Newsletter Sep 09

The Orchard Sangha Newsletter Rumi wrote “Somewhere out beyond right and wrong there is a field; I will meet you there”. Spending time with relatives over the bank holiday I realised how limited the understanding of “right and wrong” can be, an understanding springing from our own “view”; which in turn springs from our experiences. How elusive is that field between right and wrong. What I do know and feel deeply is that practice is the path to that field, and part of the practice is deep listening. I hope you enjoy the beautiful words of Krishnamurti on page 6, who also said “Listening is an art not easily come by, but in it there is beauty and great understanding.” Words no doubt to ponder on as the festive season approaches and more time is spent in the company of friends and relatives.

Cracking, shaking, breaking This form, my body. Can you see the Diamond Point? ___________ Stars , wrapping my being Stretching to meet this ocean Of limitless origins. Becoming, Vanishing I.

In this issue we have some wonderful inspiration and poetry from Sonia, John and Marion plus a report on the Summer Celebration. You will also find Sarah’s reflections on Ad’s summer retreat and Sonia’s advice on Healing Requests.

___________ Pulsating, Arriving, Passing, Oh, Gone.

In metta Sandra

Contents

Page

Editorial and Poems by Sonia

1

Sangha News

2&3

Advice on Requests for Healing

4

Inspirations

5&6

Autumn Programme and Ad’s Summer Retreat

7&8

Interconnectedness by Marion

9

Contact Details

10

Newsletter 6

Pulsating, Shining, Vanishing, Oh done. AH

Poems by Sonia

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September 2009

Summer Celebration As the dawn gently blossomed into day a small but perfectly formed group began to gather at The Orchard. Students came from as close as minutes away and as far as Devon, Scotland and even Hong Kong! There was renewing of old acquaintances and forging of new. Conversation flowed easily and even the sun shone, enabling lunch to be taken outside (too hot for me – I eventually retreated to the coolness of the conservatory). Lunch – well what can I say? Everyone did us very proud. The food was excellent with the table almost groaning under the weight of the offerings. Although no formal programme had been arranged events slotted into place beautifully. The afternoon found us eagerly anticipating a performance by Amy and her father Brian on guitar. Amy had a spot at a local festival and we were to be the dress rehearsal. As Amy began to sing mouths opened and eyes widened. I have often heard voices described as “pure” and I know now exactly what is meant. Classically trained, Amy surely has a great future ahead of her. We didn’t want her to stop and when her final song came, sung in Welsh and French, it had a purity and depth of feeling that was felt by all. Absolutely magical. Then Barbara noticed that Brian was strumming Big Yellow Taxi. There followed a glorious few minutes whilst we all joined in (or tried to) with Joni Mitchell’s hit, together with Scarborough Fair and one or two others. It served to prove that what we lacked in memory we made up for with intention. Later in the afternoon Jo gave a demonstration of a straight sword form of Tai Chi (see Jo’s explanation on page 3). To round off a wonderful day, there was a solstice bonfire nurtured by Steven - an excellent Fire Keeper - and some chanting led by Elizabeth from Devon.

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September 2009

My contribution to this year's Summer Gathering at The Orchard, apart from cake of course, was to perform the straight sword form of Tai Chi which I have been learning for some time. Several difficulties presented themselves in this endeavour - I had never performed in front of an audience (albeit a sympathetic and supportive one), on my own, or on uneven ground.

FINANCE 1. Donation Anna Jones and Anne Mackintosh, on behalf of the recently disbanded Healing Shiatsu Practitioners Group, recently presented Ad and Sonia with a generous donation for the Orchard Sangha. Grateful thanks are sent to Anna, Anne and all the HSPG members for their support.

This form is called Chen Family Taiji Straight Sword and has been handed down through generations of the Chen family in China. I was drawn to it for its grace and balance, a meditation in movement where the body and sword become one. I have not learned it through any theory but by repetition of the movements in the same way as I learned the Chen style long form in Tai Chi. To help the memory each set of movements is given a name: homage to the sun, separate the grass to seek the snake, wild horse leaps over stream, black dragon sways its tail. Not only are these names beautiful in themselves with their reminders of ancient teachings, but as I repeat them in my mind as a mantra to focus my attention, they have an inner symbolic resonance whilst connecting me to natural and mythical worlds: pluck the stars and change the constellations, falling flowers, eagle and bear battle with their wits, blue dragon comes out of the water. Straight sword has now become an extension of my Tai Chi practice.

