I hereby declare the creation of a virtual samgha, calling it The Virtual Samgha of the Lotus. The name "Lotus" highlights my insistence that the foundation of this samgha is to be the Lotus Sutra and its opening and closing sutras. These are known as the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the Sutra on how to practice meditation on Bodhisattva Universal Worthy. All three sutras have been collectively known for centuries as the threefold Lotus Sutra.
Who am I to insist on anything? I'm just a guy who, like millions of other people, decided to set up a blog. Anyone reading this who decides he doesn't like basing a samgha on the Lotus Sutra is free to ignore me or to set up a samgha based on his own guiding principles. I merely want to present an option for Buddhists who aren't comfortable with their own brick-and-mortar sects; that's my primary purpose.
As for the practices to be followed by self-declared members of this virtual samgha, I will only offer my opinion: The most profound and basic set of practices should be to read, recite, ponder, and teach to others the Lotus Sutra, as is written in the Lotus itself. All other practices will arise from your own mind as a result of having immersed yourself in this basic set of practices. Even though I've recited the Lotus Sutra over 140 times, it was only recently that it occurred to me that my own personal practice never had a meditation component. But I know that such a component is so vital, that I've started incorporating that into my practice.
As to who I am, I am Steven Searle, a retired state of Illinois civil servant who has been battling Stage IV liver cancer for almost a year. My oncologist predicted, at first, that I would have between 5 to 8 months to live. Well, I'm still here. Though my cancer is still with me, I'm not in any immediate danger. In fact, my cancer has been significantly reduced due by chemotherapy and I'm enjoying a large measure of increased vitality. That doesn't mean I'm cured, though I am praying to completely eliminate it. Until that happens, though, I have decided to embrace my cancer as a Buddhist friend and learn from it as much as I can.
I am also entirely alone in my endeavor to create a virtual samgha. I don't have any help, nor am I seeking any. I don't intend to set up a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt church or even recruit any members. Anyone interesting in becoming part of this virtual samgha can do so by merely saying so in his heart; they surely don't have to let me know or declare their membership to anyone else. I am not interested in creating lists of members and, in fact, I encourage anonymity. These are dangerous times we live in. So even though I don't care if spy agencies choose to track my internet (and other) activities, I understand why other people might care about their own personal privacy issues.
One outstanding feature of this virtual samgha is the fact that I will never ask you for money. I don't even sell advertising on this website, since I don't believe people should profit from their religious activities. If donations were to appear magically on my doorstep, I would pass them on to my favorite charity - the United Negro College Fund. For the record, I am not black; I'm a caucasian who makes reparations payments to help atone for the USA's exploitation of slave labor. As I said, that's my favorite charity though I leave entirely to your own discretion how you might choose to engage in almsgiving.
This blogsite is the original home of the Virtual Samgha of the Lotus - though, hopefully, this will not remain its only home. I hope other such sites might arise, though they won't be authorized by me nor will I ever assume the right to authorize anything. One of the virtues of a virtual samgha is, no one is in charge; there is no hierarchy. We're to be a community of equals. My own opinion is that Shakyamuni Buddha, through his use of expedient means, is in charge and will provide leadership in his own profound and subtle ways. For those who claim he's dead, I counterclaim that he merely gave the appearance of his death 2,500 years ago in India. I believe he's very much alive - and not just figuratively speaking - since the Lotus Sutra informs us:
"In order to save living beings, as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana but in truth I do not pass into extinction. I am always here, preaching the law. I am always here, but through my transcendental powers I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement do not see me even when close by." - as spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha in Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra - source: indicated in the next paragraph.
The version of the Lotus Sutra I primarily use is the Burton Watson translation published by the Soka Gakkai in 2009 which bears this title: The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras.
There are other versions of the Lotus Sutra, though I refuse to put myself in the role of declaring any particular version is the one to be followed. I am not a pope - just one among equals who strive to perfect their own following of the Way. I strongly encourage you to avoid teachers who claim that their interpretation of the Lotus Sutra should become the focus of your practice. Such interpretations might prove useful to you and, if you wish to also pursue these, you should. However, please don't allow any such interpretations to replace the Lotus Sutra.
I'm going to close now by apologizing for any imperfections in this post. I am interested in starting this samgha as soon as possible, so that makes this post important to me. Getting started is the hardest thing to do and the most easily procrastinated. If you wish to comment either on this website or via email to bpa_cinc@yahoo.com, I will be glad to read your words and answer any questions you might have.
Sincerely,
Steven Searle
No comments:
Post a Comment