Live Session Summary, Sunday, December 17, 2023:
It was good to be with you for our Live session today. We continued our discussion of finding true refuge in challenging times. In today’s session we discussed the second refuge: refuge in the Dharma, or in the truth.
I recapped key points from last week’s session on refuge in the Buddha, or in awakening, emphasizing that ‘inner’ refuge in awakening is recognizing our own ‘Buddha nature,’ the capacity we each have to wake up out of suffering and confusion. As the Buddha said, ‘Be a lamp unto yourself, be a refuge to yourself. Take yourself to no external refuge…’
We then explored the second of the refuges—refuge in the Dharma, or in the truth. When we look for refuge to the Dharma in the ‘outer’ sense, we take the teachings of the Buddha (the Buddha’s dharma) as an inspiration, in the same way that with the first refuge we take the Buddha himself as an inspiration for us on our path of awakening.
Taking refuge in the Dharma in the inner sense involves our own transformation—it means finding freedom through opening fully to our experience in the present moment, taking refuge in the way things are whether we wanted them to be that way or not. I spoke about the different images and metaphors we use to convey this sense of finding peace and freedom in life as it is in any moment. These include:
o Saying ‘yes’ to what is (Eckhart Tolle)
o ‘Radical acceptance’ of our experience and ourself (Tara Brach)
o ‘Welcoming the guests’ (Rumi)
o Opening to all of our experience—to the ‘full catastrophe’ (Zorba the Greek)
o Enlightenment as ‘Absolute cooperation with the inevitable’ (Anthony de Mello)
o Non-clinging, non-resistance, non-judging, non-denial
o Coming back to ‘Square One’ (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche)
o ‘Peace is this moment without judgment…’ (Dorothy Hunt)
It could be said that all of our suffering comes from being in conflict with reality, being in a struggle with what we’re experiencing. For example, when we’re caught up in wanting or craving, we’re 'here', but the mind is wanting to be somewhere else or have something else; When we’re experiencing anger or aversion, we’re here, but we’re wanting this person, situation, or experience to be different; When we’re experiencing stress and worry, we’re here, but our mind is in the future thinking about the ‘bad’ things that might happen if … In each case, there’s a gap between where we are and where we want to be and in that gap we experience suffering.
When we come back to our direct experience—to the body, breath, emotions, etc.—and out of the stories and narratives in the mind—we are no longer caught up in unconsciousness, clinging, or aversion. We’ve come home to ourselves, to the truth, to life as it is unfolding. We’re letting life be life, ‘dancing with life’ rather than trying to wrestle it to the ground…
We discussed how meeting life wholeheartedly as it is does not mean being passive or doing nothing. It may be wise and appropriate to take action to bring about needed change—for example, in the face of climate change or working for a lasting peace in the Middle East—but beneficial and meaningful change can only come through acceptance of how things are, not in denial or resistance. We must begin where we are: As James Baldwin said, ‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’
Refuge in the Dharma comes in meeting our experience here and now with acceptance and without clinging, resistance, or denial.
In the meditation we practiced cultivating a non-controlling attitude towards all that was arising—and seeing that our awareness—what Ajahn Chah called ‘the one who knows’—is not fearful when we are caught up in fear, or angry when we are swept up in anger. We can rest in awareness and allow whatever is arising to come and go in its own time. In this way, we deepen insight and dispassion (non-clinging) that frees the heart.
I shared the poem by Li Po, ‘Zazen on Ching-T’ing Mountain.’
Let me know if I missed anything. I look forward to our next session on Sunday, December 31 at 9am eastern. The theme will be cultivating wise intention as we begin the new year. Have a great week and a happy holiday season. Warmly, Hugh 🙏🏻 💜 🌻
