The Waiting Dog of Your True Life

 

     It was good to pick up the ancient thread again with you at our Valentine's sesshin. Thank you for the generosity of your welcome, and for your deep and sincere practice. In the silence and simplicity of winter, so many homecomings!
     Now that we're back in some of the more outward-turning parts of our lives, it might be helpful to remember something we talked about on the first night of the retreat: Exactly what you're doing now, exactly what you're feeling and thinking, this is your pure state. It's just like your most spacious meditation, just like singing at the center of the labyrinth.
     We are human beings, which means we think and feel and have lots of bodily sensations. So far not a drop of difficulty has entered. We tell stories, to ourselves and to others, and fall in love and have serious diseases and do things so awful that even now there's someone who won't forgive us. And still there's not a drop of difficulty. On top of all that, we get afraid that we're afraid, angry that we're afraid, afraid that we're angry, self-congratulatory because we have equanimity. And still difficulty has not entered.
     Because exactly this is your pure state. Exactly this is your true life, which is exactly the same thing. The vastness spreads out in all directions from right where you are, wherever you are. Right here, right now, the dog of your only life is lying at your feet waiting for you to rub her belly. So whatever you're doing, however you're spending your days and nights as the earth moves from winter into spring, take a cue from that dog resting on the vastness: remember to relax, remember to reach down with a smile to your true life, your pure state.

Joan Sutherland

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Book Review

Sept 11 demands a new perspective on old issues. Colorado author Robert H. King gives readers just that with a beautifully written, fascinating look at Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hahn, both internationally recognized peace advocates. Merton, a Trappist monk and author of best seller “Seven Story Mountain,” and Thich Nhat Hahn, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, broke sacred tradition during the Vietnam War to expose the true face of peace hidden by the clouds of political dust during the turbulent Sixties.

     In the same manner, Dr King breaks ground with his new book “Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hahn, Engaged Spirituality in an Age of Globalization” (The Continuum International Publishing Group, Inc; 370 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 100170.)

     In bringing together his extensive professional background in higher education and his own personal spiritual search, Robert King has given readers an enlightened look at bringing major religions together for peaceful exchange. The Springs Mountain Sangha welcomes this important book from one of its honored members as a sign of things to come.

Annie B. of S.M.S.

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SUBJECT: ALIVE IN DELHI

 

Hello All!

     Sorry I can't write personally to all of you, but this is the best I can do under these crazy circumstances in India. I'm writing from the Tibetan village in the northeast part of New Delhi, where I finally found a place with a decent connection -- of course the power could go out at any moment-- so I'll have to type quick!

     I'm traveling with Tenzin Dorje, a really hilarious and gregarious Tibetan-American who is Geshe Gyelten's translator in Los Angeles. He is great to travel with because I speak Hindi, Tibetan and English all fluently and he is very savvy to the ways of India. His skills with wheeling and dealing and spotting cons have come in very handy so far. I will miss him when I travel off on my own tomorrow, but hopefully he has trained me well.

     We arrived this morning at 6AM, after a 36 hour train ride from Bangalore. We spent last week relaxing at the house of some monk friends at Sera Jey Monastery, which is nestled along with many other Tibetan monasteries and settlements in a very scenic area carved out of the jungle. One day I went on a long trek into the jungle with a Spanish friend and a fourteen year old Spanish monk name Kunkyen, brother to the Lama Osel (reincarnation of Lama Yeshe). We had a great time hiking, picnicking and keeping on the lookout for wild elephants, tigers, cobras and pythons, all of which are known to inhabit the area but none of which we actually saw (fortunately!) -- although we did come across a lot of fresh elephant tracks and droppings, peacocks, and few stray cows (of course -- there are cows everywhere in India).

     Prior to Sera Jey, for those of you who haven't heard from other sources, we were at Ganden monastery near Mundgod for several weeks, attending His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings along with Geshe Gyeltsen and a group of about 17 other American students. The teachings and initiations were held in an enormous and beautiful new temple, and were attended by literally tens of thousands of monks and nuns -- a vast sea of maroon robes and bald heads -- so inspiring! Of course the teachings were extraordinary, and at times extremely complex and profound. Much went over my head, but the little bit that I caught will be of deep and lasting influence -- especially if I can put it into practice, which I am inspire more than ever to do. Altogether it was really an incredibly event, which I cannot hope to capture here, but a definite highlight was when our group got an audience with His Holiness, something I have always dreamed of. I got to shake his hand and ask him a question that was weighing heavily on my heart and his answer was very helpful and insightful. The memory of this will be treasured for the rest of my life.

