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Dharma Talk for the Monastic Community
In 2009, Plum Village organized a 21-day retreat beginning on June 1st—a rare Dharma gathering that takes place only once every two years, bringing together five or six hundred practitioners, most of whom are long-term practitioners, carrying the great joy of the Sangha through brotherhood and sisterhood. This retreat was not solely about the theme of the Path of the Buddha; its greatest attraction was that each person could immerse themselves in the collective energy of peace and joy, seeing themselves as a little Buddha, a little Bodhisattva, joining hands to nurture happiness and help transform the world.
Giving rise to the mind of awakening, that is, giving rise to a great aspiration (the great vow), is the key element that enables a monastic to persevere and overcome difficulties. A small aspiration, merely wishing to transform “our suffering and pain just to survive,” will not provide enough energy. A great aspiration, like that of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, generates inner strength, helps to awaken the energy of peace and compassion, and prevents the old seeds of bitterness and craving from arising.
Taking refuge in the Sangha means to take the Sangha as your true home, to go as a river, flowing and dissolving all individual suffering, creating a collective strength. When a drop of water (an individual) merges into the river (the Sangha), each personal suffering becomes a collective suffering for the whole community to embrace, and each collective joy increases the happiness of every person. That is truly the Sangha Jewel—the most precious treasure of any Buddhist community.
