Satya Robyn leads a guided meditation on leaning into grief and climate anxiety, touching on COP26. The session includes teachings on compassion, group chanting of Om Amitabha Hum, and recitation of refuges and precepts.
Chapters
Good morning.
Joining this morning we have Katie Day, Casper, and me. And joining us from afar we have Paul and Kip. Casper and these will pass As always.
Thank you, Satya Robyn. There's a dead wasp on the windowsill behind me that I noticed when I came in this morning. Even though it's very mild, we are in the time of year where then things in the natural world start dying. Lots of insects and birds and animals don't make it through. The winter plant life dies down, and in fact the very mildness of November, which is allowing— just a few days ago I noticed a dahlia still flowering in the garden— and is a sign of global warming and all the extreme weather that that brings with it, like the huge flooding we've seen in British Columbia in the west coast of Canada this week, and the smog that has shut down Delhi for the past couple of days. Samadhi— death has been around for me this week. I've been supporting a couple of people who are bereaved. One Lost a family member to coronavirus. Someone else to a car accident. And my own— and recognizing my own emotions and feelings as thoughts. They've had something of a bereaved quality to them this week, and that's partly coming away from COP26 in Glasgow last week and trying to make sense of— was enough progress made? And it's so hard to tell if countries keep the commitments they've made that will lead to over 2 degrees of global warming, which is huge amounts more of extreme weather, difficulty in growing food, water shortages, sea levels rising. Below 1.5 degrees has been the mantra since the Paris Climate Agreement 5 years ago, 6 years ago. And, uh, yeah, we're not on track for that. I know countries are coming back next year to make stronger commitments But as of yet, they haven't even commit— they're not even meeting these weaker commitments that they've made. And making sense of that somehow has shifted me into this sort of place where I feel— where I'm feeling the loss of things and anticipating the loss of things very keenly and trying to, to make sense of What does it mean to be alive in a world where this much suffering is happening and on the horizon? And of course, that is what the Buddha was trying to do 2,500 years ago. We've read— we've lived relatively peaceful and easy lives in in the last few decades in this country compared to the lives of people in Northern India 2,500 years ago. And what the Buddha instructed us to do was to be kind, to be compassionate, to be loving. That Regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, love is still possible. And for two reasons. One, that loving acts still have the power to change the world regardless of how much shit we're in. And more importantly, or equally as importantly, our loving act is meaningful and profound in and of itself. It's always worth doing. It's always worth being kind if we can manage it. And this is partly why I stopped asking, what does effective protest look like, and, and switched to asking, what does meaningful— what feels meaningful to me? Because it's so hard to know the impact of that. Actions on the world. We just have to trust that they are going into the mix somewhere. But it is possible to tell, does this feel like the right thing to be doing? Is this a kind act? Is, is this coming from a place of care? That's always a worthwhile question to ask. Because regardless of the things that are happening around us, it's always possible to build more community, to deepen relationships and friendships, to deepen our connection with the Buddha, to maintain a spiritual practice. And we know that the Buddha is always present regardless of how much shit the world is in. So it's always possible to be received by loving kindness, and sometimes it's possible to offer loving kindness, and that's always a good thing to do. And when we do that, it doesn't mean that we won't feel upset about what's happening. It doesn't mean that we won't grieve the losses that we're experiencing, but it does mean that they will be held in a bigger container, and the quality of the experience of bereavement changes. The experience of loss changes because a lot running alongside it is always this possibility and this reality of love. Namami Devi. So as we sit together this morning, just an invitation to notice how you are moment to moment, not, not analyzing, not creating stories or pulling things towards you, but neither pushing anything away or blanking anything off. Of course, we'll do both of those things, but setting the intention and, and coming back to just noticing, oh, what's it like to be me? Right now? How do I feel in my body? What emotions are around? What am I noticing in my heart? This morning we'll chant the mantra Om Amitabha Hum, which is just another variant of the chant that we usually use. Om and Hum are two of the sacred sounds of the universe in, in DoTibet, particularly used in Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism. And Amitabha is the Buddha of infinite light and unconditional wisdom.
Om Amitabhahum. Om Amitabhahum. Om Amitabhahum. Om Amitabhahum. Om Amitabhahum. Om Amitabhahum.
Om Ami Tabahu. Om Ami Tabahu.
Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha.
Om Amitabha.
Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha.
Om Ami Tabahu. Om Ami Tabahu.
Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha.
Omami tabaho.
Omami tabaho. Omami tabaho.
Omami tabaho. Omami tabaho.
Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha. Om Amitabha.
Omami tabahu.
Omami tabahu. Omami tabahu. Om Ami Tabahu.
Om Ami Tabahu.
So we'll recite the refuges and precepts together. The refuges reminding us that there is always something we can lean on and rely on despite what is happening in the world. And the precepts reminding us that there is always a good way of responding to what is happening in the world. So please repeat: I take refuge in the Buddha.
I take refuge in the Buddha.
Namo Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Dharma.
Namo Dhamma.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
Namo Sangha. 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, 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.
I pray that I may avoid intoxication.
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 vow to follow it completely.
In gratitude, we offer this incense to Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May this fragrance serve as a self-reflecting effort, our wholehearted awareness, and the fruits 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. Remain calm. Let's have places back to our seats. We'll read the closing verse together. Blessed by Amitābha's light, May we care for all living things and the Holy Earth. Namaste.
