Sunday Service, 21 July 2024
Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
Musical Prelude: Heuberger-Kreisler: Midnight Bells (performed by Andrew Robinson)
Opening Words: ‘Welcome to this Place of Possibility’ by Marianne Hachten Cotter (adapted)
Welcome to this place of possibility!
This is love’s hearth, the home of hope,
a refuge for minds in search of truth
unfolding, ever beautiful, ever strange.
Here, compassion is our shelter,
freedom our protection from the storms of life,
the trials and troubles of the world beyond our doors.
In this abode, may we find comfort, courage,
challenge, and encouragement to stretch ourselves.
Here may our sight become vision to see the unseen,
to glimpse the good that is yet to be.
Words of Welcome and Introduction:
These opening words by Marianne Hachten Cotter welcome all who have gathered this morning for our Sunday service. Welcome to those of you who have gathered in-person at Essex Church, to all who are joining us via Zoom, and anyone watching on YouTube or listening to the podcast. For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Jane Blackall, and I’m minister with Kensington Unitarians.
This morning’s service marks the festival of Dharma Day (otherwise known as Asalha Puja) – particularly associated with the Theravada Buddhist tradition – a day which marks the Buddha’s first sermon and thus the founding of Buddhism as a religion. There is, of course, much wisdom to glean from the Buddhist tradition (or we could say the Buddhist traditions as there are many different strands), and I could have picked any number of teachings to highlight today, but I’ve long thought that ‘The Three Jewels’ offer some insight which can really speak to us Unitarians, so that’s the teaching which we’re going to focus on in this morning’s service. If you’re not yet familiar with ‘The Three Jewels’, fear not, as we’ll hear several perspectives on them during the next hour, but as an introduction I’ll just share this quote from the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chagdud Tulku who said: ‘We take refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, the dharma, and sangha. The Buddha is like one who has walked a certain road and, by virtue of having reached the destination, knows the route and can show us the way. The road itself is the dharma. And those with whom we travel, those who offer us support and on whom we rely, comprise the sangha.’ In the next hour we’ll consider what we can learn from this approach to the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha (and we might just weave in some other themes and practices from the Buddhist tradition along the way).
Chalice Lighting: ‘The Light of Love’ by Laura Dobson
Let’s light our chalice flame now, as we do each week. It’s a moment for us to set aside any preoccupations that we came in carrying, a time to focus our attention in the here and now, and set our intention for this precious hour of peace, as we co-create this sacred space. This simple ritual connects us in solidarity with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists the world over, and reminds us of the proud and historic progressive religious tradition of which this gathering is part.
(light chalice)
We light our chalice candle as a symbol of the light of love.
The light reminds us that love is the greatest power in the world,
the love we share and bless each other with,
here in our beloved community;
the love we take out into the world,
bearing and sharing the light,
wherever we are and whoever we are with,
every day of our lives.
Hymn (on sheet): ‘Gather Us In’
Let’s sing together. Our first hymn is on your hymnsheet, and it’s one which celebrates the wisdom of multiple traditions which approach ultimate things in diverse ways, all of which have their own beauty and value: ‘Gather Us In’. For those joining via zoom the words will be up on screen (as they will for all our hymns today). Feel free to stand or sit as you prefer and let’s sing up as best we can.
Gather us in, O love that fillest all;
Gather all rival faiths within your fold;
Throughout the nations sound the clarion call;
Beneath Love’s banner all shall be enrolled!
Gather us in, we worship only thee;
In varied names we stretch a common hand;
In diverse forms a common soul we see;
In many ships we seek one promised land.
Yours is the mystic life, the way that saves;
Yours is the inspiration of our dreams;
Yours is the Buddhist’s rest from tossing waves;
Yours is the light within, one shining beam.
Yours is the Law that is the Jew’s life-guide;
Yours is the Christian’s faith, of love and grace;
Yours is the hope that will not be denied;
Yours is the message of a kinder place.
Gather us in, O Love that fillest all;
Gather all rival faiths within your fold;
Throughout the nations, sound the clarion call:
Beneath Love’s banner all shall be enrolled!
