Satya Robyn leads a small Buddhist gathering with chanting, meditation, and a Dharma reading using a raindrop metaphor. The group shares an anecdote about spotting an owl lit by pub lights, then makes offerings and announces upcoming events.
Chapters
Welcome everybody, happy new moon.
So we're going to begin with a Dharma glimpse from our break Dawn: Book of Dharma Glipses, read by Helen. Dharma rain.
Mark Kailo Fives. At my job, rain halts our work and creates a welcomed break. We all congregate in the maintenance building until it passes, or in cases like where it looks like it will stick around for a while, we're sent home. Last week, while sitting at work watching the rainfall, I found myself lost in contemplation, and I discovered that rain is the perfect model to inspire us in our Buddhist lives, the model that contains many teachings to be discovered. If we look at the life of a single raindrop, we can see that it leads to a very, very— it leads a very enlightened existence. Born in the clouds, a raindrop begins its short life as a drop falling to earth with no aspirations to be anything more than a raindrop, not dwelling in the past or worrying about the future, just being the best raindrop that it can be in the here and now. At the end of its short life, it reaches the Earth with no regrets. It gla— it gladly fl— falls exactly where it's supposed to be, having lived in harmony with the universe. Maybe it will be absorbed into the Earth, a river, or an ocean, where it begins a new life. Maybe it will be absorbed into the roots of a tree. What once be— what, what once was a tiny raindrop now becomes part of a mighty tree. Maybe it'll drop into a lazy stream to be sipped by a newborn fawn. Maybe it will just land on a sidewalk, waiting in the sun to— on the sun to evaporate in its heat and take it back to the clouds where it can be a raindrop once again. In this way, the tiny raindrop teaches us about transmigration, or rebirth and death, as well as the naturalness of all life.
Thank you very much.
So now preparing to move into a short period of meditation. So maybe just take a moment to orientate to the room and sense the other people in the room. Maybe inviting a bit of sinking down into the body, into the bones. And then just gradually finding a way to stillness. So I'm moving into some chanting. Which, if you need to see it written down, it's on the little liturgy sheet by your chair.
Om mani mani mahamani chakyamani swaha. Om mani mani mahamani Shakyamuni Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani. Shakyamuni Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani. Shakyamuni Swaha. Om mani mani mahamani shakhyamini swaha! Om mani mani mahamani shakhyamini swaha! Om mani mani mahommani— Shakimani Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha! Om mani mani mahamani shakimini swaha! Om mani mani mahamani shakimini swaha! Om mani mani mahomani— Shakimani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha. Om mani mani mahamani shakhyamani swaha! Om mani mani mahamani satyamani suvaha! Om many many mahamany— Shakhyamuni Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Sakhyamuni Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Sakhyamuni Swaha! Om mani mani mahamani shakhyamini swaha! Oh many money mummy check your mini swap oh my name any ma— Shakyamuni Swaharom Manimoni Mahaminishekhiyamaniswa Om mani mani mahamani shaktya maniswaha! Om mani mani maha-mahini satyamaniswaha! Oh many money—
ma-ho-nee?
Shakyamuni Swami... Ummani mani mahameni swamyama. Shakimani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha. Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakyamuni Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakyamuni Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani— Shakimani Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha! Om Mani Mani Mahamani Shakimani Swaha! Om Mani Manipur Mahamani Shakyamaniswaha! Ohm manim manipu mahaminin shakimanisuahaa— ohmm ani many ma ha mini sha kemaniswa? Ah-ha ah-ha oom any money maaa minni shack emini swahaha... Um Many Mini Ma Ha Minnie Sha Ki Manny Swarhara— ummanymani mama nii shakyem ene eswarra.
Ahamma ni Muni Mama Nee Shakke Money S'Waarrah-Ahh-Hoo-Waaaa-aah-Moongyay-deeh Laan-Nikku-Laana-Lingkai-Yaan-Tum-Kaal-Pooravath-Swaagga-Ong-Maney Maneema Hamoney Chack Emaneesuarrrrharth Hohmnany Manaemenie Cha Ke Meenies warhrarrgh Yeah Khe Menes Warrhahrhts hooo-mm aniy-mony my hamoni chakk emanisoorhraarghs ho-o-on-n-e-y-my neel may be mehmuhny shekk e-manishvar hartha om-many maneeth mal-amoneed cha ke menissua haartha Om mani mani mah mani shakimani swaha.
