practicing mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
Sunday, November 23
Here is a message from Marge about our practice this Sunday:
Impermanence is one of the 3 Dharma Seals, one of the 3 key teachings of the Buddha (along with non-self and nirvana). In the sangha gathering this Sunday we will contemplate impermanence and see what this teaching has to do with our daily lives. We will also continue to practice our mindfulness as we hold Thay in our hearts to support his healing from his brain hemorrhage.
Impermanence is one of the 3 Dharma Seals, one of the 3 key teachings of the Buddha (along with non-self and nirvana). In the sangha gathering this Sunday we will contemplate impermanence and see what this teaching has to do with our daily lives. We will also continue to practice our mindfulness as we hold Thay in our hearts to support his healing from his brain hemorrhage.
Sunday, November 16
Dear brothers and sisters,
This Sunday I will facilitate Sangha from 4-6PM. The topic will be impermanence, non-self and continuation.
We
have recently lost a Sangha sister and our teacher Thay has been hospitalized for a week.
How do we use this to fuel our commitment to practice rather than as a
source of sadness or despair? Please come back to the breath as we have
practiced. Surf the wave(s) of emotions and dare to open the heart even
more. We can honor Linda, Thay and all our ancestors in this very
breath. Even in the midst of a tornado there is calm at the heart.
Grounded in mindfulness we feel the feelings and think the thoughts but
are also the awareness of feelings and thoughts. The thoughts and
feelings do not define us, are not a destination. Touch the awareness of
what is good and beautiful in this world, the many gifts our friends
and loved ones have shared. How do we honor them in the way we live?
Thay
has repeatedly said the best gift we can offer him is our energy of
mindfulness. Our practice. He wants us to practice now. To breathe
wholeheartedly with awareness. To take refuge in the Sangha, trusting
the Sangha and our own Buddha nature. As we generate the energy of
mindfulness we are Thay and Buddha’s continuation. They live in us,
right here and now. That is a precious condition for happiness, a
source of great dignity and purpose.
Some
of you may remember when Thay was hospitalized in Boston a few years
ago and scheduled to lead a retreat in Colorado. My friend Mitchell
reminded me of a letter he wrote at that time, I share part of it with
you now. The book “One Buddha is Not Enough” was the result of that
retreat.
“When
the Sangha is a true Sangha, the Buddha is also there, because the
Buddha is a human being like us. If you want to look for the Buddha, the
safest place to look is in a human being. The Buddha is not a god. The
Buddha is a human being, who has suffered, who has practiced, and who
has developed his understanding and compassion. He has proved that
understanding and compassion are possible, that happiness is possible .
The Buddha is someone who has practiced the true Dharma. Since every
member of the Sangha is trying to practice the true Dharma, everyone in
the Sangha is a Buddha - if we're not yet a full-time Buddha, we're a
part-time Buddha. So the safest place to look for a Buddha is in the
Sangha, because the Sangha is made of human beings. In Colorado (when Thay was unable to attend the retreat), people had to look for the Buddha in places they did not expect They found the Buddha in themselves and in the Sangha around them. One lesson we can take away from Colorado is not to look for your happiness in one person or one set of conditions. Your happiness is there in the community around you, your happiness is there inside of you. It is available any time. It is available right now." Thich Nhat Hanh
I hope to see you Sunday. Bowing,
Pete
True Ocean of Joy
Sunday, November 9
Dear Sangha,
I will be facilitating this Sunday
and I look forward to practicing with you. Please come 5 to 10 minutes
early so we are all settled, concentrated and ready to contribute to the
collective mindfulness of the Sangha when we invite the bell promptly
at 4:00.
We come together as a Sangha to awaken to the wonders of
life and to discover our true nature, as Ultimate Reality manifesting as our
unique and wonderful individual selves, as well as every other being in the
universe. We come together as a Sangha for the support of the Sangha and to
contribute to the healing and transformative power of the Sangha. We come
together as a Sangha to heal and transform ourselves, our Sangha brothers and
sisters, and all the beings and communities of which we are members. Ultimately
we are members of the community of all beings, integral to the evolving
universe and even the Ultimate Mystery, which birthed the universe. We come
together as a Sangha to remember and celebrate our unbelievable giftedness and to
help a hurting world be able to enjoy the immense gifts of being human, and to
help all beings in the earth community, and the cosmic community, be well.
To
prepare for facilitating and to prepare to send something out to you in
advance I meditated this morning and then did some writing. Below is
the final paragraph of what I wrote.
I am smiling and looking forward to being with you this Sunday,
Keith
True Enlightenment Garden
Universal Emptiness of the Heart
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