Building a Community for Buddhists

I just read a wonderful statement on Buddhism that I think all us western practicitioners should consider. The comments were written in the article entitled “Forum: Diversity and Divisions in American Buddhism,” in the winter 2006 Issue of “Buddhadharma,” (page 55-56).

Writing on behalf of the magazine, the moderator writes:

“Traditionally, churches have provided a much broader array of services and methods of observance for people than many American Buddhist groups, which see themselves as meditation centers aimed at personal practice. Traditional churches, including many in the Buddhist world, offer rituals and rites of passage such as weddings and funerals; religious practices that range from silent reflection to singing, chanting, and movements; social events; and pastoral care, such as caring for the sick, elderly, and those in crisis. Have some Buddhists rejected religiosity and cultural practices to such an extent that they have cut themselves off from the fuller role that spirituality can play in people’s lives?”

I think this is a very important matter. It has caused me to consider what we do here in Salt Lake City at Dzogchen Samye Ling. After a long discussion with one of the other members of our Sangha, we have decided to start building a community that is found within more ‘traditional’ church organizations.

I think that there are many benefits to such activities including building a sense of belonging, helping members and others out in the community, and providing the ‘refuge of sangha’ as is part of the formal taking refuge.

I think it is time to starting building the community of sangha members and get out of the 100% ‘on my own program.’

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Additional Thoughts on Buddhism in the West

In “The Monk and the Philosopher” by Matthieu Ricard and Jean-François Revel, Matthieu Ricard states in the last chapter:

"It is no good expecting that Buddhism in the West will be practiced as it was in the East, and the lifestyle of monks and hermits in particular is unlikely to become as widespread here as it is in many Buddhist countries. Nevertheless, Buddhism seems to be able to provide the means necessary to instill in all of us a degree of inner peace. It is not a question of creating a Western form of Buddhism, reduced to an insipid ‘lite’ version by numerous concessions to everyone’s wants, but of using Buddhism’s fundamental truths in such a way that the potential for perfection we all have within us can be actualized."

I definitely cannot say it better myself.

I want to add to this a list of daily items that are necessary to make any progress along the path as a Buddhist practicitioners (courtesy of Lama Marut):

- Have a Daily meditation practice
- Check your ethics regularly each day
- Help someone at least once a day
- Study some spiritual text daily
- Get some kind of exercise to keep ones juices flowing

Sounds like a good start for Western Buddhism.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

A Test to Our Practice

So here is the test. If you are practicing and working to purify your stream of thinking, I am going to guess that you have hit this hurdle. If you have not hit it, watch out because it is likely coming your way soon!

When we begin to have a better understanding of Karma, cause and effect, we start to understand that IF I DO NOT WANT TO SUFFER, I CANNOT EVER BE THE BASIS FOR OTHERS TO SUFFER. So if you do not like people being upset, mad, or angry at us THEN we cannot ever get mad, upset, or angry at others.

This is nothing unique to Buddhism, mind you. It is really just the law behind “you reap what you sow.”

So the day comes. We start off thinking “Today I will be only be compassion – only doing that which helps others not to suffer. I will refrain from getting mad, upset, or angry with anyone. Afterall getting upset at others will harm me and is the basis for them to suffer.”

So you start off the day. Getting on the freeway, a driver doesn’t let you in. “Hmm! Okay I won’t get upset. I will only wish them to not suffer and be happy. I won’t get upset.” So far so good!

Then we get to the office. For some reason this day, everyone seems to have arrived early! I have to park in the back 40. On top of that it looks like it just might rain and I did not bring an umbrella. It is not going to be fun running to my car in the rain for my lunch appointment! But hey, no problem I am just going to wish everyone not to suffer right?

Stepping into the office. It seems that everyone I am coming in contact with has decided that today is the day to complain to Geoff! At some point, usually after the third or fourth enconter, I begin to lose my “faith” in this whole compassion thing.