2. Bursary Now that Sonia and Ad's Autumn programme is out can we remind everyone that there is still plenty of bursary money left for those who have not yet taken advantage of this. The bursary can be used for both Sonia's and Ad's workshops. Enquiries please to Gini at [email protected].

Jo

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Depending on my circumstances I can choose from the various ways of sending support to those in need. • Throughout the day I hold the person in my mind-heart and from time to time I stop briefly and mentally and say ‘may this being be well and happy and free from suffering’, if I know their name then I say their name instead of this being. • At the end of formal practice I dedicate the benefit of my practice to their well being, again I repeat mentally the sentence above together with their name. • Any moment of joy or positivity I might experience during the day I offer it to their well-being. • Or I do a full practice of M.B dedicating and include those in need by name, repeating one to three mantras per name.

REQUESTS FOR HEALING In the medicine Buddha meditation the first aspect to contemplate and to adjust is our motivation. The text says ’Reflect on our illness and pain and on the illness and pain experienced by others and generate a strong desire to be free of pain and suffering and to help others to be free of pain and suffering’. This is asking us to meet and to know the inevitable truth that there is suffering, to be moved yet not overwhelmed by this truth. This in turn cultivates compassion, which is the ability to experience the suffering of others plus the ability to do something about it. This reflection on the pain and suffering experienced by ourselves and others is not meant to be depressing, on the contrary it can foster an unshakeable desire to be of service in whatever form is possible.

My understanding is that the power of the joining of mind-intention will support those who meet challenging times in their life so just one thought coming from an open heart can be transformative. It does not have to be elaborate. It is a natural response one has towards a loved one; here the practice is to extend the same loving attention to someone who you may not know. I remember Namgyal Rinpoche asking us to give him news of how the person was doing. Are they better, worse? Do they need to be taken off the list? Again a few words of feedback would be enough. So I would like to invite anyone who feels that they can and would benefit from this practice of responding to a request for healing to join the Blue Healer Minds. Simply give your contact to Sarah Hill ([email protected]), you can join or ask to be removed from the Blue Healer Minds at any time according to your circumstances. If anyone has a personal question regarding this practice I would be happy to help. In this case send your question, anytime, directly to me: Sonia ([email protected]).

The second sentence recognizes that this is quite a task and that we need some help to be able to support others in time of shock, despair and pain: ‘As an effective means to do this, we will commit ourselves to invoking the healing forces within us, embodied in the Medicine Buddha, to the means of actualising these forces and to those who are able and willing to support us in this process’. This takes into account that we alone have limitation and if we do not want to feel overwhelmed or inadequate when faced with the suffering of self and others, we need to train ourselves, to find a suitable practice, teacher and friends who will support us in this journey. Here, what is offered is the practice of the Medicine Buddha but there are many other practices which will do just as well. I would like to share what I do when I receive a request for healing or when I hear of yet another tragedy. First I make sure that I am in a wholesome state that is not tired physically or mentally, that I am openhearted and in a good frame of mind.

Newsletter 6

Love,Sonia

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September 2009

The energy inside the Peace Hall felt very light and spacious and you could feel the support of all the wholesome practice that had taken place creating an atmosphere in which it was a joy to practice Tai Ji. We started and ended each session with a ritual in which we bowed in recognition and respect to those who enabled us to receive the teaching and to each other in gratitude for the gift of sharing and supporting each other in the practice. For the first few days we concentrated on the 5 elements form and this provided me with the opportunity to explore in greater depth movements I had already practised. For some of the other people in the group it was their first introduction to Tai Ji. As the week progressed we began to expand out into the circle forms; here everybody reached a point where they were moving into unknown territory. By this time the group had begun to relax more into “not knowing” and cared less about getting it right fostering an atmosphere of playfulness allowing the energy to begin to flow freely. This attitude was summed up when Ad asked us if we were clear about what we were doing and one of the group answered that she was confused but happy. Each day Ad taught a morning and afternoon session and in the evening the group came together informally to do light practice and share their experiences. This provided a space to open up and explore our experiences in an intimate non judgemental space. There were lots of questions about meditation which we fed back to Ad and from which he gave us a very inspiring talk about the attitude with which we approach meditation and shared with us ways to cultivate an atmosphere of loving kindness toward ourselves and others.

