jewels.
I pray that I may not take life.
I pray that I may not take life—
With faith in these Three Jewels!
—With Faith In The Three Jewels! I pray that I may steal— I pray That I May Not Steal!
—with faith in this three jewels?
With faith of 3 jewels?!
I pray at time they're not fall into sexual misconduct—
I prayed I'm being offered to sexually misconducting people's spirituals... They can be used for good things but also evil things.
I pray that I may not fall into wrong speech.
I pray that I may not fall into wrong speech.
With faith in the Three Jewels.
With faith in the Three Jewels. I pray that I may avoid intoxication. I pray that I may avoid intoxication. No blame. No blame. Be kind. Be kind. Love everything. Love everything.
Innumerable essence in being, we vow to save them all.
Inexhaustible, undeluded passion, we vow to transform them all. Immeasurable are the Dharma teachings.
We bow to Master Amo. Infinite is the Buddha's way. We bow before their company.
And then when I was working in the garden earlier, I was listening to this week's episode of This American Life, which was a rerun from a year ago, but I haven't heard it. And I really, um, the kind of moral of the story of Act 3 that the host drew out really stayed with me. I mean, there were lots of things you could have drawn out, but this little nugget that they found, I found really appealing. So it's a story of a safe cracker, one of the best locksmiths in the United States, who's been interviewed. And he describes being called out to Minneapolis to a huge estate to open a very secure vault of somebody that's died, and it's all very hush-hush because it's Prince, and it's basically the bank vault that he had installed in his own house. So he arrives and there's about a dozen people in front of the safe, so he becomes very nervous. He says, "They've covered everything in plastic in case I'm going to blow up the door," which I'm definitely not going to do. And he describes how— not how to do it, but he describes finding the exact right spot to drill into with this, this spot the size of a pea in this door that is like 10 foot by 6 foot wide, and he drills into it, and then he hits the so-called hard plate, so has to switch out for a drill with a diamond tip. And then drills for another hour, because if he— if the plate overheats, it essentially locks down safe in a way that nobody can get into. So he drills very slowly for the next hour with all these people watching. He puts his endoscope through this hole and is able to then see where the tumblers are, where the numbers fall as they fall into place. And a couple of hours later, you know, after he started, the whole thing swings open and he says, I've learned over the years from doing this kind of job before not to look in the safe. Often it's where people keep things they don't want their loved ones to find, you know. He said, but I hear the archivist take an intake of breath and then I look.. And it's a big space. It's bigger than many bank vaults, like 40 foot by 20 foot wide, full of shelves, full of tapes of music that haven't been released. Hours and hours of music. And they've just released a few tracks, edited tracks since then. And the interviewer said, isn't it funny how, how here are two people both at the top of their field, both at the top of their game, um, both doing what they're called to do, expressing their gifts, kind of really in tune with the thing that they're supposed to be offering. I'm paraphrasing. And one of whom we know loads about because his gift is putting all of these amazing songs into the world. And the other one we know nothing about because his gift is about being really quiet and doing these really important jobs for people all over the world. Um, both equally important and valued but received by the world in very different ways. And I think that was partly in my mind this evening because I was conscious of how busy the Shining has been a few weeks ago, for a number of weeks. And then, you know, 10 minutes before practice there were just 3 of us here, and then 5 minutes before there were 4 of us, and then Helen arrived and I thought, okay, fine, actually. And there's 3 people on Zoom and A few years ago we'd have been really like happy with these numbers, you know, but compared to when there were 15 people in the room and plus people on Zoom, it feels quiet. It's hard to know when we really tune in and do what we're called to do whether we're going to be— whether it's going to turn out that we become Prince or a locksmith that nobody's ever heard of. A lot of that isn't within our control. But when we are really tuned in and responding to the Buddhist call, whether we get a big fanfare or not, The offering is just as valuable. Namaste.
Namaste. Namaste.
Namaste. Namaste. Namaste.
In gratitude, we offer this incense to all beings and bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May it be fragrant as Earth herself, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted awareness The fruits of understanding slowly ripen. May we and all beings be companions to Buddhas and bodhisattvas. May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true nature.
Blessed by Amitabha's light, may we care for all living beings and liberate them.
