Stillness within Movement

Welcome everybody. What a resounding gong.

Spirit.

So Thich Nhat Hanh says it's the sound of the bell calling us home. So I'm going to start by reading a very short poem by Satya.

It's not next to you, but there will be something else on the other piece of—

on that little sheet. So here's the poem. Your heart, my heart. Perfectly fits heart to heart, making a child who saves me. Your kindness is more than I deserve, filling my heart with joy. Namo Amida Butsu. Namo Amida Butsu. Your heart, my heart, perfectly fits heart to heart, making a child who saves me. Your kindness is more than I deserve, filling my heart with joy. Namo Amida Butsu. Namo Amida Butsu. We're now going to move into a short period of meditation. So having a little wiggle, a little—

making any little movements.

That you need to make, maybe feeling, finding that center of gravity, perhaps imagining that there's a string at the top of the head and it's lifting up and just allowing the head and the neck and the spine and the tailbone to effortlessly align. Getting a sense of the space around you, the room that we're in, the walls, ceiling, floor. Of the other people who we're sharing our practice with tonight. And inviting an openness to a bigger presence, perhaps presence of the Buddha. Taking in the sounds around you, the sounds that are further away, sounds that are closer. The sound of your own breath, your own breathing. Resting the awareness on the breath. I'm gonna move into some chanting, and as we are approaching the energy of Midsummer and the summer solstice and the full moon. We're going to be chanting the Kuan Yin mantra, which, if you need to see it written down, is on that, the small liturgy sheet next to you, and goes: Namo Kuan Yin Rosa.

Namokwanji in Bosats. Namokwanji in Bosats. Namokwanji in Bosats. Namokwanji in Bho Sas. Namokwanji in Bho Sas. Namokwanji in Bho Sas. Namokwan shi in rosas. Namokwan shi in rosas. Namokwan shi in rosas. Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwanji in Bosat. Namokwanji Imbosaat. Namokwanji Imbosaat. Namokwanji Imbosaat. Namokwanji in Los Satya. Namokwanji in Los Satya. Namokwanji in Los Satya. Namokwanshi Imbho Satya Robyn. Namokwanshi Imbho Satya Robyn. Namokwanshi Imbho Satya. Namokwanshi in Bose Satya. Namokwanshi in Bose Satya. Namokwanshi in Bose Satya. Namokwanchi Imbosa. Namokwanchi Imbosa. Namokwanchi Imbosa. Namokwanshi imbo Satya Robyn. Namokwanshi imbo Satya Robyn. Namokwanshi imbo Satya Robyn. Namokwanshiyimbo Satya. Namokwanshiyimbo Satya. Namokwanshiyimbo Satya. Na mo kwan chee im do sat na moo kwon sheem boh saat na mook wan sheen boo saat naamoo koan chiim boh—

—sat namo kun jiin poooravah! Namaste. Thank you so much for watching this video. I really appreciate it very much. If there's anything else that we can help out on our website or YouTube channel please let us know down below but until next time stay safe be well have fun create something beautiful today thank you again bye-bye. So we're going to now recite the refuges and precepts, which are things that unite Buddhists and our ideals and visions which we can connect with and look towards and hold on to amidst all the craziness of our day-to-day lives. For refuge I go to the Buddha.

For refuge I go to the Buddha.

Namo Buddha.

For the one who is awake and full of love.

For refuge I go to the Dharma. All that guides us to wisdom and compassion. Namo Dharmaya. For refuge I go to the Sangha. Those who live in the Buddha's light. Namo Sangha. With faith in the Three Jewels.

And in light of my human tendencies—

I pray that I may become aware of when I take life. I pray that I may become aware of when I take what is not freely given. Of when I take what is not truly given. I pray that I may become aware— —of when I fall into sexual misconduct. Of when I fall into sexual misconduct.

I pray that I may become aware—

—of when I fall into wrong speech. Of when I fall into wrong speech. I pray that I may become aware— of when I become intoxicated.

Of when I become intoxicated.

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 bow to for clarity.

So today I'm going to talk about a garden ornament and stillness in movement.

So for her birthday, my mom asked for money towards garden ornaments, and she was really really excited about this ornament, and she told me about it many times, and I was like, wow, she's really, really digging this ornament, which she called a lollipop. I was like, okay, okay. And, um, and then I went round to visit, and I saw this lollipop, I saw the garden ornament, And I was actually amazed by what I saw.

So it was—

it had a stalk, like a stick, and then it was like 3 layers that span around each other with whirling colors and little circles of, of like iridescent colored metal, and they all— they span in opposite directions all around each other. And what particularly I actually thought was amazing about this ornament was that it conveyed this sense of stillness in movement. So there were these spinning shapes. Yeah, spinning, spinning circles. And yet somehow, amidst all that light and color and, and shape, there was this sense of stillness. And I thought, wow, I mean, I wonder if the, you know, the factory or the people who sell this see this as well. Do they see this stillness in movement? Is this what my mum was so interested in? I asked her and she said, you know, that was kind of what was going on and she also just really liked it. Yeah, and it was an amazing reminder for me of what is possible, which is like amidst the swirling nature of my day-to-day life, it's possible to have and be in touch with this sense of stillness within it all. And it not only reminded me of that, it also evoked that within me as I looked at it.

So I'm used to being reminded of that by looking at shrines and spiritual images and tankas and various spiritual objects.

I'm used to being reminded of that in nature, in, in incredible moments within the natural world, when I feel amidst all of the motion and the movement this sense of stillness and presence. But I'm not that all that used to being reminded of it from garden ornaments.

And yet here, here it was.

And I, I think it's so valuable to have lots of reminders around because it is so easy to get caught up in the will.

And the more reminders that can bring me back to the stillness, the better. And it reminded me also of something I think, I think it was Kaboso who said it, but I could be wrong, which is that everything gives forth its own light.

Was it not? Who was it? Manji. Thank you. Great. So Manji said everything gives forth its own light. Roughly, a little bit, a little bit.

The words are a little bit off. It's translated anyway. Yeah, true, true.

And I think this is so true, and that's why I'm talking about it today, is because I'm hoping that by talking about it, it can be a reminder to you and maybe open up your receptivity a little bit, that anything— garden ornaments, beautiful shrines, beautiful nature, something totally benign that you never expected could put you in touch with your center, with, with stillness, with presence, which could be thought of as qualities of the awakening mind, of the Buddha mind, of the Buddha heart. And sometimes things that we least expect to be able to help us to get in touch with that experience.

This suddenly presents itself. So I really appreciated my mum's excitement about her garden and the fact that that's now in her garden. And occasionally when I go to visit her, I'll be able to see that. Yeah, so everything gives forth its own light. Namé Amida Butsu.

In gratitude, I offer this incense to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May this fragrant dessert herself reflecting our careful mindfulness our wholehearted awareness, and the fruits of understanding slowly ripen. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true home.

We're going to bow to each other. Oh yeah, but standing up. One way and then the other way.

And bowing to the main chan.

Bow to our seats and tidy our seats. I don't know if we have any announcements.

Okay.

Blessed by Amitabha's light.

May we care for all living things.