Practice Day Jan 10, for Mitras and Order Members*
Treasuring Uniqueness, Saturday, 10am to 4pm, with Jayachitta
The Sangha is far more than a collection of people. It is the opportunity to come together and bridge the seeming gap between self and other. How can we meet in our uniqueness, celebrate glorious diversity, appreciate difference of expression, while still be held together, cherishing and nurturing our connectedness?
Can we experience our participation in Sangha and in this world like a dance, where all parts of the world – including ourselves – share and enjoy their unique movements? How do we move, when we give ourselves to the dance fully?
The parable of the rain cloud from the White Lotus Sutra describes how rain falls from thecloud, and how as a result all the plants, all the shrubs grow. And they all grow – and this … is very important …in their own way. They all receive the rain, they all receive the sunlight …
and they all, according to their different natures, grow.And it’s just the same … with human beings. They all receive the same truth, they all hear what is in principle the same spiritual teaching, and they all grow; but the strange, the astonishing, and also the wonderful thing about it is they all grow in different ways. They all grow according to their own nature they don’tt grow according to somebody else’s nature.They go off and do what seem to be completely different things, but they’re all growing. So this … suggests … that in the spiritual life, in the course of which people grow and develop truly, there can be no question of regimentation.
(Sangharakshita: Symbols of Life andGrowth)
Every moment in our lives is an invitation to engage with freshness and curiosity, and to greet each moment in its uniqueness. If we engage in that, we might find our Sangha to become richer and also contribute towards alleviating alienation and conflict in the world. On this day retreat, in movement and in meditation, we will start to listen in and to each other and to connect. We will experience ourselves in interaction with others and the world, and through that discover how in this dialogue we are always new and fresh.
*This is part of the Rainy Season Retreat for our Core Sangha of Order Members and Mitras. Please contact us if you are not sure.
Donations
To help cover our January expenses, we suggest a contribution of $50–$100, or whatever you can comfortably offer. Every gift helps sustain the sangha and makes these programs possible. You can donate when you register for this event, or at the door, or make a one-time donation. (Here are the methods.) Thank you!
We’ll also invite dana for our visiting teacher. As always, our teachers offer their teachings freely, and your generosity supports them in being able to do so.