Candles of Joy and Concern:
Each week when we gather together, we share a simple ritual of candles of joy and concern, an opportunity to light a candle and share something that is in our heart with the community. So we’ve an opportunity now, for anyone who would like to do so, to light a candle and say a few words about what it represents. We’ll go to the people in the building first, then to Zoom.
So I invite some of you here in person to come and light a candle and then if you wish to tell us briefly who or what you light your candle for. Please do get up close to the microphone as that will help everyone hear (including the people at home). You can take the microphone out of the stand if it’s not at a good height and have it microphone pointing right at your mouth. And if you can’t get to the microphone give me a wave and I’ll bring it over to you. Thank you.
(in person candles)
And if that’s everyone in the room we’ll go over to the people on Zoom next – you might like to switch to gallery view at this stage – just unmute yourselves when you are ready and speak out – and we should be able to hear you and see you up on the big screen here in the church.
(zoom candles)
And I’m going to light one more candle, as we often do, to represent all those joys and concerns that we hold in our hearts this day, but which we don’t feel able to speak out loud. (light candle)
Time of Prayer & Reflection: based on words by David Usher
Let’s take those joys and concerns into an extended time of prayer. This prayer is based on some words by former London district minister David Usher. You might first want to adjust your position for comfort, close your eyes, or soften your gaze. There might be a posture that helps you feel more prayerful. Whatever works for you. Do whatever you need to do to get into the right state of body and mind for us to pray together – to be fully present here and now, in this sacred time and space – with ourselves, with each other, and with that which is both within us and beyond us. (pause)
Spirit of Life, God of All Love, in whom we live and move and have our being,
we turn our full attention to you, the light within and without,
as we tune in to the depths of this life, and the greater wisdom
to which – and through which – we are all intimately connected.
Be with us now as we allow ourselves to drop into the
silence and stillness at the very centre of our being. (pause)
We come together this morning,
seeking a reality beyond our narrow selves;
a reality that binds us in compassion, love,
and understanding to other human beings,
and to the interdependent web of all living things.
May our hearts and minds be opened this hour,
to the power and the insight that weaves together
the scattered threads of our experience, and help us
remember the Wholeness of which we are part.
We come together to renew our faith in the
holiness, the goodness, the beauty of life.
To reaffirm the way of the open mind and the full heart;
to rekindle the flame of memory and hope;
and reclaim the vision of an earth more fair,
with all her people one. (pause)
And in a few quiet moments now, let us look back over the week just gone, to take stock of it all
– the many everyday cares and concerns of our own lives – and concentric circles of concern
rippling outwards – ‘til they enfold the entire world and all those lives which touch our own.
Let’s take a while to sit quietly in prayer with all that we are holding in our hearts this day.
(longer pause)
And let us also take a moment to notice all the good that has happened in the past week –
moments of uplift and delight; beauty and pleasure; all those acts of generosity and kindness. Those experiences which help us hold on to hope, encouragement, and a sense of life’s possibility.
There’s lots to be grateful for. So let’s take a little while to sit quietly in prayer and give thanks. (longer pause)
Spirit of Life – God of all Love – as this time of prayer comes to a close, we offer up
our joys and concerns, our hopes and fears, our beauty and brokenness,
and we call on you for insight, healing, and renewal.
As we look forward now to the coming week,
help us to live well each day and be our best selves;
using our unique gifts in the service of love, justice and peace. Amen
Hymn 100 (purple): ‘May I Be Filled with Loving Kindness’
Our next hymn is number 100 in your purple books, ‘May I Be Filled with Loving Kindness’, one of the few hymns we have which draws directly on the Buddhist tradition. I’m going to ask Andrew to play it through in full before we sing as it’s not one we sing often. And I think we’ll sing it twice all the way through as it’s only short. Let’s sing it in a prayerful spirit. Hymn number 100.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be whole.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be whole.
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be well.
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be well.
May we be peaceful and at ease.
