The Importance of Sangha

[BeHereNow]

Hi everyone,

Lately I've started to realize that when I truly listen to what I want and need, it is often about slowing down.  Doing less.  Appreciating more.  I am starting to follow these instincts, and it is surprisingly working quite well for me, despite the fact that I am working in an environment where the opposite is true.

Luckily for me, this is not a permanent role and I will be going back to one where there is a bit more rest, but for now this is where I am.  I notice my mind often thinks there is something wrong with my way being different than most people's, but I'm starting to see that this is not true, that I can follow my instincts and not take others' opinions of that personally.

As I slow down, the people who rush are starting to realize that if they want to rush, they will have to go elsewhere.  I feel a bit "left behind", but also more aligned with who I am and what I need.

I guess that's why I'm reaching out, to feel a bit less lonely on this journey.  When I go to my local Shambhala Centre on Wednesday nights, I feel I am with the right people, doing what is good for me.  When I read and post here, I feel a bit of the same thing.  That I can be slower and that's ok.  That who I am is ok, just as I am.  That breathing in, feeling sensation and calming the body, breathing out, feeling sensation and calming the body, is sufficient.

[Dharmic Tui]

Thanks for sharing.

I think most people start down this path with a desire to fix themselves and improve the story of their lives. It can seem very much a lonely path with an emphasis on the self. What seems pivotal is actually other people, whether it be a sangha or your own interactions and treatment of others. I know for myself life contains more joy when I'm just as present with others as I am with myself.

And yes, less is more.

[BeHereNow]

Thanks so much, DT!  That is so helpful.

I read a quote today that I really liked - "As a student of the dharma, I believe that what we call difference in the negative sense of the word is only a perceived lack of connection, and that difference offers the potential to create or manifest connection in a new and fulfilling way."  —Patricia Mushim Ikeda, "Not What I Thought"

I like this because it takes me further than even "like-minded" people. I can reach out to everyone, even those who seem to dislike me (in my own mind, not even sure if it's true) - with a desire to be present with them, accept them as they are, and bridge the difference through connection.

That seems like a worthwhile pursuit for today :-)

Much metta,
Paula

[Matthew]

"Life throws spanners at you, yet it is how you respond that defines you" ...

Other than that I can't add much to what DT said ... I too started my life in Sangha with Shambhala - a year and a half at Dechen Choling, their land center in France. Met many wonderful people and sat many great retreats including Dathun.

Be well Paula, you're alone .. yet you're not alone ...