Satya Robyn leads a Buddhist practice using a rucksack metaphor to explore defensive habits and the role of Amida. The group chants mantras, recites refuges and precepts, and transfers merit to Kusuma-san.
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Good morning, both. There may be some other people sliding in, but I'm gonna— oh, you've started the recording already. Okay. That'll be on the start of the recording. Yeah, morning both, hope you are well. I wanted to talk a little bit this morning about my rucksack. Maybe I'll show it to you, it's not too messy over there. So it's— you can't see it very well because it's black, but there's a black rucksack just there. And it's the rucksack that I take with me every morning to the vigil that I'm doing outside the temple in the temple car park at the moment. So that just means going around the back of our flat and up some side steps around the front. It's not far. I'll hopefully be going back into town again, who knows when, but maybe within the next couple of months. And in this rucksack I have all the kit that I need for my vigil, which has sort of evolved over the 100 and whatever days I've been doing it. I've got a beautiful hourglass filled with pink sand, which is half an hour's worth of sand, so I turn it over in the middle. I've got my phone, which has a really good timer on it, so there's bells at the beginning and in the middle and at the end that are loud enough, so I don't need to worry about whether I've heard them or not. I've got a cut-off piece of yoga mat which I put down on the floor, which is great for snow underneath it, and it gives my knees a little bit of cushion. I've got a meditation bench. I've got my sign that I put around my front which says what I'm doing. And I just packed my bag this morning before I started the call to all, because yesterday was really rainy, so everything was sopping when I came back in. I had to hang things, hang my mittens on the radiator and dry everything out, and I realised that in the bottom of the bag that there were some extra items that have really become slightly unnecessary. So I had a huge sort of scarf that I was using to wrap my mittened hands in a couple of weeks ago when it was really, really cold, because the cold was just getting right through my really toasty mittens within the first sort of 20 minutes, and I had really kind of numb fingers when I went in. And then there was another morning when I didn't put my waterproof trousers on, and it absolutely peed it down, and by the end of the sit my shoes had rainwater in them, and my my socks were completely soaked through. So after that, Satya Robyn said to myself, "You must put some plastic in your rucksack so you're never caught out again." So I've got this huge bit of plastic, which of course I haven't needed since, in the 60 days since that happened. So this morning I just took those extra bits out and my rucksack is lighter again. And this is how it is in life too. We, we add different things to our rucksack when things happen that we don't want to happen again. And the more traumatic these things are, the heavier the items, or the more attached we are to the items that we put into our rucksack. So maybe a friend betrays us So a part of us vows to never open up in that way again, or maybe we, we manage losing some money by being really, really careful about every penny in a way that becomes something in itself which is not really necessary any longer. And the deeper the the trauma or the original incident, the harder it is to be objective about whether we need those defences or those items anymore, because as far as the part of us that's defending us is concerned, yes, we need it forever. And the part of me that really hated squelching home in wet socks and boots was really clear about the fact that they never wanted that to happen again. And actually if it happens again and I didn't have my bit of plastic, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be uncomfortable, but I would survive it. So I guess that where Amida comes in, where Amitābha comes in, is reminding us that we think that we have a rucksack that keeps us safe in this world, and we do all sorts of things buy all sorts of things, try and manipulate all sorts of things, make all sorts of relationships around us to try and keep us less afraid that the things that we don't want to happen will happen to us. And actually, we don't have a rucksack at all because anything could happen anytime. And, you know, somebody could just stop when I've got my eyes shut, I can't hear what's going on around me, somebody could pick up my rucksack and be off with it and I'd have no idea. I can't think of any other ways it would— it might get burnt by a flash of lightning. You never know, you never know what's going to happen, and I'm not saying that we shouldn't have rucksacks, I think that rucksacks are really great things to have. I'm a big proponent of using all the tools and devices that we can to cushion us a little bit from the hard pavement I'm not an anti-yoga mat person, but it's good to remember that at any time that yoga mat might be taken away, or we might injure our knees and we can't sit on the floor anymore, because that's when we have an opportunity to really strengthen our relationship with the thing that doesn't change, which is the infinite love and wisdom that we call Amida in this tradition, and that is always there regardless of what the weather's doing, regardless of what our body feels like or what's going through our minds. It's always supporting us. And when I vigil, I have a sense of the earth doing that for me, that it holds me steady. She holds me steady. Underneath me, and she provides a kind of ever-changing atmosphere around me, and the birdsong, and the people that walk past and sometimes say thank you. A lady stopped yesterday morning just as I was packing away and gave me a little pile of coins, and I said, 'Oh, I don't need your money,' and she said, 'Oh, I talked to the one of the guys that lives here, and he said, "You're doing for Extinction Rebellion, and maybe you could give the money, give the money somewhere." She wanted to show, she wanted to offer something. So there are lots of wonderful things that we are offered all the time, and sometimes it's hard to see that if we're concentrating on what we've got in our rucksack. Hopefully in the silence that follows, you might want to experiment with just putting it down for a little while, letting Amida look after it, letting Amida look after you, and settle into the birdsong and the quiet. Namomi tabi. Namoh Amitabh.
