A Buddhist practice session over Zoom led by Arlene and Casper, featuring chanting, prostrations, and a Dharma talk based on Ollie Henwood's reflection about the sea. The group recites refuges and precepts, and a humorous anecdote about mishearing a neighbour's voicemail becomes a teaching on perspective.
Chapters
Welcome everybody. Welcome to Chris on Zoom, who is in a field of absolutely ginormous sunflowers.
Like much bigger than her head. It might be a picture, but it looks pretty realistic. And we will begin today with a Dharma Glimpse by Ollie, um, who probably not many of you know him, but he's an old— he's been around for a long time, and he's in a study group with you two, you know. Um, and Helen is kindly going to read it. For us, so I will pass over to you.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Marine life, Dharma glimpse by Ollie Henwood. I was recently on Landi Island, which provided a peaceful environment for reflection and embracing the Dharma. We spent time, some of the time, diving, looking for and finding marine life. I found it interesting that when observing the sea from the land, it appeared vast, empty, and barren. It wasn't until I immersed myself into the sea that I could fully notice and appreciate its true self and beauty. I thought this was relevant, as this is also often the case with the Dharma. I also like a good analogy. The Dharma is always present, like the sea, but it takes self-power, peace, and curiosity to stop and fully appreciate it within our lives. Much like the true nature of the ocean. I often find the true nature of the Dharma evades my mind in daily living, and it takes patience to accept it into all aspects of life. I have found the study group has been a great way to recalibrate and keep the Dharma fresh and integrated daily.
Namaste. Thank you, Arlene. Helen? Welcome, Philip.
And we will move into some quiet. So as we sit together here in the shrine room, um, you can either have your eyes shut or you can look at the beautiful Buddha that's got that light on him that's really, uh, special this time of—
this time of night.
Really noticing how the light is beginning to drift away. When we meet every week at the same time, it's impossible not to notice the seasons turning. So as we sit quietly, you can look at the Buddha, or maybe shut your eyes and look at the Buddha inside. Allow the peace and patience of the Buddha to fill you up. And if there are things that arise that distract you or that are difficult, just give them a little bit of space and let them drift away.
When they're ready to, and then return to the presence of the Buddha.
And then after a while, sitting quietly, we'll do some chanting together.
I'm not sure what we'll chant yet, but when I start chanting, you can join in as soon as you get the tune. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So the chant that we will chant this evening will be for Avalokiteshvara, also known as Kuan Yin. And we'll chant in Tibetan, which is Om Mani Padme Hum Hri. It's on your bit of paper if you want to read it. And Avalokiteshvara is always by the side of Amida, and she is the bodhisattva of compassion. Om Mani Padme Hum Hui!
Oh mani padme hum hui! Oh mani padme hum hui!
Oh mani padme hum hui!
Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mane Pab Me Hung Rii... Um—
um? Oh my God!
I'm so sorry for that mistake guys. Sorry about this one again.
Okay, let's go back to it then.
So we're gonna do our mantra now first before doing any kind of prayer or anything like that today.
It was just something quick on YouTube because you know what happened last week at home when he got sick from COVID-19.
And yeah, but anyways, okay, here goes nothing.
Let me get ready real fast.
A little bit nervous actually.
Yeah, Om no worries man.
We'll be fine.
You can't mess up your own prayers anyway though.
No way dude.
That would suck if they were messed up right there.
Right?!
Mani Padme Hum Bree!
Om Mani Padme Hum Bree!
Om Mani Padme Hum Bree!
Om Mani Padme Um Breee... Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum Bree!
Om Mani Padme Hum Bree!
Om Mani Padme Hum Bree!
Om Mane Pame Hungry? Oh mané pâmé hung brie...
Um mane pa me hum breee—
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum. Om mani padme hum bhrim!
Om mani padme hum bhrim! Om mane padme um bhrim!
Oh my name Padmehum Bree... Um— Mané pa me oumbri?
O-o-om-man-e-pa-me-uou-m-bhrie?! Om Mani Padme Hum Hri! Om Mani Padme Hum Hri!
Om Mane Padme Hungry!
Om Male Pa Me Hungry! Om mani padme humbri!
Oh my name Padme Humbley— oh Mané Pâmê Humbry... om Mane pa me hombre...
o Mâne Pa Me Hungry? Oumane Pamée Hombreeemmm... 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.
