Taking Refuge in the Earth & inspiration from Trees

Welcome everybody. We are going to begin with a Zen poem read by Philip and written by I can't remember the one.

JP Seaton? Or was that the translation? Oh no, I'm not going to—

yeah.

Sorry. So within—

I'll give it a go. Idly I wander to the flowering peak, morning sun, its glory blazing. All around in sunlit emptiness, white clouds and cranes fly. I'll do it again. Idly I wander to the flowering peak, morning sun, its glory blazing. All around in sunlit emptiness, white clouds and cranes fly.

I will just say that is by— to follow them as well. So Han Shan, that was by Han Shan from the 8th century. So we're going to move into a short period of quiet meditation. So just inviting the body to be as comfortable as it can be. And then simply allowing your experience to come to you. Nothing to do, no one to be. In a moment, we will move into some chanting. We're going to chant the Kwan Yin mantra, which is written down on the little liturgy sheet next to you, and looks like— if you're trying to find it— Namo Kwan Shin Bosat. Kwan Yin is associated with boundless compassion, are known as the mother of all the Buddhas, and linked to the full moon. Hence we are chanting her mantra tonight, a few days after the full moon.

Namokwanji in Bosak. Namokwanji Namo Kwanji. Namo Kwanji. Namo Kwanji. Namo Kwanji. In bo sat. Namokwanji in bo sat. Namokwanji in bo sat. Namokwanji in bo sat. Namokwanshi imbo sat. Namokwanshi imbo sat. Namokwanshi imbo sat. Namokwanshi in Bho Sas. Namokwanshi in Bho Sas. Namokwanshi in Bho Sas. Namokwenshi Mbo Satya Robyn. Namokwenshi Mbo Satya Robyn. Namokwenshi Mbo Satya Robyn. Namokwanji Nibbosaat namo kuanji nibbosaat namo kwanchi nibbosaat namo kwanchi nibbosaat namokwanshi nibbosaat— Namah Kwan Ji Inbo Saat! Namo Kwanchi Imbosaadh—Namu Khuan Chi Inbosaat? Na Mo Quan Shi Indosaaath?! La Moo Kuwanshi IndoSaadh!? Lamo Khanji Endo San... Namokwanji Ngo Saat?

So we're going to recite in call and response the refuges and precepts, which are mostly written down. On the liturgy. So, um, the refuges are endless places of support that we can come home to, and the precepts are ethical ideals which we fall short of, but can open ourselves up to these ideals and the, the qualities that they kind of bring when we're a bit more in line with them. We also have now added a fourth refuge to the normal list of three, which is going for refuge to the Earth. 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 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 Sangha. I take refuge in the Earth. I take refuge in the Earth, the holy ground of Awakening.

The holy ground of Awakening. Namo Bhumiye. Namo Bhumiye.

With faith in the Three Jewels, with faith in the Three Jewels, and in light of my human tendencies, and in light of my human tendencies, I pray that I may become aware, I pray that I may become aware of when I take life of when I take life.' 'I pray that I may become aware—' 'I pray this time you'll be come away of when I take what is not freely given—' Of then I'd say what it's like for me to give him?

'I pray that I may become aware—' 'I pray this one make them go well—' 'Of when I fall into sexual misconduct—' 'But when I've fallen into sexually miscondant,' I pray that I may become aware— I pray that I may become aware of when I fall into wrong speech. Of when I have fallen to wrong speech.

I pray that I may become aware— I pray that I may become aware of when I become intoxicated.

When I become intoxicated. No blame.

Be kind. Do you 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.

Inmeasurable are the Dharma teachings.

We vow to master them all.

Infinite is the Buddha's way.

We vow to fulfill it completely.

I am so delighted that Refuge to the Earth has been added to, um, our list of— not list, but, you know, group of refuges here at brighter. I, um, I have always regarded the natural world as my first teacher, and for sure it's been the place that I've always gone to refuge to before I gone involved in any of the other spiritual traditions and continue to. For me, the, uh, the Earth, the natural world has always provided an incredible relationship, like, amazing level of attunement. I'm sure that I sought— I, you know, I sought more time in nature when I was little to, to kind of get more of real, really healthy attunement that I wasn't always experiencing elsewhere. Amazing, like, so, like, endless lessons and, like, helping to show a really deep, um, or to deepen my experience of the cyclical nature of things. And I want to read to you a bit from Hermann Hesse's Trees from his Wandering book. I want to read the whole thing, but it's quite long, so I'm just going to read a little bit, so maybe on another talk I'll read some more. A longing to wander tears my heart when I hear trees rustling in the wind at evening. If one listens to them silently for a long time, this longing reveals its kernel, its meaning. It is not so much a matter of escaping from one's suffering, though it may seem to be so. It is a longing for home, for a memory of the mother, for new metaphors for life. It leads home. Every path leads homeward. Every step is birth. Every step is death. Every grave is mother. So the tree rustles in the evening when we stand uneasy before our own childish thoughts. Trees have long thoughts. Long breathing and restful. Just as they have longer lives than ours, they are wiser than we are, as long as we do not listen to them. But when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity and the quickness and the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy. Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. They want to be nothing except what they are. That is home. That is happiness. I feel like there's so much in just that little section from trees, and lots that could be said from a Buddhist perspective. I'm going to talk a bit, a little bit about my own longing that comes that, and that is often linked to trees. Anybody who spent much time around me knows that I have, like, often have a strong longing to be amongst the trees, and that longing particularly intensifies during the winter, during the crôn months. When that archetype of being in by the fire in, you know, in a, in a hut in the forest is very alive for me. Like every day, like really, it's very, very strong calling. And it is exactly a longing for that home and that quietness and that profound connectedness with all that there is. Whenever I have spent time in the— well, outdoors, time in the natural world, when in like in a particularly open, like extra open state, whether that's on retreat or camping or in ceremonies I, I often struck even more intensely by how, how all the trees and the moss and the plants and the earth seemed to vibrate with love. It really kind of offers that, for me, that opportunity to really connect with the infinite, with that source of love and awareness that we often call Amida here. And it's that same longing for that connectedness that also moves me to pick up a musical instrument, to chant, to sing, to drum, sometimes to draw, to dance. And because it's not practical or possible in my life at the moment to spend huge amounts of time in the hut in the forest, what my whole winter's like in that that I recognize that that archetype is within me and that I can access that without having to always be there physically. So those are some of the ways that I go for refuge to the Earth. Maybe they've resonated with some of the ways you feel connection with the natural world, or maybe you find connection in a very different way. Which is also great. Mama boo me. We're moving into frustration. Satya Robyn, say again. You can watch. You standing up, you can get on chair, have your body.

I want to be In gratitude, we make this offering to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May it be as fragrant as earth itself, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted mindfulness, and the fruits of understanding slowly ripening. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true home.

A bow one way and then the other. We're going to bow to Ming Shan. Bow to our seats and we tidy our seats. And about to transfer merits tonight to Monty, who's a beloved furry companion of a good friend. She said she was thinking about it, but she hasn't let me know if she wants to be in the call. I did ask her. Oh, yeah. This Saturday we have a continuous chanting day, 11 till 4. So we've got our normal Saturday morning practice, and then we're going to be chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the shrine room continuously, sitting down and sometimes walking around the room, um, for 4 hours. Not that you have to be present for the whole 4 hours, you can drift in and out, come for a little bit. Always a very profound and magical experience, so do come along and Feel free to bring some food. We're going to be having a buffet in the dining room.

Blessed by Amitabha's light, may we care for all living things and the whole earth.