Awakening Together

There was no blog post last week as I was on retreat at Taraloka, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Well supported by the team of Carunalaka and our organisers - our very own Angela and Sophie from Manchester - we explored the collective aspect of practice. I enjoyed the fact that there were quite a few folks from the Scottish sangha there. It was lovely to get to know some of them a bit more and, of course, to meet folk from other sanghas, some of whom I knew from before and some who were new to me. It felt a very harmonious week - wee usual retreat bumps notwithstanding. 

The retreat was titled Awakening Together and was inspired for me by Bhante’s comment that the Bodhicitta is more likely to arise in community. As he says in the Bodhisattva Ideal talks:

“The arising of the bodhicitta is a profound spiritual experience. It is not, however, a personal experience.

There is only one bodhicitta, in which individuals participate, or which individuals manifest, to varying degrees.

This means that the bodhicitta is more likely to arise in a spiritual community, a situation of intense mutual spiritual friendship and encouragement.”

The Bodhicitta is, of course, the strong wish, even orientation of life towards awakening for the sake of all living beings. This was the starting point and I think it allowed for really rich discussion. I have come away very inspired and think that in the 6 talks I gave I might have the basis (at some point when I have some more time) for a book. 

One thing I loved was opening the retreat with a ritual of walking around the mandala of the cardinal points where the team had created wee shrines to the appropriate Jina Buddhas.  We recited the Ratna sutra asking the local deities and beings to protect us. Each time we ended with the exhortation “may there be peace in the world”. I thought it set us off well and helped us all bond very quickly.

The first few days we looked at themes of Sangha and how to create depth. The middle day was a silent day where we invited the Bodhichitta in through poetry, puja and meditation. The last two days were more about the relationship between the sangha and the world. Those two days were very connected: day 5 was looking at creating transformative community so that we can be a nucleus and prefigure an enlightened society here and now and the last day was Going Forth as Bodhisattvas. I wanted us to consider Going forth as response, not project. The question is not “how will I save the world” nor “how will we save the world”. It is more appropriate to ask “how shall I respond to the cries of the world” and “how shall we respond to the cries of the world?”. Not “how do I help the world?” but “what kind of community makes awakened action possible?”

Perhaps these questions become newly urgent, not as 1970s idealism revived, but as living questions given the ecological crisis, societal fragility and loneliness experienced by many amid world fragmentation and political and social polarisation.

After a very inspiring week, I headed off to Shropshire to join a wee retreat where my friend Lake was privately ordained. I joined the day after the private ceremony and I could feel the lovely and strong mettaful atmosphere immediately. After spending the day there the next day was the public ordination which took place in the Shrewsbury centre. I love public ordinations, it is so delightful to see someone make that public commitment. Lake (or Loch as I liked to say) was reborn as Anilamoksha, meaning One whose Liberation is like the Wind. Beautiful and really appropriate name. The ceremony was very joyful and there were over 40 Order members there to welcome Anilamoksha into the Order. 

I got home in time to be at our GBC Buddha Day festival which I also thoroughly enjoyed. Great talks in the morning from Vajracetana, Shakyadharin and Abhayavaca based on the qualities of the Buddha found in the Tiratanavandana. The afternoon we welcomed three new mitras: Emma, Georgia and Sara. It is always a great pleasure to celebrate the Mitra ceremonies and, again, there was a lovely, warm, positive atmosphere. Sadhu to them.

Lots of inspiration in my life and I feel so privileged and content that I have this wonderful community in my life. Not that everything is perfect - of course not. The community is made up of people and most people are not perfect. I do believe, however, that we aspire towards being a transformative community and, hopefully, learn from past mistakes.

As always

May all beings be well, may all beings find true happiness and its causes and may all beings be free from suffering.

Where the Bodhichitta has not yet arisen

May it arise

Where it has arisen

May it flourish

Where it flourishes

May it never die