Author: Payton Swick

Though magick and mysticism have a place in most world religions, their significance is often not appreciated. Yet the prevalence of such practices in spiritual life —even in the Buddhist canon—raises the question of their appropriate place in our models of practice and awakening.

This Sunday, Tucker traced the magickal elements (commonly referred to as the “psychic powers”) that are present in early dharma, across time and into contemporary buddhism. It can be revealing to consider our engagement (or lack of engagement) to these experiences, as our practice grows and unfolds.

What is the experience of gravity on your mind? It’s very common in our culture to separate the mind from the body as though they were separate entities, living their own lives, just coincidentally in the same place some of the time. While there are certain lenses through which this concept seems true, we often find ourselves suffering when we realize that this is a comfortable fiction. In fact, the interweaving of body and mind may be one of the fundamental laws of the universe, like gravity. This week, Payton engaged us in the practice of bringing awareness to the body and how essential this is to our practice, continuing the theme of embodiment from last week’s Sangha.

Payton played a talk by Yanai Postelnik which you can listen to here:

https://dharmaseed.org/talks/64417

Many Buddhist teachers remind us in multiple ways that we are not what we seem to be, the separate embodied selves from which our ego identities rise. Instead, we are encouraged to discover that we are the wind, the rain, the ocean, the mountain and the stars. 

What does that mean, and how can we wrap our minds and hearts around it? This Sunday Jane presented a talk by Yanai Postelnik, in honor of Earth Day and Earth Month, called “Being Part of it All,” pointing to ways in which meditation and mindfulness practice can help us to experience the truth of that concept.

You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/11579/

Jane also read a poem by Mary Oliver from “What can I say” which you can read here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/920664-what-can-i-say-that-i-have-not-said-before

At first, it can come as a surprise that Not Knowing can be so crucial to Dharma practice.  In most of our engagements in the world – school, work, friendship, counseling, and so forth – the last thing we want to say — to admit — is that we don’t know.  Yet in Buddhism, that very response may be sought, even prized.

Eric guided our reflections on this puzzling feature of the path this Sunday, drawing on insights from biology, Zen koan study, and Vipassana.

Eric read a short excerpt from Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake.

There was a short talk on the classic Zen Koan on Not Knowing (note: paywalled) transitioning us into meditation by Henry Shukman of Mountain Cloud Zen Center.

We then listened to a talk by Matt Brensilver, which you can listen to here:

https://dharmaseed.org/talks/80528

There is now, and always has been, much to grieve about life.  Whether we grieve the loss of a loved one, our own health, a pet, a species, a sense of social and political stability or any other past constant in our life, pausing for self care is essential.

Buddhism as well has tools to help us navigate loss. Drawing from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, beloved teacher Pema Chodron helps us understand this most universal of human experiences. We can learn to view our entire lives, and the vignettes within it, as a kind of “bardo”, or place of “in between”, where uncertainty is the main constant.

This week, Lorilee played a talk from Pema Chodron available behind a paywall at SoundsTrue.

When we’re all sitting together, it may look like we’re all doing the same thing. But of course there are many different styles of levels of practice going on.

This Sunday Michael guided us as we explored several models typical among our sangha, with a look at ways in which these methods have traditionally been deepened and extended when sitters felt interested in refreshing their meditations. And we still all look like we are all doing the same thing.

Steve writes, “I have recently been appreciating the elegance of the Noble Eightfold Path. In this teaching we find the hub, the spokes, and the wheel of the whole of the Buddha Dharma. It is the Middle Way. The Noble Eightfold Path is the ‘path’ that is the Fourth Noble Truth. Each of the eight folds touches and interacts with each other fold. Within each fold we can find and gain understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the fundamental elements of Buddhist ethics and psychology, and guidance for how to practice and realize liberation for all beings.”

Here is a great resource from Spirit Rock for the Eightfold Path.
This compendium reminds us that the Path is often said to have three segments:

A. The “wisdom” segment: spokes 1 and 2
B. The “ethical” segment: spokes 3 4 and 5
C. The “samhadi” segment: spokes 6, 7 and 8

It outlines and contains references and links to the discourses.

Here is a great talk by Jill Shepherd for the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Center:
https://www.dharmaseed.org/talks/player/38800.html

Sangha is held to be one of the three jewels of Buddhism. The Buddha invites us to “take refuge” in sangha as an aspect of the path to freedom. It is a place where we can be held, supported, comforted, and also encouraged to live with compassion, generosity, and metta. Additionally, sangha moves us away from feeling as a separate being and instead seeing ourselves as relational beings. Sangha reminds us we’re not alone with the hard stuff.  We inspire each other with the power of kindness, the value of truthfulness and the five precepts.

This week, Evelien guided us with a talk by Jill Shepard on Sangha As a Refuge. This talk offers some reflections on what this might mean, and explores what conditions support the establishing and maintaining of healthy practice communities. As our sangha is exploring and widening the way we communicate and hold community, this is especially relevant.

You can hear Jill’s talk at the following link: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/player/70343.html

Most spiritual traditions have an origin story of humankind, often conveying life as intertwined with the world itself.  At the time of the Buddha, this included reference to our connection with the four earth elements – earth, wind, water, and fire – that can be viewed as both comprising and surrounding us at all times.  

Andrea presented this Sunday’s talk by Anne Cushman, who discusses and offers experiential exploration of these elemental energies and the value of connecting with them in our meditation practice.

You can listen to the full talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/player/23194.html

Think of the Four Noble Truths not as propositions that we must know, but as invitations to take actions that can transform our lives.  Jackie based this Sunday’s session on the teaching of Tuere Sala, a contemporary Dharma teacher who provides a clear perspective on identifying and dealing with suffering on an individual level, getting to the core of what really drives each person’s suffering.

You can listen to Tuere’s talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/73193/

Payton mentioned verse 44 of the Tao Te Ching, which contains the phrase (as translated by Jonathan Star: here is the translation and one online source),

One’s own reputation – why the fuss?
One’s own wealth – why the concern?
I say, what you gain is more trouble than what you lose