Satya Robyn leads a virtual temple practice with Buddhist chanting and group sharing. One participant reflects on preparing for a climate protest with Extinction Rebellion, discussing faith and community as they face possible arrest.
Chapters
What?
Thanks, Taylor. Apparently I was still on mute.
Okay, should I start again? Do you want to start again?
I just said that Philip and Jharmay are here in the room with us from the temple with Satya Robyn.
Namaste. Namaste. Morning. So I was just saying that this morning is a strange morning for me because in 2 hours exactly I will be stepping onto a busy road in Worcester and stopping the traffic and sitting down with, depending on conflicting reports, either 100 other people or 200 other people around the UK today at 11 AM. So keep an eye on the news later. As part of a protest So I'm sitting here with my, uh, lots of layers on, ready to sit in the cold and then probably go to a police station. I've got the number of my solicitor written on my arm in true, true XR fashion, and It's been quite a process knowing that this date is coming over the past month or so. There's been lots of preparation, both practically but also internally, and just really being aware of the different parts of me that have come up that have been frightened of various things. Yeah, mostly frightened, and feeling some anticipation, and I'm sure that my heart will be banging in 2 hours' time, but also feeling really ready and calm and resolute— was the word I used yesterday. I just had a conversation on WhatsApp with my friend Emma who lives in a different town, and she's also taking part today, and her sign that she's wearing is about her nieces, about being frightened for the future of her nieces, and she told me that she just let her sister know what she was doing, and her sister let her little girl know, and her little girl said something like, "Oh good, because maybe they'll help the planet," or something. And just feels very moving to be connected to people who care so deeply that they're willing to do something frightening. And whether it's the right thing to do or not, I'm not entirely sure. I obviously feel like it's— I have enough conviction that it's a helpful thing to do to do it. Or I wouldn't be doing it. But who knows, who knows whether it will make any difference, whether it will enrage the public towards XR further, which maybe will be a bad thing. Maybe that will be a good thing because the more people that notice what's happening, the better. We've said, you know, we don't need to be liked, we just need to help get the truth out there. And what I was thinking about this morning as I was sitting here getting ready to speak was really about how I feel supported by my faith to do what I'm doing this morning. If it wasn't for my faith I don't know if I'd be brave enough. And the other thing I was thinking about is how my experience is when I lean into my practice and lean into taking refuge, kind of deeper and deeper refuge, the things that I'm meant to do, the things that I'm called to do become clearer. And I'm very conscious that as a middle-class, middle-aged white woman who's had a very privileged background and who works— I work for myself, I don't want to emigrate anywhere— for me to do what I'm doing today, to be arrested, is possible in a way that it wouldn't be possible for my friend Suzanne, who might be kicked out the country, or people of color who've had really horrendous experiences with the police and wouldn't feel safe, understandably. People who would lose their job. There's lots of conditions in my life that mean that I'm the one that's best placed to to sit in the road today, including the fact that I've been practicing for 6 months on my daily vigil, so I've just about got the hang of sitting still in public. And then there are people in my support team who are playing the role of de-escalator, or playing the role of videographer, or playing the role of arrest witness. And that is their calling. And my, my other friend was going to take part but somehow was getting messages from the universe that it wasn't the right thing and pulled out. And they messaged me this morning and said that was the right thing for them, that they're really glad that they, they're not doing it. So there are all kinds of different roles that we can play in life, and some of them are a bit more glamorous than the others. I'm the one that'll get all the Facebook acclaim, but that's not because what I'm doing is really any more difficult than anything anyone else is doing. The things that they will be doing will also be edgy. I'm not sure I'd want to be a de-escalator this morning. We're quite near the taxi rank, and I think there's gonna be few irate people around. And this applies to the action that I'm doing this morning, but it also applies in all sorts