Practice - houseplants & all bells welcome

Good morning, lovely to see everybody.

And this morning we will be starting with a Dharma glimpse by Beth, who is on Zoom. You can't see her from there, but Can I—

how can I let Beth see who's here?

Do a spin around. Wave to Beth, everybody, and Philip and Matt. Oh, that's— no, that was just the ceiling.

It is.

Down more. There we are.

Thank you.

Yeah, so morning to Beth, Philip, and Matt from everybody here. And Angie is going to read it out.

I woke on Saturday morning feeling flat This flatness had been with me from the previous day when I also noticed how busy and full my head seemed and how tired I felt. For me, Saturdays now bring with them the offer of attending morning Buddhist practice at the temple. This Saturday, I was aware that part of me felt certain that I couldn't attend Buddhist practice. You're too tired. You You have lots to do. You need to tend to your houseplants. This is a pattern I know well. When I'm caught up with a busy mind and feeling anxious or flat, I find myself moving towards less healthy habits of disconnection. Not walking in nature, eating far too much chocolate, and scrolling through YouTube. I sometimes experience a kind of paralysis where parts of me feel so overwhelmed that not much gets done besides a lot of thinking. This time something was different. There was a part of me that didn't agree with the busy doing part. Despite my internal conflict, Buddhist practice won through. I set up my tablet, relocated my Buddha statue, and lit a candle. As I sat down on my red cushion sipping herbal tea, I still wasn't sure that I felt motivated enough for practice, or even what I was doing there, but I was there. One of my cats joined me for a little while. And I noticed a softening in my anxious system. As Sam shared his Dharma glimpse, he talked about how his eagerness to have the task done can take away the pleasure or benefits involved in completing a task. This resonated with me as my thoughts wandered to my Saturday morning ritual of tending to my houseplants. This is something which needs to be done, but often brings me such joy and calm. Today, with my flatness, I have seen it as another thing on the list of things that I have to do that didn't feel joy— very joyous. And now I hadn't got time to get it done before practice. My houseplants live on our south-facing bathroom windowsill. The sun often shines brightly as I follow the same ritual each week. First, giving a mug of water to the prayer plant, a dash of water for the baby lemon tree and the money tree, and sometimes gently and purposefully wiping the dusty leaves with a damp cloth. This Saturday, after practice, I top up the water further. Sarracenia. I don't know how to say that one, but at the plant to sit in. Sorry, Beth. This Sarracenia is extra special as I found it at a markdown price in the garden center, looking unloved and a bit forgotten. As I tend to it, I'm aware of how big the pictures have become. And I notice it has its first ever flower bud. I eagerly rush to show my husband. I finish by giving the orchid its weekly 10-minute bath. The last bloom has finished, and I'm excitedly searching for signs of a new flower spike. I feel Buddha's presence when I'm here in this spot with the sunlight on my face. It reminds me that Buddha's light is always there. He is always close, even when my mind feels full of cloud and the Buddha can seem so far from reach. When talking about Buddhist practice, Satya reminds us that what we're doing here is opening ourselves up to the experience of perfect love. It helps us know we're moving in the right direction when we experience a little something, something that involves a knowing or joy. A simple task such as tending to my houseplants has become a richer experience as my relationship with the Buddha evolves. My eyes fill with tears as I write This is my knowing, and it brings me such joy. Satya Robyn also talks of leaning in, just trusting. I just need to remember to call out, to lean in, to trust and know that I can receive Buddha's unwavering love, compassion, and acceptance. Existence of me and all my foolish ways. It's right here, all around me. Namaste.

Thank you, Angie. Thank you, Belle. So this morning we can be houseplants, um, as we sit quietly together. We can let the Buddha water us, maybe give us some food, maybe wipe our leaves gently. And, um, whatever it is that you need this morning, whatever in you is thirsty or hungry or clouded over, just allow the Buddha to tend to you. And then after a while, feels like the chant today to do is the Medicine Buddha chant. So it's a bit of a tricky one to get your tongue around, but it is on your little bit of paper. Um, maybe I'll type it in now. So it's Thai letter om, A-N-J. A-N-J is really hard to spell. It's just, um, It's, um, Tibetan, isn't it? So it's kind of a Tibetan. Maha fey kan je, red flag, sound would get me so hot. Um, thank you.

