Photo by Helen Evanfé
DEEPENING & BROADENING
WE HELD A SANGHA DAY - 20th November 2021
Facilitating Organically: On Saturday we had one of our monthly sangha days (upavastha) when we meet to celebrate the Dharma together. On this occasion a theme of "deepening & broadening" emerged which gave some sense of definition to our sangha. The common practice these days is that groups or organisations design some kind of mission statement that consciously embodies its values and aims and then sets out to implement what has been written. Often, what happens in practice is that what actually emerges is nothing much like the mission statement. This is surely because such an ultra-rational approach is mechanistic whereas actual groups of people are organic. A better approach is to persiodically review what is actually happening in the life of a community and see what ethos is emerging and manifesting and then to reflect upon that. In this way the spirit of a community can be facilitated to grow naturally: to deepen and broaden.
Black Poplar: At present there is a feeling in our sangha that deepening is primary. For a strong plant to grow it has to put down a strong root. Trying to put out too much foliage before the root has formed will probably only result in the plant being blown over by the first gale that arrives. I was out for a walk the other day along the bank of the River Cher. There are stands of black poplar trees (peuplier noir) along the riverside. Often these result from seeds that fall upon sand banks in mid-river. The seed germinates and has to get down a good root before the next surge of river flood. If the roots of several seeds get established, the sandbank evolves into an island and eventually the whole course of the river is changed. Thus the deepening is necessary for the widening to occur later.
Shravaka Bodhisattva Sangha: The term Global Sangha has a double meaning. Firstly, it is descriptive: we are a network of people scattered over six continents. Secondly, it is aspirational: sangha implies harmonious relations founded upon Buddhist principles and if such harmony were truly global many of the world's problems would disappear. Humankind will not, for instance, overcome the ecological crisis without co-operation, mutual understanding, restraint, a simpler lifestyle, harmony with nature, and so on. Members of the sangha are "shravakas": those who heed the Dharma and apply it in the world by being individually engaged in a wide range of bodhisattva activity. We are sangha in our coming together to support one another and celebrate together. In my own case, I am endlessly seeking to deepen my practice and apply my faith by facilitating others each upon their path.
Amitabha Tantra: In our day two particular things happened that assisted this deepening process. One was the introduction of a meditative practice that extended our existing nei quan chih quan sequence. We could call this form of meditation an Amitabha tantra as it involved the tantric principles of the central channel and subtle body. Those who participated in this initiation found the practice profound and helpful. The method was introduced in the morning Dharma talk and then repeated in more depth as a led meditation in the afternoon. The basic principles can then be used by the practitioner in own time, either as part of a regular practice or occasionally, or as an enrichment of naturally occurring contemplation when in nature or other conducive conditions. Such practices can enhance one's appreciation of the meaning of refuge (nembutsu) which is the heart of our approach to the Dharma.
Vimalakirti Sutra: The second important contribution was an excellent talk by Will Holcomb in which he gave a synopsis of the main themes of the Vimalakirti Sutra. This is one of the foundational sutras of Mahayana Buddhism. It incorporates many allegorical incidents that highlight elements of the Mahayana spirit. Thus Vimalakirti is sick, suffering dukkha, but this is a means for teaching the Dharma; he is a layperson but has a deeper understanding than the monks; he is fully engaged in the mundane world yet not corrupted by its dualisms; he is always manifesting Dharma even when in the most worldly situations. There is an incident in which a goddess appears and scatters beautiful petals: these then fall off the lay bodhisattvas but stick to the monks: the stickiness inheres in the fact that the monks are attached to their rules of non-self-decoration. The petal incident illustrates how adopting a formal rule of renunciation can easily simply give rise to a compensating attachment resulting in hypocrisy. There are many other items in the sutra, including Vimalakirti's famous silence and the Buddha's own exposition. We all felt Will's enthusiasm for the sutra and enjoyed his very clear exposition.
Many Voices, One Dharma: At the end of the day we shared readings of passages from the sutras and then chanted nembutsu together into the night. Even in such chanting there is a manifestation of unity-in-difference: each voice is unique, each practitioner has his or her own experience, yet together, as a team, we celebrate and receive the Dharma. Thus, like the poplar trees, we strengthen our intertwining roots and build an island of practice that ultimately may change of course of the world.