May we be whole.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be whole.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be whole.
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be well.
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be well.
May we be peaceful and at ease.
May we be whole.
Reading: ‘The Three Jewels’ by Roshi Joan Halifax (excerpts, adapted) (read by Hannah)
One of the important Buddhist teachings is taking refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
First is taking refuge in the Buddha. In the historical context, this is taking refuge in the historical Buddha. From a contemporary perspective, one can look at it as taking refuge in that spiritually mature individual who becomes a friend to you on the path, and also to that same quality within yourself – a quality of spiritual maturity. If you’ve found that within yourself, it might become possible to have an authentic friendship with a teacher who has more experience in spiritual matters, in practice, in spiritual development.
The second jewel is also very important: the Dharma. That has to do with the teachings, the vision, the values that are shared by a community. I feel a lot of times we don’t recognize how important it is that a community share vision and values together.
Then there’s the third jewel, the Sangha, the community. Community is a really important part of the experience of spiritual development. It is said that the most difficult and challenging of the jewels is the third, the sangha, because ultimately it’s an antidote to ego. I was thinking about the teachings of St Benedict in this regard, because the most valiant monk is not the solitary or even the beggar, but the one who chooses to live with others in community. Community is really important in the development of character, including the dissolution of one’s own ego. Living in a healthy community offers little escape from who we are. Ultimately community is about love – it’s about doing very simple things for each other, which could include cooking together or cleaning up or helping with the needs of others.
Sangha is also about sharing our resources with each other, including our minds, our insights and our time. It’s how we in the community allow each other to develop. Both in Buddhism and the Benedictine model, our spirituality in the community setting is not really about the local self, but about the extended self. And the extended self is about benefiting others. Just living with other people doesn’t necessarily make community. We have to share the same reservoir of values. We also have to have a common commitment. So clearly causing division in the sangha is considered to be extremely unwholesome. When I was practicing with Thich Nhat Hanh he would talk about harmony of community, which included sharing a common faith, caring for the essentials of daily life, observing the precepts together. A fourth point was engaging in speech that contributes to harmony within the community and avoiding speech that could cause the community to break. The fifth was sharing of insights, and the sixth is really important, this is respecting others’ viewpoints. These are all really important perspectives in the community process.
Meditation: Metta Bhavana: Loving-Kindness Meditation (adapted)
Thanks Hannah. We’re moving into a time of guided meditation now. I’m going to lead you through a slightly abbreviated version of the Metta Bhavana, the Buddhist loving-kindness meditation, which I’m sure many of you will have encountered before. Though I say it’s abbreviated it’s still a bit longer than most of our meditations – there’ll be little drops and pools of silence along the way – and then we’ll hold a couple more minutes of silence which will as usual end with the sound of a bell. Then we’ll hear some music from Andrew for our continued reflection. Let’s do what we need to do to get comfortable – maybe adjust your position – put your feet flat on the floor to ground yourself – as we always say, the words are an offering, use this time to meditate in your own way.
So I invite you to settle down…
close your eyes…
and slow your breathing…
Take slow and deliberate breaths.
Be conscious of the air traveling in and out of your nose.
Bring your focus to that space just at the boundary
of your nose and the outside of your body.
Feel the air move in and out as you breathe.
If you lose concentration on that spot, that is okay.
Just calmly bring your attention back. (pause – count to 20)
Now, bring your thoughts to a time when you felt really good about yourself.
You were in a place you felt safe, you were happy and life was good.
It should be a time when you felt loving-kindness for yourself.
When you were in touch with a sense of peace, calm, tranquillity.
What did that feel like? How did it feel in your head, your heart, your arms, your legs?
Cultivate that feeling. Be in that feeling. Let it spread all over you. (pause – count to 10)
Imagine this good feeling as energy radiating out from you.
Perhaps you might visualise it as a warm golden light.
As you do so, picture someone who is close to you, a good friend.
Let the energy of your loving kindness radiate out to this close friend of yours. (pause – count to 10)
Continue to imagine this good feeling radiating out from your body.