of other situations that are much less dramatic, that, um, that it's been Dave's calling to make us a second pond in the temple garden, hopefully., and that will be a wonderful thing for the biodiversity and the, um, for all of us that do walking meditation on a Saturday morning and get to see the beauty of the garden. That Brian's been called to, um, paint stones and leave them around Malvern for people to find. That may be later today, one of you might be called to see that something is dirty and clean it, or tidy it, or smile at someone. That, um, that there are lots and lots of little tasks that make up a life. And of course, being human, there are lots and lots of times when we don't manage to do the thing that we're being asked to do, and that's okay too. So I will be thinking of the shrine room at 11 o'clock and thinking of you all. And just imagining that I'm playing my part in this drama, this strange, this strange world that we're in, mid-pandemic, 6 months before COP26, and the accelerating disaster of the Climate and Ecological Emergency. And I'll be thinking of my friend Emma, and thinking of the other people across the country, all with their hearts quaking, stepping in front of traffic. I'll be thinking of their secret support teams who will be looking on, probably also with their hearts quaking. I'll be also thinking of the person that I will hold up this morning, and I've been wondering what I will be holding them up from. It might be a social occasion, it might be a job interview, it might be a hospital appointment. Very aware of that trouble that I will cause and feeling sorry about that. And of course, I'll be thinking of dear Earth, who is receiving a little bit of the light of Amitabha reflected off me and others today. Namomi dabun. And as we sit in silence, maybe just connect with the earth underneath you and the abundance that we are the recipients of every day. So we'll chant together this morning to Kwan Yin, Avalokiteshvara. The attendant on one side of Amida, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who embodies a gentle motherly love. I like to think the good kind of motherly love. And the words are Namo I call out to Kwan She Yin Bosat, which is short for Bodhisattva.
Namo Kwan She Yin Bosat. Namo Kwan She Yin Bosat. Namokwan Shri Moksha. Namokwan Shri Moksha. Namokwan Shri Moksha. Namokwanji in Bursa. Namokwanji in Bursa. Namokwanji in Bursa. Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwanji in Bhosa. Namah Shivayin Bhosa. Namah Shivayin Bhosa. Namah Shivayin Bhosa. Namokwanji in Bosa. Namokwanji in Bosa. Namokwanji in Bosa. Namokwan Shien Bo Sat. Namokwan Shien Bo Sat. Namokwan Shien Bo Sat. Namokwan shi in bo sat. Namokwan shi in bo sat. Namokwan shi in bo sat. Namokwanji in Bosa. Namokwanji in Bosa. Namokwanji in Bosa. Namokwan shi in bo sa. Namokwan shi in bo sa. Namokwan shi in bo sa.
For refuge, I go to Amida.' For refuge I go to Amida. 'Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.' Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 'For refuge I go to Buddha.' For refuge I go to Buddha. 'Namo Buddhaya.' Namo Buddhaya. 'For refuge I go to Dharma.' For refuge I go to Dharma. 'Namo Dharmaya.' Namo Dharmaya. 'For refuge I go to Sangha.' For refuge I go to Sangha.
'Namo sanghaya.' In this Namo way we can chant for 3 times each of these phrases—nam myoho renge kyo or nam myoho amitabha. And then you would repeat it again on Sangha!
your own at home if that's what works best for yourself today.
So let me just say them once more slowly so everyone knows exactly how they're supposed to be said.
Thank you very much! For refuge I go to the Pure Land. For refuge I go to the Pure Land. Namo Buddha Shakyatraja! 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—
With faith in The Three Jewels .
—with Faith In The 3 jewels—I pray that I might fall into sexual misconduct—with Faith In The three jeweled stones.—With fauthin' thre jewelz—I prayed at time he got forward to sexual miscondahct—
Avec foi en les trois perles de diamant...
—with Faith In Threes Jewelsses—with faihthinn thré jeulsss-I prayer tha'timei nothall intowrong speach—I praray dassa me nought forrindtongue spichw ith faitheen ther tree joolzzs-with feyth iñn der free choollzs; I prey thi'mei 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 vow to master them all. Infinite is the Buddha's way.
We bow before Philip completely. Namah Amida Butsu. Namah Amida. Namah Amida. Namah Amida. Namah Amida Butsu. Namoha mi tabu. Namoha mi abu. Namoha mi tabu. Namoha mi tabu. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste.
So now recite the closing verse together. Blessed Oh, please do unmute if you are able to. Blessed by Amitabha's light, may we care for all living things and holy earth.
Close.
Is that what you mean? I am— it sounds something like that.
