Mindfulness and Liberation True Love Global Sangha: - The ...

FFor me, the Indonesian retreat closed with the sunrise meditation walk,Dharma talk, and formal lunch at Borobudur the day after the retreat officiallyended.We walked stone pathways lined with images depicting the Buddha’s lifeand all the sutras. Every curve of tree, leaf, person, and smile which hadn’tbeen damaged revealed the uniqueness of each carving, singular, nuanced,yet connected in the truth they described and the commitment of hundredsof artisans and visionaries who supported this creation over time. We satatop this celebration of the Buddha, his Dharma, and Sangha while the sunrose and the world emerged from the mists below.Sitting on a short platform, Thay gave a Dharma talk, a tree to hisright, and in the distance, Borobudur, like a teeming city springing fromthe large stupa in the center: Buddha consciousness overflowing into theworld. Thay spoke of real Sangha, the community that practices and lives theDharma. He said that a Sangha is alive when it practices the Dharma. Whenthe Sangha truly practices, the Dharma is alive. And where the Dharma isalive, the Buddha lives.At lunch, Thay sat calmly with his and other monastics, brown robes bysaffron and red. His brief introduction included: during formal lunch, enjoythe Sangha and enjoy your food. Just that is enough. Receive the mindfulnessof the Sangha, the community that practices love and understanding, thatdwells in the present moment free from the delusive mind’s preoccupationwith better than, less than, and equal to, that knows the interbeing nature ofexistence. And be aware of your food. The living Dharma, simple, practical,accessible.The Action of True LoveThay’s Dharma talks at the retreat also revealed the simplicity of theliving Dharma. In one talk, he described true love as an action, not a noun. Hesaid, “True love never brings fear. It always brings understanding.” In verypractical terms he revealed the four brahmaviharas—the qualities associatedwith true love—as actions for our lives.Maitri, loving kindness, is the capacity to open and offer happiness,loving as a friend. Thay emphasized, “Intention is not enough. We needto know right action, how to bring love to another person and help thembe happy,” through presence, being available, fresh, solid, calm, and spacious.As action, karuna, compassion, is the capacity to remove suffering andgive relief. Thay said, “If you do not understand the suffering, you cannothelp.” We need to look deeply and listen with compassion. Mudita, “thelove (which) brings joy,” can be cultivated as we actively celebrate joy inourselves and others. Upeksha, unqualified loving, is the non-discriminativewisdom of interbeing. “It is being willing to have the experience that yoursuffering is mine,” with no distinction between lover and loved. Thay’s ownpresence, soft, flowing, clear, embodied the inclusive awareness of Buddhanature, Dharma and Sangha, radiating the living Dharma which nourishesand offers true love to all.Going as a SanghaReflecting on Thay’s words, I realized in addition to his example andteachings of living Dharma, I had witnessed many throughout the retreat, inmonastic and lay practitioners. The living Dharma found a unique expressionin the International Delegation (ID). This eclectic, disparate group of aboutthirty participants from five countries, spanned several generations, includinga few Dharma teachers, long-time practitioners, and some newcomerswho discovered the retreat on Facebook.LivingDharmaBy Miriam Goldbergglobal SANGHAWhen the Sangha truly practices,the Dharma is alive.photos by Deny HermawanAnd where the Dharma isalive, the Buddha lives.the Mindfulness Bell 41