Burlington Buddhist Sangha

It’s no mystery that life is filled with unpredictable things. From the mundane issues of household objects breaking to the complex and life-changing issues of ill-health and injustice, we are bombarded by problems that need fixing. Depending on our mindset, we may find ourselves drawn to fixing every problem we encounter (Craving!), running away or ignoring those problems (Aversion!), or not being aware of the problems in the first place (Delusion!). When our strategies fail to produce the desired result, and more unpredictable events occur, we suffer. But the very idea that we can fix, avoid, or ignore all our problems is itself an illusion. This week, Payton talked about the illusion of control and what we might be able to do instead.

Payton played a talk by James Baraz which you can listen to here:

https://dharmaseed.org/talks/71093/

Does the Dhamma call us and guide us to a kind of action, or does it free us to act more spontaneously with whatever arises?  Drawing on a talk in which Gil Fronsdal explores this distinction with subtlety and insight,  Ellen guided our reflections on this question and its implications for each of us, as we pass through the shifting stages of our lives.

You can listen to Gil’s talk here:

https://otter.ai/u/yr-jMYFL3p7gdjLVVOKVCH-zwWM

Steve was this Sunday’s Topic and Presenter. He drew on a talk by Jack Kornfield, in which Jack fearlessly confronts some of the most difficult and divisive issues afflicting our society and reminds us:

“The inner practice of liberation is not an individual matter. One of the deepest realizations that comes when we meditate, as we pay attention, as we live a life of care and loving awareness, is the growing sense of interdependence. There is no separation between our body and the body of the earth. The minerals of the soil make up our wheat and our bones, the storm clouds become our drinks and our blood, the oxygen from the trees and forests is the air we breathe. The human community is equally interconnected. If we meet together in harmony and respect, care for the vulnerable among us, tend to the environment, and respect our citizens and neighbors, we will thrive and prosper.”

You can listen to Jack’s talk here:

https://jackkornfield.com/wise-society-dharma-talk/

Our habit energy, invested in trying to control the world, leads to our suffering. The Buddha instructs us to lay down the burdens of life and experience freedom. Following the Buddha’s path insulates us from external conditions. This week Jeff shared a talk given by Mark Nunberg entitled, “Mountains are only heavy if you try to lift them”. Mark uses this simile to encourage us to develop a shift in perspective when we think about our “to do” list and other responsibilities. Among other guidance in the talk, Mark summarizes five principles of mindful awareness outlined in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, “Transformation and Healing”.

You can listen to Mark’s talk here:

https://dharmaseed.org/talks/70551/

Mentioned in the discussion was a poem by the Chinese poet Shiwu Qinggong, also known as “Stonehouse”:

the leaves in the stream move without a plan

the clouds in the valley drift without design

I closed my eyes and everything was fine

I opened them again because I love mountains

– Stonehouse

Our role in the climate crisis is usually understood as the heedless use of energy polluting the atmosphere, resulting in escalating temperatures which produce aberrations in the environment at large. Perhaps a greater depth of understanding can be discovered in the image of Indra’s Net, a symbolic representation of interdependence with ramifications in many dimensions in buddhist thought, from the personal to the metaphysical. Darryl framed our discussion of this deeper probe into the climate crisis this week drawing on excerpts from talks by Joanna Macy and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Darryl writes: when I consider what I need to travel through these times with the crises we are all aware of, I think of needing community, practice, tools, understanding (wisdom), inspiration and faith. Today I focused on the wisdom, inspiration and faith components.

You can listen to Joanna’s talk here: https://sr.dharmaseed.org/talks/29719/

And here’s Thich Nhat Hanh:

We have all had them, these “coming out of nowhere” moments when we are just here right now; when nothing happens but everything is different somehow. Ron guided our visit to this mysterious territory this week, drawing on the insights of a dharma talk by Brian Lesage, who leads us to look deeply into these simple jewels of the present moment.

You can listen to Brian’s talk here:

https://dharmaseed.org/talks/74469/

Also mentioned during the discussion was the book Wintering: The power of rest and retreat in difficult times.

As 2023 begins to unfold, we find ourselves in the midst of what Duane Elgin calls a “global initiation process for humanity”, with climate chaos intensifying suffering for all sentient beings. How can our meditation and mindfulness practices help us to work constructively with the anger and grief that naturally arise in response? Jane led us in exploring this question this week following a talk by Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun from the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, coupled with several readings from various authors examining the value of meditation and mindfulness for effectively meeting this moment.

Jane read some poems during the session, including A Twelfth Century Poem from The Wild Edge of Sorrow, by Francis Weller, North Atlantic Books 2015

She also read additional material from the following books:

Coming Back to Life, by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown, New Society Publishers 2022

Choosing Earth, by Duane Elgin, published by Duane Elgin as part of the Choosing Earth Project, 2022

The talk that was played was from a CD so we cannot link to it here, but you can listen to many of Pema’s talks on her website:

https://pemachodronfoundation.org/

In the discussion, Darryl shared a podcast from Plum Village entitled “The way out is in”, which you can listen to here:

Bringing the Ultimate Dimension Down to Earth (Episode #40)

What does it mean to just start over? Under the eye of mindfulness it is a profound practice. When we cultivate the practice of starting over, we are reconnecting to the “wise” or “right intention” of the Noble Eightfold Path, renewing our intention to be present with our values at any given moment. This week Stephanie offered a dharma talk by Phillip Moffitt which speaks to the power of just starting over.

You can listen to Phillip’s talk here:

Starting Over as Meditation Practice

Stephanie also read the poem Sometimes by Sheenagh Pugh:

http://www.sccenglish.ie/2009/01/sometimes-by-sheenagh-pugh.html

The winter solstice has held a special place in the routines of many cultures throughout history. Its observance has varied considerably but there are countless traditions associated with the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. How does the theme of renewal and the rebirth of the wheel of seasons resonate with us today? What traditions are valuable to bring us more in touch with this one moment, which, like every other, will never come again. Payton led our sangha this Sunday, December 25th, as we tried to find out.

He read an article by Taylor Plimpton from Tricycle magazine, which you can find here:

Starting Over, Again

The article includes a quote by the Japanese poet Issa:

New Year’s Day—
everything is in blossom!
I feel about average.

Payton also read a quote from the Dalai Lama:

“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”

Turn all obstacles into the path for practice. 

What does it mean to say, “I will take this situation or relationship as a way for learning”? We look at so many patterns and we have to ask – is there learning?

This week, Eveline guided us with a talk by Donald Rothberg, “Taking Everything As An Opportunity For Learning”.  When we are open to experience, being present and looking carefully, we create room to be present with what is occurring and see the situation for what it is. This gives us the opportunity to respond skillfully, based on wisdom and (hopefully) a kind heart.

You can listen to the recorded talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/73963/