Now imagine someone with whom you have no relationship.
Someone you feel neutral about, you don’t particularly like or dislike.
Maybe someone you often see around your neighbourhood but never talk to.
Let the energy of your loving kindness radiate out to this neutral person now. (pause – count to 10)
Continue to imagine this feeling as energy moving out of your body.
Now think of someone with whom you have a difficult relationship.
Not your worst enemy, but someone with whom you are out of sorts with right now.
Let the energy of your loving kindness radiate out to this person too. (pause – count to 10)
Now imagine this energy of loving-kindness encompassing all four of you.
Feel it wrapping around yourself, your friend, the stranger,
and the person who is giving you difficulty.
Imagine that it is feeding you all with positive warmth and strength. (pause – count to 10)
See this energy pulsing around all four of you and watch it slowly,
ever so slowly, pulse out from the place you are sitting, to the room you are in.
And then slowly out to the surrounding neighbourhood, then to the city, and beyond.
Feel it radiate out over the whole country, then around the globe, then out to the entire universe.
Waves of loving-kindness to all beings everywhere. Let us sit quietly in this moment.
Period of Silence and Stillness (~3 minutes) – end with a bell
Interlude: Clara Schumann: The Quiet Lotus Flower (performed by Andrew Robinson)
Reading: ‘Going for Refuge’ by Lotus Heart Zen Meditation Group (excerpts, adapted) (read by Brian)
In Buddhist talks and chants you will often hear, “I go for refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha”, which are often referred to as the Three Jewels. But what does that mean? What does it mean to go for refuge? What are you seeking refuge in?
To seek refuge means to look for a place that is safe, a place we can rely on, a place of peace, love and presence, no matter what our situation. Often we get caught up in negative thinking, become overly busy, feel disconnected. In those moments, we can go to the refuge of the three jewels by remembering we have access to peace, gratitude, openness and the experience of full presence.
“Going for refuge” is shared in some form in all faith traditions. The Christian equivalent to the Three Jewels are Jesus (parallel to the Buddha, the awakened one), the Gospels (parallel to the Dharma, the teachings) and the church congregation (parallel to the Sangha, the sacred community of love).
Going for refuge in the Buddha is to find refuge in the enlightened nature we already innately possess, just as the Christian aspires to become Christ-like, through words, thoughts and actions. Taking refuge in the Buddha we enter the path of transformation, through word, thought and action, we walk the path to end suffering. When we go for refuge in the Buddha, we are entrusting ourselves to our own innate nature to walk in beauty, truth, and wisdom. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “what we are looking for is what is looking.”
Going for refuge in the Dharma is seeking refuge in Truth. Dharma can be interpreted to mean “cosmic law and natural order” but it also, and most often, refers to the teachings of the Buddha, which are meant to direct one to the Truth. Taking refuge in the Dharma is similar to how, in Christian faith, the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus lead to understanding. The Dharma provides a path and practice so we can be freed from dissatisfaction, frustration and suffering.
Going for refuge in the Sangha is seeking refuge in the spiritual community. The spiritual community in Buddhism is made up of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. The Buddha said, “good friends are the whole of this holy life.” In the same vein, Christians find strength in the community of the church. Practicing with a Sangha is essential for spiritual growth and development. Even if we have a sincere desire or appreciation for practice, it can be difficult for our efforts to bear fruit without the support of friends and people of like minds working together. Being with a Sangha, investing in a Sangha, supporting a Sangha is putting Compassion, Attention and Gratitude in motion. The individuals of a Sangha produce a collective energy which helps each of us to become more mindful of our actions. We might practice individually at home and our work-a-day lives, but it is the Sangha coming together to practice that offers safety, support and empowerment so that the practice continues outside of the space where we practice together.
Mini-Reflection: ‘The Three Jewels for Unitarians’ by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
Thanks Brian. As I said at the top of the service today, we’re marking this festival of Dharma Day by focusing on one particular bit of Buddhist wisdom, this idea – this framework for understanding – known as ‘The Three Jewels’. It’s always wise to tread carefully when introducing concepts from traditions that aren’t your own – and so our two readings came from Buddhist teachers – putting across the teaching in their own words and in their own context (albeit tailored for western ears).