Namoh Amitabh. Namoh Amitabh. Bhū nāmo āmitā. Nāmo āmitā. Bhū nāmo āmitā. Namoh Amitabhu. Namoh Amitabhu. Namoh Amitabhu. Amitabh! Amitabh! Amitabh! Amitabha! Amita— Amiitaaabhuu!
Aamiitaaahh! Amitabha!
Amitabha Buddha!
Namu Amitabha! Namo Amitabha! Namo Amitabha! Namo Amitabha! Namo Amita— Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Namo'ami'ratu.
As we chant together this morning, we'll chant for Shakyamuni. And the tune is one note with one change at the end, so that's easy, but the words can be a little bit difficult. So I've just put them in the chat box. Does Moony mean king? Sage. Sage, yeah. So it's Om Moony Muni, Maha Muni, Satya Muni, Svaha, which means, um, oh, hail to the sage, the great sage, the sage of the Shakya.
Hooray!
Um, so you'll pick it up as we go along, I'm sure. Just to say the words again, it's Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Om Muni muni mahamunishakya munisvaha!
Ohh... Munimuni Mahamunishakyamunisvaha!
Ooh—
Munimuni Mahamunishakya munisvaha! Om muni Mune mahamunishakhyamunnisvaha! Om muni muni mahamunishakyamamniswaha? Ohm muni munima hamunichekiamunistva—
ohhmm... Munimuna Mahahmunichekyamu nice vaa-a-haaa!
Hoh-mm-mu-nee moonee ma ha mu neeshakh ya moo-nees va ah hooom. Mooney moonie mama Mooni Shakia Mu Niss Va Ha Ahhhhm mmmy meeny MaHa MooNe Shakk Ya Me Ne Swa Ahaa! Om muni Muhni Mahamunishakiamunnisvaha! Om muni muni mahamunishakiamunnisvaha! Om muni muni mahamunishakiamunniswaha! Um-mu-nee mu-nee ma-ha mooneeshakeeyaa munneesvaahaaa... Omm-ooh neemoo knee muh ha moo nice sha ke eeh moonies vaaaa—
Ahhhm oom meenimooni mahammune shakiyaymoonie svahaha?
Ohhmeenie Meeneema Ha Mooney Sha Ke Eee Moonies VaaaaaaaaAha??!!
Hoooomeeni Meeneemap Hamoony Shakia Moooniece VaHAAA?! Om muni Muni mahamunishakhyamunnisvaha! Ohm muni muni ma ha munisha khya munnisva haa... om mani mumimahamumisa kyamu niswa ah— ohmm uni mom imma hamu ni shaki amoonies va haha oom moony moonie mama moo knee shack ya booness fuh huh? Oohmooney Moonee Ma Ha Mooñee Sha Kya Moonness Va Haaa. Um-moovy-Moo-nee Mah-ha Mu-nay Shak Ya Munnes Vahaha. Om Muni muni mahamunishakhyamunnisvaha! Om Muni muni mahamunishakyamunnisvaha! Ohh... Ooh meenie mooney ma ha moonie shaa kyea mooonees vahaaa— oom mee nee mootnee mah hmmmoonee sha-kyay-mooones-vahaha-haaaa-aum-meeneemootney-moha-moony-shaka-yamu-neese vaHhaA? Hooo mmuneemooni moh hamu nii shack ya mu nie svahaḥ?!
Hmmmmmm hmmmeeny moodhee mau ho munī śākYAmūniesvaHaAh~ Um Meeney Moonymoho Moonii Sha-KyE-A-Moonees-Vaa-Hoa!?
Om muni munimaha muni shakhyamunisvah!
Ahh...
Ohm uni-mu-ni mah-ha mu-nee sha-khya moonees vaa—
Aha?