Now we'll recite the refuges and precepts together, which are on your bit of paper, but it's repeat after me, so don't worry about reading them. 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, full of love.
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.
Lama Sangha—
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.
I pray that I may not fall into sexual misconduct—
With faith in this Three Jewels. —with faith in these three 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— No blame. Be kind. Be kind. Love everything. 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 fulfill it completely.
Namaste. So a cat-related Dharma talk this evening, which Chris might particularly appreciate. Just before coming in to practice this evening, I checked the phone and there was a message on it, and it was a message from one of our neighbors in the flats next door, David. And, uh, he said, um, oh, uh, just calling to let you know that, um, your cat— I think your cat might have eaten some fitted carpet, so he might have a sore tummy for a couple of days. It's like, oh, that's a bit strange. Uh, so I listened to the message again. Yeah, your cat might have eaten some fitted carpets.
You might have a sore tummy for a couple of days.
So I passed the phone to Casper.
Your cat might be eating a chicken carcass, not a fitted carpet.
Um, and Roshi's fine. The message was left on Saturday, so if he did have a sore tummy, it's, it's, uh, it's over by now. And I was thinking about Ollie's Dharma glimpse, that when we, when we dive into the ocean, we suddenly see that the Dharma is all around us, that that's a kind of a shift from, from being outside to being inside. And there was a shift in hearing between my hearing and Casper's.
No comment on our end state, enlightenment state.
Thank you. Um, more about our hearing than it is about our state of enlightenment.
I'm a bit older.
Um, and that, that just with a shift in, in hearing, there was something very different to be gained from the message than the one that I initially Okay, I was thinking, did they leave some fitted carpet in the garden? But then how could it be fitted if it was out in the garden?
How would you be eating fitted carpet? Like, why would a cat who's carnivorous want to eat a meal of fitted carpet?
So one of the things that we need to do to find the Dharma is to hear other people speaking, or to listen through their ears. And that's what we do in our study groups. We all read the same chapter, and then everybody reflects on it, and they write a little bit about the bit that stood out to them, or the bit they didn't understand, or the bit that made them think about something. And we are lucky enough to see the Dharma through all these different eyes, through all these different ears. And often what happens is something shifts a little bit and something becomes clear, something new becomes clear.
And sometimes that's really hard to do on our own.
I listened really carefully to that message twice and I was about to listen to it a third time, but I thought, no, my ears just are hearing Fitti Carpet. I couldn't do it. And, and that was the, when you listened that you just heard chicken carcass, that was the phrase quite clearly spoken by, by David next door. And that's how it is with the Dharma, is that sometimes, however many times we read a sentence, or we kind of get stuck thinking about something in our lives that we can't find an answer for, what we need is a different perspective. Sometimes we get that from our friends, sometimes we get that from the bell, going off randomly. Sometimes we get that from nature.
Sometimes we just go and sit with the Buddha and we ask a question, and the Buddha has an answer for us that we weren't expecting. We don't have to do it on our own.
We don't have to struggle on listening again and again to the same message.
We just give the phone to someone else. And the Dharma appears. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So we'll now get up and do some prostrations in front of the Buddha, and there's a tune that goes along with that which we chant to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So do, do as much as your body is happy for you to do. If you just want to stand and bow, that's fine.
If you're willing to get all the way down to the ground, then please do, but just copy everyone else.
And that's it. Don't copy Andy, she does really long presentations. In gratitude, we dedicate the merits of this incense offering to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May it be fragrant as Earth herself, reflecting our careful efforts, our whole heart is for awareness, and the fruits of understanding slowly ripen. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas when we awaken from forgetfulness and realize Amichi. And there's nothing to do, so if you'd like to return to standing with your seat We always finish by expressing our gratitude towards each other by bowing to each other, and we bow to one side and then the other. And I start by bowing to Angie, so the rest of you can work it out. You might do it yourselves. Not bad, not bad. And then reverse forward for Buddha.
And then our seats and tidy our seats.
Do unmute and finish with the closing verse, which is on this paper. It starts, blessed by Amitabha's light, may we care for all living things. Join us for a cup of tea. We're going to say hello to Chris and Philip. I've said goodbye to you. Yeah, golden bowl in the hallway.