What I want to do in this mini-reflection is offer just a little bit of commentary on how ‘The Three Jewels’ might offer a useful framework for Unitarians too. I see it as a really helpful way of thinking about religious life – how we might live religiously and live well – how we might chart our course through life in a way that balances the different spiritual dimensions (rather than living out-of-balance, perhaps paying too much attention to one or the other of them, and neglecting the others).
In that last reading we heard, from the Lotus Zen Meditation Group, they drew interesting parallels between The Three Jewels as understood in their own Buddhist tradition, and equivalent aspects of the Christian tradition. And – whatever our own particular spiritual outlook might be – I reckon we can probably each do our own internal translation of ‘the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha’ – to make sense of the wisdom of this teaching in the context of our own time, place, and religious path.
Thich Nhat Hanh said something very interesting about this in ‘The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching’. He wrote: ‘At first, our Buddha may be a book we’ve read, our Dharma a few encouraging words we’ve heard, and our Sangha a community we’ve visited once or twice. But as we continue to practice, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha reveal themselves to us more fully.’
So I ask you to consider this: At this point in your life, who or what is your ‘Buddha’? Who or what is at the spiritual centre of your religious life? Who is the key teacher, or exemplar – what is the touchstone of goodness, or your north star? I think of this as the most inwardly-focused of the three jewels. It’s about the heart, it’s about relationship, maybe it’s about devotion and trust. As Thich Nhat Hanh puts it: ‘I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.’
And consider this: At this point in your life, what is your ‘Dharma’? What are the teachings and practices that you are deeply engaged with or committed to? What is the way you are following? This one seems to be more about engagement with a particular path and way of living – it involves ethics, values, and conscience – think of the Buddhist eightfold path about ‘right action, right speech, right livelihood, right understanding, and so on’. This is about how we conduct ourselves in the world. As Thich Nhat Hanh puts it: ‘I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and love.’
And consider: At this point in your life, what is your ‘Sangha’? What is your community of practice? (Of course I hope at least some of you are going to say it’s here with Kensington Unitarians!) To call it a sangha I think it has to be a community where we’re truly engaged – somewhere we’ve got stuck in and rolled up our sleeves – where we see ourselves as being in covenant with others, working through difficulties together, committed to stay in relationship even when the going gets tough. I think the idea is that committing to a community like this is a kind of crucible for our transformation – it is challenging, it stretches us spiritually and ethically, to bump up alongside other imperfect humans – even as we all try to do the right thing, live according to our values, keep each other on track. Thich Nhat Hanh says: ‘I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.’
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha – however we might make sense of those concepts – they point to three dimensions of the religious life that are important for all of us to honour. We might find that we are more drawn to one of them, or more averse to another one, just through our natural temperament. Perhaps the heart-centred life, the life of devotion, comes most naturally. Perhaps the life of practice, discipline, and action is what calls to us. Or maybe it’s community that we’re drawn to and what really matters most to us. At different times of our life each of us may give more weight to one or another of these dimensions of religious life – and that’s OK. But it seems important to me that, over the course of our lifetime, we do pay attention to all of the ‘Three Jewels’ and make the effort to cultivate and develop those dimensions we’ve perhaps been neglecting.
I want to close this mini-reflection with some with words from Thich Nhat Hanh’s ‘The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching’ – a kind-of affirmation of the three jewels – or perhaps a prayer. Considering your own understanding of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, see how this lands with you.
Buddha is the teacher showing the way,
the perfectly awakened one,
beautifully seated, peaceful and smiling,
the living source of understanding and compassion.
Dharma is the clear path leading us out of ignorance,
bringing us back to an awakened life.
Sangha is the beautiful community that practices joy,
realizing liberation, bringing peace and happiness to life.
I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.
I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and of love.
I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.