Oohmm mmooonii muh-neemahaha moooneyeesh-shakk-yaaa mootnees va-a-hhh ah ha?! Um-mm-oony moon-eema-ha mooneyee shack-yaa moones varra—añgh!? Moomie meenie ma-ha moodneyeh shakyamooneezsvar-ra-aanngg-ggg Om muni munimaha mini shakya minisvaham! Oh Mune Munima ha Mini Shakya Minus Vahaha— Ooh Moonie Moony Ma Ha Meenie Sha KIA meenies vaaahaa...
Umuunee mooney ma haa mooni sha kiyaaaa minhmeesvaaha?
Muunei muonee mahaa muhnee shack-eh-moonees-vah-haaaaaaaa. Ahhmmoonaey mooonii mmoooney mama hamoni shakyA miNiS vaHaMmOomEEnI Mumime Haha Mehni ShakyAmMeeniSwAhOmMuNeemUOnEE MahamaHMiNIsShAkYAmMeaNISVAAHAhamMaNaEmUmMoNoOMuhNySaKYaMuNiSpAHAMumunoImundiMahamuNiShaKyA MiNiSwAHam Om muni munimaha mini shakya minisvaham! Ohm Muni Munima ha Mini Shakya Minus Vahaha— ohmm? Oohmeenee Mooneemaa Ha Meenishakyha MooonissvaaHaAum... oom meenie mooney mahar mooonyi shaqyamooneshwaHaaaOoMeeNeE MuuNii MaHA MoonI ShaKYa MOOnISSsVAHHAAOhMM EenEE EemoONEEmAhAmooNiShAkYAMoonIssVwAHaaaaOmMeeniMuUneeMaHaMoONIsHoOkYeRmoOneSSSfWaHmaHam Om muni mini ma ha-munis sat-yea munis fa-haa! Oh Moonie Moony Ma Ha-Moonies— Shakti-a Munis Fa-Haaaahh!! Ooh Moomy Meeny Mahoomoney Shaktyamunees Faha... Aww Moo-nee moonee mahoo-oomeeney shak-tia moonees faja? Aw moo-neemumneema hao oomy neeshat-yaymumeys phahaha?! Om muni munimaha mini shakhyamunisvah! Oh Mune Munima ha-moni Shakhya-Moonies Vahhām... Humani Mini Ma-ha-minishakyaminuswahaha— Um uni muli mahamu ni Shaktiya Moonie's Fatha? Ooh manii mooniii ma-ha-mu-nee sha-kia mu-nees vaa-aḥá. Ah ho moony moooney Maho Moonee Sha-KyA MooNeES VaHaHåM oom uwniiii monīmahamoonishi-AkYAmOomiNiS-VAh-Háh-Omm uneee mumēemaho amoonly ShiKyyAMooNeesVaHaHȁṃ um-oowww nini múni mahomooneshiAkYaMoOnIEsVuh So we'll now recite the refuges and precepts together.
Please repeat after me: For refuge, I go to the Buddha.
For refuge, I go to the Buddha.
Namo Buddhaia. Namo Buddhaia. For refuge I go to the Dharma.
For refuge I go to the Dharma.
Namodarmaya. Namodarmaya. For refuge I go to the Sangha. For refuge I go to the Sangha. 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— With faith in the three jewels I pray that I may not steal—I pray that I may not steal—with faith in the 3 jewels—with faith in the 3 jewels I prayed that time they're falling into sexual misconduct—I pray that I'm gonna fall into sexual misconduct-with faith in the three jewels—with faith in the three jewels-I pray that I may avoid wrong speech—I pray that I may avoid drunk speech—and 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. Oh, thank you. I could see you're waiting for something. Innumerable are sentient beings.
We vow to save them all. Inexhaustible are deluded passions. We vow to transform them all. Inexhaustible are the Dharma teachings, we vow to master them all. Infinite is the Buddha's way, we vow to fulfill it completely.
Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namah Amitabha. Namo Amitabha. Namo Amitabha. Namo Amitabha. Namo Amitabha.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So now I'd like to transfer the merit from today's service to Kusuma-san.
By your vows and through your grace, a pure land appears.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So as always, we'll finish by bowing to each other. That was Nita. And then to the Buddha. And if everyone would like to unmute and say the closing prayer together. Blessed by Amitabha's light, may we care for all living things and the holy earth. Namomidebu. And just a couple of announcements that, uh, the donation