So after some silence, we will chant that together.

The spelling's a bit iffy, but hopefully it gets right. Om bekenji, bekenji mahabekenji satyasangate soha! Vayu taro nam bekenji, bekenji mahabekenji satyasangate soha! Baiyata Om Bekhanji, Bekhanji, Ma Bekhanji, Satya Robyn, that is so much. Baiyata Om Bekhanji, Bekhanji, Ma Bekhanji, Satya Robyn, that is so much.

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—

Namah!

For refuge I go to the Sangha—

for refuge I go to the Sangha—

all who live in the Buddha's light—

all who live in the Buddha's light—

Namo Sanghayan—

Namo Sanghayan—

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 not fall into sexual misconduct. With faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may not fall into wrong speech. With faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may avoid intoxication. 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 follow it completely.

Namaste.

So a long time ago, um, I learned how to do the bells for practice, which Kaima is demonstrating beautifully this morning. It's a very important job. And after practice this morning, I'm going to be showing Katie how to do the bells so she can do them next week when we're away at Worcester Pride. Um, Kay will be leading practice. Uh, if anyone else wants to join her, then do let me know either today or another day. Um, and so when thinking about what to talk about to you this morning, um, there are always lots of different things that I could talk about, but the teaching that sort of rose to the top this morning, rose to the top of the vegan cream alternative metaphor, was four words given to me by somebody called Samaya, who was a Buddhist priest from Czechoslovakia. Who, um, lived with Casper in the Buddhist house when, back in the day. And, um, uh, she was the one that taught me bells.

I think this must be, this must be where this came from.

Um, and before we started, the, the bells actually, you'll be pleased to hear, Katie, were way more complicated in those days. As Kema will remember, there were lots more bells at different times, and there was more chanting, different chants to do at different times. And, um, uh, so, so I, I felt really nervous about, about taking this on because I wanted to do it perfectly, and I didn't want— I, I was very aware that I would be doing it in front of people, and lots of people who would know when the bells were meant to be and what bell and for how long, and there was a lot of precision and formality and ceremony around the role. And I guess that Samaya must have picked this up in me because before we started, she just looked at me and said, "Amida accepts all bells." And it was just what I needed to hear in that moment. Because Amida accepts all bells, thank goodness. So if we like, you know, hit the wrong bell by mistake, or if we leave a bell out and everyone's standing there waiting to do the next thing because the bellmaster hasn't done what they're meant to do, Amida smiles, sometimes wryly. I love to imagine Amida's wry smile when we get things wrong.

Oh, look at them.

And, um, and of course, you know, it also makes Amita happy when we, when we do the right bells and when we, um, when we hold that space in a way that is consistent and that is reliable for other people. Um, but Amita accepts all bells. It, it makes me think of, um, This image has been with me a lot recently, the kind of the image of a child's drawing from— brought home from school, um, that, that hopefully most parents will receive whatever is offered and think that it's beautiful because it's, it's what the child has offered you. I'm sure there are some parents who have parts that would like to offer advice about how to get a better likeness, or— but, but there's something about that kind of just accepting the spirit of something that's offered with care and with love. So I'm hoping that for some of you, those four words might be, uh, something that you remember passed on to me by Samaya, uh, and, and it works. In many different situations. Amida accepts all community meals. However, however worried I am about providing the perfect meal for people, Amida accepts all, um, dancing. Amida accepts all gardening. Amida accepts all singing voices. Whatever, whatever the situation, Those three words work. So now, Momidabu, we will move on to prostrations with the correct bow.

Dedicate the merits of this incense offering to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May it be fragrant as Earth herself, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted awareness, 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.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

So if you come back and stand back to your seats. Chaos. So there's 4 announcements. Do we do any announcements before or after the closing? Closing verse.

Let us by Amitābha's light, may we declare for all living beings. Namō Amida Butsu. So I can stop actually for the announcements.