INSPIRATIONS Reflections on the Holy Island Tai Chi Retreat May 2009

Located off the west coast of Scotland near the Isle of Arran, Holy Island has an ancient spiritual heritage stretching back to the 6th century when the Celtic Christian Saint Molaise made a small cave his hermitage. Since then the Island has served many different owners and functions. In the 1970’s it became a wildlife sanctuary and the east side of the island still acts as a nature reserve and is the home to rare breeds of goats, sheep, ponies and over 20 species of birds. In 1993 Holy Island was acquired by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche a Tibetan Buddhist master in the Kagyu tradition and Abbot of Samye Ling Monastery in Dumfriesshire. This heralded the beginning of The Holy Island project with the aim to create and support an ecologically sustainable environment where individuals can develop and experience inner peace regardless of their background or spiritual tradition. Only two areas of the island are occupied: The Centre for World Peace and Health stands at the north of the island and the Inner Light retreat for women lies to the south. The path which connects them takes in beautiful sea views and a series of inspiring Tibetan art images carved and painted onto the rocks. The Peace centre, run entirely by volunteers, was our base for the teaching. We set sail from Adrossan Harbour in wet and blustery conditions which persisted and made for an exhilarating jet boat ride over to Holy Island. When we arrived we were met by the volunteers who had a welcome hot and tasty lunch waiting for us. All of the meals provided throughout our stay were nourishing, wholesome and prepared with love and care.

Outside of the teaching it was interesting for me to listen to the others relate their experiences of the practice. Some who were new to Tai Ji spoke of taking time to sit back and rest and how just watching the grace, fluidity and joy expressed in Ad’s movement helped them to feel uplifted. Rob who also worked as a volunteer on the island told me that this was the one course each year he attended due to the quality of the teachings and Ad’s presence. Jenny told me how although she only has the chance to attend Ad’s teachings once or twice a year she draws on the wisdom and support she has received from him daily. It felt deeply inspiring and

We then had time to unpack and settle in before meeting in the Peace Hall with Ad for the first Tai Chi session. The Peace Hall opened its doors to groups in 2003 with the aim of facilitating peace and well being. In 2006 it staged a ten day Tibetan Buddhist Drupchen ceremony led by a group of 20 Tibetan and Indian lamas and monks. Newsletter 6

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supportive to connect with people who had never visited The Orchard but who shared a love and appreciation of the practice and helped me to cultivate a wider more expansive view of the practising Sangha.

Before bed I spent some time relaxing in the library and the realisation dawned on me that Rob asking the question was far more important than him grasping the move. He had helped me to see that the Tai Ji is not about getting the moves right it is more an ongoing exploration fed by curiosity. The moves allow us to open out and connect with others in an attitude of acceptance. Here we can allow whatever needs to arise to enter into the minds awareness where we can work with it skilfully. This realisation helped to bring more spaciousness and joy into my practice.

Between Tai Ji sessions we were given time to explore the island. Watching the animals roam freely in their natural habitat amongst the beautiful wild flowers played against a backdrop of changing light and weather acted as a real support in bringing the mind to rest in a state of peace and tranquillity. For the first couple of days the weather was good but towards the end of our stay conditions began to worsen. On the evening of our departure the wind was so strong and the sea so rough that the jet boat was unable to land at the jetty giving us an unexpected extra nights stay on the island.

The following morning the sea was calm and the sun was shining which made for a very pleasant jet boat ride back to the Isle of Arran. As we made our goodbyes at Ardrossan I felt deep tenderness and gratitude towards the rest of the group for what we had shared and a real appreciation to Ad and the volunteers on Holy Island for facilitating such inspiring teaching.

