Body of the Buddha

The weekend came and went as did very many guests. One person described the gathering on Sunday as a huge block of gratitude. We had gathered together to celebrate the tenth anniversary memorial for Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett and these occasions are indeed an opportunity to express gratitude and thereby circulate spiritual merit. That’s to offer the power of the ‘good’, that flows from selflessly giving, which liberates beings including oneself.

At the end of the ceremony there is an offertory giving expression to the gratitude we share for our Founders life and work and our collective wish to offer the merit of the gathering to all beings. The offertory opened with: The Dharma Body of the Buddha cannot be seen so long as one is within duality for it is beyond birth and death, filling all things.

The fact that all is of one body, the Dharma Body of the Buddha, has become of special significants recently. There are quite a few people of my acquaintance who are dealing with cancer at the moment. Every situation has its life drama and hard decisions surrounding it. For example I’ve been talking with a woman whose relatively young daughter is due to have surgery in just over a week’s time. The mother knows it will be a strain on her health to be in the hospital during the surgery. Even so she will more than likely be there close by, sitting still and offering merit.

Although I don’t as far as I know have cancer, I’m non the less dealing with it. How could it be otherwise?

The View

The view from here to over there, towards Scotland.

Much activity this week in preparation for a lot of visitors coming to the monastery, some monastic brothers and sisters will be coming as well as a whole host of lay practitioners. People have started to arrive already.

Relatives and friends coming to visit. Memories of my parents and relatives coming here, of my aunt standing in the middle of the ceremony hall and announcing in a loud plumby voice, “I do like a BIG room”. Perhaps she was remembering the large houses she had lived in as a ‘gal’ and had aspired to return to for most of her life, but never did. That large room will be filled on Sunday to celebrate the tenth anniversary memorial for my Master, Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett.
I was always anxious around my parents visiting, even as early as school sports days at primary school. “PLEASE don’t come”. Now I hear children actually want there parents to come to such events! Here is a chap talking about the parental visit you hardly ever imagine will happen, but does.

Anyway, we are in full preparation mode and once again I find myself with days filled with activity. The kesa now made, onwards to formatting photograph for a notice board. I’ll blog again when time permits.