A Buddhist group practice session led by Philip and other speakers. Philip offers a Dharma talk on progress and faith, followed by guided meditation, chanting of Om Mani Padme Hum, refuge vows, and community announcements about food bank donations and a member's illness.
Chapters
Morning, everybody. No one on Zoom at the moment. Maybe someone will join as we go through. Oh yeah, Philip's here in person, of course. So yeah, yeah, and Philip's going to read a Dharma glimpse that he's written for us this morning, a mermaid's book.
Thank you.
So you have to bear with me, this is— looks quite long, it looks like an essay, and from memory it's quite rambly, but we'll see how it goes. Okay, it's a This is Believing in Progress. I was sitting in the shrine room on my own close to the end of another year. I wasn't feeling great, to be honest. My mind and body were unsettled. These aren't new phenomena for me. Indeed, they are old friends, even if they haven't always seemed that way. But slowly, gently, as I sat there for longer Things seem to settle a bit. I'm not sure where my efforts and practice, as irregular as they are, are going. Sometimes it feels hard to believe things are going in the right direction. Sometimes it feels hard to know what that direction even is, or if direction exists at all in a reality, and it's just a human concept to function in and make sense of. In a purposely narrowed world. I recalled after my time in the shrine room an assembly by an RE teacher at school when I was growing up. I remember I wasn't too fussed about listening to it, if I'm honest. I doubt that I was the only one. I don't think other talks had particularly resonated or felt of personal value to me And I assume the teachers must see it as a chore to be given an assembly. Maybe most did. I didn't hold that against them. There was no way I wanted to be talking in front of us if that was me, and I didn't hold out much hope for this one. He was one of the teachers I had the least interaction with, and I didn't hold Ari in particularly high esteem as a subject either. The RE teacher said when he was around 10 years old, he assumed 13-year-olds had life sussed. Then he said when he became 13, he assumed it must be the 16-year-olds who had life sussed. And when he became— you can probably see where this is going— when he became 16, he assumed it must be the 18-year-olds who had life sussed, judging by their personas and confidence. Then when he became 18, he realized probably no one had life sussed. It was an assembly I never forgot. I'll never know if it was a chore for him giving the assembly, or he was genuinely wanting to share some life experience and wisdom to us, knowing deep down we were all plagued by questions of the meaning of life and when and how it would reveal itself to us. And for some of us, we didn't believe in ourselves and were afraid of both life and death. I'm not sure how much has changed for me since that day in assembly. I still like to believe there is an answer and that others are at least very close to it, even if I can now more readily accept perhaps nobody fully has it. I still don't believe in my own abilities and value. I still don't have what could be called a strong faith in anything. Maybe sitting there in the shrine room and through conversations with others recently, I can start to believe I am making progress in some sort of way. Even if it's not something I can easily or readily see and feel. And knowing that progress is sporadic, frequently misdirected, and involves almost as many steps backwards as forwards. There are plenty of things I'm desperately clinging on to without wanting to let go and allow more liberation from unnecessary suffering and delusion. I started to wonder if progress might involve, or indeed be, things imperceptibly shifting internally, or perhaps at times collapsing, brackets, which is much more perceptible, exclamation mark, close brackets, rather than some sort of linear forward motion. That faith, trust, or belief is equally about one or more of those in the self and that we— what we're doing day by day, week by week, year by year is of some value and worth, as much as the belief in something bigger than us. Because the gap between myself and where I think I need to get to can feel so depressingly and despairingly big, insurmountable, and even pointless in reducing. I also start to wonder if I am and we are already in the Pure Land, whatever one might perceive and conceive that to be, but are not yet able to really see, feel, and taste it. And it's not about whether I deserve it or not. I do. But the necessary progress is about going into the external world where loss, failure, and suffering are inevitable with an increasingly open and braver heart and a wiser, calmer, curious mind, in order to return back to where we started, in order to see, feel, and taste a bit more of the Pure Land for just that bit longer. It reminds me of part of a T.S. Eliot poem: We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. Maybe that place is the Pure Land. Maybe it is already here. And maybe, just maybe, I can believe I'm making progress towards experiencing it, and that's enough to keep me going for now. Amo Amida Butsu.
So we'll go into a period of meditation and we'll come out chanting Om Mani Padme Hum, which is on your A5 liturgy sheet. And means the jewel in the center of the lotus, which is the kind of nickname for Kwan Im, the one who hears the cries of the world. So we'll be calling out, invoking that, that compassionate response to the cries of the world with that mantra. But for now, sitting, noticing whatever's arising, not drawing anything closer and making stories or reacting or judgments about what we find, but not pushing anything away either. Ironically, the more we try to force our minds to be still, the noisier they can get. But if we just step back into this position of noticing, often they become still on their own.
Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Humri!
Oh my—
oh mané padmé humbríe... ománepadméhumrée... O mânépadmehumprîyê. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mani Padme Lumbri! Om Mani Padme Lum Kri! Om Mani Padme Humri! Oh mani padme humri! Oh mani padme humri! Oh mani padme humri! Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum.
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.
For refuge I go to the Dharma.
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 Sanghaya.
Namo Sanghaya.
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!
—The three jewels...
