New Year Practice

Sorry, it's very noisy still. Welcome everybody to this New Year's Eve, and I guess by the time the practice finishes, New Year's Day practice session. Welcome to Chris joining us live on Zoom. So I'll just let you know what's going to happen. We're going to— I'm going to invite some reflection on the year that is ending, and then there'll be a space for people to reflect silently on that. Then Satya will invite reflection on the year that is to come. Then we'll read a piece of text together. Which I'll say something about when we get to it. Then we'll move into this final sort of half of the practice where we will chant together and then moving into silence.

And then in—

out of that silence will become the 108 rings of the bell finishing. We've got Confidence, precisely at midnight. And during the chanting, there'll be an invitation to go and make a light, a tea light offering at the shrine. So we're going to begin by thinking about 2022. What I want to invite is a kind of deep acceptance of what has been, and maybe even beginning to feel gratitude for what has been, which for some things in 2022 will be very, very easy, and for some things will be more difficult. Some things we have to work a bit harder to find the thing that we can be thankful for about a difficult situation. But the reason we invite this really clear seeing of what has come before is because in order to move beyond anything. Often the first step is to see it clearly. Sometimes when we use the word acceptance in the English language, it can feel a bit limp and powerless, and, oh, I'm gonna— if I just accept this, it means I'm being walked all over. But here, when I use the word acceptance Really what I mean is accepting this is true, not necessarily that I can't then do something about it, I can't make a different response to what is true, but not pretending, oh, I don't like that this is happening, so I pretend that it isn't here, or I really like this is happening, so I'll pretend that this is the only thing that's here, but rather being able to see, okay, these are all the things, the good, the bad, as I'm judging them, good, the bad, in between. Often, of course, both these things arising together. We were talking about highlights of the year earlier, and I remembered seeing the seals on the beach in Norfolk, but also it was really awful because Ralph, our rescue dog, reacted really badly to it and was noisy and embarrassing, and the seals didn't like him and he didn't like the seals. And yeah, sometimes that's how it is. The highlight and the lowlight is the same thing. And I can think of examples, uh, with people that, that are sort of both more tender and, and there is more gratitude, but also more pain as well. Uh, Guillaume Cabosé used to use this phrase, acceptance transcendence. So here is the two things together. To transcend something, to go beyond it, we begin by acknowledging it, maybe even by beginning to honor it and feel thankful. Yeah, so that's probably enough by way of introduction. I'm just going to invite us to sit quietly together, thinking about the previous year and just noticing what comes to mind, and perhaps whether we have any emotional reaction to the events that we're thinking of. And can we find a way to stand where we're just in the place of the curious observer. So if we have that emotional reaction, noticing it— oh, I'm really upset about that— and then maybe taking a step back. So here's the memory, here's the feeling of being upset, and here's me observing it. Or here's the memory, here's the feeling of celebration, and here's me observing it. So opening up more and more to what is true, what has been true over the last 12 months. And we'll sit quietly together for about 10 minutes, and then I'll hand over to Satya Robyn to introduce reflecting on the year to come. Namaste.

So there's a story that you may know. I'm gonna tell it again about an argument between the sun and the wind, and they were arguing about which of them was the more powerful, which was the stronger. And they couldn't decide how to decide who was going to win, so they decided that they would choose a target, a man who was walking along the road. And they said whoever can get this man to take his coat off the most quickly is the winner. And I think maybe the wind suggested this because the wind was pretty cocky, the wind was pretty confident that it was going to win. So the wind went first, and the man was walking along with his overcoat, and the wind started blowing at the flaps of the coat, thinking that it was just going to whoosh straight off. And as the man caught the wind and it started getting a bit more blowy, he, he kind of put his coat around him a little bit more. So the wind blew harder, and the man got his coat around him even more tightly. So the wind gave it everything he had and just went crazy. It was like a hurricane, but the man was clinging on to his coat. He didn't want to let it go because he was cold and he wanted to protect himself. So he gave up. And then he said, 'Oh, you try, you're not going to manage.' So the sun started gently warming the weather, shining on the man, and the man kind of got a little bit of sweat, felt himself getting a bit hotter, and naturally took his coat off to cool down. So why am I telling you this story? I think that for me, New Year's Eve, the dawn of a new year, it's a really tempting time to think that I should really change everything about my life and become a completely different version of myself, Satya Robyn, 2.0. Maybe I'm going to lose some weight. Maybe I'm going to just eat healthily. Maybe I'm going to do yoga every morning. Maybe I'm going to do much more meditation. Maybe I'm going to do loads of activism. Maybe I'm going to write 3 books that, that, that I'm really— I get so fired up and I have so much energy and so much confidence in the idea of this new version of myself. And that feels especially acute after the, maybe the indulgence of Christmas and a little bit of time off work and feeling like, feeling like I could do anything once I go back to work. And then my experience is that as I blow, as I try to change those habits, the habits get tighter and tighter and cling, cling even, even more closely to me. So then I give up and feel bad about myself until next New Year's Eve. So my invitation, as we sit quietly for the next 10 minutes, is to wonder about what your version of the sun shining on you might look like. How would it be to give up, uh, resolutions, to begin from the place of who you are and, and the life that you have As Casper has encouraged us to reflect on, what was, what was it actually like, 2022? How were we? What were we like? This is where we're starting from. This is who we are. What is it that this person needs? What is it that will gently, gently allow us to open up to something new, to allow something to heal, to allow ourselves to get to know something about what's happening inside us, to maybe become more patient with ourselves when we get frustrated at, at some of our patterns or disappointing habits. And rather than, um, pushing and forcing and building, seeing ourselves more like a flower that is blooming in its own time and in its own way, that we might have some control over how that happens, probably not as much as we think. But what conditions will that flower enjoy? Would it like to be in a slightly more spacious space and say no to a few things? Would it like to be stretched a little bit and say yes to some more things? Would it appreciate more support from friends or Would it appreciate learning something new? What is the version of the sunshine for the flower that you are? And just keep coming back to that word gentle. And if it's not gentle, it's probably not going to work. It might work in the short term, but it won't last you through to the end of 2023. And if you get stuck, you can ask the Buddha for advice. What does the Buddha think you need next year? Just, uh, ask the question and wait, and you may get a reply within the next 7 minutes, or you may have to wait till later in practice when we're taking our candle to the shrine, or it might come to you in the middle of the night or next week. But when we ask questions of the Buddha, they're always answered sooner or later. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Namaste.