Sitting around in the dining hall with Rob and Dougie on the last night Rob asked us to go over a move he wanted to practice. During the teaching he had sensed that understanding this move would help his practice but it would be another year before he would receive further teaching. His enthusiasm and thirst for exploration was infectious and we were happy to share with him what we knew. Soon we were scattering tables to clear space. Luckily the dining room was empty except for a curious observer who joined in our exploration. I feared that the frantic activity that ensued would confuse rather than help Rob. After a few times going through the move though he began to get the feel of it and a look of satisfaction spread across his face.

“I do not know if you have ever examined how you listen; it doesn’t matter to what, whether to a bird, to the wind in the leaves, to the rushing waters, or how you listen in a dialogue with yourself, to your conversation in various relationships with your intimate friends, your wife or husband…. If we try to listen we find it extraordinarily difficult, because we are always projecting our opinions and ideas, our prejudices, our background, our inclinations, our impulses; when they dominate we hardly listen at all to what is being said…. In that state there is no value at all. One listens and therefore learns, only in a state of attention, a state of silence, in which this whole background is in abeyance, is quiet; then, it seems to me, it is possible to communicate.

I felt a real sense of joy in this spontaneous sharing of the practice. I also felt an immense sense of gratitude at being able to access Ad’s teachings more regularly.

Newsletter 6

…………real communication can only take place where there is silence.” Krishnamurti (1968)

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September 2009

Autumn Programme ’09 at The Orchard Dharma Centre with Sonia Moriceau and Ad Brugman Here is a summary of the dates for the autumn retreats at The Orchard 24th – 27th September

Introduction into night practice

With Sonia

3rd – 4th October

T’ai – Ji practice

With Ad

5th – 30th November

Period of courses and personal retreats

5th – 8th November

Compassionate Involvement

With Ad

12th – 22nd November

Opening the heart, transforming the mind

With Sonia

26th - 29th November

The Four Noble Truths

With Ad

Autumn retreats with Sonia abroad: Info: www.vegetarisches-hotel.ch 10th – 15th October

Five Elements and how to transform destructive emotions

For bookings: contact Sabine Isler on [email protected]

Further details are now on the websites: www.soniamoriceau.org and www.touchingstillness.co.uk

REFLECTIONS ON AD’S SUMMER RETREAT What follows is a personal reflection on the experience of receiving the beautiful and inspirational teachings on Metta and Right Thinking from Ad during his summer retreat in June.

doing just this, to fully receiving friendliness. They also enabled an investigation into seeing where blocks and difficulties lie. As I ‘came home’ and settled at The Orchard I moved gently into watching what the mind was doing, seeing where the habitual story went, just seeing it and recognising it, not judging it but rather experiencing again how the story always has the potential to change through the practice of mindfulness. Together we explored how, when we apply mindfulness, the hooks to habitual stories and blocks can and do withdraw so that we are no longer caught in them. I was also so

I arrived with a busy mind and with many questions surfacing; ‘What stories do I create in my mind that block my ability to receive loving kindness?’ ‘What part does attachment to identity play in this?’ ‘Is it possible to go completely into the feeling of friendliness through being in nature, through being in spaciousness?’ ‘Can I fully receive the friendliness and know I deserve this?’ The teachings Ad gave took me into a beautiful, tender journey to Newsletter 6

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struck by the realisation that I can actively choose to no longer get caught up in them because, when I ‘come back’ and choose presence, they simply lose substance. Then came the remembering that, of course, the stories have no substance at all when mindfulness is applied; the objective watching without getting involved, really meeting the story full on, clearly seeing it but with a kind of detachment, reaching a place where there is no ‘I’, only then, it seems, can there be true letting go. As Ad guided us to deliberately direct the mind to explore these teachings more questions arose; ‘What am ‘I’ holding on to?’ ‘What purposes do the stories ‘I’ hold serve?’ ‘What do ‘I’ gain or get from them?’ ‘What does this tell ‘me’ about identity?’ On waking early the next morning, these reflections arose;

renunciation rather than from greed, aversion, hatred and delusion became more and more evident. For example, when I found myself going into judgment of self or others, I felt sharp contraction. When I went fully into compassion and friendliness, I felt openness and spaciousness. Expanding or ‘fattening’ this spaciousness and letting go of contraction and contortion sounds so simple and, in so many ways it is! Yet, it is also not easy and I guess this may be in part because of more old stuck storylines! I realised and learned so many things during the retreat that it is hard to keep this reflection succinct and brief and simply to share a window into these learnings and realisations. What I am remembering now and what feels important as I draw this piece to a close, is how connected I felt to each person as we sat together, enquired and learned together, embraced silence together and as we shed tears and laughed

