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Though conventionally we may speak of "Sangha",
in truth it is completely inter-dependant and so inseparable from
the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The richness and
intimacy of our sharing of life springs forth from the great Bodhisattva
vow to save all beings, and from taking refuge not in our small
selves but in the truth of our Buddha nature. We witness today almost
unimaginable suffering as our environment is challenged by crisis
after crisis, the disintegration of social cohesions, the resultant
alienations and loneliness, and the widespread apathy about just
what to do in the face of such challenges. It is as if the very
fabric at the heart of all existence is being wrenched apart, as
if the connective bond which unites all beings is in imminent danger
of collapsing around us. And so we vow to meet and to sit together
in silence and stillness. And to sit upright in the midst of our
personal and collective suffering so that in doing so we might become
more intimate with our fears and compulsions. In this simple yet
profound act of faith we find the courage to share our vulnerability
and our longing for meaning.
Then gradually through our continued practice of Zazen we stumble
upon an inherent gratitude for our ancestors, teachers and friends
in the Dharma, and words cannot express our thankfulness. In Sangha
we share the sacred ordinariness of daily life in eating together,
working together, in our mutual concern for each others wellbeing,
and in the music of our words after long silences. And slowly in
time the harsher judgemental overtones of our interactions give
way to kindness and appreciation for those we previously avoided.
So yes, there is a transformation that comes upon us in Sangha,
unexpected but welcome, as if our confessions and repentance have
been working on unconscious aspects of our karma and in so doing
freeing us of its effects. This, despite our practice being one
of not seeking beneficial gains. It seems paradoxically to invite
healing.
No wonder then that Sangha in its many different cultural forms
has not only survived, but flourished in the West where so much
healing is necessary at this time. So at the heart of Sangha is
a profound sense of commitment towards a practice which has been
faithfully transmitted to us down through the generations since
the time of the Buddha. More recently this commitment has shone
brightly through the life of Suzuki Roshi and for many of us our
teacher Tenshin Reb Anderson who has dedicated his life to the Transmission
of the Precepts, which he sees as "a prerequisite for, and
inseparable from Dharma". It may seem an obvious statement
but Sangha is first and foremost a group practice, it is not a solitary,
individual activity which we do alone. Our ancestors warned of this
so that we might not deceive ourselves into believing our practice
was wholesome, when in fact we were simply following our own prejudices,
likes and dislikes. For this reason Sangha is about accountability,
having intimate friends who can give us feedback as to the appropriateness
of our efforts as we try to practice with the forms and ceremony
of daily life. This can be very difficult because we all tend to
seek approval and so can easily be offended when challenged or confronted
in any way which does not reflect the greatest of sensitivity and
compassion. In this respect sharing life in Sangha requires us to
show courage if we are to practice right speech because most people
desire harmonious relationships, and challenging someone, however
delicately, might well lead to an even more hostile situation. Honesty
is often compromised therefore, in order to maintain a fragile harmony
rather than address interpersonal resentments. Tenshin Reb has suggested
that a bilateral approach to any kind of personal problem is preferable
to simply taking someone by surprise. This gradual softly-softly
approach prepares the way for both parties to realise that a meeting
is necessary to clear the air. The great respect and even veneration
in which some priests and teachers have been held in various communities
in the West has quickly evaporated and turned to hostile condemnation
when behavioural issues have not been addressed when they arose.
Silence may be noble and inspiring but not when it is used as an
escape and method of denial.
In its most limited sense, Sangha means "the community of monks
and nuns" who seek to practice the Buddha Dharma together.
This meaning may be expanded to cover all those who love the Triple
Treasure even if they do not practice Buddha teaching. And ultimately
it can extend to include the vast inter-relatedness of all being,
which for most of us leads to the painful truth that even those
we might thoroughly despise, must be counted as potential teachers.
Tenshin Reb, in his book “Being Upright”, speaks of
Sangha being “Harmony”, of being “the community
of those who practice the truth, realised by a Buddha” and
describes it as “the release of beings from suffering and
bondage to the world of birth and death”. Later on he refers
to Suzuki Roshi’s understanding of the Triple Treasure as
an act of adoration, where Sangha is “The adoration of the
community of beings who practice the way of awakening”.
And then as if to emphasise beyond any possible doubt its absolute
importance, Reb speaks of Dogen's final days of illness before death.
When, at this time, he wrote the words Buddha, Dharma, Sangha on
a large manuscript, pinned it on a pillar in a room, then roused
himself to walk around the pillar chanting “I take refuge
in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the
Sangha”.
It is now a little more than 50 years since Suzuki Roshi left Japan
to lead a small Sangha of lay Japanese in San Francisco. Since that
time his teachings have spread throughout the U.S.A. and beyond.
And in perhaps no more than 25 years, Reb's understanding and commitment
have begun to bear fruit in the U.K. Now almost imperceptibly we
witness the beginnings of Sangha right here as the need for commitment
is made manifest in the growing number of people receiving the Precepts.
And I believe it is understandable that as we come together to sit
in silence and stillness, and as we wake up to our private and collective
suffering, there will be growing pains and much to learn. So our
daily confession and repentance and all forms and ceremonies that
we vow to practice will be of utmost importance to us all. At this
time then I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Buddha,
Dharma Sangha. To all those near and far who have dedicated their
lives to the benefit of all beings and continue to do so and especially
to my dear wife and friend Bernadette for her continued support.
And, in closing a special thank you to Reb for his help in bringing
about the forth- coming visit of Catherine Gammon without which
none of this would have come to fruition.
With deep gratitude
An Ryu Chi U, Francis Checkley
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