An Aspiration

BECOMING A BUDDHA is not so difficult. A buddha is someone who is enlightened, capable of loving, and forgiving. You know that at times you're like that. So enjoy being a buddha. When you sit, allow the Buddha in you to sit. When you walk, allow the Buddha in you to walk. Enjoy your practice. If you don't become a buddha, who will?

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

Enjoy your practice. If you don't become a buddha, who will?

These words struck a chord with me since I read it some weeks ago. It also connected with thoughts and feelings I had after my retreat in Hong Kong some months ago.

On the bus trip to the airport, I met a Filipino lady who had also attended the retreat and so we sat together for the long ride. Much of what we talked about had faded but I was left with a curious interest about the Order of Interbeing (OI).

In looking into the topic of sangha building some days ago with the community present, I chanced on a casual conversation about how aspirants join the OI, and listened. The topics seemed to 'click' for me: sangha building and OI.

While sending the monastics home, there was no specific theme in the conversations and yet another monastic spoke of his hopes to see aspirants from Singapore so that by next year these aspirants could attend the retreat and become OI members.

These events somehow spoke to me. The contributing factors occurred much earlier in life. One might call it a divine culmination of factors, some might call it a calling.

Community Building

This is a summary cum reflection after a gathering today with my community of practice in mindful living.

"The Sangha is the community that lives in harmony and awareness"

This is a profound definition, because it put many concepts in a different perspective for me. 

Firstly that the community is a living community, in that it needs to be supported with material resources in order to continue. Sometimes we shy away from asking for such resources and that might lead to the community withering away.

A community is like a body made up of different organ systems which can be further broken down to cell level. Each individual cell knows its task and yet works well with other cells, such that they specialize in some form, for example, in a liver or heart. Other systems such as the autonomic nervous system keeps everything running. The body only lives well when all parts work together and each part is healthy.

Secondly, that harmony is only one wing that needs the other wing of awareness in order to carry the sangha towards a common direction. When there is only harmony, the community may grow towards an unhealthy state of being. Without awareness within the sangha, the harmony can also quickly weaken.

When one or a few persons are faced with problems of the sangha, they may choose to manage it on their own. In the long run, they may feel burdened and burned out. When such problems are shared and made aware to the sangha, the problem comes to its proper place for the sangha to examine. There is then wonderful opportunity for the sangha body to grow by experiencing big and small adversities together. The sangha needs the mud in order to bloom like a lotus.

Perhaps the essential element that unites the sangha body is practice, akin to the autonomic nervous system lying beneath consciousness that controls critical functions such as breathing. Without regular practice together how would harmony and awareness be present.

Conversely if some chose not to share the same practices, then it becomes difficult for them to remain as part of the sangha body. And if we decided to share the same practices, then we can and should make use of the richness of these practices to benefit ourselves and others.

"Dwelling in the refuge of the Sangha, shining light that supports me, keeping my practice free of obstruction."

"Taking refuge in the Sangha in myself, I aspire to help all people build fourfold communities, to embrace all beings and support their transformation."

What the Buddha Taught

FOR FORTY-FIVE years, the Buddha said, over and over again, "I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering." When we recognize and acknowledge our own suffering, the Buddha -- which means the Buddha in us -- will look at it, discover what has brought it about, and prescribe a course of action that can transform it into peace, joy, and liberation. Suffering is the means the Buddha used to liberate himself, and it is also the means by which we can become free.

-- Thich Nhat Hanh