Trust as a given amidst bumbling along

Good morning, everybody. So, um, yeah, I'm covering for the wonderful Kusuma today because she's not able to make it due to due to an unexpected health incident. Yes, so thanks for coming. Satya Robyn and Kasper are on holiday as well, so we're a select covering this morning, and we'll start with a Dharma Glimpse by Rodrigo, read by Rodrigo.

Something I've been thinking about lately is how frequent changes are in life. Today my whole life seems very different from a year ago, whether it is due to all the people I've met along the way, new habits and hobbies, and my general emotional state and feelings. I think that the fact my life revolves much around an online presence makes impermanence evident, as there are always new ways of thinking being spread around in social media, maybe mostly among young generations. It seems to me vital to see and accept this impermanence as a natural process. I'm starting to get used to the idea that next year for me will look completely different from now. And avoid dwelling on the question, why do things change? And maybe understand that sometimes we don't need to know the reason at that time. We might come to know that at a later stage, or not know it at all. I think that unknown reality gives life a small degree of excitement. Of course, I do play a part in the changes in my life, but I shouldn't have the illusion I can control all the bends and turns in the path that lies ahead of me. How else should I learn new lessons if they were all expected? On the other hand, I don't think I can get detached from everything at the same time. So I try to manage these shifts by seeing change as a constant in life. Namaste.

Thank you very much. Okay, so we're going to move into a short period of meditation now. So just doing whatever you need to settle the body a little more into water position of stillness.

Om Nami Deva Hari. Om Nami Deva Hari. Om Nami Deva Sri Guru. Om Nami Deva Sri Guru. Om Nami Deva Rimi. Om Nami Deva Rimi. Om. Om Nami Deva Hari. Om Nami Deva Hari. Om Nami Deva Hri. Om Mami Devi Wari. Om Mami Devi Wari. Om Mami Devi Wari. Omami de wa ri. Omami de wa ri. Oh, ma mi de wa ri. Oh, ma mi de wa ri. Oh, ma mi de wa ri. Om Nami Deva Rhi. Om Nami Deva Rhi. Om Ami De Waari. Om Ami De Waari. Om Ami De Waari. Om Ami Ne Waari. Om Ami Ne Waari. Om Nami Deva Rie. Om Nami Deva Rie. Om Nami Deva Rie. Om Mani Deva Sri. Om Mani Deva Sri. Om Mani Deva Sri.

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 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 Dharma.

Namo Dharma.

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, Namo Sanghaya. 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— of when I take life. I pray that I may become aware— of when I take what is not freely given.

Of when I say what is not really given.

I pray that I may become aware 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—when I fall into long speech—I pray that I may become aware —that's right! When I fall into intoxication When I fall into intoxication, no blame. No blame. Be kind.

Be kind.

Love everything.

Love everything.

Inhumable sentient being, we vow to save them all.

Inexhaustible are the Buddha's 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.

So I used a phrase the other day as I was talking that I didn't plan to use. I quite often don't plan what I'm going to say before it comes out of my mouth, um, but it, it really, um, it kind of stood out to me after I'd said it, and what I was talking about was I was talking about the kind of the two levels of my, um, day-to-day experience, which is on the one level, which is like utterly bamboo and just like kind of moving from thing to thing and kind of easily, um, getting distracted, sometimes feeling more connected to the infinite and to other people and to love and more expansive, and sometimes feeling less connected and more closed and moving between different things. So this level, and then this other level, um, which isn't like— it's part of my experience, but it's not part of me. And it's a level at which I just don't— I, I almost can't doubt that there is this, um, infinite, ever-changing, and yet constant, um, ocean of love and compassion and connection that everything is arising and falling out of. And I used, and I used the word given. I said it was just a given. Like, I don't, it's a given in the same way, like that I expect there to be enough oxygen for me to breathe as I go through my day-to-day life. Or it's a given in that, like when I get out of bed in the morning, I expect the floor to be there. And obviously all those things might at some point not happen, you know, but I mostly expect it to be there. It is just, it's a given. Like there's no part of me that doubts that. And, um, and it was the word given that stood out to me because It really reminded me, already described how that dimension of experience and trust is not something that I make happen. It is given to me in the same way that, um, you know, it said that amida's merit, the accumulation of all that merit is constantly reaching out to us and constantly helping us towards, um, realization of the infinite, of enlightenment, of awakening. And that's given to us, like, um, said. So In some Buddhist movements and some Buddhist traditions, we are invited to go for refuge, and in a way that is kind of really following the hero's archetype, where we're, we're kind of invited to leave our home, our family, the known world, sometimes literally, sometimes metaphorically, and like go go forth into, into the wilds, into the wilderness, on it, on a journey, and like seek out, seek out the truth, seek out the Dharma, and keep going and overcome many obstacles and get knocked down and maybe find allies along the way. And eventually, one day, however many lifetimes away, we may, um, arrive at a point of awakening. And, and I think the, the hero's journey, I think that myth and that way of thinking about things has a lot of value. And, and maybe sometimes it, for some people, it does feel like that, you know, like as maybe there's moments when I'm kind of navigating through my day-to-day life and challenges and thinking, oh, you know, how can I respond to this in the most skillful way? And, oh, you know, I responded to that really unskillfully. And there is a sense of a journey forward, and that's obviously really in the kind of self-power tradition. And I think sometimes maybe it does feel like that. And then there's also this other power perspective on it, in that we don't in a way have to desperately go out seeking refuge, that the refuge is already here. This phrase that Amida takes refuge through us, that Amida, that the infinite, is, is constantly reaching out towards us and gifting us with refuge. And sometimes, maybe in your own experience, it feels more like one, and sometimes maybe it feels more like the other. Maybe not. But I thought I'd just have a little meander around both of those images and both of those stories today. Namomi dabu. Bless us, our Amitabha's light.

May we care for all living things and the holy earth. Amen.

Thank you. Thank you.