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Fuyu Nunnery Dharma Talk
Without mindfulness and concentration, everything seen is an illusion, whether one is awake, sleeping, or sitting in meditation. Mindfulness acts like sunshine, melting the fog and dew so that reality can reveal itself. Breathing in and out to become fully present is the first step; otherwise, daily life—the rice eaten, the tea drunk, and the people encountered—remains a long dream. Organizing a daily session of walking meditation allows for walking in reality, touching the ground with every step. This reveals the wonders of life and makes the Pure Land available in the present moment, rather than waiting for the future.
Practicing together as a community makes the path easier. When the bell sounds, it is the voice of the Buddha calling for a return to the here and now. Everyone agrees to stop talking and breathe mindfully at least three times, generating a powerful collective energy. A good nun is a happy nun; regardless of how hard one studies, without happiness, the practice is not correct. Loving speech and deep listening are essential to restore communication and improve sisterhood. If relationships do not improve, the way of chanting, sitting, eating, and working must be changed, just as a farmer changes fertilizer to ensure a good crop.
Every fortnight after the recitation of the precepts, the community should sit together with tea to discuss how to increase the quality of life in the nunnery. Everyone looks deeply to find the reasons for any lack of harmony, speaking out and noting down the issues to agree on new practices. To ensure progress and nourishment from the joy of practice, the community asks:
- Are we a happy Sangha?
- If we are not happy, what are the causes of our unhappiness?
- How can we transform and remove these causes?