Om mani mani mah mani shakimani swaha.
Mostly the refuges and precepts which are on the liturgy sheet. By your chair or your cushion. 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.
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 Dharmaya.
Namo Dharmaya.
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—
And in light of my human tendencies—
And in light of my human tendencies—
I pray that I may become aware—
I praise God when they come away—
Of when I take life—
When I say goodbye—
I pray that I may become aware—
That's right!
So I need to be more aware when I take what is not freely given.
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.
And I pray that I may become aware... ...of when I fall into wrong speech.
When I fall into wrong speech.
I pray that I may become aware... ...of when I've become intoxicated. Intoxicated.
Of when I become intoxicated. No blame. No blame.
Be kind. Be kind.
Love everything. Love everything. Innumerable sentient beings, we vow to save them all. Inexhaustible are the Buddha's 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 are too poor for that, completely.
At the weekend, a great weekend for wildlife, one of the things, he's in a car traveling back home, afternoon, he passes last one of those really massive— it was really lit, it's nighttime, yeah, really, really lit. And I saw the clearest barn owl sighting that I've actually ever seen, because normally I see them rurally when they're flying and it's just this gorgeously mysterious, you know, ghost-like, stark white, or just catching the moonlight flying over. But this was really lit up by the lights of the pub, and it actually turned its head in our direction as it flew over. And as we were driving past, I got to see like all the features of the face and the shading and the curve of the face and the way that, that, you know, knowing how that amplifies the hearing. And, um, yeah, it was really amazing, you know, the eyes and everything. And there it was, flying past this pub. And I wouldn't have seen it so clearly if it wasn't lit up by huge lights that cause light pollution, that disturb nocturnal animals. And then, you know, the pub itself, you know, so such a contrasting place for me in terms of associations, you know, a pub contributing to the suffering in the world in various ways, you know, by by serving meat and dairy, by serving alcohol, which doesn't always bring out the best in people, and various other things, um, that are, you know, there'll be other ethical implications. And is also— doesn't only have negative connotations, you know. It's— I also— makes me think of a place, a meeting place. Families would go have dinner together, friends meet, celebrate colleagues, celebrate achievements, mourn losses, yes, dates, breakups. Football matches. And I just felt like this image was like a perfect little snapshot of how nirvana is dependent on samsara. So we have the owl, which in many traditions and many myths is associated with wisdom, with clear seeing, with the ability to survey and, and be incredibly attuned and attentive to what's happening. And to communicate wisdom. And certain deities are connected to owls. Some even— there's even ones which fly on the back of them. So we could see, we could be seeing this owl as this embodiment of wisdom and clarity, and which I was only really able to see in such clarity because of the light of a completely contradicting and full of, um, mixed experiences. So it's like how all of our experiences, our little mundane everyday dramas, our deep pains, and our beautiful moments, our moments of experiencing connection and love and friendship and All, all of those things that we can also experience, they can all be moments in which we see the owl, which, which we get glimpses or have access to deeper wisdom. And insight and awareness. And those— that they're dependent on each other. Owls are flying every night. Occasionally we see them, most often we don't. Sometimes we hear them. I, I hear a lot more owls than I see Like, maybe we hear the whispers of enlightenment and all the callings in many, many forms more often than we see them, more often than we see it clearly. But the hours are always flying every night, just as wisdom and clarity and awareness. It's always flying around us, day or night. So I'm grateful to the pub with its completely over-lit, destructive, um, surround lighting and its conflicting ethics and, and all the experiences that it provides. Because that's how our lives are too. They can illuminate each other. So who knows, next time you see an owl, maybe you'll get a clear sighting. Maybe you'll just hear it. In the distance. Maybe it could be thought of as a cool— a cooling, cooling from the Pure Land. Namu Amida Butsu.
In gratitude, we make this offering to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May it be as fragrant as Earth itself, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted mindfulness, and the fruit of understanding slowly ripening. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true home.
Back to our seats and tidy our seats.
Not aware of any announce—
Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me.
Kirtan this Sunday, 7th May till 9. Um, yes, sounds like you're all aware of it. Come along, it'll be gorgeous.
I think that's it.
Is it? Is that it? You let me know. Yeah, okay.
Blessed is the Divine Self as Light, made me careful of all living things on the Holy Earth.
