Satya Robyn leads a Pure Land Buddhist practice session with guided meditation and chanting. Alison offers a Dharma talk on "Less is enough" and Bodhi Day, while the group participates in incense offerings and vows together.
Chapters
Welcome everybody. Namamitabhu. No one joining us online at the moment, very unusual. We'll begin this evening with a glimpse from Alison, so I will pass the microphone.
This was written in December. Less is enough. Today is the anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment, and I'm writing my first Dharma glimpse. During this morning's Nembutsu, I began chanting and suddenly started to laugh. I don't really know why, or at least I didn't. I looked up at the Buddha and said a rather silly sorry. The Buddha smiled back and reminded me that it's fine to not always take the practice too seriously. We can bring lightness and humor into what we do. I said thank you and started laughing again as I realized that on the one hand this seemed really silly, but that was— but that this was an important insight, and that at the same time my glimpse had been seemingly gifted to me. I was relieved to have had this inspiration and could use it as my— as my glimpse. A little later The thought that this wasn't the kind of glimpse that I'd wanted to write about entered my mind. I'd wanted to write a serious glimpse, a clever glimpse, incorporating a message from Manshiki Asawa's book, which I'm currently studying, 'The Semba Fan'. This gifted glimpse or insight was too short and too simple, not to mention too silly. It wasn't enough to meet my high expectations of myself. Satisfying my need for perfectionism, especially for my very first Dharma glimpse. Yet the Buddha had taught me that it was enough. I was reminded just recently, in the aftermath of an intensely stressful move from Malvern to London, that I'd made the decision to adopt a mantra, being 'less is enough.' I need to go more gently. I'd been partly successful My bread not rising for Bodhi Day was enough. My not saying too much during the listening circle was enough. My stopping after 30 minutes of cleaning the kitchen was enough. And my not having been able to prepare responses on others' book reflections last week was also enough. So maybe writing a short and silly glimpse that nevertheless conveyed a good message that had dropped into my lap this morning would also be enough. I've typically spent my life with large agendas requiring me to meet my highest standards. Perhaps my new life at the temple could be a gift, an opportunity to relax, let go, laugh, lighten the load, and accept that Amida is smiling at me and has my back. Amida doesn't mind if I'm silly and if I do less. Amida accepts me as I am. I can simply trust in the process that all will be well, even with less. Less is enough. I now remember Kiyosawa implying that responsibilities and commitments, meeting extrinsic demands within his Japanese culture, wasn't as important as trusting in the power beyond the self. So perhaps in future, when I feel inclined to do more and more, I will sit with the Buddha and know that I am enough, even when I start to laugh during an embutsi. When I can only do less, that the Buddha will still smile at me, and I can relax knowing that less is enough. The only thing there can be is gratitude to the Buddha for guiding us. The Buddha has the sole initiative for whatever we do or do not do. Manjiki is our December fan. There is no failure for one who trusts in the wondrous working of the infinite. Another quote from December Fan. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Welcome to Claire and Beth who've joined us online. As we go into some meditation, invitation to notice the breath, not trying to change the breath, just noticing how it is moment to moment. Or if you want to focus outside your own system, an invitation to notice the sounds around you, not latching on to anything or describing anything, just noticing the rising and the falling of the traffic, other sounds in the space.
Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh. Amitabh.
So saying the words that connect us with Buddhists all over the world and back through the generations, and ultimately to the Buddha themselves, both in the sense of the living Buddha Shakyamuni 2,500 years ago, but also in the, in the, in the more Transcendental. Maybe we can use that word, sense of the word Buddha, to Amitabha Buddha. For refuge I go to the Buddha.
For refuge I go to the Buddha.
The one who is awake and full of life.
The one who is awake and full of life.
Namo Buddha. For refuge I go to the Dharma, all that guides us to wisdom and compassion. Namo Dhamma. For refuge I go to the Sangha, those who live in the Buddha's light. Namo Sangha. With faith in the Three Jewels— I pray that I may not take life! With faith in the Three Jewels—I pray that I may not steal! With faith in the Three Jewels—I pray that I may lie down at night peacefully! Avoid sexual misconduct— I pray that I may avoid sexual misconduct— With faith in the Three Jewels— With faith in the Three Jewels—I pray that I may avoid wrong speech— I pray so I might have avoided one's speech—with faith in the Three Jewels—With faith in the three jewels—I pray at the time they avoid intoxication—I pray it's on my own word intoxication—and to do good without harm— No blame. Be kind. Love everything.
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 vow to master them all.
Infinite is the Buddha's way.
We vow to fulfill it completely. Namami Tathagata. The astute among you will notice that I said the word life instead of love earlier, but Buddhas are full of life. I misspoke, but it turned out to be something equally True, they're spontaneous and lively and responsive and natural. And when a Buddha looks at the world, what they see is other Buddhas everywhere. The flowers are Buddhas, the candles are Buddhas, the offering bowls are Buddhas, the windows are Buddhas. The irritants are also Buddhas. What does it mean for these things to be Buddhas? It means that when the Buddha sees these things, they see that they are also glowing with love and compassion from their own side, that their existence is a manifestation of wisdom and love and compassion. Nobuo Haneda talked about negative impermanence and positive impermanence. Negative impermanence is the impermanence we experience and feel suffering as a result of. Positive impermanence is the impermanence we experience and feel, perhaps feel joy as a result of. The impermanence of a seed blossoming into a flower. Or sun breaking through the rain clouds. This is the same as the impermanence as a watch breaking or a restaurant being closed when we expected it to be open. And from the point of view of the Buddha, these things are the same. They are life expressing itself. It's a difficult leap to make. How can this thing that is really painful be a Buddha speaking to me? But there is something profound in engaging with that question. Part of the answer is that any unfolding of life is an invitation for us to become more compassionate. And more wise and more open-hearted, for our hearts to grow. As Pure Land practitioners, as Buddhist practitioners, as people who say the Nembutsu sometimes, sometimes we're in the position of the one who is calling out for help, aware of our own flaws, our own suffering, our own limitations. Speaking from vulnerable places or self-protective places. It's one way of doing that in Buddhism and one way of being in life. Sometimes we are in the position of the Buddha. Somebody comes to us speaking from one of those places and our heart expands and we hold their vulnerability, their self-protection, their acting out with compassion. And sometimes we experience the whole world as being a loving heart connected to our loving heart. This is The Buddha seeing Buddhas everywhere. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
In gratitude, we offer this incense to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May this fragrance of the self reflect in our careful efforts, our wholehearted awareness, and the fruits of understanding slowly ripening. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas when we awaken from forgetfulness and realize the pure land.
Blessed by Amitābha's light, may we care for all living things and the Holy Earth.
Namaste.
Please do. I did say that we weren't going to have mindful maintenance because Kasper's away on Saturday, but I am going to do some gentle gardening in the morning after practice, so if anyone is around and wants to join me, come along.