Satya Robyn.

So in a moment we are going to read this text together that we've printed out called Tambutsuge, which means In Praise of the Buddhas, or as it's been given the title here in this translation, The Life of No Regrets, which is a line from the text. And it is part of a longer story that is set in mythological time about a spiritual seeker called Dharma Dharmakāra, who on meeting the Buddha of that age, Lokeshvara Rāja— Buddha just means awakened teacher— so upon meeting this awakened teacher, being so impressed by them, by their countenance and attitude— presence is a good word— so impressed by their presence that they vow to become a Buddha. Dharmakāra vows to become a Buddha themselves. And what we're reading is the kind of poetic form of Dharmakāra's words, both on seeing that teacher and on making the vow themselves. And we can relate to this in a couple of ways. Sometimes when we're reading it, we become, or we find our inner Dharmakāra, the the parts of us that long to become a Buddha ourselves and have that clarity and peace of mind and loving kindness for all beings. And sometimes we're in the position of trusting that there are those who have gone before us and that somehow that presence, the Song of the Buddhas, if you like, the I can't remember what the phrase is here. The melody of your enlightenment fills the world, that that melody is still available to us somehow, and we are just ordinary beings relying on the presence of that melody to lift us up and carry us along to where we need to be. So let's read together The Life of No Regrets. Some people might know it off by heart.

All right.

A Life of No Regret.

Your radiant face, like a mountain peak catching the first burst of morning light, has awesome and unequaled majesty. Like black ink by comparison are the sun, the moon, or the Mani treasure. Such is your incomparable face. The melody of your enlightenment fills the world. Rare and precious are your precepts, learning, energy, meditation, wisdom, and amazing virtue. The oceanic Dharma of all Buddhas, which you fathom to its deepest depths, dispels the three poisons from the heart. You are like a lion, valiant and divinely pure. Great power, deep wisdom, awesome light reverberation. A prayer I make, a Buddha to become equal to you, my Dharma King, to lead all beings to the other shore, leaving none behind. The six parameters to perfect With Prajna at the head, should I become Buddha, I will fulfill this prayer completely. To everyone I'll bring great peace. To Buddhas countless as sangrains, my offerings I make. And do not flinch from the trials of the incomparable way, powerful, straight, and true. Though Buddha lands and worldly realms be numberless like sand, By sheer power of aspiration, I'll fill them all with light. Let me become a Buddha, and the multitude of beings will all enjoy my primordial nirvana world. By indiscriminate compassion, I will enlighten all. Reborn here from no matter where, in my country their hearts will lighten and be joyful. Happy and at ease. Oh, you Buddha, witness my vow, my true aspiration. Establishing my vow on you gives me the strength to fulfill it. Buddhas throughout space and time of unimpeded wisdom, always witness my heart's practice. No matter the obstacles, the hardships, my practice will endure. Through all without regret.

Ta pusu.

Okay, so we will move into making our personal offerings to the Buddha now. And when I've explained what we're going to do, I'm going to dim the lights a little bit so we can see the lights of the candles, of the light of the Buddha. And we will be chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo together, which you'll pick up as you go along. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a way of connecting with the Buddha of infinite light. So we're kind of calling on the energy of Amitābha as we chant together. And once we start chanting, when you feel ready, do go up to the shrine and bow to the Buddha if you'd like to, and then take a candle from the left or the right, light it on one of the tall candles, and then put it on the flat tray which is right in front of the Buddha, a bit of plastic thing, glass thing. It's not plastic, it's not going to melt. And the people that go first, if you could put your candles nearer the back so we don't burn any wrists, that would be great. So there's no hurry to go up, but we will move into silence about 10 minutes before midnight so Kema can do her special 108 bells. So do make sure that you, if you'd like to go up and make an offering, do it before then. And as you make your offering to the Buddha, you might want to think of something to let go of from last year, or you might want to think of something that you want to open yourself up to next year. You might want to think of something you're grateful for, whatever feels the most meaningful as you make put the candle on the shrine, then, then just trust that that will come true, that will happen. The Buddha will assist you. And please do the same on Zoom. Is it— has Matt arrived as well?

It's Chris and Beth. Enrique was here, just dropped out.

That's nice. Lovely, lovely to see you. So, June, do you want to say anything else? And do keep a bit of an ear open to— we'll do quite a lot of— we do kind of 8 minutes of chanting or something, but to keep an ear out for me and Casper getting quieter, and then we'll all get quieter and just move into silence, and you know when to start. Um, it's 5 to—

we go into silence at 10 to, and then there'll be about 5 minutes of silence before the bell starts. If you're still making offerings as we get quiet, that's fine.

Yeah, that's your last call really, when it gets quiet. And don't be shy. I'm going to do the lights. I'm going to hand this back to you.

Namoha mi davu. Namoha mi davu. Namoha mi davu. Namoha mi davu. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namoh Amrita. Namoh Amrita. Namoh Amrita. Namoha.

I think I did 3 extra for luck. For luck.

And now we can have dinner, go onto the balcony, drink some elderflower, and be in 2023.