Dwelling in the refuge of Buddha,
l see clearly the path of light and beauty in the world.
Dwelling in the refuge of Dharma,
l learn to open many doors on the path of transformation.
Dwelling in the refuge of Sangha,
I am supported by its shining light that keeps my practice free of obstacles.
Taking refuge in the Buddha in myself,
I aspire to help all people recognize their own
awakened nature and realize the mind of love.
Taking refuge in the Dharma in myself,
I aspire to help all people grasp the way of practice
and walk together on the path of liberation.
Taking refuge in the Sangha in myself,
I aspire to help all people build fourfold communities
and encourage the transformation of all beings. (pause)
May it be so for the greater good of all. Amen.
Hymn 175 (purple): ‘To Seek and Find our Natural Mind’
Time for our last hymn, it’s number 175 in your books, ‘To Seek and Find our Natural Mind’, I think we know the tune of this one so let’s give it our best go. Hymn number 175.
To seek and find our natural mind,
and suffering let go,
awake from night, behold the light,
find every life aglow;
awake from night, behold the light,
find every life aglow.
To seek and find compassion’s law
and share the holy quest,
awaken to the cosmic awe,
find peace and be at rest;
awaken to the cosmic awe,
find peace and be at rest.
To seek and find community,
the love that will not cease,
begin today the joyful way,
walking the path of peace;
begin today the joyful way,
walking the path of peace.
Announcements:
Thanks to Ramona for tech-hosting. If you’re joining on Zoom please do hang on after the service for a chat – we didn’t have a co-host today – if you’re a regular online attender who might be able to help out with co-hosting once in a while do let us know. Thanks to Hannah and Brian for reading. Thanks to Andrew for playing for us today. Thanks to Hannah for greeting and David for making coffee. For those of you who are here in-person – please do stay for a cuppa and Juliet has brought her birthday cake to share after the service – that’ll be served in the hall next door.
If you’re here in-person I encourage you to stay on to sing with Margaret at 12.30. These monthly singing classes are free of charge and she can help everyone make a better sound.
We’ve got an in-person ‘Heart & Soul’ Contemplative Spiritual Gathering online tonight and Friday at 7pm and our theme this week is ‘Losing’. We gather for sharing and prayer and it is a great way to get to know others on a deeper level. Sign up with me if you’d like the link.
Contrary to what it says on the back of the order of service it looks like Community Singing is going on hiatus for the rest of the summer because our singing leader is exceedingly busy. So there’s not a group this week and I suspect there won’t be any in August but that’s TBC. If you’re interested in the singing group let me know so I can put you on the list for updates.
Next Sunday the ‘Better World Book Club’ will be reading ‘Loving Our Own Bones’ by Rabbi Julia Belser. It’s probably not too late to read it and we’ve still got a few copies of that in the church library if you’d like to borrow one.
Looking even further ahead a few dates for your diary: Lots going on in September: we’ve got Many Voices back here to sing on 1st September, another tea dance coming up on 8th September, and our ‘Gathering of the Waters’ service on 15th which will also hopefully be followed by a bring-and-share lunch if someone fancies coordinating that. Let me know! And if you go anywhere interesting over the summer please do collect some water for the ceremony.
Next Sunday we’ll be back at 11am when our service will be on the theme of ‘Growing Up’.
Details of all our various activities are printed on the back of the order of service, for you to take away, and also in the Friday email. Please do sign up for the mailing list if you haven’t already. The congregation very much has a life beyond Sunday mornings; we encourage you to keep in touch, look out for each other, and do what you can to nurture supportive connections.
I think that’s everything. Just time for our closing words and closing music now.
Benediction: based on words by Kathy A. Huff
Our time in this place may have ended,
but our connection to each other
and to this community remains.
Together may we walk the path of justice,
speak words of love, live the selfless deed,
tread gently upon this precious earth,
and fill the world with compassion.
Until we meet again, go well, and blessed be. Amen.
Closing Music: Shostakovich: Prelude Op 34 No 15 (performed by Andrew Robinson)
Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
Sunday 21st July 2024
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