As always, we began with two periods of sitting and walking meditation. We then continued listening to a series of talks by Thich Nhat Hanh called "The Ultimate Dimension".
In the section titled "The Teaching of Interbeing" Thay discusses the Avatamsaka Sutra. Many gathas that we use today come from this sutra. In "Present Moment, Wonderful Moment" Thay has added new verses for modern circumstances such as driving in our cars, or talking on the telephone. These verses help us to practice mindfulness in daily life.
In "Toucing the Whole Cosmos" Thay chants a verse for us in Vietnamese, then translates it line by line. One line, "Our practice centre is the Net of Indra" refers to the heavenly abode of the God Indra, where there hung a net of infinite dimension. On each intersection of the net hung a glittering jewel. If you looked closely at any one of these jewels, you would see every other jewel reflected in the polished surface. This is a metaphor for the non-dual nature of existence, and the interconnectedness of all things.
No comments:
Post a Comment