...Pray That You May Protect me from Theft of Life? Pray this time you will steal my property or something else's house for profit; please protect it all now through your merciful eyes. My prayer to satyamari devi sariputra bhagavan namah pranami amma samantha ji mummy lulu mama kathy mommy louie mommy laura grandma granny grandpa uncle aunties uncles cousins siblings brothers sisters friends mother father wife husband children parents-in-law grandparents grandchildren nieces nephews etcetera...] "with faith" means have confidence so much trust into Buddha Dharma Sangha teaching we can overcome any problems no matter how big they seem because if there was one person who could do anything about these things then he would be here right at our side but since only Buddhists believe him which includes us too even though most people don't know what Buddhism really says on such matters like stealing money outta other houses</LYRICS> "...prayer." " that I might never fall..." „" „May )„That...) Not Fall Into Sexual Misconduct!" „... ...Into Sexually Misdemeanors," ..."Amen?" With faith in The 3 Jewels, I pray that I may NOT FALL INTO WRONG SPEECH. I pray that I may not fall into wrong speech. With faith in the Three Jewels, with faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may avoid intoxication. I pray that I may avoid intoxication. No blame, be kind, love everything.
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 forfeit completely.
Philip spoke to us about progress earlier, and I was thinking about progress and how change happens earlier as well. Strangely, an image came to mind. If you want to cross the ocean on a boat, say you're one of the very early people who moved between land masses, you need your boat, you need oars for when the wind dies down, if it's a sailboat. But a lot of them were just canoes, so you needed oars to row, and you needed to be strong enough to row the boat. But you also needed the stars to guide you and tell you which direction you're heading in. And I think in the dominant culture of society, there's a lot of emphasis on the rowing, and there's not so much emphasis on the stars. So that when we've accomplished something or we've achieved something, what we pay attention to is the work that we've put in ourselves, which is important to recognize, but also important to pay attention to the things that were outside of our control, the things that were nothing to do with us that supported us in the process of accomplishment or change or progress. The time we happen to find ourselves living in, the people around us, the lessons we learn, the places we're guided from. The fact we have somewhere dry to be on a day when it's really pissing it down outside. Um, all of these things are gifts. And, uh, on the spiritual path, it can be helpful to think Similarly, like, I need to show up, I need to come to practice, I need to say the Nembutsu with my mala, but I also need to keep an eye on the things that are nothing to do with me, to know that there is a presence much greater than my small body and mind supporting me and guiding me and leading me. I think, uh, ultimately, if we, uh, if we forget either one of these, we'll be guided back to them eventually, but it can take quite a long time. If we're only focusing on the things we're able to do ourselves, eventually we'll hit a limit of what we're able to do, and then there'll be some collapse and disappointment, failure. And then out of that experience can come an appreciation of, oh, actually I need to receive support in order to take a step. If we only rely on others, on other power, We can fall into complacency and then end up going around in circles and not really noticing the things that we need to notice. And eventually that will trip us up. We're like, oh, okay, actually I keep bumping into this same thing. Maybe, maybe I actually need to do something differently in my life as well as just paying attention to the things that I can't, you know, the things that are supporting me. So for me, it's helpful to take a middle path, uh, between self-power and other power, if you like, and keep an eye on the things I'm able to do, which might be quite small, and the ways in which I'm supported, both in a worldly sense but also in a spiritual sense. So maybe just an invitation to be curious about where your natural tendencies lie on that spectrum, and, or maybe just noticing how it changes. And some days you're more likely to fall into, yes, I did all of this, or I'm going to push through this on my own. Some days you're more likely to fall into, oh, there's nothing I can do about this. I won't do anything. But it, it's important to have a place for both showing up and doing the work and opening ourselves up to receive help. I suppose that's a very simple way of putting it, whether it's help from the immense power of the Buddha coming towards us, or help from friends, real people around us. Yeah, just the same in a therapy practice, you know, you have to show up to the sessions and be curious about yourself, and you also have to be in relationship to something that isn't you. No, mommy's—
We dedicate the merits of this incense offering to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May it be fragrant as a Earth herself, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted awareness, and the fruit of understanding slowly, rightly. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Buddhas after us. May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true home.
So Jenny's not here this morning because her father's very ill, so we're going to transfer them both this morning. By your vows and through your grace. Thank you. So lovely to see you all. Next week, first-timer services, and we'll let you know about dates for maintenance, mindful maintenance days and retreat days and so on in due course when we've got the Yeah, mapped out. I think— I don't think there's anything—
Can I say about what we decided last night?
Oh yeah, please do.
Yeah, so at dinner last night, so I don't have to ask people who's going to do washing up every time after practice, we're going to do a trial of having a bit of paper in the hallway so people can sign up in advance to volunteer for making the tea and washing up after the tea and dharmakinsis. So the Dharma Glimpse, you can either read your own or you can read one of the stack we'll have here. And there'll probably be— if you don't, if you're not a person that likes to commit in advance, there may well be gaps. So if you come in and there's a gap, you can always just write your song. There was something else I was going to say as well.
I can't remember what it is. Um, just a reminder about donations for the food bank. If you buy something extra when you're shopping I mean, a lot of places obviously you can drop it off where you are, but we do have a collection point here as well. Thank you, Satya Robyn. Yeah, thanks for keeping that sorted out. So we'll finish with the closing verse. Bless us, fire, and retard us, light. May we care for all living things and the Holy Ground. A moment of food. Thanks, everybody.
