Rubbing off the sharp edges
There’s nothing like being with other people to help us see ourselves more clearly. Both the smooth and the rough bits (I certainly have plenty of those!). Whether it’s our assumptions that ‘of course you do it this way’ (maybe the other person has never done it before) or ‘that’s easy’ (perhaps if you have those skills or confidence or background) or asking ‘why are people so selfish/angry/generous/friendly?’ or a hundred other views.Other people are walking mirrors for our thoughts, judgements, assumptions, worries – and so are ways in for transforming those to something possibly closer to reality.
We run into this all time – work, neighbourhood shops, commuting, family (!) – shared contexts where we don’t always have that much in common beyond an outer situation.
When we are with people in a shared inner project like transforming our minds and hearts – like a Buddhist community – that can make the mirrors even more powerful. We still don’t ‘choose’ who everyone in this project is (like we can ‘choose’ our friends). But we are all alike in that we wish to explore our desire to grow more open-hearted, less reactive, more responsive, less ‘me-me-me’, more ‘us-oriented’ by travelling together on the Buddhist path. That collective intention can make the opportunity to meditate, study, work together even more compelling – and possibly more challenging and maybe even more transformational.
This Sunday, we are celebrating this very opportunity to be these more potent mirrors to each other. It’s Sangha Day. And ‘sangha’ means ‘community’, our chance to come together to support, challenge, amuse, teach and learn from each other.
So take up the challenge to smooth your rough edges, polish your inner jewel. Come to Sangha Day – just for part of the day or all of it. But don’t stop there. Come again (and again and again…) to meditate, study, volunteer, hang out. You are all welcome (and don’t forget your rough bits).
[read more about the day here]
With a bow
Maitripushpa