‘Where there is spaciousness, there is openness and there are no stories. In moments of spaciousness in the mind, there is warmth and love, the heart opens and there is peace and stillness. There is light rising, beautiful rainbow light. There is emptiness for fragments of time, suspended yet moving gently in space. A cloud passes through, a stuck storyline, familiar and gripping. Thoughts resound like voices so loud and so clear. Gently noticing yet not grasping, the cloud passes through. Not doing supports this in some way that is not yet clear. Light rises once more; peace gracefully comes. The cycle begins once again as a shadow covers the sun.”

together. Ad spoke about relationships being so central to the Buddha’s teachings, about how much we need others because they are our teachers. The ways in which others react helps us to come back, to learn more and more. I am so grateful for the opportunity to grow in relationship with others, in fact, I increasingly appreciate that we only really grow in that way. This remembering brings forth an image of the lotus flower, which grows from the dark watery mire but is unstained by it – a symbol of such purity and letting go as it reaches towards the light. As I open my view, I see a lake filled with lotus flowers, with each one reaching towards the light.

The preciousness of life and being in awe of life were a fundamental part of Ad’s teachings. The importance of existing in awe at the miracle of this life and not focusing on the limits we have which, in turn, lead us far away from Right Thinking, resonated deeply within me. The experience was of gently facing the truth of how easy it can be to reinforce such limits and negativity all of the time rather than to appreciate and celebrate the preciousness of life. The contrast that exists when the mind comes from a place of generosity, metta, compassion and

Newsletter 6

Thank you Ad, for supporting our growth from dark towards light. Sarah

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September 2009

An experience of Interconnectedness In a wonderful moment At one of Sonia’s workshops some years ago I fully experienced the total ease of loving kindness for the first time And wrote a poem about the beauty of this moment. Now, after having been Sonia’s student for a few years, I attended one of Ad’s workshops For the first time And again – and yet in a new way - I wander in awe and see the beauty Around me And of the teaching that both teachers are so generously giving us. Coming from the same source Embodying different aspects Offering both So that it can be one They allow me to experience the interconnectedness of everything The richness and beauty of the dharma, of life. Going back to my poem from back then I can see Sonia’s teaching, Ad’s teaching and the Sangha’s teaching in it. Who wrote the poem?

In a difficult moment I meditated with Sonia’s picture in front of me Making contact with her Connecting with her. With the opening of the heart to Sonia I strongly felt her support And Something else happened, too. Ad appeared in front of me and supported me. The sangha appeared around me and supported me. We were all breathing together Witnessing together what is Offering calm, love and acceptance to each other.

Moment from moment I breathe in and out And I know that You breathe in and out And that ultimately there is simply Breathing in and breathing out. May all beings be well and happy and feel connected with the breath of oneness. In gratitude – Marion , July 2009 Newsletter 6

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MOMENTS OF ZEN The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tyre. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else. Never test the depth of the water with both feet. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of mortgage payments. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. Some days you are the bug; some days you are the windshield. Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. A closed mouth gathers no foot. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. Never miss a good chance to shut up. The most wasted day of all is one in which we have not laughed.




Contact Details

E-

Offers of assistance - Gill - [email protected] or on 01981 241315 Healing Requests to Blue Healer Minds - Sarah on [email protected] Bursary Fund - Gini at [email protected] Finance - Jo on [email protected] or on 01432 890312 Website - Tony on [email protected] or 17 Goodwood Mansions, Stockwell Park Walk, London SW9 0XY. Newsletter - Sandra - for comments and contributions – at [email protected] or on 013873 70787 (and if there is anyone out there with DTP skills who would like to offer their services to the newsletter, please do get in touch!)

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September 2009