Susan and I belong to the “Bailey Pack.” Bailey is our mixed-bred 13 yr old rescue dog. As the Alpha dog (her Buddha Nature) she has led us over 17,000 miles in the last three years traveling by car from Cape Cod. We went to Halifax, Quebec City, near Toronto, and back.
We drove to California , around California and back to Cape Cod and are now finishing a second trip to northern Florida and back to Cape Cod.
I believe she sees her pack in some ways, as I see Sangha. A meaningful supporting and engaging experience of giving, receiving and sharing.
When we are hanging out at home she is similar but different when we are on the road. First, she is a good road dog as she has her apartment in the backseat of our Rav4. She sets her schedule around her belief system that we are together, we protect each other and we take care of her getting fed and using the bathroom.
For one thing on the road she must have Susan and me with her. If one of us is out of her sight she makes a singular whining noise until the stray pack member returns. Then she settles down. There seems to be a sense of togetherness, refuge if you please.
Her other behavior while we are in the car is protecting us from the three evils. I’ll speak of these in ascending evilness.
Number three: “gas pumps.” Pulling up to a gas pump makes her start barking but she settles down only as distance from that thing increases!.
Number two: “ATMS”, the kind you drive up to. This creates a louder ruckus and ends when we drive away.
Number One A (two parts) toll booths. I believe she sees this creature reaching out to get something from who is driving the car– very loud response.
Number ONE: “Customs border crossing posts.” Going into Canada and then coming back into the U.S., the monster from within the big structure came out and touched our car and walked around it and we even had to give the monster a cantaloupe we bought in Canada from the back of the car (forbidden fruit), this was almost too much for a pack to endure.
In Buddhism a sangha is a collection of common awareness. As mindfulness it is expansive awareness of not just members but all things engaged with each other.
We call ourselves the Falmouth Soto Zen Sangha (FSZS). I have gotten into the habit of bolding the letters in Falmouth and Zen. This symbolizes our sangha is more than just those who attend, but those who serve and are served by our commitment or vow of mutual support our Vows and values speak to this. Two years ago we codified what these values are, please note my underlining for emphasis:
We vow to be welcoming to newcomers and inquirers
We vow to consider all beings as our Sangha, as best
We continually express the dharma through body, speech,mind
We vow to welcome and include all who want to learn, practice, and live the dharma
We vow to take-up the way of listening deeply
We vow to live a life of self-learning
We vow to help others deepen our practice
We vow to make no distinction between ourselves and others
We vow to express compassion in our thought and action
We vow to support the Guiding Teacher and Practice Leader
We vow to and take refuge in the three treasures for ourselves and others
We vow to create a harmonious community by mindful and compassionate behavior
We vow to not waste this life.
We each come to Zen looking for something. If there is something compelling in the search, the seeker will look carefully at the teacher, other students, convenience of attending, building a daily practice and listening deeply to teachings as well as reading teachings carefully and connecting with other like-minded practitioners.
“When you allow yourself to be in a sangha the way a drop of water allows itself to be in a river, the energy of the sangha can penetrate into you, and transformation and healing will become possible”
Thich Nhat Hanh- Sangha Is More than a Community | Lion’s Roar
Visitors to FSZS may get excited or get turned off. I suggest new folks commit to three visits and then I work with each person in a 1:1 meeting to help each build their own path within the opportunities of FSZS, or through other avenues if that seems useful. For example some may just want to sit, others want to engage koans, some may wish to explore lineage and others the history of Buddhism. This is learning the self.
The doing is how much zazen, time in zendo, time on Zoom, helping the taking responsibility for different aspects of Sangha operations, and participating in sesshin and dokusan. Each person develops a rhythm of involvement.
Attendance and participation often fluctuates as other life events take place, or sometimes Dokusan seems difficult, students disagree with the teacher and/or each other. Here the holding power of the Sangha is tested. One can wish to take a break, stop being involved and some just leave altogether.
When the going gets tough the hope is one can share it with the Sangha! In this case Sangha is a simple group feedback system. The “Bodhisattva” role is built into giving and receiving and can be called sharing. We say do not hoard the Dharma. We do not close this gate for you to receive and others to give which culminate in precious movements of sharing.
Sangha is what we make it. Sangha is not a garment we slip on, it is a garment we sew together and wear collectively. When we are us as “Sangha,” our music comes from harmonic chords as well as each person having a time to riff.
As you look at the sangha, what are your pieces of the music? If you would like more or less of something, have you asked? If you want something new are you willing to help make it so?
Sangha is “You”…in both the singular and plural sense…
Please join us in person Tuesday night at 7:00 September 3, 2024, at the First Congregational Church of Falmouth or on Zoom:
Palms together,
Sangaku
Unshin Sangaku Dan Joslyn
Founder and Guiding Teacher
The Falmouth Soto Zen Sangha
404-702-7646
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