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Bridport Sangha
This month’s theme is ‘tolerance’

Welcome
In these troubled times it
seems to me that the theme
of tolerance is more relevant
to us than ever. There was a
very good question asked at
one of our meets recently. The First of the Fourteen Mindfulness
Who are we and what do we
stand for?
Trainings: Openness
Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are
Thay comes from the Zen
determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory,
tradition and his own
teachings have evolved from or ideology, even Buddhist ones. We are committed to seeing the
this. To answer the question, Buddhist teachings as guiding means that help us develop our
at least in part, it’s very
instructive to read the first of understanding and compassion. They are not doctrines to fight, kill or
the fourteen mindfulness die for. We understand that fanaticism in its many forms is the result
trainings – for me the key
words are ‘guiding means’. of perceiving things in a dualistic and discriminative manner. We will
The Dhamma, the Buddhist train ourselves to look at everything with openness and the insight of
teachings, are meant to be a
Interbeing in order to transform dogmatism and violence in ourselves
guide. They are not rules,
hard and fast. This was one and in the world.
of the things that attracted
me to Buddhism in the first Save the Date!
place. There is no dogma
here. There is tolerance for First Third Be Calm, Be
all views. Wednesday of Wednesday of Happy course.
the month the month

5th December 19th December Watch this space!

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BRIDPORT SANGHA DECEMBER 2018

Musings on Tolerance
Thay once came into a room to give a talk, and he spotted a statue of the
Buddha. He at once asked that it be removed. This, of course, was not meant
as any form of disrespect. Far from it. But it was encouraging people not to
look at the statue of the Buddha and let it become an idol for them, an object
for worship. In that direction lies a path that can eventually take us towards
automatic acceptance of all teachings without first considering what they say
and mean.

Thay believes the teachings are there to be examined and considered. He

wants us to think for ourselves, and the only thing he asks is that we sit
quietly so we have an opportunity to reflect with a clear mind. It is in the
peace and stillness of meditation that we can best see the teachings clearly,
and consider them without interference from our everyday emotions and
thoughts. This helps us to understand how the teachings relate to us, which
among them are most relevant to us, and how they apply to us. We can
adjust – for the better - our way of thinking, and of living, in a way that
works for us. Thay tells us not to take the teachings word for word. They are
guidelines, not rules, and they are to be offered in a Sangha purely for
consideration. Thay does not wish us to become attached to the teachings
dogmatically. We are encouraged to think of our understanding and learning
as a process of evolution. We have not arrived at a perfect truth, but we are
learning.

If we approach the teachings in this way it is almost impossible to be

intolerant of other views and positions. Thay calls the teachings a ‘practice’
or philosophy, rather than a religion. Indeed Thay sees no contradiction if –
say – a Christian, chooses to follow the practice. In following the practice,
and perhaps making herself a calmer and happier person, she will surely be a
calmer and happier Christian.
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I once heard a monk asked about his relationship with Hindus, Christians,
Moslems and so on. Aside from friendship, he said he only wished to help
them be the best Hindu, Christian or Moslem that that person could be. If
they felt that certain aspects of the practice assisted in achieving this, then he
was more than happy. That was their choice to make, not his.

It amounts to truly wanting calm and happiness for oneself, and for others.
In choosing happiness, tolerance is the inevitable result. Can it be said that
the greatest Buddhists are those who do not call themselves Buddhists? In
that they do not accept Buddhist teachings blindly, I think so.

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Thay Comes Home

Thay has returned to his native Vietnam, and has said he is back for good.
He will live in the Tu Jieu Pagoda in Hue, where he studied and practiced
Zen Buddhism from 1942.
Born in 1926, he became a monk at the age of 23 after studying Buddhism for
seven years. In the 1960s he spearheaded a movement by Buddhists in South
Vietnam that called for a negotiated end to the Vietnam war.
He left the country in 1966 and has lived in Plum Village in southern France
for decades, travelling regularly throughout North America and Europe to
give lectures on mindfulness and peace.
His key teaching is that through mindfulness people can learn to live happily
in the present, which is the only way to truly develop peace, both within
oneself and in the world outside. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for
Peace by Martin Luther King, Jr in 1967, and is the author of more than 100
books including the bestselling ‘The Miracle of Mindfulness’.

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Gatha

May I be happy, peaceful and light,

In body and in spirit.

May I learn to look at myself with eyes of

understanding and love.

Bridport Sangha sits

Bridport Sangha – practising in the tradition every Tuesday evening
of Thick Nhat Hanh from 7.30pm to 9.00pm
at the Quaker Meeting
Affilated with the Community of Interbeing House, 95, South St,
UK (registered charity number 1096680) Bridport DT6 3NZ.
Contact: David Will You are most welcome.
Tel: 0795 095 9572
Email: d.h.will@me.com