Issue with finding a Sangha that fits??
Mr_MeSsD_uP
New
Sorry if I’m drudging through already well trodden ground, I’m new to this site so apologise for any repetition. My question involves a dilemma revolving around the importance of a physical Sangha. And more specifically the limitations of attending a Sangha that is not of my own tradition or even my understanding of the Buddhist doctrine. This is my first post so will go into a brief back story. I was pulled to the Buddhist path around 8 years ago. I became interested while living in Thailand, but it was when i came back to the UK that i started to really look into it and cultivate a practice. At first i naturally leant towards Thai Buddhism as this was my route into the world of the Dharma, but as time went on and the more i read and practiced, i left the Pali Canon behind in favour of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism; that’s not to say i see Theravada in anyway less authentic or significant, it’s just what works for me. It also sits more comfortably with my Animist beliefs but that is maybe for a later post. Anyway i would definitely say that my practice is based around Chinese Buddhism. More so lately though have i discovered the Avatamsaka Sutra and the Hua Yen school of Chinese Buddhism. This has really enriched my practice and my life in general. It has opened up a whole new outlook on Buddhism and has brought me a new fervour and determination. I have attended a few Sanghas in the past. Was involved with the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order for a little while, and have attended other meditation classes outside the Buddhist tradition. I now sometimes go to a Tibetan Kagya lineage dharma centre as it is the only Buddhist centre anywhere remotely near me. Apart from meeting some very nice people, regrettably i don’t feel that i get much from it. A lot of the practices used i have little understanding of and sometimes find it confusing and a little unnecessary. That again is not a criticism, just my personal understanding and preference. I see the importance of Sangha, and of having a teacher. But i don’t want to just attend a Buddhist centre for the sake of meeting other Buddhists or making friends which yes, is important but not the goal. I want to progress in my own practice as i understand it. Being of the Chinese Mahayana tradition and especially of the Hua Yen school finding a Sangha or a teacher is a practical impossibility in the UK. For some unknown reason Chinese Buddhism does not have anywhere near the same representation as its Japanese counterpart. Hua Yen as i can see it has no active centres in the west at all! I did manage to find a website for a centre in Ontario, Canada with some very useful information but it doesn’t seem to have been updated since 2008. Anyway i guess my post has 2 objectives...1) some advice on the Sangha issue in general. And 2) possibly an invitation for others interested in Chinese Buddhism and Hua Yen for discussion. Ive read through lots of the posts on this forum and there is a lot of wisdom expounded here :-) Thanks for reading.
Comments
A Sangha is just a group of practitioners who take refuge in the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma & Sangha. It is up to each practitioner to decide whether a particular Sangha's refuge taking is something to emulate or not.
There is no perfect sangha. I was thrown out of my perfect dharma school for starting it [lobster hangs head in shame].
Just keep practicing and hanging out with people going in roughly the same direction . . . or you could go rhinosaurus . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_Sutra
I wonder if you can just sit with some other group without becoming an actual student of the teacher there? Of course you said you didn't feel drawn to their teachings, but you could meditate as the raw meditation is not interpreted definitively during the sitting it is just mind. You don't have to accept the kagyu sanghas other practices.
Another thing I will share is that Kagyu that I am in says the last chapter of the Avatamsaka sutra or what not as part of the liturgy. That is the thing where you say that there are an infinite amount of Buddhas on the tip of a hair. And regret all of your wrong doing.
For Hua Yen I wonder if you could be an e-mail friend of a teacher or senior student. Facebook could even be a possible place to look.
Paragraphs are your friend, OP.
Sounds like a plan . . .
Do you have an overseas address to write/email/translate into Chinese?
http://bhoffert.faculty.noctrl.edu/HST330/15.Huayan.html
You could start your own blog. The teachers/teachings will find you soon enough . . . the net is full of jewels . . .
@Mr_MeSsD_uP - Can you find a Chinese Mahayana temple of a another school to practice with?
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I got lazy with my grammar. My apologise :-)
There is the Western Chan Fellowship but the nearest Centre is about 90 miles away. Though they do hold plenty of retreats throughout the year, so I think I may attend one of those. There is also The Community of Interbeing; from the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.
Thankyou to everyone for your advice. Thats a nice idea to write a blog on my experiences of Chinese Buddhism and Hua Yen. My knowledge is still very limited but it might be good to share and it may possibly start a dialogue with others who are interested. Thanks.