Satya Robyn leads a guided Buddhist practice session covering humility and taking refuge, silent sitting, chanting to Kuan Yin and Amitabha, and recitation of precepts. The group transfers merit to a bereaved family and shares routine moments of an online sangha gathering.
Chapters
Namomi dabu. Welcome everyone. Enjoying your moon tonight, Chris. So this evening is a special practice session for newcomers, and we don't have any, so I was wondering in the silence before we began what I might talk about this evening, and I always try to think about, rather than what I want to say, what is it that you all need to hear. And I was noticing people appearing and just kind of allowing what I know of you all to to float around. And I'm still not entirely sure, but there's something about going—
I can see Beth hasn't got any audio. Beth, you might need to leave and come back in again. Oh, but you can't hear me saying that because you've got no audio. Do you want to type it to Um, I don't know if I can because I've got the other stuff in there. Sorry about this.
That's right, she looks like she's really trying to work it out.
I don't know whether it'll work, but that's my only idea. Sorry, carry on.
Yeah, so there's something about starting again and beginning from the beginning, and I was wondering what the beginning looked like, or what back to basics means. Why are we all here this evening? And there's something very potentially complicated about the spiritual life, that regardless of the spiritual tradition we encounter, there's all sorts of different lessons and liturgy and particular ways of framing things. And then of course you have all the complication of humans and which humans are in the group and how they all get on and what they do, don't do. One of the things that really attracted me to Pure Land Buddhism, and that still attracts me to Pure Land Buddhism, is the simplicity of it. That, um, welcome Philip, that we don't need to worry about anything except acknowledging the depth of our limited nature and knowing that there is something that is unlimited, that that can hold us. So it's really like the first step of the 12 steps, that it's, it's, that's where we need to begin, is, is by really just honestly seeing how we are and how other people are, and through that coming to a place where there there is something that isn't us, that isn't limited us, that is much bigger and much wiser and much more steady and much more compassionate that we can lean into. And really, all of the things that we say in these Dharma talks are different versions of the same story of taking refuge, of being vulnerable and asking for help, of feeling overwhelmed and handing things over, of being confused and asking for direction. Of feeling despair and praying, and that in those moments, if we're lucky, we catch a small glimpse of the truth of the Buddha, the truth of God, the truth of Gaia, whatever word we use for it. That it is eternally present, even though most of the time it's hidden to us by our own protection. It's making me really think of the moon there, Chris's moon, that, that, um, that there's, there's various ways in which the moon becomes obscured But it's always absolutely there. And this kind of topic, this, this, uh, area that I'm trying to, to, to put words to does feel to me quite close to an area where there are no words. That we're really trying to use words to talk about something which isn't describable. But it can infect us if we allow it to. It can gradually soak into us like very fine rain, It can slowly warm us, like when we lie in the sun on a cold day, but this— the, the light is, is warm. And my experience is that that often happens to me without my permission, without my awareness, and then all of a sudden I realize that I've been soaking it up, and I'm full of it, or I was already full of it. It's a mysterious thing and makes me smile, the, um, the ridiculousness of being right now in the chair of somebody who's meant to be teaching this thing to others, or reflecting some of the light. Hmm. And it's speaking to me in the silence tonight. It's been a long day today. I've been very full, lots of clients this week, ready for my retreat day on Friday and my break next week. And at times like that, when I'm extra busy, there's no space to stop So it's really nice to have the excuse of having you all here and having to say something to allow me to stop. So thank you all for that gift, and hopefully we can all stop together and let some of the light in. So we'll sit quietly for for a little while as we bathe in the moonlight or the sunlight, whichever you prefer. And then we will call out to Kuan Yin with the Kuan Yin mantra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwan Shri Ngo Satya Robyn. Namokwan Shri Ngo Satya Robyn. Namokwan Shri Ngo Satya Robyn. Namokwan Sri Nambosat. Namokwan Sri Nambosat. Namokwan Sri Nambosat. Namokwan Shinbosa. Namokwan Shinbosa. Namokwan Shinbosa. Namokwan Shri N'Busat. Namokwan Shri N'Busat. Namokwan Shri N'Busat. Namokwan shi n'bo sat. Namokwan shi n'bo sat. Namokwan shi n'bo sat. Namokwan Sheen Bo Sat. Namokwan Sheen Bo Sat. Namokwan Sheen Bo Sat. Namo Kwan Shin Bosat. Namo Kwan Shin Bosat. Namo Kwan Shin Bosat. Namo Kwan Shinbo Satya. Namo Kwan Shinbo Satya. Namo Kwan Shinbo Satya. Satya Robyn. Namokwan Shri Imbuesat. Namokwan Shri Imbuesat. Namokwan Shri Imbuesat. Namokwan shi in bo sat. Namokwan shi in bo sat. Namokwan shi in bo sat. Namokwan Sri Inbursat. Namokwan Sri Inbursat. Namokwan Sri Inbursat. Satya Robyn. Namokwan Sheen. Bhu Satya Namokwan Sheen.
We'll now recite the refuges and precepts together, so please repeat after me. For refuge I go to the Buddha.
For refuge I go to the Buddha.
Namo Buddhaia.
Namo Buddhaia.
For refuge I go to the Dharma.
For refuge I go to the Dharma.
Namo Dharmaya.
Namo Dharmaya.
For refuge I go to the Sangha.
For refuge I go to the sangha. Namo Sangaia!
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 the three jewels.
—With faith in the three jewels—I pray that I may not steal.
—I pray that I may not steal. That's it for With now.
Thank you so much for joining me today faith on my video blog of Buddhist teachings from Tibet. If this was useful or inspiring please like share subscribe comment below if there were any The questions about Buddhism at all.
Namaste. Bye-bye. Three Jewels—
I pray that may not fall into sexual misconduct—I'm afraid—that they're gonna follow it to Sexual Misconduct—with Faith In 3 Jewelz-I Pray That May Not Fall Into Wrong Speech—I prayer time They Will Follow It To wrongspeech-with Faith And A Tree Jules—and Face Treat You'll's?
'I pray that we avoid intoxication.' I pray that I may avoid intoxication. Innumerable are sentient beings. We vow to save them all. Inexhaustible are deluded passions. We vow to transform them all. Immeasurable are the Dharma teachings. We bow to master them all. Infinite is the Buddha's way. We vow to fulfill it completely.
Namo Amida Butsu. Namo Amida Butsu. Namo Amida. Namo Amida. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namoh Amida. Namoh Amida Bu. Namoh Amida Bu. Namoh Amida Bu. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabhu. Namah Amitabhu.
Could you hear Casper's knees cracking just then?
Well, I'll be 40 on Saturday.
So now we bow to each other and to the Buddha. And to Aiko, who's just entered the room after being very quiet and good. Good girl. Just, um, love to everyone from Aiko. So we're going to transfer all the merit from this evening's service to John Leggett, Chris's best friend's dad, who sadly died this week. And so all of the blessings that we've generated tonight will be going straight to him and all of his family.
By your vows and through your grace, a pure land of peace.
So if everybody would like to unmute, we will say the finishing verse together. Last by Amitabha's light. May I care for all living things? Care for all living things. Namaste. Namaste. I'm unmuted. I'm unmuted.
