With the approach of our sesshin on the Bodhisattva precepts, I am reflecting on the phrases that cap the ceremony, Respect the buddha. Unfold the Dharma. Nourish the sangha.
Even before having much of a sense of what these phrases mean, we are practicing with them already. Simply pondering their meaning leads us to unfolding the Dharma. How do you respect the buddha, the life burgeoning in humans, plants, animals ~ in our interdependence and possibilities? Notice when you are guided by your intention to respect all life.
Unfolding the dharma, the dharma unfolds us. Conditions for our life in this moment are ripe ground for awakening. The teachings are everywhere when we have a mind of practice. The more present we are to what is, the more we can’t help but align with what is.
And how we show up nourishes the sangha. Reading the newsletter, attending a service on zoom or in person, paying member dues, your own individual daily practice at home, sharing your resources, participating in workdays, lending a hand at SJZC or in the community at large. Infinite are the ways to nourish the sangha, when we uphold the precepts, continually.