I started off the day with only good thoughts of compassion to all beings. I did not get upset at the drivers on the freeway. I did not get upset that I had to park a mile away from the office. I did not get upset at the first few who were totally rude in the office.

However, there is a point where none of seems to be working. I accepted compassion. I accepted karma. I applied the methods during the first part of the day and all that I ‘got’ in return was the wrath from everyone I came into contact with.

Its very easy to consider that none of this works. In the current situation, it might even look like my compassion only sent me lots of grief!

This is the moment of the test! What is coming your way, is not based on the actions from just this morning. You have been building up stuff for lifetimes. One morning of being nice is not going to instantaneously result in everyone being your best friends. Trust me on this.

The test is to maintain faith in the law of Karma. (In fact the difficult situations you are now facing are really testimony to the law of Karma but this is next to impossible to consider at this moment). The test is a challenge. Can you still remain compassionate when the fourth rude person enters your space?

I have recently had a situation like this come up. The difference is that it was coming over many weeks. There have definitely been times when I have wondered “what the hell is going on here. I started feeling that it was time to stop being all this good stuff and start telling people what I really was feeling!”

Then all of a sudden, I realized that this was the whole point! I had not truly applied compassion to my thinking. I was acting with compassion. I was refraining from saying negative things. However, I was definitely thinking without compassionate. Wow! I wasn’t there yet!

The second part to remember is that there is a ‘thermal lag’ to the whole thing. Thermal lag is the term used (or at least the term I use) to explain how the sun is at its hottest right at noon but it is usually around 3pm that the day it the hottest. There is a delay. Its not instantaneous.

Recently, I was having coffee with a friend who has been likewise struggling with some issues in life. Despite trying everything he could to set things right, all that seemed to be coming up was more problems!

As I looked around, I saw planters which had recently been weeded. New small plants had been put in the planter where last week there were just weeds. Additionally, wild flower seeds had been put in the middle.

Now when I come back in a week or two, we all hope to see the small plants flourishing and see the beginning of a nice wild flower area. But it is very likely that we will see lots of new weeds coming back. Some of the small plants are likely to be withered even maybe dead. If the gardener was to take a short-term view on the whole thing, he is likely to conclude “Its hopeless. I removed all the weeds. Planted these nice plants and put in wild flowers. All I am getting is more weeds! I give up!”

However, anyone who has ever worked in a garden knows that you have not removed all future weeds just by removing the weed that were present on one weekend. The seeds of new weeds were already present in the soil. Further, there are also new seeds being blown in from the surroundings.

The immediate results of new weeds is not the result of the recent weeding. They were already there. If one wants a clean beautiful planter, one must continually attend to it. New weeds must be removed, ideally early on before they really take root and start producing more seeds.

In the mean time the results of our plantings will be begin to come forth. It just does not happen overnight overnight. (or in one morning of being kind).

I write this to remind myself. When shit happens, I sometimes just need to remind myself that I still need to do only good. Good only creates good! Bad will surely create bad! There just might be a thermal lag!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Looking For Love in all the Wrong Places

I have been listening to some wonderful teachings from Lama Sumati Marut recently. Google him if you want. He is marvelous at presenting essential Buddha-Dharma teachings in ways that resonate with my Western deluded mind.

He has distilled the ways that we in the West try to find happiness. He has categorized them into 5 categories:

1) Money and things
2) A Job
3) Relationships
4) Entertainment (including all that stuff from use of drugs to tv and sex)
5) Physical appearance

Each one of these, are going to fail as providing lasting happiness. They can provide temporary satisfaction but will ultimately result as the source of suffering if we try to rely on them for happiness.

Each are impermanent and consequently subject to constant change.

Each one in their own way are more or less our unspoken sources of “Refuge” that we try to take shelter.

So where should we go for refuge?

Oh by the way, once you remove your expectations, we can have everything that we need including lots of everything if that really works for. No one is saying that one must be poor, jobless, without friends, bored, and fat to awaken!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff