Taking Refuge
By Sosan Theresa Flynn
This is a time for taking refuge. Many people are feeling anxiety, fear, terror, panic, hopelessness, despair, and/or overwhelm in response to the harmful effects that the new national policies are having on the health, welfare, and lives of many people -- in this country and around the globe. Daily, we are witnessing onslaughts on basic human rights and disregard for the safeguards of good democracy. We may wonder, "As a Buddhist, how do I practice with all of this?"
One practice that I would like to remind people about is that of taking refuge in the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This refuge-taking is not a way to escape the problems or turn away from our responsibility to act in the world, but it IS a way to help us not to fall into despair. The three treasures provide a way for us to resource ourselves so that we can act, and that when we do, we have a better chance of doing so from a wise place. You can listen to my dharma talk on this topic (it will be posted soon).
"Taking Refuge in Buddha" is remembering the Buddha as the original teacher. It is also seeing Buddhas in people who inspire us, and seeing the Buddha in ourselves. This means connecting with and taking refuge in our inner wisdom. Taking a moment to pause and be.
"Taking Refuge in Dharma" is remembering the teachings of the Buddha, such as the four noble truths; the three seals (impermanence, no separate self, nirvana), the paramitas (generosity, ethical conduct, patience, joyful effort, meditation, and wisdom); Loving-kindness practice, and any of the sutra or chants.We can also take refuge in the dharma when we use our bodies to practice, such as in sitting or walking meditation, or just being aware of our bodies.
"Taking Refuge in Sangha" is remembering the original community surrounding the Buddha, and taking inspiration from these wise practitioners of old. It is also leaning on one particular sangha, such as our own Clouds in Water Zen Center, for support. In addition, we can feel into the support of the sangha of Buddhist practitioners worldwide, and wider still into the sangha of all beings - animals, plants, living and nonliving. We can ask ourselves, "Where can I experience a felt sense of taking refuge in sangha/community?" Then, we can go there - actually or with our thoughts.
As a way of taking refuge in sangha/community, I invite you to participate in any of the activities we offer at Clouds that you may find supportive. Just look at our website under the "Join Us" tab to see your options. If you would like to have the support of one of our teachers, many teachers are available to meet with students one-to-one, and you can find their bios and contact information here.
In my talk on Sunday, I mentioned that Clouds in Water may be taking some actions as an organization, and that we will also be supporting individual actions. Of course, there is really no such thing as individual actions - we are all in this together and act in interdependence with all beings. I hope that we will continue to support one another as we live and practice with all of this.
