Perhaps
for a moment…
A hush will fall over the land.
For an instant, in the stillness
The chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard
As earth hangs poised
in the crystalline darkness, and then
gracefully
tilts.
 
Stunned to stillness by beauty
We remember who we are and why we are here.
There are inexplicable mysteries.
We are not alone.
The cosmos enfolds us.
We are caught in a web of stars,
Cradled in a swaying embrace,
Rocked by the night
In the unceasing rhythm of the Universe
From darkness towards light.
 
(Adapted from Rebecca Ann Parker's poem Winter Solstice)

by Mark Donovan
A dharma talk given December 17, 2024

Tonight I’d like to explore our practice through a lens of courage.  Courage — from the French word, coeur, heart. Recent talks by our group of teachers have explored the experience of uncertainty that is arising for many of us in these times of rapid change — and how uncertainty can seed a sense of danger and feelings of fear.  Fear is an afflictive emotion, some say the root of the three poisons: clinging, aversion, and delusion.  In Brian Lesage’s talk on uncertainty, he pointed to how fear can be constricting when it gets the upper hand — when we avoid and withdraw into a protective stance, life gets cramped and small.  As the writer Elena Ferrante puts it in one of her novels:
Everything in the world is in precarious balance, pure risk, and those who don’t agree to take the risk waste away in a corner, without getting to know life.”

Ken, Brenda and Carol all suggested how challenging it can be for us to hang out in a place of groundlessness, of not knowing.  Our nervous systems evolved to keep us safe and to find security in the predictable; we want answers to our questions but may have to wait patiently for them to be revealed in their own time.  We might say that learning to be more comfortable with uncertainty is exactly what this practice is all about.  Pema Chodron’s teachings are all about this.  Just listen to her book titles : The Places That Scare You, When Things Fall Apart, Comfortable With Uncertainty, The Wisdom of No Escape.  Last week Carol suggested another response to uncertainty, one of opening to the mystery and wonder of life as it arises moment–by-moment, perhaps a continuation of her talk on improvisation, of responding to whatever life may present to us with, “Yes, and…” as we join in the dance.

Courage is a quality that feels important and useful for facing the challenges of uncertainty and change.  Courage is not a quality that appears on any of the Theravadin Buddhist lists.  It is not one of the 37 awakening or liberating qualities.  But although it is given little status on its own in the scriptural writings, I believe it is a quality that we manifest often in many different ways in our practice — this practice that aims at the unshakeable release of the heart, the coeur.

In its earliest forms, courage meant "to speak one's mind by telling all one's heart".  Heart and mind together.  To me this sounds a lot like the meaning of the Pali word citta, which refers to the heart-mind, not separate but one.  Merriam Webster defines courage as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.  Another definition includes a quality of spirit — spiritual strength.  So we can think of  courage as mental, moral and spiritual strength to persevere in the face of fear, danger and difficulty.

by Kenn Duncan
A dharma talk given December 3, 2024

As we fast approach the end of yet another year, there is a lot of contentiousness, and division in our world. And along with that, a lot of worry or insecurity about our future, depending on your outlook. Politically, socially, environmentally, many of us find the direction of our world filled with uncertainty.

This storm, this deluge, can flood us with emotions. I have many friends who are questioning everything, and really want to know answers now. It’s said that when asked questions about enlightenment, or what happens after death, or, or, or… Ajahn Chah would smile and say “It’s uncertain, isn’t it?”

I was remembering the uncertainty we all faced just a few years back with the pandemic and how it became an opportunity for us to befriend our fears, be compassionate with them, and radiate this compassion to those around us. And many people did just that, and many of us have this opportunity once more.

We can only work with and make decisions in this moment, only with the information that we know and understand. We have to let go of the worry of what could be or what might happen. The world is changing around us, always has been, always will be and it can be a little scary for us all.

by Kenn Duncan
A dharma talk given November 26, 2024

We have this holiday coming this week, something I’m reminded constantly by my good friends from England that we only celebrate here in the U.S.  It’s a bit of a strange holiday when you trace it’s origins, and it’s become a time when some people do take the time to stop (just before the deluge of the next holiday, Christmas, and all that brings) and share thankfulness, gratitude.

I like the name of this holiday — Thanksgiving — because it sort of holds the idea of both giving and receiving. 'Thanks' and 'Giving' carry this sort of wonderful mutuality of giving and receiving. It's an expression of appreciation and even an expression of kindness, to give thanks and to be thanked.

There's a story about Siddhartha Buddha, after he was enlightened, that he spent a lot of time gazing day and night the Bodhi tree under which he was enlightened, in gratitude of the tree. The protection and the support it gave him for this amazing experience of freedom and presence that he discovered. The Buddha didn't teach much about gratitude specifically, but it is said that he made the statement that no one is injured in feeling gratitude. This idea that no one is injured, that you won't be injured in feeling gratitude is a wonderful thought.

I started something with my daughter when she was little, especially after a rough day. After she would share her difficulties or struggles, I’d ask her to share something that may have happened that she was happy or grateful for.  In a short time we’d just start sharing with each other things we were grateful for pretty much every day.  
I’ve taken this with me to this day. At the end of the day, usually my final meditation includes a run down of all the things that may have happened that lifted me up, or made me smile, or made me feel good or grateful.  The idea of doing this is not to do it forcefully or pretend things are better than they are. The idea is to really reflect on what we genuinely appreciate.