      Other highlights of the time at Ganden included getting to pay several visits to play with young Tara Tulku Rinpoche who I first met with Ain Tenzinla two years ago in California and who is now six years old; meeting marvelous Ling Rinpoche (His Holiness' senior tutor, who is now 16 years old in this incarnation); and best of all, getting to stay a week at the house of Zong Rinpoche (who is also now 16 years old in this incarnation) and getting to spend many hours hanging out with him and getting to know him, eating, playing chess, watching videos, and talking a lot about the Dharma and his unique experience of it. He is an extraordinary individual for his age, and he is already developing into an exceptional teacher. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to get to make such a special connection with him. Of course there were many other wonderful times with the group, with my incredibly kind teacher and amigo Ani Tenzin, and with our precious teacher Geshela -- too many beautiful experiences to recount, but I took many photos and will have many stories to share later.

     Low points included getting a really bad case of the runs and being knocked out for a couple days, being freaked out by the whole Dorje Shugden controversy which is tragically much more pernicious than I had thought, seeing many suffering animals and humans strewn around the streets, and being mobbed by beggars almost every time I stepped outside and not know what was the best way to help. (In a way, this last experience was a good one though, because I have been very inspired to do more to help in the future with all the advantages that I have been given).

     So now we are in Delhi and it is so cold here compared to the south. I'm wearing every layer I have! I need to buy a funky Tibetan wool hat. We're staying in a hotel called the Yak House, and it’s not much nicer than the image that the name conjures. (I actually might splurge and move to a nicer place, but I don't want to offend Tenzin Dorje.) The train ride was long but very scenic and much more comfortable than I expected (we rode AC Sleeper class -- which is very nice and comes with many amenities -- funky Indian amenities, but appreciated ones no less). I have yet to perfect the art of using the toilet while hurtling down the tracks at top speed, squatting over a hole in the floor with the ground speeding by underneath! Even the simplest things are a chore here. And everything is so dirty! I want to take a long hot bath in antibacterial solution! But I'm still very happy here, and for the most part very content, although unsettled by all of the suffering that I am witnessing. I feel like a prince, and that is how I am being treated by everyone I meet (these people are so kind!), and so the minute I start to whine I remind myself that I have absolutely no reason to complain.

     Today I've got some running around to do and perhaps a little sightseeing. I have cancelled my plans to travel north to Dharamsala because it is too near to the conflict between India and Pakistan. So instead, tomorrow evening I take an overnight train to Bodh Gaya, the holiest place for Buddhists where the Buddha attained enlightenment. But it's going to be madness there too-- over 500,000 Tibetans coming from all over, yaks and all. It is the annual prayer festival with the Dalai Lama. He will also be giving the Kalachakra, an very important and holy initiation that many people try to attend at least once in their lifetimes. So I'll probably be sleeping in a real yak-house or a tent somewhere because all possible accommodations were long-ago booked. I will definitely be roughing it, and it's pretty rough in India already, so if it gets too crazy then I will head off to some other holy sites that I really want to visit, or head back to Delhi and go shopping for trinkets. If all goes well and if India isn't nuked into oblivion by Pakistan between now and ten days from now, I will be hopefully flying home to my princely palace in the safe, clean, and incredibly well-off United States, never to take things for granted ever again... I hope...

     So much love and prayers and wishes to all of you,

Matt F. of TSL

 

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Synopsis of Steering Meeting

     Steering Committee met at Benet Pines on February 13, 2002, with Holding Teacher Joan Sutherland present, as well the following members:  Sarah, William, Robert, Andrew, Donella, and Elizabeth.

     Joan reported that PZI is conducting an intensive planning process, including the question:  “What is our driving force?”  Other topics being discussed are:  lines of power and authority, how to best utilize people’s gifts, what affiliate status means, how to balance direction with local autonomy.  She would like to widen her idea of what it means to her to be a teacher, would like to know what it means to us to be an affiliate, and how ties between PZI and S.M.S. might be strengthened.

Comments from steering committee members included the following:

·          “Having access to such fine teachers is PZI’s most valuable gift to us.”

·          “Each time a teacher leads a sesshin here, we receive a sense of PZI, and the teacher takes back some of the flavor of our sangha.”

·          “When our members attend sesshins in California, they bring back a new infusion of enthusiasm to our practice.”

We would like to have more information on how PZI views affiliates.  This will be a continuing conversation.

     Joan also described Sonoma County’s revised Monday night format.  We will discuss, at our March meeting, what parts of this format might be appropriate for S.M.S.

     Joan expressed a preference for April and September sesshin dates in 2003.  We also plan to have a Rohatsu sesshin.  Benet Pines is not available for 2003, so we are looking for another location.

     Leaders for February Mondays are:  William (18^th) and Andrew (25^th).  William will lead on Saturday February 23.  Leaders for March Mondays are:  Andrew (4) and Robert (11).  March Saturdays will be led by:  Randy (2), Valerie (9), Sarah (16 -- half-day sit), Randy (23), and William (30).  Members are invited to volunteer for the remaining Mondays in March.

 The next meeting will be March 8. 

Elizabeth of S.M.S.