Last Sunday, Sensei David Vititoe from the Open Mind Zen Center in Melbourne continued our journey into Sanctuary. He opened his talk with a Zen Buddhist koan - an anecdote or riddle designed to surpass logical reason and elicit enlightenment. In this koan (my paraphrasing), the Buddha and Indra (emperor of the gods) were walking with a group of students. The Buddha said that the spot where they were standing would be a good place to build a sanctuary. Indra took a blade of grass, stuck it into the ground and said, "The sanctuary is built." The Buddha smiled. The message of that koan is that sanctuary is already and always here. You are a sanctuary and you carry sanctuary with you. Sensei talked about how this is difficult to believe when life is often so challenging, but that we can learn to find and live in peace. He warned against "spiritual bypassing" which happens when we pretend bliss and ignore our issues. To find sanctuary, we have to remove the garbage, till the soil, plant the seeds, and water. In other words, we have to practice and do the work.

Sensei Dave also discussed the importance of "sangha" or community. Sangha provides its members a safe, loving place - a sanctuary. He said that the POD is an example of a sangha and that when we became a virtual entity, we stuck a blade of grass in the internet. I love that!!!

The Bodhisattva path gives a different view of Sanctuary. One does not become enlightened and go into seclusion (sanctuary), but "gets up off the cushion" and helps others by being a Sanctuary. On this path, you go beyond yourself to connect with others. You are enlightened because you "get it", and you listen with compassion, providing a safety net for those around you.

It was a great talk and I really can't do it justice. Go to the POD page and watch for yourself. Jason Michael Powers and Heather Grace Powers music was awesome, too! Next week is Rabbi Pat Hickman with music from Jennifer Ferren. Many Paths to One Divinity!