Satya Robyn leads a small group Buddhist practice session with participants in the shrine room and on Zoom. The session includes a sunrise reflection, group chanting of Tanbutsuge and refuge vows, guided meditation, and an incense dedication.
Chapters
Welcome to Chris and Beth on Zoom, and we just have Helen and Angie and Phi in the shrine room. We will begin with a very lovely Dharma glimpse by Beth, read by Kaspa.
Beth wants to try reading it.
Nod or shake. You talking about me? Do you fancy reading it? I got a stinking cold, so—
Okay.
Good excuse.
I'm happy to read it, Beth.
I mean, it's up to you. We can hear you with your stinking cold.
I mean, I don't know that Beth knows that we're reading her glimpse tonight particularly, so it was a bit of a surprise, but you can send her the link if she wants to read it.
No, that's fine.
Okay. Yeah. So this was written by Beth, as you gathered. Rising Sun. Early this morning, I found I couldn't sleep. The room is dark, so moving to the balcony window, I pull open the curtains to reveal the most amazing red-orange sun rising from the Mediterranean. Mesmerized, I sit outside and watch as it slowly rises, and all around the sky transforms into a raging orange fireball. While the smoldering sea changes from a milky blue-white sheen to a moody blue shimmer to a deep turquoise. The mountains are silhouetted in the distance, and the olive groves peek through the shimmering haze. The birds slowly awaken and begin their chatter. Transfixed, I am not sure where to concentrate my amazement. It is awe-inspiring, and my senses cannot truly comprehend its majesty. The moment passes as the sun has risen and the magic becomes today. People start appearing, and traffic can be heard in the distance. The bubble has burst. I experienced and was part of something very special, magical even. A daily phenomenon, the sun arriving to wake up the day, and it happens every single day.
No mo me to boo.
Thank you, Casper. Thank you, Beth. Welcome, Philip. So we will have some quiet time. And, um, you can either just pay attention to your breath as it comes and goes, or you might want to use a word like Amitabha or Amida, just allowing it to float on your breath. Namamida Butsu.
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 Hum Hri! Om Mane Pab Me Hung Rii... Umale pah me hung ri— Om mani padme hum hri! Oh my name Padme Hum Hri... oh Mané Pâdmé Oum Rhi— om Mane Padmehoung Ri— omane pâméhoong ri. Om Mane Padme Hum Hri. Om Mane Padme Hum Hri. Om Mane Padme Hum Hri. Om mani padme hum hri! Om mani padme hum hri! Om mani padme rum hri! Om mane pa me hun gri! Om Mane Padme Hum Hri. Om Mane Padme Hum Hri. Om Mane Padme Hum Hri. Om Mane Padme Hungry. Om mani padme hum hri! Om mani pav mehum hrī! Oṁ ma nē paḥ may ho m̄rī— Om manya pābmayo 'mhrī —Om Manyapabmeyomhrye... Oh Mané Pahmé Hombrey? Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mane padme hum hri! Om mane padme hunghri! Oh mané paad mé hungry? Ooh ma nee pahd me hung-ree... Um-ma-neh-pahd-me-hung-greemmm— Om mani padme hum hri! Om mani padme hum hri! Om mani pam me om hri! Om mane pa me ombhreee— Om mani padme hum hri! Om mani Padme Hum Hri! Oh Mané Pabmé Hungry— oh Mâné Paapmê Hunghree... om mâné pa-p-mée hun-gris?
Um ma né pah mé hung-grie?
O Ma Ne Pap Mé Hong-Grise?! Om Mane Padme Humri! Om Mane Padme Humri! Om Mane Padme Hungry! Om Mane Padme Hungry! Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mane Padme Hungrye! Om Mane Padme Hungryy— Oh mané padmé hungrí? O mâne pâmê hungrì...
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 Buddhaya. Namo Buddhaya. 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 Sangha. Namo Sangha. 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! —I pray that I may not steal— —with faith in The Three Jewels! —I pray that I may fall into sexual misconduct—
—with faith in The Three Jewels!
—I pray that I might 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. No blame. Be kind. Be kind. Love everything. Love everything. Innumerable sentient beings, We vow to save them all. Inexhaustible are the Vedic passions.
We vow to transform them all.
Immeasurable are the Dharma teachings.
We vow to master them all.
Infinite is the Buddha's way.
Leave out to fall flat completely.
So this evening I feel quiet and tired and a little flat, and I was wondering about whether it would be possible to, to be that in my talk. Whether that was allowed, because my job is to inspire everybody. And then I thought about the text that I've been studying with Bright Dawn, the Tanbutsugei, which is a short bit of text that's from the larger Pure Land Sutra. And in it Dharmakara speaks of being inspired by a Buddha, Lokeshvara Raja, and he's so inspired by witnessing the, the perfection, the golden glow of this Buddha, that he's moved to make a vow. To also become a Buddha, to follow in the footsteps of Lokeshvara Raja and become, um, a Buddha himself with a pure land where people can come and become enlightened. And the bit that really touched me— I've, I've known this text, we We've chanted this text for 10 years with the Amida Order. Some of us 10 years, more than 10 years, nearly 10 years. And we haven't for a couple of years. I know this text very well, so it's been very interesting to come back into relationship with it, especially through different translation. What really got to me when I was reading it today is the bit where Dharmakara says that he really wants to help all beings, that he will work really hard at perfecting himself and, um, embodying patience and virtue and knowledge and all those qualities that, that Buddhas have. Because he really wants to help everybody. He's doing it for everybody. And when I read it this morning, I had a, a thought, oh, he's doing it for me. Like, he really wants to help me. And, um, the result of of his vow is that he did become Amida Buddha. He, he was transformed into Amida Buddha with, with the Pure Land. And so he's there. A lot of spirituality seems to ask a lot of us. Um, I don't know if you've read as many books as I have on, from various spiritual traditions, and that there's a kind of a theme of, um, if you want to be a good spiritual person, or if you want to be happy, or you want to be good, then these are all the things you need to do. And that when I'm feeling like I feel today, that's the opposite of helpful, cuz I already feel like I'm not enough or that I don't feel like I can do anything more. So reading this text where Dharmakara is saying, he'll come and help me. It's really wonderful that I've always had an experience of Pure Land Buddhism as being the kind of Buddhism you can lean into. Some days we don't need to lean into anything, but some days we do, and we can lean in just as we are. We don't have to do anything to receive that. We just have to receive that, that wish of Dharmakara to help us. We just have to receive it. We just have to We have to imagine that it's possible that the universe is reaching out towards us and offering us something. So maybe we will include Tanbutsuge in our practice again at some point. Um, but I feel like somehow it's already come back in through listening to Dharmakara this morning, listening to what he said and what he vowed, and that, that there was something about that vow that's still alive because it was alive, it's still alive in the text, and it became alive in me. It kind of reawakened something in me. And as I'm speaking about it to you, I can feel that it's alive. So it doesn't matter if I feel quiet or flat, because Dharmakara and his vow are here through me. And Dharmakara, who became Amitabha, is big enough for all of us. Namaste. Namaste.
Namah Amitabh Buddha. Namah Amitabh. Namah Amitabh. Namah Amitabh. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namoha Mira. Namoha Mira. Namoha Mira. Namoha Mira.
In gratitude, we offer the merit of this incense offering to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time.
May it be as fragrant as earth herself, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted awareness, and the fruits of understanding so enlightened. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize the Dharma. Last.
Cookies next. Sorry, Typhon, you're bored, ain't you?
