Tonight I sat with the San Jose Dharma Punx Sangha. Jason Murphy gave a talk on the ten perfections. In short, they are Generosity, Virtue, Renunciation, Wisdom, Diligence, Patience, Honesty, Determination, Loving Kindness, and Equanimity. I won't go further into them now, but there are plenty of resources online if you wish to read more.
What I would like to share is an appreciation of Sangha as a tuning fork. When we sit with others, or perhaps more precisely in this case, when we contemplate spiritual teachings with others, we get to see clearer how and where they fit or do not fit in our lives. I think this is true of any spiritual community, whether Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Pantheist, Wiccan, or other practice.
Tonight, the feeling I had reminded me of when I was struggling to learn to tune a violin by ear. Each day in practice, I would do my best to turn the keys, plucking and stroking to hear the change, until I could detect no flaw. Then, the teacher would take the violin and tune it further, until the sound was true. Slowly, there was less turning needed by the teacher. Eventually, I could tune the violin precisely and accurately on my own.
In listening tonight, I was able to see and feel what progress I have (and have not) made, and my momentum on this path. I certainly am not without need of a teacher to help me with my tuning. However, I found much gratitude as I realized how much less tuning was needed today.
Karma, or action, determines all things.
Thank you, all.
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