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Purifying Body and Mind
Today is the last day of the sangha’s trip. This evening there will be a Dharma talk in Denver, then we will rest before departing in the morning for Deer Park, Maple Forest, or the Pure Land of the Dharma Nectar. During this journey, brothers and sisters have deepened and nurtured their love for one another and learned from both positive and negative experiences. The focus of individual practice includes:
- The weekly meetings of bhikshus, bhikshunis, novice monks and novice nuns are the lifeblood of the sangha, even more essential than Dharma talks, Dharma discussions, or walking meditation;
- When a small symptom appears in the sangha, it must be spoken about immediately so it can be addressed, not allowed to become a bigger problem;
- The “elder” precept on the internet–email is a preventive precept: there must always be a second person present, and each monastery should have only one shared email address.
Financial and communal regulations:
- Whatever lay friends offer as dana should be given to the Sangha Fund so that all members may benefit; it is not to be received privately, even if there is personal affection.
- On the occasion of offering to the sangha, lay friends are encouraged to learn to offer equally, without distinction between senior monks, bhikshus, or novices.
- The abbot plays the role of “the mother’s hand,” keeping a reserve fund to help younger brothers or sisters in difficulty; all personal funds (allowances, social security, etc.) are contributed to the common fund, and the sangha guarantees 100% care for everyone’s health.
- Consumption of arts–books–DVDs must be reviewed by the teaching committee; only educational materials are kept, and all cultural “garbage” (martial arts films, nostalgic music) must be absolutely destroyed within the monastery.
- Study is to be prioritized with inner learning: reading sutras, commentaries, and books of the root teacher or guiding teacher first; outer learning, worldly books are only introduced as samples for research, not to be read indiscriminately.
Bringing Buddhism into Western Society