Why a Spiritual Community Matters

I’m becoming convinced that the sangha, the community of practice, is key to creating the world we want to live in.  At this point, most of us are familiar with the three refuges – Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.  We sit regularly, deepening our experience of emptiness, fullness, persistent non-symbolic experience, awareness and loving awareness.  We may or may not continue to learn about dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. All of us, in our daily lives, swim in life as it emerges. Reality continues, perhaps we are calmer, more peaceful, and precious moments of communing together with like-minded brothers and sisters deepens our sense of purpose, sense of openness, and our compassion. Meditation provides the gas, and the community gathers in the car so that we can travel together on the road to awakening.  

I learned about meditation on a cushion, with my eyes closed. Then, with my eyes open, I learned about practicing together in a circle with Hollow Bones Zen rituals. Togetherness, the glue of sangha, was through the performance of rituals. I am increasingly becoming attuned to the needs of the community, the sangha, and the potential of practicing together.  I am learning that there is more to community than practicing meditation and ceremony together.  There is an opportunity to reflect on our own experiences and witness and share our reflections, our deep drives and motivations, with each other in the community.  This is not done by simply sitting together in zazen. Rather, we learn together to listen and presence one another, to create safety and to value the truths that lie hidden inside each of us. 

What is required to meet the needs of 21 century individuals in not the same as the needs of individuals five or ten centuries ago, thus the structure and form of spiritual communities is evolving.  In a contemporary spiritual community we welcome the full embodied selves into the community. We welcome the exploration and the reflections that arise when we work together to quiet the mind and to open to greater compassion in our lives. This requires an exploration of the internal worlds of the members of the community. To do this, we need a safe, strong container, one with an agreed upon collective belief structures, that can provides the basis for welcoming in our differences, our motives, and our shadows. We welcome all of ourselves into the light of our sacred container.

Humility, curiosity, generosity, compassion, and respect, are all qualities that we recognize as worthy of our community commitment, and yet, these are not enough, we must learn to sit with one another in structured openness, safely allowing our hurts and the discarded parts to be welcomed into our circle, so the group’s deep commitment to compassion, can emerge and help one another heal.  A healthy spiritual community emerges from a commitment to for us to show up fully, to be real and to practice loving-kindness with each other in a safe container devoted to freeing everyone from suffering.  Our Bodhisattva vow reminds us “However innumerable all beings are, I vow to serve and liberate them all!”  I understand this as an invitation to “experience and enlighten” our shadow states, yours and mine. 

For the upcoming practice period, we will explore the compassionate heart, with our eyes open and our hearts listening for what connects and enlivens us.  The invitation is for you to bring your full self to our community, becoming a part of Shining Bright Lotus, an emerging spiritual community.  We welcome all of you! 

Much Love

Ekai